Comments on: Men Against Fire: How Many Soldiers Actually Fired Their Weapons at the Enemy During the Vietnam War http://www.historynet.com/men-against-fire-how-many-soldiers-actually-fired-their-weapons-at-the-enemy-during-the-vietnam-war.htm?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=men-against-fire-how-many-soldiers-actually-fired-their-weapons-at-the-enemy-during-the-vietnam-war From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher Wed, 15 Feb 2012 06:00:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Warner DeFord http://www.historynet.com/men-against-fire-how-many-soldiers-actually-fired-their-weapons-at-the-enemy-during-the-vietnam-war.htm#comment-329113 Warner DeFord Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:27:57 +0000 #comment-329113 Having a radio on my back and the responsibility of ground to air liaison and directing close air support and anything else involving aircraft had me to tied up to do any shooting except once..... My company was on sparrow hawk/ bald eagle at Vandegrift combat base and sent out to the 1st brigade of the 5th mechanized division and since the Army did things very differently and relied on the air force for close air support I was in a situation where I had nothing better to do but fire on enemy in the open in a valley between us and the army to keep them pined down until Hueys followed by high flying air force jets came over to kill the same guys that were for the most part already dead.... We had to walk down and count the bodies that were pretty well roasted by napalm from the jets. My issue weapon was a Ka-Bar and 1911A1 Colt but I had picked up a M-16 on Operation Dewey Canyon from a guy that would have no more use for it so I wouldn't stand out from the other Marines by looking different. Having a radio on my back and the responsibility of ground to air liaison and directing close air support and anything else involving aircraft had me to tied up to do any shooting except once….. My company was on sparrow hawk/ bald eagle at Vandegrift combat base and sent out to the 1st brigade of the 5th mechanized division and since the Army did things very differently and relied on the air force for close air support I was in a situation where I had nothing better to do but fire on enemy in the open in a valley between us and the army to keep them pined down until Hueys followed by high flying air force jets came over to kill the same guys that were for the most part already dead…. We had to walk down and count the bodies that were pretty well roasted by napalm from the jets. My issue weapon was a Ka-Bar and 1911A1 Colt but I had picked up a M-16 on Operation Dewey Canyon from a guy that would have no more use for it so I wouldn't stand out from the other Marines by looking different.

]]> By: NYT/CBS Poll: 52% Say Obama Moving America Towards Socialism - Page 3 - Sportbikes.net http://www.historynet.com/men-against-fire-how-many-soldiers-actually-fired-their-weapons-at-the-enemy-during-the-vietnam-war.htm#comment-254540 NYT/CBS Poll: 52% Say Obama Moving America Towards Socialism - Page 3 - Sportbikes.net Tue, 20 Apr 2010 20:23:09 +0000 #comment-254540 [...] Posted by flylooper Best I can do. My best friend wrote a book called Tears of the Dragon: The Other Vietnam War in which he claims [...] [...] Posted by flylooper Best I can do. My best friend wrote a book called Tears of the Dragon: The Other Vietnam War in which he claims [...]

]]> By: Kevan Mynderup http://www.historynet.com/men-against-fire-how-many-soldiers-actually-fired-their-weapons-at-the-enemy-during-the-vietnam-war.htm#comment-112038 Kevan Mynderup Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:04:06 +0000 #comment-112038 During my 9 months in country with the "C" 1/8th Cav, 1st Air Cav Div, being shot in the chest Nov 21,68 shortened my tour, I never once saw or heard of someone NOT firing his weapon. Everyone in the company, except the C.O., his RTO and the medics always fired their weapon. Talking to other guys from 1/8th Cav, it was the same way. Everyone fired their weapon. If this article was based on S.L.A. Marshall's research, that research has been proved totaly false. During my 9 months in country with the "C" 1/8th Cav, 1st Air Cav Div, being shot in the chest Nov 21,68 shortened my tour, I never once saw or heard of someone NOT firing his weapon.
Everyone in the company, except the C.O., his RTO and the medics always fired their weapon.
Talking to other guys from 1/8th Cav, it was the same way. Everyone fired their weapon.
If this article was based on S.L.A. Marshall's research, that research has been proved totaly false.

]]> By: Peter Kamp http://www.historynet.com/men-against-fire-how-many-soldiers-actually-fired-their-weapons-at-the-enemy-during-the-vietnam-war.htm#comment-93337 Peter Kamp Wed, 29 Jul 2009 07:55:55 +0000 #comment-93337 The understandig of this problem is still crucial - men (or women) should not face combat alone. The fire team will ensure peer pressure to participate, give wider observation arc and first aid in case of casualties. The absence of artillery in Vietnam allowed closer formations and thereby increased the inclination to fire as the others do. The sound of fire is a moral boost and much louder than the opposit ;-). The understandig of this problem is still crucial – men (or women) should not face combat alone. The fire team will ensure peer pressure to participate, give wider observation arc and first aid in case of casualties.

The absence of artillery in Vietnam allowed closer formations and thereby increased the inclination to fire as the others do. The sound of fire is a moral boost and much louder than the opposit ;-).

]]> By: Unfired Weapons - World War 2 Talk http://www.historynet.com/men-against-fire-how-many-soldiers-actually-fired-their-weapons-at-the-enemy-during-the-vietnam-war.htm#comment-87648 Unfired Weapons - World War 2 Talk Sun, 12 Jul 2009 20:09:58 +0000 #comment-87648 [...] resources to increase the percentage of soldiers willing to engage the enemy with direct fire. Men Against Fire: How Many Soldiers Actually Fired Their Weapons at the Enemy During the Vietnam War... [...] [...] resources to increase the percentage of soldiers willing to engage the enemy with direct fire. Men Against Fire: How Many Soldiers Actually Fired Their Weapons at the Enemy During the Vietnam War… [...]

]]> By: jimh http://www.historynet.com/men-against-fire-how-many-soldiers-actually-fired-their-weapons-at-the-enemy-during-the-vietnam-war.htm#comment-10058 jimh Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:15:41 +0000 #comment-10058 some of us gi's where in an area where we only saw our wepons on sunday to clean them.I still have guity to this day.I was single and feel I should have died instead of a man with a family. some of us gi's where in an area where we only saw our wepons on sunday to clean them.I still have guity to this day.I was single and feel I should have died instead of a man with a family.

]]> By: R. Bloomfield http://www.historynet.com/men-against-fire-how-many-soldiers-actually-fired-their-weapons-at-the-enemy-during-the-vietnam-war.htm#comment-4076 R. Bloomfield Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:23:01 +0000 #comment-4076 This is utter twaddle. Every single one of my men in the 3/B/2/503 fired his weapon at the enemy in every single one of my firefights. SLA Marshall may be correct about WWII but he is full of crap about RVN. This is utter twaddle. Every single one of my men in the 3/B/2/503 fired his weapon at the enemy in every single one of my firefights. SLA Marshall may be correct about WWII but he is full of crap about RVN.

]]> By: Bill Schroeder http://www.historynet.com/men-against-fire-how-many-soldiers-actually-fired-their-weapons-at-the-enemy-during-the-vietnam-war.htm#comment-76 Bill Schroeder Sun, 15 Jun 2008 17:08:35 +0000 #comment-76 Interesting . I need to find that book . Interesting . I need to find that book .

]]>