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I feel like a complete idiot. I drank so much tonight that I can't remember the guy's name...
First time I got to tour the new Infantry Museum at Benning, I was lucky enough to walk through the "Vietnam Room" with Slowpoke. While we made our way down the dark, jungle trail, he narrated for me. Told me a story about his squad leader....damned if I can recall his name right now....shaved head, short, lean, steely-eyed...from Guam or somewhere.
He said this guy carried a pair of black pajamas in his ruck. Whenever they came upon a heavily traveled trail, he'd jump off the trail, change into his jammies, and would walk right up to the next group of VC coming down the trail. He'd say something to them in vietnamese, then kill them all.
When we walked out the exit door of the Vietnam Room, there was a photo of the guy on the wall, with a story just like Larry had told, printed below it.
Later that evening, back at the Holiday Inn, I took a piss break in the lobby restroom. While I was releasing the Coors Lite from my body, a short, bald, steel-eyed, hard sumbitch walked up to the urinal next to me. I asked him, "Are you so-and-so?" Sure enough, it was Larry's squad leader. Pretty damned cool....(as if Larry wasn't a big enough honor to meet).
You think your memory is fucked up now, just waite 'till you're trying to remember shit from 40 years ago!
The "steely-eyed" gentlemans name is Pat Tadina, AKA Tad. He's Hawiian, and still somebody you don' want to fuck with. He wasn't my Team Leader, but we knew each other pretty well.
I never wore a cape, but I still have my dog tags.
Experienced Peek Freak!!
173rd Abn LRRP...'66/'67
C/1/506 101st Abn
B/2/325 82nd Abn
Slowpoke wrote:You think your memory is fucked up now, just waite 'till you're trying to remember shit from 40 years ago!
The "steely-eyed" gentlemans name is Pat Tadina, AKA Tad. He's Hawiian, and still somebody you don' want to fuck with. He wasn't my Team Leader, but we knew each other pretty well.
Well, shit. I fucked that story up sixteen ways. Yep. That's the dude. And you're right, he still has the look. Thanks for brushing the rust off my brain.
Slowpoke wrote:The "steely-eyed" gentlemans name is Pat Tadina, AKA Tad. He's Hawiian, and still somebody you don' want to fuck with. He wasn't my Team Leader, but we knew each other pretty well.
Pat Tadina is good people.
Ranger Class 13-71
Advisor, VN 66-68 69-70
42d Vn Ranger Battalion 1969-1970
Trainer, El Salvador 86-87
Advisor, Saudi Arabian National Guard 91, 93-94
75th RRA Life Member #867
We thank you .but we had no clue what we were doinfg would go so far and have such an impact o younger Rangers motovaton.
They are spurb and have it togrther, Ant type of equipment they need , they grt, We did accomplish much wuth kittle, But I am damn proud of them for what they have done.
Off my bov now,,,Charlie Mike
HHC 2/502 Recondo 66 -67 RVN
1FFV Echo LRP 20th INF (ABN) 67 - 68
Team 1 1
Satan's Playboys
From Hell We Rise
B Co Omega Recon CCS RT Hammer
75Th RRA Life Member 2189
Special Operations Association Member 2907-GA
Secretary, Worldwide Army Rangers, Inc
Professional Soldiers Are Predictable; The World Is full Of Dangerous Amateurs.
Hells Bells ladies, I got to do a SHITLOAD of push ups for Viet Nam Vets....All our Platoon Sgts were Vets along with the Bn Medic, Hector the Injector, not to mention the unmentionables that worked outta Bragg...and our Company Commander.
Doc Mac
Ranger Class 11-80
C.Co. WPNS 1/75 79-81
3rd Plt/498th Medevac 81-82
104th LRSD 92-93
422d CA BN (A) 94-97
118th ASOS 02-08
ZoneIV wrote:The first Vietnam Era NCO I encountered was CSM Julius Gates. He was a TAC NCO at the college I went to. Prior to that, he was CSM at 1/75th. He later on become SMA...
When I was a platoon leader in K-75 SMA Gates was my platoon sergeant.
ZoneIV wrote: You no longer had that grizzled old 1SG (even though he wasn't actually that "old").
Our 2nd platoon sergeant in L Company Ranger was a very decent guy: SFC Howard Dobbs. He went the extra mile in taking care of his boys. That didn't save him from being the butt of every geriatric ribbing and "old guy" joke we young devils could dream up though. We were saddened at the fact our army and nation were drumming into service refugees from old folk’s homes and sending them into combat units. His presence escalated from joke to serious concern however, when it came our team's turn to take Sergeant Dobbs out on a mission. Platoon sergeants had to pull 3 missions a year as part of their obligation to the Ranger Company. Our team leader, Sergeant David Hazelton, actually got into a brief fisticuff with Dobbs the night before the mission, so reticent was Hazelton to take someone out who was that "old" and inexperienced. Dobbs redeemed himself nobly however. He was as fine a soldier out on the Laotian Salient as he was in the rear. The "old" guy "Dobbsie", at the ancient age of 32, had done himself proud. :)
That said, I turned 60 last month. So when is the Ranger Quartermaster going to start carrying Ranger walkers and Ranger oxygen bottles?
L Company Ranger
RVN 70/71
75th RRA Life Member
The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing. -Albert Einstein
. wrote:Awesome insight into how things were back then. I'm 33 and would love to compete in any event , including combat patrols, against the 19-21yr olds in today's Army. I would fucking destroy them.
Agreed, with some exceptions most of today's youth have been so mollycoddled the majority of them lack intestinal fortitude, self-discipline and the courage to stand up for themselves. The thought of pain or discomfort is foreign to them and makes them very uncomfortable.
A few years ago while on a trip to Mexico I sliced my forearm open to the bone. I came out of the water and told my Wife and some of her "friends" not to freak out but that I was going to require a trip to the hospital for stitches. The "friends" promptly came unglued when shown the wound and we ended up having to get one of them treated first as they passed out and bumped their head.
I'm 40 now and while I'm nowhere in the shape I was in when I served there's no doubt in my mind that I can still outperform today's youth due to strength of mind. I will not quit and will run their asses into the ground until the puke just to laugh at their asses.
Scout/Snipers CSC 4/502 Infantry Berlin Brigade - (1986-1988)
Scout/Snipers HHC 3/7 Infantry 24th ID - (1989-1991)
Operation Desert Shield/Storm - (1990-1991)
Detachment 1, Company B, 1/20th SFG(A) (1991-1992) (NQP)
666th Ordnance Company (EOD), 1992-1994