Why Choppers and Tanks are Alike

Comments

DANIEL ZAWIEJSKI (SKI) 7TH. MOTOR BATTLION (B CO.) CHU LAI VIETNAM 1966-1967 - April 8, 2020

I WAS WITH 7 TH MOTORS ON HILL 2/5 MARINE TANKS WERE ON TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN HIGHEST POSITION AND THE 11 TH ARTILERY WAS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MOUNTAIN. AND (7TH MOTORS WAS IN BETWEEN) ONE DAY THE 11 TH ARTILERY HAD A FULL 100% FIRING ON A CERTAIN POSITION AND FIRED FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES AT LEAST 10 105 AND 155 FIRING ALL AT ONCE. (DEAFING TO HEAR) TO HIT THE TARGET THEY HAD TO SHOOT OVER THE MOUNTAIN AND YOU GUESSED IT SHORT ROUNDS WERE EXPLODING ALL AROUND THE TANKS. THE NEXT THING WE KNEW THE TANKS TURRETS (CANNON’S) WERE TURNING AROUND (180) AND AIMING AT THE 11 TH ARTILARY AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE ONE HUGE (CLUSTER F–K) AND WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE. NEED LESS TO SAY WE COULDN’T GET THE HELL! OUT OF THERE FAST ENOUGHT. WE ALL RAN AND HIDE IN THE VIETNAMES CEMETARY KNOWING IT WAS SAFE. BUT ALL THAT HAPPEN WAS A STAND OFF!. THOSE MARINES IN THOSE TANKS WERE ALL JACKED UP, FROM CHEWIN BEATLE NUT TO SMOKIN DOPE,BOOZE, ETC. YOU WOULD OPEN THE HATCH AND NOTHING BUT SMOKE WOULD COME OUT. THE TANKS INSIDE WERE PAINTED WHITE AND ALL FULL OF GRAFFITTE AND ALL AROUND INSIDE THE TURRET WERE 108 ROUNDS THEY COULD CARE LESS BECAUSE THEY COULD GET HIT WITH A ROCKET AT ANY TIME AND WORSE THING THAT (ALLWAYS HAPPEN) THEY WOULD LOSE A TRACK (PIN SHEARS OFF) AND THE TRACK WOULD JUST SPIT RIGHT OUT AND THEY WERE DEAD IN THE WATER AND THE SNIPERS WOULD LIKE TO PICK THEM OFF WHEN THEY HAD TO FIX THE TRACK! TANKS WERE USELESS IN VIETNAM GETTING STUCK AND BLOWEN OUT TRACKS ALL THE TIME IN THE MONSOON SEASON. WELL THOUGHT I WOULD LET YOU KNOW HOW IT WAS IN THE NAM! (SEMPER FI)

Jesse Griffin VSM CAR CIB - April 8, 2020

The reasons I was a tanker in Vietnam were these: As long as the tank ran, I did NOT have to walk. When I got shot at I had a direct fire ninety millimeter tank cannon, a fifty caliber machine gun, a co-axially mounted thirty caliber machine gun, a forty five caliber sub-machine gun, and personal weapons to shoot back with. Finally, I did NOT have to carry a hundred pound ruck sack on my back. The “gypsy rack” carried it for me. The reasons I was an air cavalryman in Vietnam were these: As long as the helicopter flew, I did NOT have to walk. When I got shot at I had gunships, machine guns, rocket pods, grenade launchers, and personal weapons to shoot back with. Finally the “bird” carried all my stuff so I didn’t have to. Yes I heartily agree that they are damn big targets, but for all the reasons I’ve given, I rode and flew through twenty nine months of scared and sweaty service in Vietnam, and at almost seventy years of age am here to say many thanks to helicopters and tanks.

Mick - April 8, 2020

In reply to Kelly.
Dang Kelly, I always thought of tanks / choppers as moving foxholes, (I know Marines have fighting holes) that movement always catches the enemies eyes. Semper Fi

Mick - April 8, 2020

In reply to Kelly.
Dang Kelly, I always thought of tanks / choppers as moving foxholes, (I know Marines have fighting holes) that movement always catches the enemies eyes. Semper Fi

James Doc Nealand - April 8, 2020

I was with 2/7 in ’68. It was raining like hell and I fell asleep under a tank on Liberty Bridge. They had a fire mission in the middle of the night and when they cut loose I tried to sit up and rang my bell on the underside of the tank. Couldn’t call the corpsman ’cause that was me.

Ron Lee - April 8, 2020

You hit that nail right on the head! Anything that flew or drove.

Mark Gallant - April 8, 2020

in ’68 in Chu Lai I was a cook…never saw a tank……in ’81 at Ft Bliss, in the army then…I drove a tank….nice!

DON Tresca - April 8, 2020

I was a tanker in Vietnam and proud of what we did. I was there 67 and 68. If we were as worthless as the person above states why was it the grunts liked to hide behind us, and I’m here to tell you that not.all things bounced off us. Tet 68 RPG went through us. Long time in the hospital.

DANIEL ZAWIEJSKI (SKI) 7TH. MOTOR BATTLION (B CO.) CHU LAI VIETNAM 1966-1967 - April 8, 2020

In reply to DON Tresca.
THEY WERE ONLY (USELESS) IN THE MONSOON SEASON WHEN THE BELLY OF THE TANK WOULD GET LIFTED UP ON EVER HEAR OF (TANK RETRIVERS?) AND THE GRUNT’S WALKED BEHIND THE TANK SO THE WOULDN’T SINK IN THE (CLAY TYPE MUD) AND DIDN’T SINK UP TO THERE KNEES AND LOSE THEIR BOOTS.( BEEN THERE DONE THAT!) AND (HELICOPTER’S WERE A DEATH TRAP) ALLYWAS GETTING SHOT DOWN. IT GOT SO BAD LOOSING PILOTS AND CREW AND MARINES THEY CANVASED FOR ANYBODY WITH A TWO YEAR ASSOCIATE DEGREE TO BECOME A PILOT OR WHO WANTED TO BE A PILOT.WITH INTEREST. AND MARINES (AREN’T STUPID) THATS WHY THEY LET YOU TAKE THE HIT (RPG) SEMPER FI!

MarkMoorheaf - April 8, 2020

Correct 68 Tet, not all RPG s bounced off as noted. Due to homogenous bonded armor and angle of the armor -by design-and angle of shot most bounced off . Not all and some on an easy side shot blew the track! That description of Marine tankers as pot heads and wasted all the time does not describe 90% of tankers I was proud to serve with. The DIs at PI used to scream there’s always 10%! So yes20% might be shit heads, the rest were the few, the proud and definitely Marines. Semper Fi and sorry you took the hit Bro’.