In my tour everyone had the same chance of getting shot. 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. According to Indeed.com, overall Infantryman claim pay and benefits and job security and advancement as the two best features of the job. There are a number of civilian job opportunities for an Army Infantryman (11B) following discharge from the U.S. Military. Appx: 6 months in, all of the 543d TC joined forces with the 572d TC. Loaded 0%. If you have other information let me know. Survival led them to shed those items which were not essential to their remaining alive. LUCK pure LUCK. C Co, 1st-12th 66-67. From the Landing Zone, we were carried not too far. I was one of the lucky ones I came home without a physical scratch. The one number that is really important is 56,220 and we all know what that number represents. I do remember when I got short I thought about it a lot more. 82nd 2/505th. Infantry OSUT is 22 weeks. Care of his feet was paramount to the infantrymen since they were his primary means of conveyance. It was an HONOR and a privilege to serve with these brave men for my 11 month tour. I look over to I am proud to have fought alongside of them. All of the next day, we could see SMOKE from the fire caused by the explosions of the AMMO at, the AMMO DUMP. 11 c mos , meaning I was also cross trained for mortars . National Archives. Your Dad and I had the same job. The special military bonus is reserved for particular in-demand, or highly-dangerous positions. I got shot on a mission with 45 days left. Living in the ground led them to be filthy, and staying alive drove them to tolerate it, of themselves and their squadmates. Vehicles of the US First Infantry division stalled on a Belgian road in late 1944. I applaud the courage and difficult and all so dangerous job of Roger Herforth when he served as an RTO for the Hawk Recon Platoon of the 101st airborne division in Vietnam.. Shaving could be accomplished in the field during lulls in the fighting, often with water heated inside a helmet, using a camp stove or the heat canister from a rations pack as the heating source. 2) by my research, medics suffered 93% casualties with about 33% deaths. never happened,we lost two sweep team members and some 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. An infantry platoon commander in combat had an average of 6 weeks life expectancy. In the 1st Cav medics were right behind the rto making them a very easy find also. Some were constantly exposed to combat, some not so often. Expenditures for a body in a combat zone? Because the BAR had such a high rate of fire both the BAR man and another member of the squad carried extra ammunition for the weapon. of what was usually 5 or 6 going in and many times the leads would find traps, punji pits or the VC waiting. This meant that rations in the field were often frozen, as was the water in the canteens carried by the men, adding another eight pounds to their load, but entirely useless. Parisians line the Champs Elysees to cheer the American infantry as they pass through the city in 1944. To an, open area. An interesting essay, even more interesting are the comments. The lives of these soldiers are always at risk. year old Marine thinking this is my last day on earth. Thank God I made it. In some conditions, infantrymen would change their socks at any opportunity. Infantrymen serve in combat operations and reconnaissance missions. Joining the U.S. Army has an overall rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars on Indeed.com, which is about as good as you will find on the career website. Four platoons in a rifle company. He said when they were ambushed they took defensive positions, returned fire, called for assistance when needed, and retreated when necessary. Second Lieutenant was the most junior commissioned rank in the Army and experienced squad leaders often had to make up for their commanders lack of experience in the field, and with the Army overall. Army Infantrymen are experts in both weaponry and machinery, so there is a need to maintain and store combat weapons of all types. National Archives. Army Infantrymen are the main land combat force and are considered a backbone of the U.S. Army. All of these tasks for MOS 11B are not possible without excellent communication skills as well as an advanced understanding of terrain, methods of warfare, and combat strategies. Your email address will not be published. But I made it back in one piece. by John A. Haymond 2/7/2023. 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. RIP KOOKIE forever young, Thank god you are still alive, I am age 77. The basics for every soldier, shown here, including hard tack. Army Infantrymen (11B) are the main land combat force, and known as Eleven Bravo.. During combat, soldiers need to request, observe, and adjust direct supporting fire. We can all hold our heads high and be proud of our service. Nor was treating wounded their only duty, they were responsible for the overall health of the men in their company, treating them for dysentery, routine illnesses such as colds and flu, blisters, sprains and broken bones, and other miseries encountered by the men. I was a REMF but Ive heard of 05Cs that were stuck out in the boonies on a firebase. When Apache Snow began, I was an RTO, after Airborne, and before the CA on Dong Ap Bia, I became the AG for Roeski. A documentary about our company and our 1st Sgt was made. The other group of aeromedical evacuation were divisional, i.e. We used to provide cover for these guys. The average age of the 58,148 killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years (Although 58,169 names are in the Nov. 93 database, only 58,148 have both event date and birth date. Operation Military Kids was founded to be a resource for teens and young adults who are interested in joining the military, but don't know where to begin. If the enemy was near, we never saw any. If it was your day to get hit or die, it happened. The prestigious badge, offered only to infantry and Special Forces Soldiers . I always felt that Infantry units were in more danger because of ambush issues and no permanent defensive structures. I carried the PRC-25 Radio most of that time. Walked point way to many times but never had contact. You seen the enemy you shots him and vice versa. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Elie Piha served as a paratrooper in the US Army from 2008 to 2012. US Army. The infantryman of World War II had a much better chance of surviving some wounds which would have been fatal during previous wars. 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. We were in2dBn 503d . He also carried an equipment bag, ammunition bandolier, backpack, entrenching tool, grenades, rations, canteen, spare socks, a blanket, a half shelter (to sleep under), and whatever personal items he wished. I was stationed on 2 FSBs (8 & 175mm guns) west of Tay Ninh on the Cambodian boarder in the Ho Chi Minh trail and was wounded but nothing as bad as he was. As far as I knew that was done in the whole battalion in 1968 . 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. During the Second World War, the US military purchased about 1.9 million Colt .45 semiautomatic pistols, manufactured by Colt Firearms and under license by the Remington Rand Typewriter Company, Singer Sewing Machine Company, and other contractors. Look at the armament options in this article---those are all LRPF guns from .50cal to 30mm to 105-120mm cannon---and no "area saturation," "area destruction," and "mass fire" that China and Russia have. I did worry about the strength of my flax vest. While remaining at the camp, soldiers were told that they would be allowed to leave the facility and visit Boston, or Providence and other locations. To cut the Ho Chi Minh Traila week after the mission endedthe trail was booming with business from the north.. Those determined to be too severely wounded to continue their recovery in theater were sent to either England or the United States on hospital ships, and then routed to recovery hospitals on specially equipped hospital trains. (tirotactico.net). Les Scates U.S. Army (Ret.) That same day, I along with 3/4 others was transported to Long Bhin Post. Roger Loves you too, Im sure. Total fantasy. The liners had been gutted and great rows of tiered bunks filled their hulls. 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. (Petty Officer 2nd Class. They were great patriots fighting for their families and their homeland. An Rtos job was essential, tough,(Carrying the extra weight of the radio transmitter along with his rucksack), and dangerous. We were like sitting Ducks. There is no civilian occupations that are the direct equivalent of an Army Infantryman MOS 11B. My dog and I walked point my whole tour in Vietnam. Engineer OSUT is 14 weeks long. Both served in A 2/18 1st Infantry Division. First thing we did was, Set up a complete circular perimeter. In some instances, American troops received a type of chocolate which had been made for use in the tropical climate of the South Pacific, and which due to a typical Army error in administration ended up in Europe. Some embarkation ports were near major military installations, such as Norfolk, Virginia. 1 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption - Sgt. Like you, I carried a PRC-25 for about 5 months and never got hit. Different strokes for different folks in war fer sure. Soldier,this is a wardont forget that, and anytime we are in a fight we will be toughest SOBs in the fight!! Gotta say I think you hit it on the nose. Five RTOs. Was a door gunner and crew chief for just shy of 18 months (I extended to get out early). Thanks for the reply. Food: Allowance for the on-base dining hall and access to tax-free department and grocery stores. Their war was a personal one, with the enemy when engaged in plain sight, and the casualties inflicted by themselves and their unit revealed before their eyes. Theres 58,276. While the platoon was commanded by a commissioned officer, usually a Second Lieutenant, the squad was led by a non-commissioned officer, usually, a Staff Sergeant serving as squad leader, assisted by a corporal. Life was seemingly grand for Napoleon's army, but reality told a far different story. All Rights Reserved. It had a crew of 4 (forward gunner, the coxswain (steering and driving) and the two aft gunners. Soldiers must meet a very heavy strength requirement and physical profile requirement of 111221. I was sitting on the ground one day trying to dry out my gear and better configure my ruck when my squad leader came walking over to me and said, Gow, youve got the radio. As he turned and walked away! All members of an infantry rifle squad carried a first aid kit for the immediate treatment of wounds or injuries received in the field. It was mostly used by specialty units rather than infantry. 2: role (MOS?). EACH OF US CARRIES OUR OWN MEMORIES AND THEY RUN THE GAMUT. 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. The loading and unloading of supplies at the front was performed by infantry units, as was the moving it forward to the men engaged at the front lines. I spent my year in Vietnam with the 1/22nd infantry part of the 4th division. As an infantry platoon Sgt of a platoon made up of all draftees my age 21 plus or minus a year We fought the largest single one day battle of the war March 21, 1967 known as the Battle of Soui Tre, fire support base Gold operation Junction City, that base was commanded by LtCol John Vessey of the 2/77 FA Vessey was a 25 year veteran of WWII fame with a DSC at Anzio, and on this day he was looking at the end of his career after that tour in Vietnam. Most of us have memories of these kind of experiences. Regardless, several civilian jobs are comparable such as: Soldiers should consider enrolling in the Army PaYS program following retirement. All infantrymen were issued gas masks, but by the time they reached the front-most had discarded them as being unnecessary since there had been no indication that the Germans were planning on using poisonous gas, as they had in the First World War. I remember we were always short of replacements throughout 1968 because of the high Kia & wounded rate we suffered at that time ! Some Brothers said why spend another year in this hellhole???? National Archives. Some unfortunately also came home with physical scars. Again it fell to the squad leaders to decide when enough hazing had been conducted by the veterans of combat on the new arrivals. 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. Thus they were deployed without artillery of their own. Where do we find this stuff? In a strange country scared shitless .I was a minesweeper.My first time out on a mission they put me on the drag line fifty yards from the road which was route 1, Then all hell broke lose In France, the bars were as hard as the frozen soil. And dug Berms, in the area. An infantrymans link to the desires of the officers of the division was through his squad leader. Axes were useful, but not all men in the squad needed to carry one. The infantrymen would have just enough time to wet down, lather up using GI soap, and rinse off. 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Much smaller income differentials in life expectancy, 0.2 to 3.6 life-years smaller for Veterans in 2010-17 are estimated. An American infantryman inspects the body of a dead German in July 1944, near St. said to me. Land navigation is also a point of emphasis for U.S. Army Infantrymen. aND, mAY GOD BLESS AMERICA!!! You can follow the pay table below to figure out what you can expect to make based on U.S. Army rank for Infantryman MOS 11B: The U.S. Army has several benefits included with a monthly salary: It is also worth noting that you could earn up to $41,000 in cash bonuses for enlisting under certain Military Occupational Specialties. An infantry platoon commander in combat had an average of 6 weeks life. Bloody May 1968 Mini TET. Both served in A 2/18 1st Infantry Division For some reason, the written word of this article was somehow deleted and lost. Learned a lot from him. As mentioned, who kept track of that in the first place? The infantry rifleman during winter bore a load of over eighty pounds, the BAR man nearly one hundred. I credit my longetivity to great training at Ft Benning. Certainly got my attention. 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. My shit got weak and a sniper popped three rounds in my young ass. Infantrymen learned to survive without any creature comforts for the simple reason that anything that they kept they had to carry. We took fire all the time and responded. As an Army Infantryman, you will likely see time in combat. Housing: Allowances for living expenses, utilities, and maintenance. RT @starsandstripes: New York Army National Guard soldiers from the Syracuse-based 27th Infantry Brigade Combat team are on their way home after overseeing the training of 9,600 Ukrainian troops. SS America, renamed USS West Point, could carry nearly eight thousand troops and its speed meant it could sail without escorts, capable of outrunning German U-boats. All they learned from their officers was that it was time to travel on foot. US Army. 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. As a result, Army Infantrymen 11B are trained to conduct mobilization in a variety of settings on land. They learned to spend the night in foxholes back to back with another squad member, giving them a 360-degree range of vision, and creating the term, Ive got your back.