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Vietnam 1970-1971

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Vietnam 1970-1971

Old 4th Aug 2019, 16:37
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Vietnam 1970-1971

Gentlemen, I have friend that was a gunner back then any stories to add!?
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Old 4th Aug 2019, 19:47
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Look ‘ere Mate....not trying to sound mean....but unless you are buying the Beer....Mum is the word!
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Old 4th Aug 2019, 19:57
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Originally Posted by nomorehelosforme
Gentlemen, I have friend that was a gunner back then any stories to add!?
Like shooting defenceless women and children in rice paddies with .50 cals?
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Old 4th Aug 2019, 20:02
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Those that the Viet Cong were holding up in front of them.
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Old 4th Aug 2019, 20:05
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Got plenty of good books to recommend but nothing to add beyond that.
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Old 4th Aug 2019, 20:09
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Old Dogs.....Hate to tell you this but Hollywood’s version is a bit embellished

Tihere is a new film about the Battle of Long Tan you might view....tells the story from the ANZAC point of view!




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Old 4th Aug 2019, 20:20
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Originally Posted by Fareastdriver
Those that the Viet Cong were holding up in front of them.
Mom and two kids workin' in a rice paddy.

I watched it happen.
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Old 4th Aug 2019, 20:22
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Originally Posted by SASless
Old Dogs.....Hate to tell you this but Hollywood’s version is a bit embellished

Tihere is a new film about the Battle of Long Tan you might view....tells the story from the ANZAC point of view!




Dunno about that. Oliver Stone does a pretty good job of explaining what happened.

Please refer to his 10+ hours of documentary on the subject.
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Old 4th Aug 2019, 23:05
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My friend wanted to know if any of his friends or his regular pilot are around....

Does WO2 Shake ring any bells?
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Old 4th Aug 2019, 23:23
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Point your friend to the VHPA web site and look for him there for starters.
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Old 4th Aug 2019, 23:25
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Another US military locator site

Togetherweserved.com

if the VHPA doesn’t work out,
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Old 4th Aug 2019, 23:57
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Originally Posted by Old Dogs
Dunno about that. Oliver Stone does a pretty good job of explaining what happened.
.
Oliver Stone is not an objective source (ever seen his laughable JFK?)

Vietnam was a tragedy and we should never have been there in my view, but it’s not as simple as the ‘good’ NVA / VC vs ‘evil’ American grunts. A lot of good, brave people died on both sides.
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Old 5th Aug 2019, 00:22
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I checked the VHPA site.....no member listing appears for the Family Name of "Shake".

Any idea which unit the fellow flew for in Vietnam?

There might be a Unit Web Page on-line that could be looked up.

Odd thing....my Flight School Class began to return home following a one year tour in Vietnam....exactly Fifty Years ago to the Day.

Some of us are staying in touch today remembering the old times.....and having to deal with being officially known to all as "Old Geezers".

One wound up as a Squadron Commander on U-2'sin the USAF and another as a Senior Development Test Pilot on Ospreys.

Twenty-Nine were killed in action during that one year tour.
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Old 5th Aug 2019, 00:27
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Originally Posted by JustinHeywood

Oliver Stone is not an objective source (ever seen his laughable JFK?)

Vietnam was a tragedy and we should never have been there in my view, but it’s not as simple as the ‘good’ NVA / VC vs ‘evil’ American grunts. A lot of good, brave people died on both sides.
What I have seen of Oliver Stone's Viet Nam work (he served there) it is pretty well documented.

I sure agree with your second comment, though.

50,000 Americans and 1.5 million Vietnamese in a war that never should have happened.

Reminds me of a few other recent wars that "shouldn't have happened" in which lots of innocent people died.
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Old 5th Aug 2019, 00:49
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Originally Posted by Old Dogs
What I have seen of Oliver Stone's Viet Nam work (he served there) it is pretty well documented.

I sure agree with your second comment, though.

50,000 Americans and 1.5 million Vietnamese in a war that never should have happened.

Reminds me of a few other recent wars that "shouldn't have happened" in which lots of innocent people died.
Old Dogs,

are you you on some form of medication?
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Old 5th Aug 2019, 00:57
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Originally Posted by nomorehelosforme

Old Dogs,

are you you on some form of medication?
No, why do you ask?
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Old 5th Aug 2019, 00:57
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Ask the French old Dogs.

Uncle Ho made a lot of sense starting around 100 years ago. Perhaps the French could pay a percentage of GDP towards restitution since their tourist income of today was financed from colonies like Viet Nam.

As for isolated, rather brutal events? Going to happen anytime heavily armed late teens/early twenty somethings lose close friends and react commensurate to their age. Sad, but fact of life.
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Old 5th Aug 2019, 01:18
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Old Dogs,

Shot with a .50 Caliber Machine gun?

Originally Posted by Old Dogs
Mom and two kids workin' in a rice paddy.

I watched it happen.
How did you come to see that happen? It must have been a terrible thing to witness!
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Old 5th Aug 2019, 01:22
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Originally Posted by WhatsaLizad?
Ask the French old Dogs.

Uncle Ho made a lot of sense starting around 100 years ago. Perhaps the French could pay a percentage of GDP towards restitution since their tourist income of today was financed from colonies like Viet Nam.

As for isolated, rather brutal events? Going to happen anytime heavily armed late teens/early twenty somethings lose close friends and react commensurate to their age. Sad, but fact of life.
Not sure what the French colonization of Viet Nam has to do with the American invasion based on an event that didn't happen - the Gulf of Tonkin incident?

Not sure what your last comment refers to. What heavily armed late teens/early twenty somethings lost close friends and reacted commensurately?
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Old 5th Aug 2019, 01:34
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Originally Posted by SASless
Old Dogs,

Shot with a .50 Caliber Machine gun?



How did you come to see that happen? It must have been a terrible thing to witness!
12,000 Canadians served in combat in Vietnam.
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