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Capt. Jon Swanson in Vietnam with his Hughes OH-6 Cayuse, "Little Caesar". Capt. Swanson was shot down over Cambodia in 1971 & his remains were not discovered until 1999. He was awarded the Medal of Honor by Pres. George W. Bush in 2002
CAPTAIN JON E. SWANSON
UNITED STATES ARMY
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:
Captain Jon E. Swanson distinguished himself by acts of bravery on February 26, 1971, while flying an OH-6A aircraft in support of ARVN Task Force 333 in the Kingdom of Cambodia. With two well-equipped enemy regiments known to be in the area, Captain Swanson was tasked with pinpointing the enemy's precise positions. Captain Swanson flew at treetop level at a slow airspeed, making his aircraft a vulnerable target. The advancing ARVN unit came under heavy automatic weapons fire from enemy bunkers 100 meters to their front. Exposing his aircraft to enemy anti-aircraft fire, Captain Swanson immediately engaged the enemy bunkers with concussion grenades and machine gun fire. After destroying five bunkers and evading intense ground-to-air fire, he observed a .51 caliber machine gun position. With all his heavy ordnance expended on the bunkers, he did not have sufficient explosives to destroy the position. Consequently, he marked the position with a smoke grenade and directed a Cobra gun ship attack. After completion of the attack, Captain Swanson found the weapon still intact and an enemy soldier crawling over to man it. He immediately engaged the individual and killed him. During this time, his aircraft sustained several hits from another .51 caliber machine gun. Captain Swanson engaged the position with his aircraft's weapons, marked the target, and directed a second Cobra gun ship attack. He volunteered to continue the mission, despite the fact that he was now critically low on ammunition and his aircraft was crippled by enemy fire. As Captain Swanson attempted to fly toward another .51 caliber machine gun position, his aircraft exploded in the air and crashed to the ground, causing his death. Captain Swanson's courageous actions resulted in at least eight enemy killed and the destruction of three enemy anti-aircraft weapons. Captain Swanson's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
CAPTAIN JON E. SWANSON
UNITED STATES ARMY
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:
Captain Jon E. Swanson distinguished himself by acts of bravery on February 26, 1971, while flying an OH-6A aircraft in support of ARVN Task Force 333 in the Kingdom of Cambodia. With two well-equipped enemy regiments known to be in the area, Captain Swanson was tasked with pinpointing the enemy's precise positions. Captain Swanson flew at treetop level at a slow airspeed, making his aircraft a vulnerable target. The advancing ARVN unit came under heavy automatic weapons fire from enemy bunkers 100 meters to their front. Exposing his aircraft to enemy anti-aircraft fire, Captain Swanson immediately engaged the enemy bunkers with concussion grenades and machine gun fire. After destroying five bunkers and evading intense ground-to-air fire, he observed a .51 caliber machine gun position. With all his heavy ordnance expended on the bunkers, he did not have sufficient explosives to destroy the position. Consequently, he marked the position with a smoke grenade and directed a Cobra gun ship attack. After completion of the attack, Captain Swanson found the weapon still intact and an enemy soldier crawling over to man it. He immediately engaged the individual and killed him. During this time, his aircraft sustained several hits from another .51 caliber machine gun. Captain Swanson engaged the position with his aircraft's weapons, marked the target, and directed a second Cobra gun ship attack. He volunteered to continue the mission, despite the fact that he was now critically low on ammunition and his aircraft was crippled by enemy fire. As Captain Swanson attempted to fly toward another .51 caliber machine gun position, his aircraft exploded in the air and crashed to the ground, causing his death. Captain Swanson's courageous actions resulted in at least eight enemy killed and the destruction of three enemy anti-aircraft weapons. Captain Swanson's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
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First Platoon, D company, 3/21 Infantry 196th Light Infantry Brigade at LZ Center with Martha Raye. Known as "Colonel Maggie of the Boondocks" for her frequent trips to entertain troops, notably Green Berets in remote areas. Her dedication was officially recognized in 1966, when President Johnson made her an honorary lieutenant colonel.
In 1993 Martha Raye was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her lifetime service to America . When she died a special exception to policy was made so that she could be buried in the military cemetery at Fort Bragg , North Carolina .
#VietnamWarStories #VietnamWar#vietnamwarfootageandstories
Original description and photo sourced from stripes.com and US Army.
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In 1993 Martha Raye was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her lifetime service to America . When she died a special exception to policy was made so that she could be buried in the military cemetery at Fort Bragg , North Carolina .
#VietnamWarStories #VietnamWar#vietnamwarfootageandstories
Original description and photo sourced from stripes.com and US Army.
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12 Apr 1968, Saigon, South Vietnam --- US soldiers from the 1st Cavalry of the 25th Infantry Division on Operation Complete Victory a few kilometers southwest of Phuoc Vinh
#VietnamWarStories #1stCAV
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Original description and photo sourced from the US National Archives
#VietnamWarStories #1stCAV
#vietnamwarfootageandstories #VietnamWar
Original description and photo sourced from the US National Archives
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Hostile Fire
Some time ago I was talking to my daughter, who is also a Navy veteran. She was deployed to the Middle East during the Iraqi War. We were having one of those "What did you do in the war, Daddy" kinds of conversation. She asked me what I would pick as the most significant thing I had done in the Vietnam War. After some thought I answered by telling her the story of my taking an exploded and reassembled 152mm enemy artillery shell to Naval Headquarters in Saigon.
I am a combat veteran of the Vietnam War. I served in the Naval Advisory Group in 1968-1969. I was stationed in Cua Viet as the Intelligence Officer on the staff of Task Force Clearwater. We ran patrol boats on the Cua Viet and Perfume Rivers. Our job was to provide protection for the cargo boats taking supplies to the soldiers and marines upriver. That three month assignment in Cua Viet was followed by time in Saigon and then Danang.
The little base at the mouth of the Cua Viet River was bombarded by light to heavy artillery (85mm, 122mm and 152mm) on almost a daily basis. Over the three month period that I was the intelligence officer for Task Force Clearwater there were numerous attacks resulting in casualties, both deaths and injuries.
Each time we were hit I sent a report to Saigon of the incident with details of what we were hit with, casualties, damage, etc. Each time my report was disregarded or disparaged. Their response was that we were more likely hit with mortars or rockets.
Their reasoning went like this: The only place that the NVA could launch such artillery attacks was within the DMZ because the range of the NVA guns was not long enough to reach us from north of the DMZ. The DMZ by definition was demilitarized. Because it was demilitarized, there could be no artillery there. Ergo, Cua Viet could not be hit by artillery. So, I must be mistaken about what was hitting us.
After a particularly heavy bombardment one night in June 1968 an unexploded round was sighted with its nose sticking up through the hardpan of our loading dock. The Explosive Ordnance Demolition Team exploded the dud round. I picked up the pieces and put them together like a puzzle. Voila! - a 152mm artillery round, proof positive that we were indeed being hit with heavy artillery.
I asked the boss if I could take it to Saigon and he gave me permission. I put my reassembled 152mm round in a box and took another man with me to help me carry it because of the weight. We boarded a boat to Danang, hopped a flight on a Marine C-130, flew to Saigon, took the 152mm round to COMNAVFORV headquarters and plopped it down on the desk of the senior intelligence officer and said, "That's what they're shooting at us!"
One week later there was an Arc Light (B52) strike in the DMZ. We couldn't see the planes when they dropped their deadly load, but we felt the ground shake and saw the black smoke billowing skyward, a sight I will never forget. We were never hit with artillery again.
After I finished my little story, my daughter said, "Dad, just think what you did. There is no way to know how many lives you saved by what you did."
Now, I know it is nearly impossible to prove causality in the negative. When something doesn't happen that was expected, who can say for sure that it was the result of any preventative action taken.
After that conversation with with my daughter and her conclusion that my action saved many lives, I have had to reassess the importance and impact of my role in Vietnam.
Captain Herman Hughes, Ph.D.
US Navy Retired
PFC USMCR
Some time ago I was talking to my daughter, who is also a Navy veteran. She was deployed to the Middle East during the Iraqi War. We were having one of those "What did you do in the war, Daddy" kinds of conversation. She asked me what I would pick as the most significant thing I had done in the Vietnam War. After some thought I answered by telling her the story of my taking an exploded and reassembled 152mm enemy artillery shell to Naval Headquarters in Saigon.
I am a combat veteran of the Vietnam War. I served in the Naval Advisory Group in 1968-1969. I was stationed in Cua Viet as the Intelligence Officer on the staff of Task Force Clearwater. We ran patrol boats on the Cua Viet and Perfume Rivers. Our job was to provide protection for the cargo boats taking supplies to the soldiers and marines upriver. That three month assignment in Cua Viet was followed by time in Saigon and then Danang.
The little base at the mouth of the Cua Viet River was bombarded by light to heavy artillery (85mm, 122mm and 152mm) on almost a daily basis. Over the three month period that I was the intelligence officer for Task Force Clearwater there were numerous attacks resulting in casualties, both deaths and injuries.
Each time we were hit I sent a report to Saigon of the incident with details of what we were hit with, casualties, damage, etc. Each time my report was disregarded or disparaged. Their response was that we were more likely hit with mortars or rockets.
Their reasoning went like this: The only place that the NVA could launch such artillery attacks was within the DMZ because the range of the NVA guns was not long enough to reach us from north of the DMZ. The DMZ by definition was demilitarized. Because it was demilitarized, there could be no artillery there. Ergo, Cua Viet could not be hit by artillery. So, I must be mistaken about what was hitting us.
After a particularly heavy bombardment one night in June 1968 an unexploded round was sighted with its nose sticking up through the hardpan of our loading dock. The Explosive Ordnance Demolition Team exploded the dud round. I picked up the pieces and put them together like a puzzle. Voila! - a 152mm artillery round, proof positive that we were indeed being hit with heavy artillery.
I asked the boss if I could take it to Saigon and he gave me permission. I put my reassembled 152mm round in a box and took another man with me to help me carry it because of the weight. We boarded a boat to Danang, hopped a flight on a Marine C-130, flew to Saigon, took the 152mm round to COMNAVFORV headquarters and plopped it down on the desk of the senior intelligence officer and said, "That's what they're shooting at us!"
One week later there was an Arc Light (B52) strike in the DMZ. We couldn't see the planes when they dropped their deadly load, but we felt the ground shake and saw the black smoke billowing skyward, a sight I will never forget. We were never hit with artillery again.
After I finished my little story, my daughter said, "Dad, just think what you did. There is no way to know how many lives you saved by what you did."
Now, I know it is nearly impossible to prove causality in the negative. When something doesn't happen that was expected, who can say for sure that it was the result of any preventative action taken.
After that conversation with with my daughter and her conclusion that my action saved many lives, I have had to reassess the importance and impact of my role in Vietnam.
Captain Herman Hughes, Ph.D.
US Navy Retired
PFC USMCR
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CALL SIGN DRACULA
"On 30 April 1966 in a sweep through the village of Lo Go the 1st Infantry Division, 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment engages in heavy fighting, it was during this time that a large quantity of black cloth was captured. This cloth was made into the scarves worn by the battalion for the remaining of its tour in Vietnam. It is from this that the battalion earned its nickname “Black Scarves”. LTC Richard Prillimen is the battalion commander."
#VietnamWarStories #VietnamWar
#vietnamwarfootageandstories
Original description and photos sourced by: sunburypress.com and army.mil
"On 30 April 1966 in a sweep through the village of Lo Go the 1st Infantry Division, 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment engages in heavy fighting, it was during this time that a large quantity of black cloth was captured. This cloth was made into the scarves worn by the battalion for the remaining of its tour in Vietnam. It is from this that the battalion earned its nickname “Black Scarves”. LTC Richard Prillimen is the battalion commander."
#VietnamWarStories #VietnamWar
#vietnamwarfootageandstories
Original description and photos sourced by: sunburypress.com and army.mil
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The average weight carried by infantrymen in Vietnam was (+-) 85 pounds.
#VietnamWarStories #VietnamWar
#vietnamwarfootageandstories
Original description and photo sourced by: charliecompany.org
#VietnamWarStories #VietnamWar
#vietnamwarfootageandstories
Original description and photo sourced by: charliecompany.org
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he is retried from idf,and he is war reporter in vietnam war era.Defence Minister of Israel (presumptive), Moshe Dayan, with American troops in Vietnam
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Captain Eleanor Grace Alexander an Angel in Vietnam
Captain Eleanor Grace Alexander, U.S. Army had been working in a hospital in Pleiku to help out during mass casualties from Dak To when her plane crashed on the return trip to Qui Nhon on November 30, 1967. She was from New Jersey and is remembered on Panel 31E, Line 8.
Eleanor enlisted in May 1967. Assigned to the 85th Evacuation Hospital at Qui Nhon, Vietnam, she was part of the team responsible for stabilizing seriously wounded patients, whether they be American, allied or enemy. A colleague recalled that "Rocky," as Alexander became known, was "top notch... never got rattled... even managed to look well groomed" in the chaos of field hospital work.
Five months into her enlistment, Alexander grabbed opportunity from coincidence, a decision that one could say cost her her life. As fighting intensified at the Battle of Dak To 60 miles away, the 85th was to send an emergency medical team to nearby Pleiku to treat the wounded. Another nurse was part of the team but couldn't be located in time, so Alexander took her colleague's gear and ran to join the departing group. She and the team worked grueling 14 hour shifts, an exhausting yet exhilarating regimen for the enthusiastic nurse. "The troops around Pleiku are getting hit quite hard," she wrote to her mother in mid November. "For the past three days, I've been running on about four hours sleep. Funny thing is, I love it."
After six weeks, the team was returning to the 85th when their plane encountered rain and low clouds that would prevent their landing at Qui Nhon. They were diverted to another airstrip with better landing conditions but crashed into a mountainside while attempting to get there. Alexander, the other 21 passengers and four crew members were all killed in the accident. She was 27 years old and was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star.
#vietnamwarfootageandstories #VietnamWar #USArmyStrong #usarmy #vietnamnurses #vietnamwall #vietnammemorial
Original description and photographs sourced by the following: nurse.com, hiddennj.com, findagrave.com and US Army
Captain Eleanor Grace Alexander, U.S. Army had been working in a hospital in Pleiku to help out during mass casualties from Dak To when her plane crashed on the return trip to Qui Nhon on November 30, 1967. She was from New Jersey and is remembered on Panel 31E, Line 8.
Eleanor enlisted in May 1967. Assigned to the 85th Evacuation Hospital at Qui Nhon, Vietnam, she was part of the team responsible for stabilizing seriously wounded patients, whether they be American, allied or enemy. A colleague recalled that "Rocky," as Alexander became known, was "top notch... never got rattled... even managed to look well groomed" in the chaos of field hospital work.
Five months into her enlistment, Alexander grabbed opportunity from coincidence, a decision that one could say cost her her life. As fighting intensified at the Battle of Dak To 60 miles away, the 85th was to send an emergency medical team to nearby Pleiku to treat the wounded. Another nurse was part of the team but couldn't be located in time, so Alexander took her colleague's gear and ran to join the departing group. She and the team worked grueling 14 hour shifts, an exhausting yet exhilarating regimen for the enthusiastic nurse. "The troops around Pleiku are getting hit quite hard," she wrote to her mother in mid November. "For the past three days, I've been running on about four hours sleep. Funny thing is, I love it."
After six weeks, the team was returning to the 85th when their plane encountered rain and low clouds that would prevent their landing at Qui Nhon. They were diverted to another airstrip with better landing conditions but crashed into a mountainside while attempting to get there. Alexander, the other 21 passengers and four crew members were all killed in the accident. She was 27 years old and was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star.
#vietnamwarfootageandstories #VietnamWar #USArmyStrong #usarmy #vietnamnurses #vietnamwall #vietnammemorial
Original description and photographs sourced by the following: nurse.com, hiddennj.com, findagrave.com and US Army
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