Other Post The Dumbest Thing I ever Did....

[PoPs]

I had seen a thread in another forum titled this and thought it might be enteresting to see what others here had to offer. I will start.

The dumbest thing I ever did was in July 23, 1969. I was assigned to the como section of an Arty Bn on a hill outside of Chu Lai Base in Vietnam. Around 11:00 that night our main commo line to Chu Lai had been cut. This resulted in the whole base going on alert and maned the perimeter. Our section chief asked for a volunteer to go outside the wire and trace the line till they found the break and repair it. One young indiviual from the como section volunteered and the section chief asked for another to provide security. Without much thought other than I was the only one why had seen any combat I found myself raising my hand and volunteering. Once we got outside the perimeter I realized just what I had done. I was due to leave Vietnam in 2 days and here I was outside the perimeter with only an M16, at night, silhoueted against the light from the top of the hill searching for a break on the land line. I was following the como man and fortunetly he found the cut line less than 100 yrds from the perimeter. As he was splicing the wire I was trying to hide behind a rock the size of a grapefruit. All the while cussing at myself saying "you stupid SOB...Your surpose to go home in 2 days". We got back to the perimeter with no problems. I went back to my hootch and stayed there for the next 2 days.

 

[Bombardier]

The dumbest thing I ever did.....
I was tasked to drive my Regimental Sergeant Major (GOD) from our Regimental Barracks in Topcliffe North yorkshire to The Training Depot in Woolwich, London. When we arrived the RSM instructed me to park up the vehicle and wait in the Guard Room which I duly did. I was stood in the front area talking to the guard commander when some of the Guard Squaddies returned from a walk around the camp, the guard commander was busy on the phone and gesticulated to me to press the button which opens the door so that the squaddies could come in. The door did not open and after a short while the guard commander sorted it out and the guard came in.
Within minutes 3 police cars with armed suppport screached to a halt at the barrier, it then became obvious what I had done....I pressed the personal attack alarm which then prompts the local police to place road blocks all around the area of the Depot.

I felt like a real stupid Bar Steward I can tell ya cyc;

 

[Matzos]

I bet your name was MUD with the RSM for sometime uzi,

One of my Corporals was on duty in the Guardroom a number of years ago and he pressed a wrong button also. However, he set off the Station recall siren, it was 4 am, in Germany, in the 1980's, people were running around for hours.

He got an interview with the SWO (RAF God) drill; and a lot more duties.

 

[03Fox2/1]

Pops, When I was that short, no way would I volunteer for anything, that's asking for trouble. The dumbest thing I'll admit to is, the first firefight I was in, I fired one round and ejected my magazine. For a few tense moments, I was useless to anyone but I quickly recovered and never again repeated that mistake. No one ever knew this but I did and that was enough. In this same engagement, my first combat officer, 2nd Lt. Ing was killed, shot through the neck. I learned some valuable lessons that day and also realized how fickle fate can be. The experienced and knowledgeable officer died and the new inexperienced PFC lived, both through no fault of their own. Semper Fi

 

[Advisor]

The dumbest thing I ever did..hmmm, have to think about that one. Well, one really dumb thing I did was obey a direct, but illegal, order. I had only been in Viet Nam for a month or so when I was told to take a working party of about 6 RF-PF types to the Province HQ in Quang Tri. No problem, right? I had a vehicle assigned to me..a 3/4 truck with about a million miles on it. I started it up & found that I had no (!! ) brakes..zero, zilch, zed.
I radioed the platoon CO in Quang Tri & informed him that I couldn't come in because the truck was unsafe to drive. He proceeded to give me a direct order to come anyway. I asked for advice from the other guys on the advisory team (unfortunately not in my chain of command) and they pretty well told me that I should comply with the order. So, dumbass that I was, I loaded up the truck with the working party & drove down Highway 1 from Gio Linh to Quang Tri (very slowly). Everything was ok until we got into the city. Heavy traffic!!! No problem until 2 ARVN's (one a para) cut in front of me & I promptly ran them over. Thankfully no one was killed, but one ARVN was mashed up badly. The MP's came & wrote up reports & really reamed me for driving without brakes. The upshot of this whole thing is that the Army paid the injured ARVN some amount of $$ and I was called in by our CO & told to sign an Article 15 administrative punishment. Can't remember what the penalty was, but I told him hell no I wasn't going to sign it & that I wanted a court martial & that I was going to request civilian counsel. He was the one who gave me the order & I fully intended to bring that out. The CO backed off & I got a letter of reprimand (like I cared burg; ). I stayed out in the field as much as possible after that, because I know that he was gunning for me. The guy was a jerk.

 

[Bombardier]

The guy was a jerk

In my experience they usually are footin;

 

[DMZ-LT]

So many to choose from

So many to choose from ! After Lam Son719 I was pulled away from my platoon and told to go with a flat bed truck to Da Nang to turn in a burned up APC , spend the night and come back to Dong Ha. Turned in the track , found an officers club and got really drunk. Stole a Col's jeep outside the club , picked up a beautiful prostitute and put her in a mail bag in the back seat of the jeep. Got lost and ran into an MP road block . I decided to crash through it and did so with the MP's in hot persuit. Turned the jeep over and was taken to jail. Woke up the next day in jail with a REALLY old and ugly woman in the next cell. I asked an MP if that was the woman in the mail bag and he smiled and said Yes. I thanked him for arresting me. Finally my CO arrived waving about a three inch thick wad of paperwork . He yelled"Did you do all this " I said I probably did. He told he I would stay in the bush the rest of my tour. I told him that would be just fine as me and cities didn't seem to get along

 

[Eagledriver]

About the dumbest thing I ever did was during maneuvers at Camp Shelby in '79, a select few of us were issued grenade and arty simulators to use. Now, anybody familiar with arty simulators knows that they are equivalant to about 2/3 of a stick of dynamite(powder, not TNT). During the heat of battle, I let loose and threw one as far as I could and wouldn't you know it, the CO's driver ran over it just as it went off. Did I ever get an a**-chewing over that!
Thank the good Lord that nobody got hurt!

 

[Bundu Basher]

Troop Sergeant killed by own HE round...

...that was nearly my obituary!

In early 1991, while doing a 'camp' (a compulsory 30 days per year obligation to the South African miltary once released from initial National Service), I was the crew commander on a Ratel 90 AFV and we were doing some 'shooting in' at the Army Battle School training ground in Lohatla. As I was also a qualified 90mm Gunner and we were basically isolated out in the open desert veldt, I decided I would shoot in the cannon myself in style and duly ordered my gunner out of his seat.

Being the senior NCO in the squadron on the day, a qualified gunner and a sel proclaimed 'Bush War Veteran', I needed no help form the conscripted men under my command and so duly loaded a High Explosive round in the barrel, traversed the turret until I sighted a decent target within my arc of fire - and then fired under my own command...

In retrospect, I can only thank God that my gunner had decided to stay inside the vehicle, along with the driver, and that we were all safely behind a thick protective armoured shell.

...the HE round travelled what seemed a micro distance at the time and smack bang into what was up until then a rather large and narrow tree trunk (probably the only one within 100 km) and exploded! The extreme proximity of the explosion activated all the blast plates (spring loaded armoured plates that covered all the drivers glass in emergencies), ripped the 7.62 Browning off from its cupola mounting, slamming the crew commander cupola shut in the process and made a nice mess of the brand new outside mounted night sights and dispersing the neatly rolled camo net all over the bush!

When the ringing stopped in my ears and I had removed myself from my freshly soiled underwear and tank overall, I decided that perhaps that was not the cleverest of things to have done... (at least not until I got married later that year, but that is completely different story for a completely different forum! )

 

[Bombardier]

DMZ-LT - Ive had a similar situation with a female (not a prostitute) thing is I married her LMFAO.

Eagledriver - Did something similar on a smaller scale though with a thunderflash, I wasnt the best liked Trooper that day.rbo;

Bundu Basher - That was a very lucky escape for you and your crew

 

[PoPs]

LOve it......Good to see I'm not alone on doing Dumb things....lolololol

 

[John A Silkstone]

What no tea!

I started my army career as a gunner in 20th Field Regiment Royal Artillery, stationed in Woolwich London.

In 1957, we were exercising on Salisbury Planes firing our 25 pound guns.

Our main billets was an old wooden WWII camp called Rollestone Camp. There was only the electric lights and no wall sockets and being Summer time, there was no fuel for the pot belly stove, so we couldn’t make a hot drink.

I found some wire and attached it to an electric plug that fitted into the light socket. To the other end I attached a spoon and tied two pieces of wood across the top. A can of water was placed on the table and the spoon placed inside with the wood resting on the rim.

I switched on the light to heat up the home made electric kettle and the whole lot blew up. Not only did if fuse the lights to the rest of the camp, it also knocked out two of the local villages.

 

[Bombardier]

Nice one John !, and if you dont mind me sayin g so....That was stupid ! solaf solthum

 

[flash]

I started my army career as a gunner in 20th Field Regiment Royal Artillery, stationed in Woolwich London.

In 1957, we were exercising on Salisbury Planes firing our 25 pound guns.

Our main billets was an old wooden WWII camp called Rollestone Camp. There was only the electric lights and no wall sockets and being Summer time, there was no fuel for the pot belly stove, so we couldn’t make a hot drink.

I found some wire and attached it to an electric plug that fitted into the light socket. To the other end I attached a spoon and tied two pieces of wood across the top. A can of water was placed on the table and the spoon placed inside with the wood resting on the rim.

I switched on the light to heat up the home made electric kettle and the whole lot blew up. Not only did if fuse the lights to the rest of the camp, it also knocked out two of the local villages.

haha the polish legionairs used do use two razors and wire it up to the mains scoldings were common lol and shocks were a bonus loluzi,

 

[John A Silkstone]

A not so stupid thing for I planned this one.

For some misdemeanour that I can’t remember I was once again placed on seven days restricted privileges. (Confined to Camp) One evening I was painting the white lines around the hospital parking spaces when the Catering Officer approached and told me to follow him. He took me to the rear of the kitchen and pointed to a spot on the ground. My eyes followed his pointing finger has he said, “I wanted my own parking space painted in that spot and I want my abbreviations within the said space, so no one else will park in it, okay?”

I answered in the affirmative and proceeded to paint as instructed. The following morning I was once more dusting the C.O's mat.
“Left right left right mark time, halt. Left turn.” called out Reg Carnell the RSM.
“Are you 23494015 private Silkstone?” asked the Commanding Officer
“Yes sir.”
“You are hereby charged under section 69 of the Army Act 1955, in that you did on such and such a date painted a car parking space for the Catering Officer and placed inside the said space in three foot high letters, the Catering Officers abbreviations. How do you plead?”
“Guilty Sir.”

I was then informed that the abbreviation for Catering Officer was ‘Cat Off’ and not ‘F Off’, for Food Officer. I received a further seven days.

 

[rotorwash]

I once threw the pin and hung onto the grenade. Now, I don't care who you are, that there is stupid.

 

[ArcticWolf]

I sincerely hope you didn't end up looking like this... gren;although quite scary at the time, it does kind of sound funny now... doesn't it...? solthum

 

[rotorwash]

Actually I thought I had done a really good thing. I got it out the door of the aircraft, which is a trick because if you don't throw it correctly it will blow back inside. Then I threw it high enough to miss the guns and rocket pods without throwing it into the rotor blades, this too, is important. A grenade hung up in the gun mount can ruin your day. Oddly enough, it felt sort of light and looked very small.

Then it dawned on me that I had held the grenade in my left hand and pulled the pin with my right, my throwing hand. This as THE most important detail and must not be overlooked. I looked down and sure enough, there was a WP grenade firmly clenched in my left hand. (WP is only slightly more user friendly then frag) By the time I moved my M-60 out of the way and transfered the grenade to my right hand, my fingerprints were embedded in the grenade to keep the spoon from flipping off.

Once again the throw was successful although the explosion was much delayed over what I had originally anticipated.

RW

 

[eddiefrench]

The most stupid thing I have ever done?
I've done many stupid things but the one thing that I still cringe about when I think of it happened in 1975 on a steep, narrow street behind Strabane Police Station. We had been on QRF for two days. That's boots on and weapon by the side of your bunk. We never got much rest as there was always something going on, day and night.
For security we were instructed to remove working parts from our SLR's and place them under the pillow if we got to get some sleep. Mid afternoon one day the usual call came for the QRF to deploy.
We drove up the narrow street and found a fully fledged riot going on with about 60 or seventy locals stoning a foot patrol. The patrol had attempted to arrest a prominent IRA operative. This operative is now VERY well known in NI politics.
Then I heard shots fired and deployed my section on the perimetre to seek out the sniper.
I thought I spotted someone on a flat roof extension which I could just see at the side of a house.
I pulled on the cocking handle.
I almost fell over when it came back so fast that I nearly took my thumb off.
You Guessed it.
My working parts were back in the QRF room nicely tucked under my pillow.
Never going to admit to this almighty C***up I grabbed an FRG from one of my men and let rip. The target had long gone so I helped with crowd control. A week later we did get a postcard from this prominent IRA figure. It sported a picture of Strabane and the words
"You are here...Where am I?"

 

[GunBunnyInaMAB]

Well, without a doubt... I was driving a overloaded M520 GOER Ammunition Carrier with about 10 tons of 155mm Howitzer ammo, on a tank trail in Graffenwor, West Germany in February of 1980, going flat out at 40 mph. I was running late, and as fate would have it, came up on a column of lumbering M60 Tanks puttin' along at a whopping 15 mph. So, like any Gun Bunny Ammo Driver worth his salt, I proceeded to overtake the slower, heavier column. I was about 5 tanks short of passing the 17 vehicle column when I nailed the "pothole from hell". The GOER bounced up, with the right side of the vehicle's tires in midair! Here I am, 40 mph on two wheels, overloaded with enough HE to take out the entire column, the truck tilted at a 45 degree angle with my co-driver half standing on the side of the vehicle getting ready to jump should the damn thing jack-knife and the tank column next to me begins to fly off the road into the woods, tearing down trees while trying to get clear of the impending explosion!! My life was flashing before my eyes, (I was only 20 yrs. old, so it was pretty quick). Then suddenly, (and to this day I still don't know why), the rear wheels of my 4X4 GOER momentarily locked up, causing the truck to drop back onto all four wheels. I proceeded to veer off the tank trail into a wooded glade, where I shut the damn thing down, climbed down from the cab on a set of severely shaking legs, and took a good long leak! Definately not one of the smartest stunts I ever pulled...