SwiftVets.com

[Essayons]

SBD,

Thanks for the links to the ROE docs. I must be crazy because I scrolled/read through them. http://swiftboatarchives.com/docfile/overview.pdf is a very interesting 4 page summary about the Vietnam War and Rules of Engagement titled UNITED STATES MILITARY FORCES DID NOT LOSE THE WAR IN VIETNAM.

Reading through the confusing array of “rules” that the other ROE documents cover reminded me of some “activities” that occurred during my tour in VN which probably broke a few ROE.

The following is true but should Admin choose to delete it, I will understand.

I was invited by an O6 to join him to go VC hunting in an area that was known to have VC spider holes. The terrain was flat and had very few trees. THIS WAS NOT A PREPLANNED OPERATION and had no real military value other than to break the boredom and provide some excitement for the O6.

The plan was simple: load up the C&C chopper with CS and frag grenades and fly the chopper low enough to where we could throw a CS grenade into spider holes. If the CS gas forced a VC out then a frag grenade or M16 was used. Flying cover for the O6 was either two Cobras or a Cobra/Loach hunter-killer team. Not much happened that day other than tossing some CS grenades and not finding any VC.

About two weeks later the O6 went out again and the VC were not impressed. I was not on that flight but caught some of what happened on the radios. At some point one or more VC opened up with AKs and put a number of non-lethal holes in the C&C chopper and one round in the O6’s upper thigh. Shortly thereafter a Cobra was hit and had to land. A Huey came in to pick up the Cobra pilots and was also shot down. If memory serves me right, the O6 had the worst injury.

Needless to say but a General did put a stop to these flights. What happened to the O6 you may ask. A few days later he returned on crutches to cheers from the general staff. He had a PH and was put in for a Silver Star.

(O6 = Full “Bird” Colonel)

Regards,
Dick
_________________
Essayons - Let us try - the code of the Army Engineer. Sappers First, the code of the Combat Engineer.