life expectancy of an infantry soldier in combat life expectancy of an infantry soldier in combat
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. A wounded American soldier is loaded into a halftrack converted to serve as an ambulance in Germany in early 1945. Love this analysis. For the most part, the members of the squad had no idea of the overall strategic situation or even the local tactical situation. Dont know why, but generally, their aircraft were not armed (door gunners, etc.). Belton Cooper, a soldier who supported an armored unit, recalled that the high number of tanker casualties forced the Army to hastily retrain infantry replacements as tankers. 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. The soldier spent a majority of his time in camp drilling, with . The first six or seven months I walked point for our platoon and led many ambushes and green eye patrols. It is still an impressive statistic but utterly meaningless. US Army. My dog and I walked point my whole tour in Vietnam. Related Article Air Force Combat Controller (CCT) (1C2X1): Career Details. Thats my experience. As a Huey door gunner, when we left the ground on a mission, I always thought that this mission would be my last! What was the average life expectancy for soldiers during - Answers 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. The 276th was not going into combat as a division, but as a task force, meaning that it was used to plug gaps in the line in response to fluid conditions during the German attack in Belgium. I packed my own radio and got a Thank you from his Mom. They lived in the mud and snow, not in the deep trenches of the First World War but in foxholes they dug themselves, or in shell craters created by the artillery of both sides. Different type units, different locations, different opinions on dangers. It doesnt make any sense statistically/mathematically it is impossible. Those who were killed in combat were identified by their dog tags, and buried by special details for the most part, although it was not uncommon for infantrymen to bury the dead of their units while on patrol, marking the location with a dog tag. Related Article Army Combat Engineer (MOS 12B): Career Details. My 31-months in-country was in three Direct Support US Army aviation units, 15TC BN, First Cav, 335TH, Americal and 17TH Cav 101ST ABD65-71In the last battle I was directly involved, LAM SON 719, into Laos, cost army aviation units over 600-helicopters shot down or battle damagedthe NVA were waiting for our SECRET mission in early 71I was glad to go home at battles end, in March 71 , almost unscathed, I was TDY for my absurd third tourTo the point, many ARVN Rangers, airborne and their other best died in Lam Son 719US Army Infantry were forbidden entry to Laos in 71.. the ARVN were massacredand many US Army pilots and crew mambers were KIA & WIAeven MIA. If you would like to get a copy, and cant find it, let me know, and I will make sure you get one. US Army. 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. Commanders like him were few and far between many were afraid of their own shadow and were only there to get their ticket punched. I was once told a story by a World War II veteran who . Anyway I was wondering about the RTOs in a grunt platoon, was that their MOS or were they 11B that carried a PRC ? I flew Dustoff and our unit did not have M60s for protection, nor did any other Dustoff unit that Im aware of. It means, IF (!) There is no civilian occupations that are the direct equivalent of an Army Infantryman MOS 11B. We were like sitting Ducks. While all rifle companies had assigned medics, they were not always in the company of squads on patrol or deployed in forwarding positions. There were two different groups that flew aeromedical evacuations. I was shot down on my very first mission in July 1968. 1: physical position (in the field / column) In combat they treated the wounded in the field, wearing helmets which were clearly marked with a Red Cross. Re: Helicopter Crews (Medevac & Dustoff): To my knowledge, only the 1st Cav Medevac had M60s for protection. I think those numbers are percentages of US KIA, not mortality times. 1st Cav, 101st, etc. They were glad to see me as it had been a while for replacements with the unit. Some were constantly exposed to combat, some not so often. So I guess I defied the odds. It was just part of the job. Also: for years I have read those life-expectancy numbers never really understanding them, but also noting that they wildly vary. According to General George S. Patton, the M1 was, the greatest battle implement ever devised. The .30 caliber M1 was designed to be easily disassembled for cleaning in the field. Occasionally the men were transferred piecemeal. The infantrymen would have just enough time to wet down, lather up using GI soap, and rinse off. He decided to stay even though he had a deep feeling he wasnt going to make it. An infantry platoon commander in combat had an average of 6 weeks life expectancy. ARMY COMBAT ENGINEERS | What Life in the Army is really like. My shit got weak and a sniper popped three rounds in my young ass. I was a cmbt engr demolition specialist carried a 45 auto and an M70 grenade launcher in addition to the C-4 and Det Cord. Absent an opportunity to prove themselves, these arriving infantrymen found the squad wary of them, and sometimes almost hostile. As I carried a PRC25 radio for over seven-months in the > Nam, I was curious to find out what I did RIGHT to surv >, One MOS I figured was a sure short timer was POL{Fuel} Truck Driver. Boot camp for an Army Infantryman consists of two sections: Basic Combat Training (BCT) and Advanced Individual Training. Infantry soldiers are trained at Fort Benning, Georgia. The liners had been gutted and great rows of tiered bunks filled their hulls. I had a 20% death rate in my Hospital Corpsman Class. Sometimes walkie-talkie sets were substituted, they weighed far less but offered a more limited range. As we were, steadily building up, our area for protection. 1ST MAW 66-68. I remember hearing somewhere about an RTO who wasnt getting the info out correctly and the Lieutenant (Kennedy) grabbed the mic and said My RTO Is Foxtrot Uniform. Related Article: Army Height And Weight Standards. Treatment of wounds using sulfa drugs and powder and the growing use of penicillin to prevent and treat infections were on his side. I was a 2LT on Hamburger Hill and had 4 RTOs over a 7 day period (excluding the times I ended up carrying my own radio). Back in 1965, I was a door gunner on Medevac recovery operations. Every infantryman must be fluent in any weapon and equipment that is involved in the operation. Home, workplace, tomb - the reality of the World War II tank Interesting, I carried a Prick 25, for 2 months. Of all the gear he carried, other than his weapons and ammunition, none was more important to him than clean socks. 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. Never knew they had life expectancy stats. If you have other information let me know. Army Infantrymen (11B) are the main land combat force, and known as Eleven Bravo.. Now, there are additional weapon qualifications including handling M4 rifles, M240 machine guns, and M249 squad automatic weapons. The infantryman often reached a designated point and had to dig in for the night. 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. We did interdictions, blocks and other fun things on the river. Related Article Marine Corps Infantry Assault (MOS 0351): Career Details. Vietnam War Facts, Stats and Myths - US Wings both tours. 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. Hi, the whole thing is going nicely here and ofcourse every one 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. As usual, the average infantryman had little knowledge of the overall situation and why such transfers were necessary. The American army traveled to Europe by ship, and by a wide variety of ships including troop transports designed and built for the purpose, Liberty ships, converted freighters, and the great ocean liners of the Allies. by Jeffrey J. Clarke, Center for Military History, February 26, 1992, Citizen Soldiers, by Stephen Ambrose, 1998, Ardennes-Alsace, by Roger Cirillo, Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army, 2003, online, American Battle Casualties and Non-Battle Deaths in World War II, by the Combined Arms Research Library, Department of the Army, June 25, 1953. Some wounded received convalescent leave far behind the lines. Thank You Roger!!! PDF Mortality Rates and Life Expectancy of Veterans - Veterans Affairs There are a number of civilian job opportunities for an Army Infantryman (11B) following discharge from the U.S. Military. Vehicles of the US First Infantry division stalled on a Belgian road in late 1944. The casualty rate for the American infantry was high. Then we all, loaded on C-147 cargo planes. Interesting but something is missing. Though I flew only about 1/2 dozen missions as a Huey door gunner, I was initially told to sit on my flak jacket I always did so (personal protection first). U.S. Army Infantryman overwhelming have positive things to say about the military career choice. We can all hold our heads high and be proud of our service. Infantrymen in the Second World War quickly learned that everything they needed to know to survive in the field was not part of the training curriculum in basic infantry school. I spent my year in Vietnam with the 1/22nd infantry part of the 4th division. The trailer for Fury claims that the average life expectancy of an When a squad was ordered out on a patrol it usually fell to the squad leader to decide who went and who stayed behind, unless he had orders from the higher-ups directing him who to send. Point was the safest place to be,they knew to wait for key elements, RTO, Medica, M60 Gunners. Id had a premonition, and asked the LT to let me trade off to become the AG. As I made it back to the road I remember seeing the Learn more about 11B MOS, including what the requirements are, the training, day to day life, and more. The needs of the Army will dictate which MOS youre assigned. I knew some of this, but certainly not all. At age 55, World War 2 Veterans were estimated to live 21.4 and 26.1 life-years, 1.4 and 0.3 more life-years for Korean Conflict Veterans, and 3 and 1.5 more life-years for Vietnam Era Veterans for male and female, respectively. Soldier,this is a wardont forget that, and anytime we are in a fight we will be toughest SOBs in the fight!!
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