AVERAGE DAY ON THE JOB:
The Life of a GI in Vietnam was very boring when not in combat, or on patrol. Depending on what group or specialty the soldier was, he had different jobs to carry out after his "main day's work" was finished.
Grunts:
Eating and sleeping were the main focuses of GI's in the field. They had no television, movies, computers, laptops, nightclubs, CD's, running water, toilets, cars, bikes, pets, or female attention. Most of the time infantrymen spent their days either performing duties (search and destroy missions, patrol, watch) or cleaning their M-14/M-16 rifles, airing out their feet, stocking ammunition, and building up their foxhole or gun pit.
Tank Crewman:
Tank Crewman had many jobs like the GI's, except they also had a tank to keep in order and maintain. They would load their 90MM shells into the tank, change the tracks, clean the tank barrel, check the engines and make sure things were running fine, and keep their tank as clean as possible.
Air Craft Crewman and Sailors:
Much like the Tank Crewman, they too had to maintain their equipment that they were working with. Cleaning all parts of their ship or plane, keeping it in working condition, spotting malfunctions, changing old parts, loading up ammo, etc...
Grunts:
Eating and sleeping were the main focuses of GI's in the field. They had no television, movies, computers, laptops, nightclubs, CD's, running water, toilets, cars, bikes, pets, or female attention. Most of the time infantrymen spent their days either performing duties (search and destroy missions, patrol, watch) or cleaning their M-14/M-16 rifles, airing out their feet, stocking ammunition, and building up their foxhole or gun pit.
Tank Crewman:
Tank Crewman had many jobs like the GI's, except they also had a tank to keep in order and maintain. They would load their 90MM shells into the tank, change the tracks, clean the tank barrel, check the engines and make sure things were running fine, and keep their tank as clean as possible.
Air Craft Crewman and Sailors:
Much like the Tank Crewman, they too had to maintain their equipment that they were working with. Cleaning all parts of their ship or plane, keeping it in working condition, spotting malfunctions, changing old parts, loading up ammo, etc...
Interview with a soldier:
Lehman L. Edinburgh
Lehman L. Edinburgh was drafted in the United States Marine Corps in 1969 after his lottery number was called. He was one part of the first group of draftees that were selected based off their birthday. When the lottery was first drawn, the day 258 was selected by random, which is September 14th. Lehman was then drafted into the Marine Corps as part of 3rd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. He fought in Vietnam until he was wounded in 1971 in a firefight against Viet Cong. He was shot in the leg twice, and once in the lower abdomen. Fortunately Lehman was able to survive his wounds, and he was able to keep his leg, although it was left in bad shape for the rest of his life.
Interesting answers collected from the interview:
Explain what you felt once you heard you were being drafted to fight in the war?
"I was only 19 when I found out. I wasn't even watching the television, I was outside reading a book. My little brother came out and started yelling, "Lee! Lee! You're goin' to war!" I didn't know what to think honestly, I just sat there thinking about what that meant. Before I never really was concerned with the war, and I never pictured myself being a part of it.
What is it like when you first stepped foot in Vietnam?
"Based off of what I heard, I expected explosions and gunshots to be ringing out as soon as I got off the helicopter. But when I got off, it was quiet, and there were no gunshots to be heard. Just really really tan, dirty looking fellows with scruff walking around in sandals and no shirt, playing cards and talking. I looked like a ghost compared to their skin, and god almighty it was hot."
Tell me about the first time you engaged the enemy.
"We were just on patrol, walking through the hot jungle. We were not really talking, and were were 3 -5 meters apart as we walked forward, if we bunched up, the enemy could get us with artillery. Out of nowhere I heard a "buzz!" then a "zap!" and I looked over thinkin' my buddy just got stung by some bug, but he was on his way down to the ground when I looked over. He was shot in the neck by a sniper, thankfully he survived. But right then I knew we were being ambushed, and it was hard to see where the enemy were, but I was trained well and knew what to do, and I survived. It was scary, but exhilarating, nothing like it."
What did you feel when you killed the enemy for the first time?"
"It was awhile before I actually saw an enemy I shot at fall down and die. Before most the time we just shot were we saw the muzzle flashes in the jungle, it was hard to tell if you ever hit anybody. But one boy, about the age of me, maybe a little younger came out of nowhere at me with a knife during a firefight, and my instincts and training kicked in. I didn't think about raising my rifle, I didn't think about aiming, or squeezing the trigger, I just did. I saw the pain in his eyes though as the bullets pierced his small chest, and I don't think I'll ever forget it."
Did you believe in and support what your government was doing?
"I won't lie. I questioned it. We all did.They were just people. Like you and me, except smaller and their eyes were different. That's all, they were not the monsters they were portrayed to be. I didn't want to kill them. But somehow we still believed that we were doing some good for these people, even though they feared us when we came into their villages. I wish I was able to speak Vietnamese, then I could have told them we were there to help, but even then I don't think that would have convinced them."
Where you happy, or sad when you got wounded?
"When it happened, I wasn't think much more other than, "I'm gonna die here in this jungle." But once I got back to the States and I was in a hospital, I guess I felt like I was leaving something behind. I felt like I wasn't done, and it's weird because when I was in it, all I wanted was to get out, but then when I was finally out, all I wanted was to be back in with my buddies."
"I was only 19 when I found out. I wasn't even watching the television, I was outside reading a book. My little brother came out and started yelling, "Lee! Lee! You're goin' to war!" I didn't know what to think honestly, I just sat there thinking about what that meant. Before I never really was concerned with the war, and I never pictured myself being a part of it.
What is it like when you first stepped foot in Vietnam?
"Based off of what I heard, I expected explosions and gunshots to be ringing out as soon as I got off the helicopter. But when I got off, it was quiet, and there were no gunshots to be heard. Just really really tan, dirty looking fellows with scruff walking around in sandals and no shirt, playing cards and talking. I looked like a ghost compared to their skin, and god almighty it was hot."
Tell me about the first time you engaged the enemy.
"We were just on patrol, walking through the hot jungle. We were not really talking, and were were 3 -5 meters apart as we walked forward, if we bunched up, the enemy could get us with artillery. Out of nowhere I heard a "buzz!" then a "zap!" and I looked over thinkin' my buddy just got stung by some bug, but he was on his way down to the ground when I looked over. He was shot in the neck by a sniper, thankfully he survived. But right then I knew we were being ambushed, and it was hard to see where the enemy were, but I was trained well and knew what to do, and I survived. It was scary, but exhilarating, nothing like it."
What did you feel when you killed the enemy for the first time?"
"It was awhile before I actually saw an enemy I shot at fall down and die. Before most the time we just shot were we saw the muzzle flashes in the jungle, it was hard to tell if you ever hit anybody. But one boy, about the age of me, maybe a little younger came out of nowhere at me with a knife during a firefight, and my instincts and training kicked in. I didn't think about raising my rifle, I didn't think about aiming, or squeezing the trigger, I just did. I saw the pain in his eyes though as the bullets pierced his small chest, and I don't think I'll ever forget it."
Did you believe in and support what your government was doing?
"I won't lie. I questioned it. We all did.They were just people. Like you and me, except smaller and their eyes were different. That's all, they were not the monsters they were portrayed to be. I didn't want to kill them. But somehow we still believed that we were doing some good for these people, even though they feared us when we came into their villages. I wish I was able to speak Vietnamese, then I could have told them we were there to help, but even then I don't think that would have convinced them."
Where you happy, or sad when you got wounded?
"When it happened, I wasn't think much more other than, "I'm gonna die here in this jungle." But once I got back to the States and I was in a hospital, I guess I felt like I was leaving something behind. I felt like I wasn't done, and it's weird because when I was in it, all I wanted was to get out, but then when I was finally out, all I wanted was to be back in with my buddies."
Analysis of my Interview:
Before I interview Lehman, I had no idea honestly of what the average soldier experienced in the Vietnam War. Most of the books, shows, movies, and games are either about the World Wars, or the most current wars. While there are still many pieces of art about the Vietnam War, they are not as popular, and not as discussed or endorsed. Maybe it is because people wish to forget about the defeat in Vietnam, or maybe the veterans just don't want to share as many stories because they feel that nobody cared since they received a horrible home-coming. Either way I am glad that I have had the chance to interview a real veteran from the Vietnam War, and I feel that I have learned a massive amount from a hour conversation about what it was really like for the soldiers on the front lines. I feel that I learned more in the one hour conversation then any history book or documentary could teach me.
I feel that everyone learning about the Vietnam War should have the chance I have been allowed, because they can read all the books they want about the war, but they will never see the true emotion in the eyes of a veteran when he explains what it was like when he lost his best friend in a second, and how he was the one who drug him to cover, then put the bandages on his wounds and applied pressure to stop the bleeding. Of course we are able to learn the big picture from history textbooks and videos, and we are able to look at battles from a larger view, but we will never be able to understand exactly how they felt. Everything Lehman told me matched up to what I had learned in history class or shows on television, however they do not include the small bits of detail that really paint the picture in your mind. I feel that every single student learning about the war should have the opportunity to listen to a speaker who was in the war.
After learning even more about the war from Lehman, I feel that the war was a waste of America's young men, resources, and time. It is sad to say, but our involvement in the Vietnam War didn't do very much more other than prolong the fate of Vietnam, and only make it more bloody. Before I suppose I supported the war, and I might possibly still support it, only if we would have stayed in a few more years. If we would have stayed in just a few more years, then we would have won, and all the lives lost and destroyed would not have been in vain. But instead we were ignorant and withdrew out of the war, and it is partly to blame because of the media. The media portrayed the war as much worse than it really was, and once the citizens caught wind of the fabricated lies from the media, of course they wanted out. Of course they stopped supporting, who honestly would support their soldiers if they were killing babies? But in fact the reality is that when many of the babies died, they died after their mothers gave them to U.S. soldiers with a grenade wrapped around them, and once the GI took the baby, the grenade went off. Thankfully now as time goes on people learn the truth about Vietnam and how hard it was for the soldiers to determine between citizen and enemy, they now see that maybe they were justified, and the GI's were not the "baby killers" or the "murders" they accused them of being.
I feel that everyone learning about the Vietnam War should have the chance I have been allowed, because they can read all the books they want about the war, but they will never see the true emotion in the eyes of a veteran when he explains what it was like when he lost his best friend in a second, and how he was the one who drug him to cover, then put the bandages on his wounds and applied pressure to stop the bleeding. Of course we are able to learn the big picture from history textbooks and videos, and we are able to look at battles from a larger view, but we will never be able to understand exactly how they felt. Everything Lehman told me matched up to what I had learned in history class or shows on television, however they do not include the small bits of detail that really paint the picture in your mind. I feel that every single student learning about the war should have the opportunity to listen to a speaker who was in the war.
After learning even more about the war from Lehman, I feel that the war was a waste of America's young men, resources, and time. It is sad to say, but our involvement in the Vietnam War didn't do very much more other than prolong the fate of Vietnam, and only make it more bloody. Before I suppose I supported the war, and I might possibly still support it, only if we would have stayed in a few more years. If we would have stayed in just a few more years, then we would have won, and all the lives lost and destroyed would not have been in vain. But instead we were ignorant and withdrew out of the war, and it is partly to blame because of the media. The media portrayed the war as much worse than it really was, and once the citizens caught wind of the fabricated lies from the media, of course they wanted out. Of course they stopped supporting, who honestly would support their soldiers if they were killing babies? But in fact the reality is that when many of the babies died, they died after their mothers gave them to U.S. soldiers with a grenade wrapped around them, and once the GI took the baby, the grenade went off. Thankfully now as time goes on people learn the truth about Vietnam and how hard it was for the soldiers to determine between citizen and enemy, they now see that maybe they were justified, and the GI's were not the "baby killers" or the "murders" they accused them of being.