First of all, Thank you for your courage and service. I'm a big Vietnam War buff and I know you guys never got the welcome home which you so richly deserved. I have a question. What were the weather/temps like in South Vietnam in the summertime?I've been led to believe that it was very hot and humid. How did you avoid heat sickness and sun/heat stroke with all that gear and dark green clothing on? Thank you in advance.
A question for any Vietnam Army or Marine vet
- Thread starter Hemi426
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I work with a guy that was on a minesweeper in Vietnam, they slept on the deck...in case they hit a mine!
I like to go out of my way to give a heartfelt thank you to any vietnam vet I meet.
You 'nam vets have been slimed since day 1, and my generation is seemingly made up of ungrateful wretches. So I try to do my part.
Thanks for doing your job. You did the right thing and you did it as best as you were allowed.
Regards,
You 'nam vets have been slimed since day 1, and my generation is seemingly made up of ungrateful wretches. So I try to do my part.
Thanks for doing your job. You did the right thing and you did it as best as you were allowed.
Regards,
+1-thanks for doing a thankless job-AND HELPING WIN THE COLD WAR!!!
Also, please don't ask vets to tell war stories on these boards. Many are still living day-to-day with anxiety and nightmares of the conflict. I don't want to scare them off. That's why I asked a simple and non-invasive question about surviving the weather in the war.
Originally Posted By: Hemi426
Also, please don't ask vets to tell war stories on these boards. Many are still living day-to-day with anxiety and nightmares of the conflict. I don't want to scare them off. That's why I asked a simple and non-invasive question about surviving the weather in the war.
I agree, the OP was asking about the weather. Let's keep it at that.
Also, please don't ask vets to tell war stories on these boards. Many are still living day-to-day with anxiety and nightmares of the conflict. I don't want to scare them off. That's why I asked a simple and non-invasive question about surviving the weather in the war.
I agree, the OP was asking about the weather. Let's keep it at that.
I was in Vietnam from 69-70 with the U.S. Army's Americal Division in a place called Chu Lai which is in the central highlands. I was an infantryman assigned to the 198th Light Infantry Brigade on LZ Gator.
The temperature was stifling hot all the time and the humidity was worse. When we were on a mission we carried very heavy packs (rucksacks) along with our rifle, a lot of ammo and a steel helmet. The only way you could avoid heatstroke was to drink lots of water and keep a wet towel draped around your neck.
It was difficult to avoid sickness because our resistance was real low due to the long hours and horrific conditions. There was a lot of luck and genetics involved in not coming down with Malaria or other debilitating conditions. I arrived in Vietnam at a robust 190 lbs and when I left I weighed 150 lbs. It was a place that was not for the faint of heart.
The temperature was stifling hot all the time and the humidity was worse. When we were on a mission we carried very heavy packs (rucksacks) along with our rifle, a lot of ammo and a steel helmet. The only way you could avoid heatstroke was to drink lots of water and keep a wet towel draped around your neck.
It was difficult to avoid sickness because our resistance was real low due to the long hours and horrific conditions. There was a lot of luck and genetics involved in not coming down with Malaria or other debilitating conditions. I arrived in Vietnam at a robust 190 lbs and when I left I weighed 150 lbs. It was a place that was not for the faint of heart.
Thank you,Jim. Any idea of the actual temperatures you experienced? My mom just told me a story about one of my uncles. He served in the USMC in country from 66-70 and she said that it was so hot that when he got back to Pittsburgh,PA he would wear a wool sweater in the summer when it was in the 90s because he felt chilled after being accustomed to the Vietnam heat. P.S. I made a boo-boo. He was in the Marines from 66-70.I don't know how long he was actually in country. He was a mechanic on F-4s.
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Originally Posted By: Hemi426
Thank you,Jim. Any idea of the actual temperatures you experienced? My mom just told me a story about one of my uncles. He served in the USMC in country from 66-70 and she said that it was so hot that when he got back to Pittsburgh,PA he would wear a wool sweater in the summer when it was in the 90s because he felt chilled after being accustomed to the Vietnam heat. P.S. I made a boo-boo. He was in the Marines from 66-70.I don't know how long he was actually in country. He was a mechanic on F-4s.
God Bless our Vietnam Vets.
If anyone has not visited the Vietnam Memorial in DC at night, you have got to do it.
Its worth the trip to DC just for that.
Thank you,Jim. Any idea of the actual temperatures you experienced? My mom just told me a story about one of my uncles. He served in the USMC in country from 66-70 and she said that it was so hot that when he got back to Pittsburgh,PA he would wear a wool sweater in the summer when it was in the 90s because he felt chilled after being accustomed to the Vietnam heat. P.S. I made a boo-boo. He was in the Marines from 66-70.I don't know how long he was actually in country. He was a mechanic on F-4s.
God Bless our Vietnam Vets.
If anyone has not visited the Vietnam Memorial in DC at night, you have got to do it.
Its worth the trip to DC just for that.
Yes, God Bless, I was only 12 years old at the time but
being there and reading about are totally different. I had the chance to go fishing with a vet years ago in nothern Manitoba
and really enjoyed his company.
being there and reading about are totally different. I had the chance to go fishing with a vet years ago in nothern Manitoba
and really enjoyed his company.
One of my best friend's dad stepped on a mine in Vietnam in late '69 and shortly thereafter died from his injuries. My dad told me about a local soldier who was KIA and his unit needed three days to beat back the NVA/VC in order to retrieve his body. War sure is [censored]. I'm glad we could come together tonight and honor our Vietnam Vets with Memorial Day coming up and all. Good night and God Bless.
Originally Posted By: Hemi426
Also, please don't ask vets to tell war stories on these boards. Many are still living day-to-day with anxiety and nightmares of the conflict. I don't want to scare them off. That's why I asked a simple and non-invasive question about surviving the weather in the war.
But there are so many that are extremely proud and are willing to tell their stories....especially Marines.
In Middle School, we went to the Veterans' retirement home and majority of the veterans that volunteered to be with us were Marines. There were about 3 Soldiers and 2 Sailors.... the rest 10 were Marines. For our project, we had to use our interviewing skills. The Marines were so into their stories, I didn't even have a chance of asking a question.
Also, please don't ask vets to tell war stories on these boards. Many are still living day-to-day with anxiety and nightmares of the conflict. I don't want to scare them off. That's why I asked a simple and non-invasive question about surviving the weather in the war.
But there are so many that are extremely proud and are willing to tell their stories....especially Marines.
In Middle School, we went to the Veterans' retirement home and majority of the veterans that volunteered to be with us were Marines. There were about 3 Soldiers and 2 Sailors.... the rest 10 were Marines. For our project, we had to use our interviewing skills. The Marines were so into their stories, I didn't even have a chance of asking a question.
Originally Posted By: JimR
I was in Vietnam from 69-70 with the U.S. Army's Americal Division in a place called Chu Lai which is in the central highlands. I was an infantryman assigned to the 198th Light Infantry Brigade on LZ Gator.
The temperature was stifling hot all the time and the humidity was worse. When we were on a mission we carried very heavy packs (rucksacks) along with our rifle, a lot of ammo and a steel helmet. The only way you could avoid heatstroke was to drink lots of water and keep a wet towel draped around your neck.
It was difficult to avoid sickness because our resistance was real low due to the long hours and horrific conditions. There was a lot of luck and genetics involved in not coming down with Malaria or other debilitating conditions. I arrived in Vietnam at a robust 190 lbs and when I left I weighed 150 lbs. It was a place that was not for the faint of heart.
mu uncle was in the army as well during that time and he said the same thing. in the late 80's he developed skin cancer that was directly related to agent orange. he rarely talks about details. he is a stand up guy too. glad he is still around. its funny to hear him talk to my great uncle who is a army WW2 aiborne vet about the differences in wars and tactics.
i do remember one story about a cargo protection detail and of course they wasnt told what was in the trucks or anything. they came under fire. long story short they slept under one of the trucks. the next morning they looked in the back and it was filled with RPG's, grenades and ammo LOL. all it took was a few bullets and or some heat and kaboom
I was in Vietnam from 69-70 with the U.S. Army's Americal Division in a place called Chu Lai which is in the central highlands. I was an infantryman assigned to the 198th Light Infantry Brigade on LZ Gator.
The temperature was stifling hot all the time and the humidity was worse. When we were on a mission we carried very heavy packs (rucksacks) along with our rifle, a lot of ammo and a steel helmet. The only way you could avoid heatstroke was to drink lots of water and keep a wet towel draped around your neck.
It was difficult to avoid sickness because our resistance was real low due to the long hours and horrific conditions. There was a lot of luck and genetics involved in not coming down with Malaria or other debilitating conditions. I arrived in Vietnam at a robust 190 lbs and when I left I weighed 150 lbs. It was a place that was not for the faint of heart.
mu uncle was in the army as well during that time and he said the same thing. in the late 80's he developed skin cancer that was directly related to agent orange. he rarely talks about details. he is a stand up guy too. glad he is still around. its funny to hear him talk to my great uncle who is a army WW2 aiborne vet about the differences in wars and tactics.
i do remember one story about a cargo protection detail and of course they wasnt told what was in the trucks or anything. they came under fire. long story short they slept under one of the trucks. the next morning they looked in the back and it was filled with RPG's, grenades and ammo LOL. all it took was a few bullets and or some heat and kaboom
The temperature felt like it was constantly between 110-120 degrees with the high humidity on top of that. We were advised not to wear underwear in order to avoid acquiring what they called "jungle rot". Jungle rot was a fungal condition that was fostered by constantly wet underwear and fungi mixing together in the crotch area. Without underwear, the theory was that the sweat would run down your legs and not accumulate in the groin area. Many of the guys still got it anyway.
I would not talk to any civilians about my Vietnam combat experiences for years after I returned home. As time went by, I became more open to it and will now talk to anyone that is interested.
One problem I had was in 1986 when the movie "Platoon" was released. After seeing the movie, I had a flashback while asleep and I almost hurt my wife when she got out of bed to go to the bathroom. She yelled out my name which woke me up and a potential tragedy was avoided. The other Vietnam movies, "Full Metal Jacket", "Hamburger Hill", and "Born on the Fourth of July" did not have the same effect. The other Vietnam movie that I was really moved by was Mel Gibson's "We Were Soldiers".
I thank you for asking.
I would not talk to any civilians about my Vietnam combat experiences for years after I returned home. As time went by, I became more open to it and will now talk to anyone that is interested.
One problem I had was in 1986 when the movie "Platoon" was released. After seeing the movie, I had a flashback while asleep and I almost hurt my wife when she got out of bed to go to the bathroom. She yelled out my name which woke me up and a potential tragedy was avoided. The other Vietnam movies, "Full Metal Jacket", "Hamburger Hill", and "Born on the Fourth of July" did not have the same effect. The other Vietnam movie that I was really moved by was Mel Gibson's "We Were Soldiers".
I thank you for asking.
Jim, I know my dad had a bad time mentally on board the carrier U.S.S. Intrepid when the U.S.S. Forrestal had that bad explosion on the flight deck. I guess they shipped a lot of body parts onto my dad's ship for cold storage before burial. Have you ever gone or thought of going back to Vietnam? I've heard some vets say it helps put the past behind them going there as a civilian. Do you go to any reunions with your old outfit or keep in touch with men who you served with? Thanks in advance.
Originally Posted By: JimR
I was in Vietnam from 69-70 with the U.S. Army's Americal Division in a place called Chu Lai which is in the central highlands. I was an infantryman assigned to the 198th Light Infantry Brigade on LZ Gator.
The temperature was stifling hot all the time and the humidity was worse. When we were on a mission we carried very heavy packs (rucksacks) along with our rifle, a lot of ammo and a steel helmet. The only way you could avoid heatstroke was to drink lots of water and keep a wet towel draped around your neck.
It was difficult to avoid sickness because our resistance was real low due to the long hours and horrific conditions. There was a lot of luck and genetics involved in not coming down with Malaria or other debilitating conditions. I arrived in Vietnam at a robust 190 lbs and when I left I weighed 150 lbs. It was a place that was not for the faint of heart.
I have an incredible amount of respect for what you and other Vietnam veterans went through. My father, father in law and uncles served and the hardships they endured are almost unbelievable to me.
I served in the Army infantry during peacetime and have doubts about whether I could have hacked it over there. I served throughout the Balkans in the 1990's and was never really in any danger but am still horrified about what we saw (and cleaned up after) in regards to what human beings are willing to do to each other. Seeing it happen to children is what really got to me.
I was in Vietnam from 69-70 with the U.S. Army's Americal Division in a place called Chu Lai which is in the central highlands. I was an infantryman assigned to the 198th Light Infantry Brigade on LZ Gator.
The temperature was stifling hot all the time and the humidity was worse. When we were on a mission we carried very heavy packs (rucksacks) along with our rifle, a lot of ammo and a steel helmet. The only way you could avoid heatstroke was to drink lots of water and keep a wet towel draped around your neck.
It was difficult to avoid sickness because our resistance was real low due to the long hours and horrific conditions. There was a lot of luck and genetics involved in not coming down with Malaria or other debilitating conditions. I arrived in Vietnam at a robust 190 lbs and when I left I weighed 150 lbs. It was a place that was not for the faint of heart.
I have an incredible amount of respect for what you and other Vietnam veterans went through. My father, father in law and uncles served and the hardships they endured are almost unbelievable to me.
I served in the Army infantry during peacetime and have doubts about whether I could have hacked it over there. I served throughout the Balkans in the 1990's and was never really in any danger but am still horrified about what we saw (and cleaned up after) in regards to what human beings are willing to do to each other. Seeing it happen to children is what really got to me.
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