Land clearing became an important mission during the Vietnam War after realizing that soon after infantry soldiers would sweep an area the enemy would temporarily leave, then return and be able to once again hide in the dense jungle forest. Without any prior techniques on how to remove the thick vegetation the enemy found safety in, General William C. Westmoreland, commander of U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam, told his staff to begin exploring options of how to clear the jungle (Thomas).
Early experiments with a ten-ton or heavier hollow ball being towed by a ship anchor linked to two very, heavy tractors, a device similar to one used in Australia, a one hundred ton tracked tank-like vehicle and the three wheeled LeTourneau tree-crusher all were unsuccessful. The parts were either too hard to fabricate or were too heavy to transport and the LeTourneau tree-crusher was too vulnerable of a target because of its large size (Evans). Success finally came when the Rome Plow was introduced.
The Rome Plow was already being used in the United States to cut fire breaks before it was applied for use during the Vietnam War. Manufactured by the Rome Plow Company in Georgia, the Rome Plow is an oversized blade that was attached to a D7E dozer. The D7E dozer had a reinforced cage for the operator’s protection and had a tubular steel skeleton that extended from the cage to the front of the dozer that acted like a shield for the engine. The plow blade weighed more than two and a half tons, was wider than the dozer and as tall as a man. It was mounted at a thirty degree angle so that debris would be cast aside, had a spade that was curved more than the conventional earth-moving blade and it also had a reinforced steel stringer that ...
... middle of paper ...
...d no longer left a place for the enemy to conceal themselves in (Evans).
Despite all the hardships and hazards the Engineers of these innovative land clearing units faced, the number of Soldiers who re-enlisted or voluntarily extended their tours were constantly high during the Vietnam War (Evans). These Engineers would fight as infantrymen as well as perform their duties as plow drivers and mechanics. They referred to themselves as “Jungle Eaters” and were proud of all they accomplished (Massey).
Works Cited
Evans, R. (n.d.). Land clearing. Retrieved from www.59thlandclearing.org/pages/history.htm
Massey, D. (1970, september). landclearing engineers-vietnam 1967-71. Retrieved from www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/791086/posts
Thomas, J. (n.d.). u.s. armyland clearingengineersin vietnam1967-71. Retrieved from www.geocities.ws/plowmaster71/lcstats.html
Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” is the first story in a collection about the Alpha Company, led by First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross during the Vietnam War. The platoon is deployed near Than Khe, an area filled with dense jungle and unrelenting rain where the men must carry or “hump” an unspeakable amount of weight both literal and emotional to survive. The narrator, O’Brien, is one of the soldiers, and he distinguishes one soldier from another with a vivid description of what each one must, and chooses to carry in order to survive war. The seventeen men in this troop are tasked with a search and destroy mission inside tunnel complexes south of Chu Lai. While Lee Strunk is in the tunnels, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is obsessing over Martha, a girl from back home, and Ted Lavender is taking drugs. Just when Lee Strunk emerges from the tunnels unscathed, Ted Lavender is shot in the head----boom-down--killed, and the men begin to vacillate between morbid fascination and guilt.
The Vietnam War was, mentally and physically, one of the most brutal the United States has ever participated in. Our soldiers had to undergo daily miseries and sufferings which wore on them in body and mind. Dysentery was a common cause of physical wasting. Other diseases combined with the continuous rain and mud caused flesh to rot and made daily life that much more insufferable. Long periods of boredom would be broken by unexpected guerilla attacks or booby traps. The enemy rarely materialized long enough to be actively fought or even identified. Equally uncertain as who they were fighting was the answer to the question of what purpose they were fighting and dying for.
Vietnam War was one of the hardest wars ever fought. There are several reasons for this statement. It was basically impossible to conquer the territory because there were no boundaries. The soldiers had to put up with the climate, land, diseases and most importantly themselves. This essay is about yet another reason: the relationship between the soldiers and the officers.
They carried the land itself- Vietnam, the place, the soil- a powdery orange- red dust that covered their boots and fatigues and faces” (364) .
For almost as long as civilizations began they have been fighting against each other. Often times these wars come down to who has the better military equipment. When one army creates an elite war machine another army is sure to soon copy or improve it. For example the U.S. Army Signal Corps purchased the first ever military aircraft in 1902 (Taylor). Two years later the Italians were also using aircrafts. The trebuchet catapult is no exception; it was one of the most destructive military machines of its time (Chevedden, 2000). A trebuchet works by using the energy of a falling counterweight to launch a projectile (Trebuchet). In this research paper I intend to explain the history and dynamics of a trebuchet catapult.
This paper will not bore with the definition of a profession. The United States Army is about more than words, it is about action. The action of over 238 years of tradition and service. The Army is a profession. A profession requires its members to adhere to prolonged training and learn specialized skills. A member of a profession must wholly commit himself and his skills to a calling which is entrusted by the public. A profession provides its members with intrinsic value which motivates beyond financial gain. The Army is a higher calling which demands all of these qualities and more.
Men zoom by on a sled. Cheerful music plays in the background, and a voice chimes, “You want fast action?” A man floats along on water skis. “Outdoors action?” the voice calls. A man climbs up a tall, dangerous mountain. “Real man-sized action?” the voice proclaims. “Well, here’s action that tops them all, in the combat branches of today’s Army,” the voice finishes (Quitney). It was not uncommon to see the Army or military glamorized in Vietnam recruitment commercials, much like the one described previously. Despite the decorated ideals of the military life and duties, the Vietnam War would prove to be far from idealistic for U.S. soldiers. Many of the soldiers who were drafted into the war did not have a choice in the matter and did not want to go. During training camp, the privates were often mistreated and suffered physical and mental punishments. American soldiers committed war crimes repeatedly without any second thought. Because of the brutality that occurred during the Vietnam War, many soldiers suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which frequently led to suicide and depression. The goal was to win the war, but those who were forced to kill without conscience cannot close their mind to the anguish they placed upon themselves and so many people.
In this investigation, the personal side of the soldiers who fought in the Vietnam war will be examined- particularly the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that were most common in veterans, and the different experiences in the war or after returning home that could have caused them. The types of warfare, deaths, and differences from methods used in the Vietnam War will be discussed. Technological advancements and mindsets of the different times of the wars will be taken into account. The definition of PTSD and descriptions of different general causes will be mentioned, as well. Different accounts from veterans and reports on PTSD Vietnam War veteran victims will be analyzed for individual cases and examples. Sources used will include Wounds of War by Herbert Hendin and Ann Pollinger Haas and information on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from the National Institute of Mental Health’s website.
Life at Vietnam had numerous challenges for the soldiers who were there. Drugs and alcohol were a way for soldiers to forget about the horrors of war and were also used as a pass time . Multiple times soldiers were punished for disobedience or not saluting (Hochgesang). For countless soldiers the only thing that kept them going was the fear of being killed. There were many disease at the camps where soldiers wer...
"Top 10 Inventions Discovered During WWII." WAR HISTORY ONLINE. N.p., 26 Dec. 2013. Web. 4 May 2014. .
My grandfather Roy Gene Lakin was a U.S. Marine. He had many ranks which were private, private 1st class, lieutenant corporal, corporal, sergeant, staff sergeant, gunnery sergeant, master sergeant, and an E8. He was in the maintenance platoon and he was stationed in Vietnam for only 13 weeks. He was a repair shop machinist in which he also helped the “optics team install infrared on big war tanks” . His base was stationed at 12 miles south of Dangha and when I asked him if he was in the jungle he said, “Yes, it was very humid and raining the majority of the time. Even the beer was warm but whenever we went with some of the other guys to go have some ice cold beers, it made those beers seem like heaven.” He said that he loved his job because he loves guns and all other kinds of weapons. He can be considered a weapon specialist to most people.
Since the days of World War I trenches, men and women of the Chemical Corps have honorably served the needs of America’s Army. On the battlefield and off, courageous CBRN Soldiers have had an essential role in preserving our country’s freedom. As a Dragon Soldier it is important to know the history of the Corps (U.S. Army Chemical School, n.d.). Most of the Soldier’s in the Army think that Chemical Soldier’s are the ones you see that one time of the year for mandatory training; such as round robin type training or the CBRN gas chamber. However, as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq started there was a need for Soldier’s that had a certain mind-set. Those that could and would do things that were necessary at the time of war that other regular Soldier’s would not or could not do. Those types of Soldier’s are typically suited for life in U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). This paper is a brief history of The Chemical Corps, USASOC/Delta Force, and a Chemical Soldier who gave the ultimate sacrifice, SFC Mickey E. Zaun.
The Vietnam War was a challenging time for soldiers both physically and mentally. They often didn’t have a choice on whether they were going to war due to the drafting system that had been in place. Many had tangible and intangible things that they carried with them for the sake of their sanity or their job in the unit. The chapter, “The Things They Carried”, in the novel The Things They Carried, captures this immaculately. The author, Tim O’Brien, speaks of the things each man within his unit carried with him. Each man did not just carry tangible objects with him, but also intangible objects as well .
Also, more incent topic in history of the catapult was believed to have opened in 12th century France with the inventions of the trebuchet. This huge train of siege is stated to have hit good fear in the hearts of the opponents. The project and this pure power have hurled this example catapult history through the history.
American Veterans experienced war-related trauma in Vietnam.(Friedman, 1998) The war traumas included being on frequent or prolonged combat missions in enemy territory, encountering ambushes and...