Green Beret John Smith's Excellent Adventure

[Team Sergeant]

Note: We're on this and it's aleady being investigated as I post this. Anyone see any glaring holes in Mr. Smiths "story"?




Vietnam War veteran gives back to Red Cross that helped him in his time of need

Posted: Monday, October 19, 2015 12:00 am

By RITA SHERROW World Scene Writer | 5 comments
For three harrowing months during the height of the Vietnam War, as he struggled to find his way through dense, dangerous jungles of Vietnam, 18-year-old Green Beret John Smith was certain he was going have to give up his life for his country.
That he didn’t is why the now 64-year-old Collinsville resident is more than willing to give his time, effort and blood to help the American Red Cross.
Smith had been dropped off to man a solitary observation post, but dense fog prevented him not only from doing the job he was supposed to do, but also meant that the helicopter that was to rescue him wasn’t coming.
“I was sitting pretty close to the Viet Cong and I knew our guys couldn’t come and get me, so I had to go to them,” said Smith, in a recent interview. “I didn’t know what direction to go since they helicoptered me in. They apparently searched for me but couldn’t find me because I had to keep moving my position. I couldn’t stay in one place too long because I would be detected.
“They taught us real good how to escape and evade so I was good at that... I was well-trained, and I was scared the whole time, but I guess fear keeps you alive.”
His parents, however, feared the worst, as the Army informed them that their son was missing in action.
Smith made his way stealthily through the jungle, trying to figure out where he was. Armed only with his weapon, a crude map he tried to draw as he went along and no way to contact anyone for help, the only thing he could do was keep moving.
The observation post where he started was roughly 10 miles from his base. But Smith’s journeys through the jungle would take him in different directions, as he went from village to village, and to Army compounds he knew would be resupplied.
“I was out there three months and they had given me up” he said. “I was 60 miles away by the time I finally made it back to the road and got a ride back to base.”
His first thought was to call his parents. Not an easy task. During this period in the Vietnam War, there was no regular overseas phone service on base and the military’s phones were off limits. He had to use a two-way radio to call the American Red Cross who got him a ride to Saigon to call his mom and dad, he said.
“My mother couldn’t believe it was me,” said Smith, who also served for a time as a sniper for the U.S. Army. “She kept saying ‘I still don’t believe it’s you’ so I had to tell her things about my childhood to convince her it was me.
“I just told my wife that’s the loneliest feeling you can have when you have to be out there by yourself, 17,000 miles from home at age 18... but I survived. And, I ate most anything, most things I don’t want to talk about.”
While he served out the rest of his 21-year military career at Fort Hood, Texas, and then in South America, he never forgot what the American Red Cross did for him.

cont;
http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/feat...tml?mode=story

[BuckiBill]

This wouldn't even make a good fiction movie. John Smith needs to answer a few questions

[Team Sergeant]

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

Note: We're on this and it's aleady being investigated as I post this. Anyone see any glaring holes in Mr. Smiths "story"?




Vietnam War veteran gives back to Red Cross that helped him in his time of need

Posted: Monday, October 19, 2015 12:00 am

By RITA SHERROW World Scene Writer | 5 comments
For three harrowing months during the height of the Vietnam War, as he struggled to find his way through dense, dangerous jungles of Vietnam, 18-year-old Green Beret John Smith was certain he was going have to give up his life for his country.
That he didn’t is why the now 64-year-old Collinsville resident is more than willing to give his time, effort and blood to help the American Red Cross.
Smith had been dropped off to man a solitary observation post, but dense fog prevented him not only from doing the job he was supposed to do, but also meant that the helicopter that was to rescue him wasn’t coming.
“I was sitting pretty close to the Viet Cong and I knew our guys couldn’t come and get me, so I had to go to them,” said Smith, in a recent interview. “I didn’t know what direction to go since they helicoptered me in. They apparently searched for me but couldn’t find me because I had to keep moving my position. I couldn’t stay in one place too long because I would be detected.
“They taught us real good how to escape and evade so I was good at that... I was well-trained, and I was scared the whole time, but I guess fear keeps you alive.”
His parents, however, feared the worst, as the Army informed them that their son was missing in action.
Smith made his way stealthily through the jungle, trying to figure out where he was. Armed only with his weapon, a crude map he tried to draw as he went along and no way to contact anyone for help, the only thing he could do was keep moving.
The observation post where he started was roughly 10 miles from his base. But Smith’s journeys through the jungle would take him in different directions, as he went from village to village, and to Army compounds he knew would be resupplied.
“I was out there three months and they had given me up” he said. “I was 60 miles away by the time I finally made it back to the road and got a ride back to base.”
His first thought was to call his parents. Not an easy task. During this period in the Vietnam War, there was no regular overseas phone service on base and the military’s phones were off limits. He had to use a two-way radio to call the American Red Cross who got him a ride to Saigon to call his mom and dad, he said.
“My mother couldn’t believe it was me,” said Smith, who also served for a time as a sniper for the U.S. Army. “She kept saying ‘I still don’t believe it’s you’ so I had to tell her things about my childhood to convince her it was me.
“I just told my wife that’s the loneliest feeling you can have when you have to be out there by yourself, 17,000 miles from home at age 18... but I survived. And, I ate most anything, most things I don’t want to talk about.”
While he served out the rest of his 21-year military career at Fort Hood, Texas, and then in South America, he never forgot what the American Red Cross did for him.

cont;
http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/feat...tml?mode=story

OK I'll start, here's the first one. There are a few others that really stand out.


to man a solitary observation post,

[DIYPatriot]

An 18 year old QP? I knew some of the old timers were hardcore, but I never knew of any high school boys entering the pipeline back then. I would have to imagine that it is extremely rare to find very many 18 yr old QP's. And what about that 17,000 mile hop from Vietnam to the US of A? It's around 8k from Memphis. Where was Mr. Smith from?

[SF18C]

“I didn’t know what direction to go since they helicoptered me in."
Hey V-Vets, doesn't the Sun rise in the east and set in the west in Vietnam...just like at Ft Bragg?

[Team Sergeant]

Originally Posted by SF18C

“I didn’t know what direction to go since they helicoptered me in."
Hey V-Vets, doesn't the Sun rise in the east and set in the west in Vietnam...just like at Ft Bragg?

In Asia it's opposite.

[ddoering]

All that shit in one story. He has enough crap for three posers.

Originally Posted by DIYPatriot

An 18 year old QP? I knew some of the old timers were hardcore, but I never knew of any high school boys entering the pipeline back then.

There were some.

[Sdiver]

Originally Posted by SF18C

Hey V-Vets, doesn't the Sun rise in the east and set in the west in Vietnam...just like at Ft Bragg?

Nope.

You can clearly see the Sun setting in the East in that one John Wayne movie, "The Green... something-or-other" ....

.... and if ya can't trust The Duke (or his movies) ... who can ya trust?

[abc_123]

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

In Asia it's opposite.

And before they drop you off by yourself on your poser mission, they make sure that you don't know where you started from don't have any checkpoints enroute, and make sure that you don't know where you are going, Its all part of OPSEC... Oh, and before you lift-off they blindfold you and spin you around three times just to try and disorient you.

Sorry i'm of more recent vintage and not a V-vet so I don't know how it was done back then exactly.

[Oldrotorhead]

And, I ate most anything, most things I don’t want to talk about.”

I don't know what could it have been that was so ugly he wouldn't talk about eating?

Never mind I've got ugly chicks in my head already.

[full cooler]

Damn tough assignment.

One man OP and no communication with base camp. Fogged in so couldn't see anything to report anyway. No way to get any help and so well trained that he went 60 miles in the wrong direction.

Yep, damn tough assignment.

[Team Sergeant]

The observation post where he started was roughly 10 miles from his base.


I really liked the 10 mile LP OP........ Ten miles from the base......( Even if it was 10 clicks its dumber than dirt, we don't place outposts out that far in the "jungle". One maybe two clicks out, yeah, maybe. )

And I agree with abc_123, before we put you out we take your map/compass away and spin you around 25 times so you don't have a clue where you are......

[Guymullins]

If you are already in the East, surely the sun rises somewhere else?

[mark46th]

If he was qualified and in Vietnam, he must have enlisted when he was 16...