life expectancy of an infantry soldier in combat

Four platoons in a rifle company. If you would like to get a copy, and cant find it, let me know, and I will make sure you get one. My good friend who was a RTO was killed. According to Indeed.com, overall Infantryman claim pay and benefits and job security and advancement as the two best features of the job. Depending on the season in which they arrived, the camps could be pleasant or miserable; for example, Mediterranean fall sunshine or the bitter Mistral winds of winter. THE MAN I INHERITED THE GUN FROM WASNT SO LUCKY. Related Article: Army Height And Weight Standards. Many were killed or wounded ! National Archives. When they first arrived in Europe the squads had often been together since their basic infantry training, but casualties and replacements inevitably changed their composition. If there was anything to this life expectancy of a few minutes then myself and many of my friends that are still alive today would be a long time dead. They served in squads, led by a junior officer and experienced sergeants, slogged through and slept in mud and snow, maintaining contact with the enemy, taking and holding ground. Of all the gear he carried, other than his weapons and ammunition, none was more important to him than clean socks. Re: Helicopter Crews (Medevac & Dustoff): To my knowledge, only the 1st Cav Medevac had M60s for protection. Soldiers also act in the mobilization of vehicles, weaponry, troops, and more. The Life Expectancy of Roman Soldiers. If it was your day to get hit or die, it happened. Since the shower and clothing issue often took place in the dead of winter and outdoors, it was an invigorating experience, but a not very frequent one. Depending on the severity of a wound, an infantryman injured in combat could find himself directed to a medical facility which was established in five levels or echelons. I applaud your courage as I know an RTOs job is essential, difficult (carrying the weight of his radio transmitter, his rifle, his ammo, and his rucksack), and dangerous as the enemy surely wanted to knock out any communications for support. There is a higher demand for MOS 11B, and reports indicate the position makes up 15-17% of the U.S. Army. I saw killed and wounded everywhere in our combat operations. However, it was the discretion of the individual crewmen if they wanted to carry personal weapons or not. Sorry,I was one of your Brothers in Arms that helped talk you out of enlisting for another year in Vietnam. Each company, usually commanded by a Captain, contained three rifle platoons, and each of those was comprised of three squads of twelve men each (a company also included a light weapons platoon). I carried the PRC-25 for most of a year. After consolidating the division and its equipment infantrymen were moved to the front, which by December 1944 was nearing the Siegfried Line, defensive fortifications protecting Germany from invasion from the west. The early days of May 1970, I arrived at the Airport, next to Saigon. Their war was what they encountered. The job training for 11B requires 14 weeks of One Station Unit Training (OSUT) which is a combination of time spent in the classroom and in the field.*. HOOAH!!! In total, the United States military lost in Vietnam almost 10,000 aircraft, helicopters and UAVs (3,744 planes, 5,607 helicopters and 578 UAVs). Then we all, loaded on C-147 cargo planes. Marching through rain and mud, or in snow, soaked the feet, making them susceptible to blisters and trench foot. Survival led them to shed those items which were not essential to their remaining alive. Land navigation is also a point of emphasis for U.S. Army Infantrymen. July 68 to July 69. 58,148 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.7 million who served. For the most part, when they went home after the war they regathered themselves and used their GI Bill rights to get educations, buy houses, and create the baby boom and the suburbs. I was a point man, M60 Gunner and squad leader. My shit got weak and a sniper popped three rounds in my young ass. Originally I went to the 543d TC. Welcome Home Brothers ! Axes were useful, but not all men in the squad needed to carry one. The training for Army Infantrymen 11B consists of Basic Combat Training (BCT) and Advanced Individual Training (AIT), for a total of 14 weeks. Every mission, I had the same thought. There were also wounded. EIB - A day in the life of an infantryman. As a result, Army Infantrymen 11B are trained to conduct mobilization in a variety of settings on land. RIght there and the NVA we were usually up against knew this. I was shot down on my very first mission in July 1968. Comments were more interesting than the article it self. The average life expectancy of a front-line soldier in eastern Ukraine is four hours, a Marine said. It is still an impressive statistic but utterly meaningless. Additionally, you may lead an infantry team in combat missions providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to both superiors and subordinates in the accomplishment of their duties. A typical United States infantry division contained about 15,000 officers and men, divided into three infantry regiments, with supporting companies and battalions. At age 55, World War 2 Veterans Also: for years I have read those life-expectancy numbers never really understanding them, but also noting that they wildly vary. For example, life expectancy of male and female Veterans with household incomes less than $20,000, at age 25, are estimated to be 3.9 and 2.2 less life-years than those of $50,000+ income, respectively. What was the average life expectancy for soldiers during - Answers But it was my jobso I tried not to think about it much. Just published my book The Last Goodbye by John Fratangelo, available on line on Barnes and Noble and Amazon Prime Books, Getting great reviews. U.S. Army Infantryman overwhelming have positive things to say about the military career choice. For an infantryman, the Expert Infantry Badge is the gold-medal standard. The rifle companies of the 276th Infantry Division arrived in the French town of Brumath on the day after Christmas, 1944. I was an M-60 machine gunner for a battalion recon platoon in 1967, for the First Infantry Division, Known as The Black Scarf Battalion. I kept the radio because I understood the power of having the first communication with the support mechanisms of the military. According to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) there are now officially 58, 318 names on the wall. I was an FO back in the day. There is no civilian occupations that are the direct equivalent of an Army Infantryman MOS 11B. Dap, Hope this helps. This Battle changed his life and his future, had it not been for his actions, every man on this FSB Gold would have died. three, he believes he is doing what his country wants him to dojust like you So you better damn well treat him with the compassion you want for you!! I had a 20% death rate in my Hospital Corpsman Class. Most Dangerous Military Jobs - Hardest Job in the Military | FRG The Luftwaffe was still a potent threat during the summer of 1944 as the Allies pushed across France. Great reading. American infantry from the 28th Infantry division march on the Champs Elysees in Paris. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thank you for both articles: (1)Going up river to port and (2) the flight from Italy back to Nam. Lucky you. If my memory is correct, only the 1st Cab flew wiith doorgunners. BS but ia a way you are correct. He was not the type to hump a radio. Bathing and shaving were unheard of luxuries at the front, and when units did receive an opportunity to shower it was often through the use of a lister bag shower. All members of an infantry rifle squad carried a first aid kit for the immediate treatment of wounds or injuries received in the field. An interesting comment I had. Ha Ha always enjoyed being a volunteer! When the reserves moved up the troops which had been in combat were withdrawn, and what luxuries the Army could offer were enjoyed. I look over to Life in the Infantry | The War | Ken Burns | PBS Bravo, 3/187th Inf, 101st Airborne Div, 2nd Plt, 2nd Sq, Hamburger Hill, May 69. He encountered the open fields and farmlands of France, the dense woods of the Ardennes, the mountainous terrain in Italy, Les Voges, and Alsace, in all weather conditions. Few of them talked about the horrors they endured until much later in their lives, focusing, as they had during the war, on what was ahead of them instead of what was behind. Each battalion contained a heavy weapons company with machine guns and mortars, and three rifle companies of infantrymen. Military-friendly employers are known for being large corporations that seek experienced and trained veterans for the skills they attain while in the U.S. Army. The Army considered its use as an embarkation point a secret, and so warned the young soldiers when they arrived. The infantry rifleman during winter bore a load of over eighty pounds, the BAR man nearly one hundred. All of the next day, we could see SMOKE from the fire caused by the explosions of the AMMO at, the AMMO DUMP. Parisians line the Champs Elysees to cheer the American infantry as they pass through the city in 1944. The need for special training for BAR operators, including the proper method of cleaning it, also contributed to its being carried by only one squad member. From the Landing Zone, we were carried not too far. waving then I realized they Werent shooting at him only at the Officers and sergeants frequently carried the M1 carbine, which used the same ammunition as the M1 rifle but was lighter and easier to handle in the field. Thank You for your courageous service as an RTO with the legendary Hawk Recon Platoon. The liners had been gutted and great rows of tiered bunks filled their hulls. The names of the towns and villages were meaningless to the men, most of whom had no knowledge of French geography nor what their destination was. All they learned from their officers was that it was time to travel on foot. A system for the treatment and evacuation of wounded was developed in the Mediterranean theater before the Americans landed in France, and by the end of 1944, it worked smoothly and efficiently, applying the knowledge gained by experience. That was supposed to be 58, 220. but wait, there are more numbers for the same story. In winter this included wearing underwear, long johns, woolen pants and shirt, one or two heavy sweaters, woolen socks, an overcoat, a rain poncho, a woolen cap, a helmet and a liner, gloves, boots, and galoshes. You will become a member of a fire team which could result in deployment to one or more dangerous settings involving direct combat. The Thompson .45 caliber submachine gun was sometimes carried by a non-com to give a squad more firepower in the field, but it was not deployed as heavily as films and television depict due to its poor penetrating power and its weight. Training to become MOS 11B is open to both men and women. During combat, soldiers need to request, observe, and adjust direct supporting fire. Our home base was Quang Tri fire Base, But I spent about 6 months out at Mai Loc with the rig. Total fantasy. Every infantryman must be fluent in any weapon and equipment that is involved in the operation. 2 (January 1944) What the Soldier Thinks, no. Different strokes for different folks in war fer sure. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War. I am 81 now and survived the encounter by terminated the sniper. Really no mention of the regular rifleman. Learned a lot from him. They also had a 12 gauge, and a M 79 grenade launcher and M 16. The one that should be there is the combat medic. 1 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption - Sgt. For example, troops in the south of France were moved first by rail, then by Army trucks, to their destination blocking elements of the German army from reinforcing and resupplying the assault in the Ardennes. To an, open area. Despite these encampments being located in secured areas, the army being the army demanded sentries around them, and sufficient make work was scheduled to give the men something to do. Different jobs have different life expectancy. Camp Standish was both a staging area for embarking troops and a prisoner of war camp. The lives of these soldiers are always at risk. While all rifle companies had assigned medics, they were not always in the company of squads on patrol or deployed in forwarding positions. !We dont abuse prisoners Now, if he reaches for his weapon to continue the fight BLOW HIS ASS AWAY THIS AINT SUNDAY SCHOOL!!! We were very, lucky. May they rest in peace. My bud, Price took over as RTO. Spent my year in a Recon platoon 2/35th 4th ID. Take out the power center, youve got the edge. They also learned to never forgo any opportunity to rest. You were a Great RTO. said to me. Transportation was provided, and troops were not allowed to wear unit insignia outside the camp, nor discuss their unit or the camp with civilians. They didnt know it, but they were about 60 miles from the Rhine River, which lay to the North, and less than one hundred miles east of Stuttgart, Germany. My second tour was as the S3 for LTC Anthony Herbertone of Americas greatest leaders and WARRIORS OF ALL TIME. In that time 4 us kia and 4 wounded. I spent 10 1/2 months in the jungles of Vietnam. Replacement infantrymen were often treated as an outsider, and no doubt already somewhat fearful of what they were getting into, they bore an additional burden of being considered to be little more than a casualty waiting to happen. In France, the bars were as hard as the frozen soil. Although the men were usually informed of such a move, their immediate officers and non-coms remained in place, as seldom was a transfer of less than company strength. More severely wounded were sent, by ambulance or by rail, to forward surgical posts. I credit my longetivity to great training at Ft Benning. I also was 2/327 B company. I was one of the lucky ones I came home without a physical scratch. The differing calibers of the two main weapons carried by the infantryman presented a problem. of what was usually 5 or 6 going in and many times the leads would find traps, punji pits or the VC waiting. Results When comparing life spans of service veterans, there was no statistically significant reduction for the average life span of the 234 combat-exposed veterans in our sample from the 28th (Mori) Battalion (66.7 years), relative to the Mori veterans from two non-combat cohorts: the 132 personnel in the 15th Reinforcements (67.2 years) and the 147 personnel in Jayforce (66.9 years). We did interdictions, blocks and other fun things on the river. Infantry OSUT is 22 weeks. I flew Dustoff and our unit did not have M60s for protection, nor did any other Dustoff unit that Im aware of. Instead, they were soon engulfed in the biggest battle of US Army history. 101st Airborne Division. Life of the Civil War Soldier in Camp | American Battlefield Trust The basics for every soldier, shown here, including hard tack. Again it fell to the squad leaders to decide when enough hazing had been conducted by the veterans of combat on the new arrivals. Impact of war on veteran life span: natural experiment involving combat I was in the AF a Reo in a F4-C. Who had time to worry about the life What Is The Average Life Expectancy Of A Vietnam Veteran? Infantrymen in France and Germany frequently encountered such temporary graves, most of which when found was opened and the body reinterred in cemeteries in Europe, where many still lie today. It didnt matter who you were or where you were. Also , it I might add that the, Government big wigs, have a quota [percentage]of a lot of the Military equipment etc that had a certain amount of time to function until it was disable, blow up, wrecked, junk, etc. Well he didnt make it. It was the infantry which carried the fight to the infantry of the enemy, battled the elements while out in the open, and carried on the grunt work of the advancing army. He decided to stay even though he had a deep feeling he wasnt going to make it. Infantrymen frequently found that their unit was transferred to the command of another division, a means of reinforcing units which had been engaged with the Germans and weakened as a result, or which needed additional men for a counteroffensive. As a Huey door gunner, when we left the ground on a mission, I always thought that this mission would be my last! For example, infantry units directed to disrupt German lines in Les Vosges in January 1945 had no idea they were preventing the reinforcement of troops involved in the Battle of the Bulge. I want to know what the life expectancy of a us infantry army soldier is. They were located, next to us, in/on Long Bhin Post. Be glad you served with a soldiers soldier like LTC Herbert. The infantryman of World War II had a much better chance of surviving some wounds which would have been fatal during previous wars. 30 Apr 2023 00:05:29 It was one of my most memorable tours in the Navy I later went to a carrier and was bored silly because I had about 1% of the responsibilities I had as an O-2. This was both damaging to morale and weakened the reliability of the unit, and was avoided as much as possible, but became necessary during the rush to contain the German counteroffensive in the Ardennes in 1944. meaning what is the chance of me getting killed in combat. When Roeski got hit, I took over the M-60. The minimum education needed to become a U.S. Army Infantryman (11B) is a high school diploma or GED. An infantrymans link to the desires of the officers of the division was through his squad leader. 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Bad apples were dealt with first at the squad level, and if that didnt correct the perceived deficiency the problem was presented to more senior personnel by the squad sergeant. Clip 8m 41s. The overwhelming majority of the combat infantrymen deployed during the Second World War carried as their primary weapon the Garand M1 rifle. I never saw any correlation as to what MOS a soldier was and their survival rate. 2 tour Nam Vet, Free Sample first six chapters of Cherries both Written and Audiobook, Author interview War & Life: Discussions with a Veteran. US Army. Comfortable with the results of his inspection, the soldier sits on a nearby log, powders his feet and inserts them into his damp boots, making sure to tuck his fatigue pants into the tops before tying the laces - a preventive measure to keep leeches and ticks from crawling up the legs. We were probably not too far away on that day. Stops on the march of more than a few minutes were to be used to grab any sleep they could. Infantrymen learned to survive without any creature comforts for the simple reason that anything that they kept they had to carry. ARMY COMBAT ENGINEERS | What Life in the Army is really like.

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