Raylander
I’m Billy’s Useles Uncle.
Oar Billy will flop yourn eye out
Welcome Guest!
Useles Billy voted #1344 times for the win
- Thread starter gobbleinwoods
- Start date
- Status
Roebuck
“Fishal Spokesman” Useles Billy Club !
Look forward to hearing that. I have great respect for all Veterans especially the Vietnam Vets as this was a war of my generation which being from the UK we had no part in thanks to the then PM Harold Wilson.
I am currently reading Book 3 of Six Silent Men written by members of the LRRP teams, probably the best first hand accounts of the war that I have read.
HarryO45
Mag dump Dirty Harry
The night of the election my lady and I went to a fancy pants concert. Prior to the concert we were in the lobby (cheese, crackers, wine), lady was talking lady stuff with friends. So i scanned the room, i seen a fellow wearing a military logo hat and i recognized the unit patch. I move toward him and tell him I served in the same unit, although we served many years apart. He was about 75-80 years old. I introduced myself and told him were and when i served, i could tell he was much happier talking to me instead all the fancy people and I the same. After some time he started telling me a story
Stob
Useles Billy’s Uncle StepDaddy.
Look forward to it. I have always said (experience) that you can put a hundred folks in a room with three bieng vets and by the end of the night, all three will be ina corner drinking reebs together by themselves. It's not a look but an the way they walk and talk.
I am a son and nephew of vietnam vets. I was raised by them. I have a special place in my heart for them.
HarryO45
Mag dump Dirty Harry
His team was given a reconnaissance mission in deep jungle vietnam. They decided to operate in three man teams. Along the way his team leader raised his fist in a upward motion that means freeze, something is wrong - full alert. The moment he did the jungle erupted with small arms fire. He told me immediately his rifle was hit and he could not get it into operation. We watched his two friends get hit. One he could tell was immediately killed. He tried to move to his weapon. But then he got hit in the thigh and calf. He went down and continued to move to his other buddy who was returning fire, until all enemy fire was focused on him. He was killed. My new friend told me at that point he had been hit now for a third time. He stopped telling me the story long enough to roll up his sleeve to show me a bullet wound scar running up his forearm. At yhat point he was only armed with a 1911. He said that he stayed still and lied in his buddy’s blood with a condition one 1911. He felt that his best option was to lay silent
HarryO45
Mag dump Dirty Harry
After a long time he said maybe ten minutes he heard a group of ambushers moving quickly down to his position speaking in low tones of “gook”.
He was well concealed, and had positioned himself in somewhat of an overwatch position over his dead friends.
He was well concealed, and had positioned himself in somewhat of an overwatch position over his dead friends.
HarryO45
Mag dump Dirty Harry
The “gooks” came into view. He wasn’t sure how many there were, but he saw three. He decided he had no choice but engage them and hope for the best. He said he waited until they were all three visible. They were already close. He said he let loose with a salvo of .45ACP. He couldn’t believe that he hit them all with a single shot each, two of which seemed fatal, but one of the enemy, although hit, was able to raise his rifle, but it was too late as he had a couple more rounds
HarryO45
Mag dump Dirty Harry
He told me that he waited and worried that more may come? But he never heard or saw any other enemy. The next voices he heard was the rest of his team led by his Captain. They picked him and ran for an air wvac
HarryO45
Mag dump Dirty Harry
About the time he started to talk about the 1911 action the concert was about to start and his wife walked up. She was a sweet lady and I could tell that she didn’t really like our conversation. He didn't seem to care.
He told me that Vietnam was a terrible war and that he didn't know if our country could handle American KIA numbers like that today. He looked in my eyes and told me good luck you will have to fight the next fight. I told him that uncle sam had already put me out to pasture. He laughed and said, you never know? We laughed.
He told me that Vietnam was a terrible war and that he didn't know if our country could handle American KIA numbers like that today. He looked in my eyes and told me good luck you will have to fight the next fight. I told him that uncle sam had already put me out to pasture. He laughed and said, you never know? We laughed.
HarryO45
Mag dump Dirty Harry
After the concert i tracked him down again and we talked again. I thanked him for his service. His wife looked over at me and my lady and she mouthed the words “thank you” to us. My Lady said, what did you guys talk about? I said just Army stuff. She continued “he looked like a nice man”, i am glad you talked to him. I said me too.
Last edited:
I missed Nam by a few short months. Oldest of three boys. Yep, I was headed to the rain forest. Thank you kindly, Nixon.
Raylander
I’m Billy’s Useles Uncle.
Vietnam Veterans are a national treasure. One of the finest men i know was over there in the Marines
He was trained in electronics, so he was the boobytrap man. He and i sat around many long nights sharing stories and drinkin whiskeys. He mostly told me funny stories of partyin n such; but there were a few serious ones.
He has a bad gait. His feet are messed up from jumping outta helicopters. He worked his tail off until he was in his late 50s. At that age he was diagnosed with MS (likely from exposure to chemicals during combat). They told him to ‘retire’ and go out on disability. He didnt take that well. I watched that man get up everyday and push himself to the limit and sometimes past his limit until his body completely gave up on him.. Eventually he was forced to accept his disability and bow out of the workforce. He has since quit drinking and smoking. He spends most all of his time at the local American Legion.
I asked him one time if any of the men he served with came back messed up in the head. He told me, “We were crazy before we went over there. We chose to join the Marines (in ‘68) knowing where they were going to send us”
He was trained in electronics, so he was the boobytrap man. He and i sat around many long nights sharing stories and drinkin whiskeys. He mostly told me funny stories of partyin n such; but there were a few serious ones.
He has a bad gait. His feet are messed up from jumping outta helicopters. He worked his tail off until he was in his late 50s. At that age he was diagnosed with MS (likely from exposure to chemicals during combat). They told him to ‘retire’ and go out on disability. He didnt take that well. I watched that man get up everyday and push himself to the limit and sometimes past his limit until his body completely gave up on him.. Eventually he was forced to accept his disability and bow out of the workforce. He has since quit drinking and smoking. He spends most all of his time at the local American Legion.
I asked him one time if any of the men he served with came back messed up in the head. He told me, “We were crazy before we went over there. We chose to join the Marines (in ‘68) knowing where they were going to send us”
Raylander
I’m Billy’s Useles Uncle.
He taught me ALOT.
Vietnam vets are the toughest folks we’ve got. And they are the best storytellers ive ever been around
Vietnam vets are the toughest folks we’ve got. And they are the best storytellers ive ever been around
Stob
Useles Billy’s Uncle StepDaddy.
My first mentor was a tunnel rat, then ranger and then SF. Volunteered for all three tours. He passed in 2012 from bladder cancer, likely from agent orange. He told me some stories over beer and cigarette smoke that will make the hair on your neck stick straight up. Make you shiver. I miss him dearly.
I worked for a guy about 15 years ago that was an old crusty nam guy. Really good manager. We were having a software meltdown. We were all called into a meeting with this lady, DEI hire about 50 years old that only spoke in MBA. She kept saying over and over 'we are in a crisis' to his reply, 'we have a problem, not a crisis'. She finally said, well then, tell us what a crisis is? He walked over to the window and point up and in a deep Boston accent said 'when you can see your ride home and it cant land'. Her jaw dropped.
Love them. Talk to them every time I see one in a store or on the street. I have one left in my family. He is a diehard bluedog democrat. We are very close. We never talk politics but when I see him while up at the house in the hills, he and I stay on the porch and drink beer and smoke cigars. Women folk know to leave us the heck alone.
@HarryO45 Good job man, good job!
Whitefeather
Management Material
Thanks for sharing that story @HarryO45. We’re losing too many of our storytellers without them telling the stories
Back in the early 80`s I worked with an old man for about 2 years before he loosened up and started talking to me much. Come to find out he was a Bataan Death March Survivor and spent the rest of the War in a prison camp just north of Tokyo Japan. He told me some tales that still bother me and sends chills down my back.
Raylander
I’m Billy’s Useles Uncle.
Even experts have ruff days:
HarryO45
Mag dump Dirty Harry
gobbleinwoods
Keeper of the Magic Word
goot day
gobbleinwoods
Keeper of the Magic Word
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
