AN AMERICAN SOLDIER’S REFLECTIONS ON BLACK APRIL
GOOD AFTERNOON LADIES & GENTLEMEN AND ESPECIALLY ALL THE VIETNAM VETERANS WHO ARE HERE TODAY.
I WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK HERE TODAY ABOUT THE AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT IN THE WAR IN VIETNAM AS SEEN THROUGH MY EYES.
I SERVED THERE AS AN YOUNG INFANTRY OFFICER FROM JANUARY 1968 THROUGH AUGUST 1969. I ARRIVED AS A Second Lieutenant & LEFT AS A CAPTAIN.
LIKE MANY AMERICAN VETERANS OF THE WAR THE FALL OF THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT IN 1975 CAME AS A SURPRISE & A SHOCK. IT SEEMED THAT EVERYTHING WE HAD FOUGHT FOR & IN SOME CASES DIED FOR WERE ALL FOR NAUGHT.
SO WHEN I LOOK BACK ON MY TIME IN VIETNAM, I REMEMBER THE GUYS WHO FOUGHT WITH ME, AND NOT ON THE EVENTUAL OUTCOME OF THE WAR. I FOCUS ON WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED IN OUR LITTLE PIECE OF THAT WAR.
HISTORY SHOWS THAT WE WERE OVERWHELMINGLY SUCCESSFUL ON THE BATTLEFIELD UNDER VERY TRYING CONDITIONS.
THE PLATOONS & COMPANY THAT I SERVED WITH FOUGHT PREDOMINATELY IN THE MOUNTAINS FROM THE COASTAL AREAS OUT TO THE A SHAU VALLEY WHICH IS SITUATED ALONG THE VIETNAMESE-LAOTION BORDER.
THE TERRAIN IN THAT REGION IS FORBODING. IT CONSISTS OF HIGH, RUGGED MOUNTAINS AND THICK VEGETATION.
LIFE EVEN WITHOUT CONTACT WITH THE ENEMY WAS ANYTHING BUT EASY. IN ADDITION TO THE MOUNTAINS WE HAD TO CONTEND WITH THE WEATHER WHICH, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, VARIES FROM EXREMELY HOT IN THE DRY SEASONS TO TORRENTIAL RAINS DURING THE MONSOON SEASONS.
WE SLEPT ON THE GROUND AND LIVED OFF OF 5 DAY RESUPPLIES. EVERY 5 DAYS A HELICOPTER WOULD DELIVER 5 MORE DAYS OF SUPPLIES.
SOMETIMES WE FOUND A LOCATION FOR A HELICOPTER LANDING ZONE, LIKE A LARGE BOMB CRATER, BUT OFTENTIMES WE HAD TO BUILD A LANDING ZONE BY KNOCKING DOWN TREES WITH EXPLOSIVES.
FOLLOWING THE ENEMY’S 1968 TET OFFENSIVE, THE UNIT I WAS IN MOVED WEST FROM THE OUTSHIRTS OF THE CITY OF HUE OUT TO THE LAOTIAN BORDER. A DISTANCE OF 70 KMS OR 44 MILES. SOME OF THE MOVES WERE BY HELICOPTER AND THE REST BY FOOT.
WE PERSERVED DAY AFTER DAY, WEEK AFTER WEEK, MONTH AFTER MONTH.
THIS PARTICULAR OPERATION LASTED 6 MONTHS, WITHOUT A BREAK.
SO FOR 6 MONTHS – NO HOT MEALS, NO CREATURE COMFORTS – JUST THE CAN FOOD THAT CAME ON A RESUPPLY HELICOPTER AND THAT WE CARRIED IN OUR RUCKSACKS, AND THE WATER THAT WE FOUND IN THE MOUNTAIN STREAMS.
ON RESUPPLY DAY – WHEN OUR RUCKSACKS WERE FULLY PACKED WITH FOOD, WATER, AMMUNITION, GRENADES, RADIO BATTERIES, ETC. – OUR RUCKSACKS WEIGHED ABOUT 80 LBS.
AND I CAN ASSURE YOU IT FEELS A LOT MORE THAN 80 LBS IF YOU’RE WALKING UP A MOUNTAIN.
NOW SOME NEW TROOPS WOULD GO TO GREAT LENGTHS TO LIGHTEN THE WEIGH OF THEIR RUCKSACKS BY LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF FOOD THAT THEY CARRIED. THEY WOULD PLAN THEIR DAILY MEALS IN DETAIL. SO MUCH FOR EACH DAY WITH NO EXTRA.
WHICH CAN BE A GOOD PLAN UNTIL THE RESUPPLY DOESN’T TAKE PLACE AFTER DAY 5.
BECAUSE OCCASIONALLY MOTHER NATURE INTERVENES AND BRINGS WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT GROUND HELICOPTER FLIGHTS.
SO THE MORE EXPERIENCED TROOPS ALWAYS PACKED SOME EXTRA LIGHT-WEIGHT FOOD.
BUT ANYWAY THAT WAS OUR LIFE… REDUCED TO 5 DAY INCREMENTS.
AND IF THAT WASN’T ENOUGH…WE HAD TO CONTEND WITH THE NVA.
WE WALKED ON HARD-PACKED DIRT TRAILS IN SINGLE FILE THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS. THE TRAILS WERE USUALLY ABOUT 3 FEET WIDE WITH HEAVY VEGETATIONS ON EITHER SIDE, SO VISIBILITY WAS LIMITED.
THE NVA USED THE SAME TRAILS. SO SOMETIMES WE WALKED INTO THEM. SOMETIMES THEY WALKED INTO US AND OTHER TIMES WE SIMPLY WALKED INTO EACH OTHER ON A TRAIL.
SOMETIMES THESE CONTACTS LASTED MINUTES, SOMETIMES FOR HOURS, AND OTHER TIMES FOR HOURS OVER A FEW DAYS.
DURING THIS TIME WE HAD ONE BIG HILL FIGHT THAT LASTED A COUPLE OF DAYS. BUT GENERALLY CONTACTS WITH THE ENEMY WERE MEETING ENGAGEMENTS AS I JUST DESCRIBED.
IT WAS A TOUGH EXISTANCE. AND I MIGHT ADD, 1968 WAS THE BLOODIEST YEAR OF THE WAR IN TERMS OF AMERICAN KILLED IN ACTION.
ALMOST AS MANY AMERICANS WERE KIA IN 1968 AS IN THE YEARS 1965,1966 & 1967 COMBINED.
SO I HAVE NOTHING BUT DEEP ADMIRATION FOR & PRIDE IN THE TROOPS WHO SERVED WITH ME UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.
WE MANAGED TO PREVAIL AGAINST BOTH THE ENEMY & THE ENVIRONMENT.
I CAN TRULY SAY THAT I AM A PROUD VETERAN OF THE VIETNAM WAR & I’M INTENSELY PROUD OF THE SOLDIERS WHO SERVED IN COMBAT WITH ME.
I BELIEVE OUR SERVICE WAS NOT A FAILURE. THE WAR WAS NOT LOST ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
AND IN MY VIEW THAT’S TRUE FOR BOTH THE AMERICAN & SOUTH VIETNAMESE FORCES.
I HOLD THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE FORCES IN THE SAME HIGH REGARD THAT I HOLD FOR AMERICAN TROOPS.
THE WAR WAS LOST BECAUSE OF POLITICAL DECISIONS. AND THOSE DECISIONS DO NOT DIMINISH THE VALOR OR SACRIFICES OF ALL THOSE WHO FOUGHT THE WAR.
AND SO, ON A DAY LIKE TODAY WHERE WE MOURN THE LOSS OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM, WE CAN ALSO EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO THOSE WHO FOUGHT FOR THE FREEDOM OF THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE PEOPLE.
AND WHILE THE OUTCOME WASN’T THE ONE DESIRED, IT IN NO WAY DIMINISHES THE EFFORTS AND SACRIFICES DISPLAYED BY THE AMERICAN & SOUTH VIETNAMESE FORCES.
ALTHOUGH THAT ERA IS NOW IN THE HISTORY BOOKS, THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT HAPPENED TO SOUTH VIETNAM ALMOST 50 YEARS AGO IS STILL RELEVANT TODAY. THOSE WHO FOLLOWS US IN THIS WORLD NEED TO HEED THE LESSONS THAT WE LEARNT DURING THAT TIME.
COMMUNISM DOES NOT JUST GO AWAY.
TODAY COMMUNISM AND ITS OFF-SPRINGS HAVE ADVOCATES IN THIS COUNTRY WHO ARE EAGER TO HYPE ITS SO-CALLED BENEFITS TO UNSUSPECTING AMERICAN CITIZENS.
MOST OF US KNOW COMMUNISM FIRST-HAND AND ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE EVIL THAT IT SPREADS.
IT IS OUR TASK TO KEEP THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE HISTORY ALIVE.
ONE, TO HONOR THOSE WHO GAVE SO MUCH FOR THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM AND ALSO TO ENSURE THE DEFEAT OF COMMUNISM WHEREVER ITS PHILOSOPHY EMERGES.
AND MY FINAL THOUGHT….ALWAYS REMEMBER WE ARE THE HUMAN KEEPERS OF THE MEMORIES OF THAT TIME IN HISTORY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
Retired Major General Fred Raymond
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