Photos US Forces

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No mate, HH was in the A Shau valley in 1969

OK yeah you are right

 

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USS New Jersey bombarding enemy targets near Tuyho, on South Vietnam's central coast, during her last line period, late in March 1969.

 

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Wings Over Vietnam Rolling Thunder Documentary

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Operation Rolling Thunder was the title of a gradual and sustained aerial bombardment campaign conducted by the United States (U.S.) 2nd Air Division (later Seventh Air Force), U.S. Navy, and Republic of Vietnam Air Force (VNAF) against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) from 2 March 1965 until 2 November 1968, during the Vietnam War.

The four objectives of the operation (which evolved over time) were to boost the sagging morale of the Saigon regime in the Republic of Vietnam; to persuade North Vietnam to cease its support for the communist insurgency in South Vietnam without sending ground forces into communist North Vietnam; to destroy North Vietnam's transportation system, industrial base, and air defenses; and to halt the flow of men and material into South Vietnam. Attainment of these objectives was made difficult by both the restraints imposed upon the U.S. and its allies by Cold War exigencies, and by the military aid and assistance received by North Vietnam from its communist allies, the Soviet Union, the People's Republic of China and North Korea.

The operation became the most intense air/ground battle waged during the Cold War period; it was the most difficult such campaign fought by the United States since the aerial bombardment of Germany during World War II. Supported by communist allies, North Vietnam fielded a potent mixture of sophisticated air-to-air and surface-to-air weapons that created one of the most effective air defenses ever faced by American military aviators.

 

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Alan "Ace" Cozzalio



Alan "Ace" Cozzalio served as an Army helicopter pilot in Vietnam. As a member of the 5th Cavalry, attached to the 9th Infantry Division, Cozzalio enjoyed representing his unit's heritage by wearing the traditional 1860s cavalry uniform, complete with yellow scarf and saber, which he kept with him inside his chopper.

On January 25, 1969, Cozzalio received word of an infantry company pinned down and taking heavy casualties from a NVA machine gun bunker. The soldiers on the ground were too close to the bunker for aircraft like Cozzalio's Cobra gunship to light it up with rockets or bombs. Cozzalio landed his Cobra and moved into a smaller, more maneuverable OH-6 "Loach." He tore across the battlefield again, hovering a mere 10 feet off the ground. His used the chopper's minigun to eat into the bunker as he approached through a hail of fire, then landed on top of the structure. The Loach's gunner in back got out, dropped a grenade inside the bunker, then jumped back aboard. Cozzalio pulled away fast as the grenade detonated, killing those inside. Cozzalio returned to his Cobra and raced back to the scene, providing more air support while the infantry overran the enemy positions. For his outstanding initiative and creative action, Cozzalio was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
Cozzalio served 3 tours in Vietnam, being shot down 6 times. During his time in combat, he earned the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, 2 Bronze Stars, 4 Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Soldier's Medal, 48 Air Medals, and 2 Purple Hearts. He was medically retired in 1986 as a Lieutenant Colonel after contracting a rare virus affecting his heart. In April 1993, he underwent surgery for a heart transplant, which was tragically unsuccessful. Cozzalio died 2 days later. He was 46 years old.

 

[BravoZulu]

"Battle fatigue set in long ago for most the men [at Khe Sanh] . . . Lance Cpl. Ernest Delgado (US Marines) . . . is from Los Angeles and has been checking the months off on his helmet. [February 1968.]", Battle of Khe Sanh, South Vietnam by David Douglas Duncan. The photo of Delgado was in Life Magazine March 18, 1968 and is displayed in Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego's Command Museum's Vietnam Exhibit,

He made it back home.

SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES
11.16.2011
Photo by Lance Cpl. Katalynn M. Rodgers
Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego
Lance Cpl. Ernest Delgado looks in astonishment as he is shown a photo of himself that is displayed in Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego's Command Museum's Vietnam Exhibit, during Platoon 3317's 45th anniversary of their bootcamp graduation Nov. 16. Delgado was unaware that the museum had this photo until Kenneth Christie, a fellow platoon member, brought him here after five years of searching for Delgado. "I can't even tell you how it made me feel," said Delgado. "I was very proud, and it was life-changing to be here with my platoon and one of my drill instructors when it was shown to me." The photo of Delgado was in Life Magazine March 18, 1968, and is entitled "Battle Fatigue set in long ago for most the men [at Khe Sanh]."

 

[BravoZulu]

One of the two M10-8 flamethrower turrets on a US Navy Mobile Riverine Force river monitor in action. Vietnam, 1969

 

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This is a guntruck 'Proud American', before it was hit by enemy fire during a March 12, 1971 ambush.

At the time the vehicle was on the way to FSB Shepard in the Quang Tri area to reinforce and supply US soldiers of the 502nd Infantry Division and 17th Cavalry or their replacements, who were engaged with North Vietnamese Army regular forces in increasing numbers in the months prior in mid to late 1970.

The convoy as a whole was hit by at least 3 RPG-2 rocket propelled grenade rounds, which was a smaller predecessor to the RPG-7, which killed one soldier and badly wounded another, causing a screening force of men from the 4-3 Infantry to move and attempt to cut off the ambushing NVA/VC soldiers, but they were not successful. The man killed during the ambush was E4 Specialist Robert Thorne, who was killed by an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade). The radioman behind Thorne, 1st Lt James Baird, was badly wounded by the blast, loosing an arm, while other member's of Proud American's crew McDonald had a wound to his face and Calvin had a wound to his wrist resulting in a helicopter being called for a medical evacuation after the ambush was defeated, and the badly damaged vehicle being driven by others back to an allied FSB (Fire Support Base) where it was rebuilt and repaired.

 

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MAC-SOG Operators in Vietnam

 

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Some pics of Marines in Vietnam, amongst them pictures of combat correspondents Dale Dye (with M1/M2 Carbine) and Gustav Hasford (with M3 Grease Gun)

 

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US Marine medical personnel carrying heavily wounded soldiers run towards a transport plane while under intense fire coming from North Vietnamese Peoples Army forces surrounding the besieged Khe Sahn Combat Base during the Vietnam War; Quảng Trị Province, South Vietnam, February of 1968

Soldiers on a search and destroy operation near Qui Nhon, Vietnam. January 17, 1967

 

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A U.S. Navy Patrol Boat River (PBR) crewman mans the forward twin .50-caliber machine gun mount. April 1966

"flying mace" booby trap prepared by Viet Cong guerrillas. 1964.

 

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US Army infantrymen try to flush out Viet Cong insurgents from a construction site of a unfinished hotel during the Tet Offensive. Saigon, South Vietnam, January 31st 1968

An American soldier keeps a constant reminder of his girlfriend back home, with his helmet band filled with her photograph (Photo by Rolls Press) 1968

 

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Inside the helmet & helmet liner was a popular place to keep pics like that - they wouldn't get soaked there.

 

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In this Feb. 27, 1968, photo, two Communist prisoners await transport to an interrogation center after South Vietnamese Rangers overran enemy positions in the Citadel of Hue, Vietnam. Early on the morning of Jan. 31, 1968

 

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In this Feb. 23, 1968, photo, a U.S. Air Force transport plane drops supplies during a low-level pass over the U.S. Marine base at Khe Sanh, South Vietnam. In foreground is a sandbagged bunker on the base's perimeter. The planes avoid landing because of frequent Communist shelling.

 

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US soldiers rest on top of a tank at the Phu Tho racetrack in western Saigon, Feb. 8-26, 1968. US and S.Vietnamese troops set up a fire support base at the track to support troops engaged in mop-up operations throughout the city during the Tet Offensive. (AP Photo/Eddie Adams)

In this Feb. 11, 1968, photo, Air Force medics race across open ground past bunkers beside Khe Sanh airstrip carrying badly wounded Marines to plane while under sniper fire from guerrillas at perimeter of the area, central Vietnam. The rescue craft could stay on the ground just long enough to take on the wounded.

 

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Smoke rises over battle-scarred Saigon during the Tet Offensive as the sun sets over the South Vietnamese capital on Feb. 8, 1968. Savage fighting was continuing there for the ninth consecutive day with Viet Cong guerrillas pitted against combined South Vietnamese and U.S. forces. (AP Photo/Eddie Adams)

Specific date unknown. US soldiers ride in a truck at the Phu Tho racetrack in western Saigon, Feb. 8-26, 1968. US and S.Vietnamese troops set up a fire support base at the track to support troops engaged in mop-up operations throughout the city during the Tet Offensive. (AP Photo/Eddie Adams)

 

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In this Jan. 31, 1968 photo, two U.S. military policemen aid a wounded fellow MP during fighting in the U.S. Embassy compound in Saigon, Vietnam, at the beginning of the Tet Offensive. (AP Photo)

US Army infantrymen try to flush out Viet Cong insurgents from a construction site of a unfinished hotel during the Tet Offensive, Saigon, South Vietnam, January 31st 1968 (AP Photo)

 

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1970
Half-dressed US soldiers of the 9th Infantry fire on enemy troops somewhere along the South Vietnamese-Cambodian border

An exhausted US infantryman drinks from his canteen in the Fishhook area of Cambodia, 1970 (Larry Burrows)

 

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1964
US and South Vietnamese forces evict prostitutes from a suspected Việt Cộng village after setting it alight

Tracer fire lights the night sky as US and South Vietnamese forces conduct operations