Author: Fred Childs
Facts About The Vietnam Memorial
Interesting And Fun Facts About Vietnam War Memorial
• Jan C. Scruggs, a decorated Vietnam infantryman, is the main inspiration behind the establishment of this memorial. He set his own $ 2,800 aside and started raising funds for the construction of the memorial in May, 1972.
• Scruggs was successful in collecting $ 8.4 million for the designing and construction of the same.
• The first stone was laid on March 26, 1982 and in the same year, all the three parts of the memorial were completed.
• The Constitution Gardens where the memorial stands erect adjoining the National Mall, and close to the Lincoln Memorial, was a result of Scruggs requesting the Congress to set aside 3 acres of land for the memorial site.
• The Vietnam War Memorial was designed by a 21-year old Yale University architecture student, Maya Ying Lin from Athens, Ohio out of a total 1,421 entries received as part of the design competition.
• The memorial has been managed by the US National Park Service and governed by National Mall and Memorial Parks group.
• The Memorial Wall comprises of two black granite walls 246 feet 9 inches (75 m) long.
• At 10.1 feet (3 m) high, both the walls reach the highest tip where they meet, then narrowing down to a height of 8 inches (20 cm) at their extreme ends.
• Due to the best reflective quality, granite was intentionally imported from the Indian city of Bangalore in Karnataka.
• The bronze statue named ‘The Three Soldiers’, also known as The Three Servicemen, is located at a short distance from the Memorial Wall. The three statues represent the three different castes of soldiers, who were a part of the war. These three soldiers, identified as White American, African-American and Hispanic American, seem to interact with the wall.
• The Vietnam Women’s Memorial is another part of the memorial situated towards the south of the wall. Designed by Glenna Goodacre in 1993, the memorial honors the women who served in the war, most of them being nurses.
•In 2007, the American Institute of Architects awarded Vietnam Veterans Memorial as the 10th most favorite on the ‘List of America’s Favorite Architecture’.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Charlie Shyab
Our friend and Army buddy, Charlie “Doc” Shyab, is a patriot and a teacher. When he taught at John Nevins Andrews School he helped JNA sixth graders experience national history.
Doc escorted the group to Arlington National Cemetery to present a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which is an honor that is in high demand. The students also visited the Vietnam Wall.
To read about this event Click Here.
In addition, Charlie also provided this experience to the students more than once. Click on May 2005 for another visit Charlie conducted.
Agent Orange
Agent Orange was a powerful mixture of chemical defoliants used by U.S. military forces during the Vietnam War to eliminate forest cover for North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops, as well as crops that might be used to feed them. The U.S. program of defoliation, codenamed Operation Ranch Hand, sprayed more than 19 million gallons of herbicides over 4.5 million acres of land in Vietnam from 1961 to 1972. Agent Orange, which contained the chemical dioxin, was the most commonly used of the herbicide mixtures, and the most effective. It was later revealed to cause serious health issues–including tumors, birth defects, rashes, psychological symptoms and cancer–among returning U.S. servicemen and their families as well as among the Vietnamese population.
From 1961 to 1972, the U.S. military conducted a large-scale defoliation program aimed at destroying the forest and jungle cover used by enemy North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops fighting against U.S. and South Vietnamese forces in the Vietnam War. U.S. aircraft were deployed to spray powerful mixtures of herbicides around roads, rivers, canals and military bases, as well as on crops that might be used to supply enemy troops. During this process, crops and water sources used by the non-combatant peasant population of South Vietnam could also be hit. In all, Operation Ranch Hand deployed more than 19 million gallons of herbicides over 4.5 million acres of land.
The most commonly used, and most effective, mixture of herbicides used was Agent Orange, named for the orange stripe painted on the 55-gallon drums in which the mixture was stored. It was one of several “Rainbow Herbicides” used, along with Agents White, Purple, Pink, Green and Blue. U.S. planes sprayed some 11 million to 13 million gallons of Agent Orange in Vietnam between January 1965 and April 1970. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Agent Orange contained “minute traces” of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), more commonly known as dioxin. Through studies done on laboratory animals, dioxin has been shown to be highly toxic even in minute doses; human exposure to the chemical could be associated with serious health issues such as muscular dysfunction, inflammation, birth defects, nervous system disorders and even the development of various cancers.
Vet Memorial
My friend and Army buddy Sam Drake sent me this and I just had to share it with all of you…
Thanks Sam…
The US Lost The War?
MYTH: The United States lost the war in Vietnam.
FACT: The American military was not defeated in Vietnam. The American military did not lose a battle of any consequence. From a military standpoint, it was almost an unprecedented performance. General Westmoreland quoting Douglas Pike (a professor at the University of California, Berkeley), a major military defeat for the VC and NVA.
The US did not lose the war – the South Vietnamese did
The fall of Saigon happened 30 April 1975, two years AFTER the American military left Vietnam. The last American troops departed in their entirety 29 March 1973.
How could we lose a war we had already stopped fighting? We fought to an agreed stalemate. The peace settlement was signed in Paris on 27 January 1973. It called for release of all U.S. prisoners, withdrawal of U.S. forces, limitation of both sides’ forces inside South Vietnam and a commitment to peaceful reunification. The 140,000 evacuees in April 1975 during the fall of Saigon consisted almost entirely of civilians and Vietnamese military, NOT American military running for their lives. There were almost twice as many casualties in Southeast Asia (primarily Cambodia) the first two years after the fall of Saigon in 1975 than there were during the ten years the U.S. was involved in Vietnam. Thanks for the perceived loss and the countless assassinations and torture visited upon Vietnamese, Laotians, and Cambodians goes mainly to the American media and their undying support-by-misrepresentation of the anti-War movement in the United States.
As with much of the Vietnam War, the news media misreported and misinterpreted the 1968 Tet Offensive. It was reported as an overwhelming success for the Communist forces and a decided defeat for the U.S. forces. Nothing could be further from the truth. Despite initial victories by the Communists forces, the Tet Offensive resulted in a major defeat of those forces. General Vo Nguyen Giap, the designer of the Tet Offensive, is considered by some as ranking with Wellington, Grant, Lee and MacArthur as a great commander. Still, militarily, the Tet Offensive was a total defeat of the Communist forces on all fronts. It resulted in the death of some 45,000 NVA troops and the complete, if not total destruction of the Viet Cong elements in South Vietnam. The Organization of the Viet Cong Units in the South never recovered. The Tet Offensive succeeded on only one front and that was the News front and the political arena. This was another example in the Vietnam War of an inaccuracy becoming the perceived truth. However, inaccurately reported, the News Media made the Tet Offensive famous.
Isolated atrocities committed by American Soldiers produced torrents of outrage from anti-war critics and the news media while Communist atrocities were so common that they received hardly any media mention at all. The United States sought to minimize and prevent attacks on civilians while North Vietnam made attacks on civilians a centerpiece of its strategy. Americans who deliberately killed civilians received prison sentences while Communists who did so received commendations. From 1957 to 1973, the National Liberation Front assassinated 36,725 Vietnamese and abducted another 58,499. The death squads focused on leaders at the village level and on anyone who improved the lives of the peasants such as medical personnel, social workers, and school teachers. – Nixon Presidential Papers.
Vietnam Memorial Wall Statistics
A little history most people will never know.
Interesting Veterans Statistics off the Vietnam Memorial Wall
There are 58,267 names now listed on that polished black wall, including those added in 2010.
The names are arranged in the order in which they were taken from us by date and within each date the names are alphabetized. It is hard to believe it is 36 years since the last casualties.
The first known casualty was Richard B. Fitzgibbon, of North Weymouth, Mass. Listed by the U.S. Department of Defense as having been killed on June 8, 1956. His name is listed on the Wall with that of his son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, who was killed on Sept. 7, 1965.
There are three sets of fathers and sons on the Wall.
39,996 on the Wall were just 22 or younger.
8,283 were just 19 years old.
The largest age group, 33,103 were 18 years old.
12 soldiers on the Wall were 17 years old.
5 soldiers on the Wall were 16 years old.
One soldier, PFC Dan Bullock was 15 years old.
997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam.
1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam .
31 sets of brothers are on the Wall.
Thirty one sets of parents lost two of their sons.
54 soldiers attended Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia. I wonder why so many from one school.
8 Women are on the Wall. Nursing the wounded.
244 soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War; 153 of them are on the Wall.
Beallsville, Ohio with a population of 475 lost 6 of her sons.
West Virginia had the highest casualty rate per capita in the nation. There are 711 West Virginians on the Wall.
The Marines of Morenci – They led some of the scrappiest high school football and basketball teams that the little Arizona copper town of Morenci (pop. 5,058) had ever known and cheered. They enjoyed roaring beer busts. In quieter moments, they rode horses along the Coronado Trail, stalked deer in the Apache National Forest. And in the patriotic camaraderie typical of Morenci’s mining families, the nine graduates of Morenci High enlisted as a group in the Marine Corps. Their service began on Independence Day, 1966. Only 3 returned home.
The Buddies of Midvale – LeRoy Tafoya, Jimmy Martinez, Tom Gonzales were all boyhood friends and lived on three consecutive streets in Midvale, Utah on Fifth, Sixth and Seventh avenues. They lived only a few yards apart. They played ball at the adjacent sandlot ball field. And they all went to Vietnam. In a span of 16 dark days in late 1967, all three would be killed. LeRoy was killed on Wednesday, Nov. 22, the fourth anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Jimmy died less than 24 hours later on Thanksgiving Day. Tom was shot dead assaulting the enemy on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
The most casualty deaths for a single day was on January 31, 1968 ~ 245 deaths.
The most casualty deaths for a single month was May 1968 – 2,415 casualties were incurred.
For most Americans who read this they will only see the numbers that the Vietnam War created. To those of us who survived the war, and to the families of those who did not, we see the faces, we feel the pain that these numbers created. We are, until we too pass away, haunted with these numbers, because they were our friends, fathers, husbands, wives, sons and daughters. There are no noble wars, just noble warriors.
What Charlie Company Means to Me
Like many soldiers returning from Vietnam I just put my duffle bag and uniform in the closet. I didn’t want to remember some of the terrible experiences so they were just pushed to the back of my mind. I returned to Southern California in July of 1968 just after the 4th of July.
One of my former roommates, before I left for the Army, called me up and wanted to go to a movie. In those days we had to go to Hollywood to see a first run movie since it took a couple months before the movie would play in the local theaters. We decided to go to a Sunday afternoon matinee. I think it was a James Bond film. He brought his girlfriend and I was solo. After the movie we were walking across Hollywood Blvd and a car drove by and either it backfired or someone tossed out a firecracker. When my friend looked around he could not find me. When he did I was on the other side of the street lying on the sidewalk behind a mailbox. He laughed but I didn’t think it was very funny.
For years I would have nightmares and wake up in a cold sweat from the dreams of Vietnam. It took about 20-25 years to stop having those dreams and not to duck when I heard loud noises or saw flashes of light.
I think it was sometime in 2007 when I received a phone call. I was asked if I served in Vietnam and was with Charlie Company 1/22. I replied yes and then he said “I am Bud Roach”. I remembered Bud as a medic with Charlie Company. He told me a group of buddies have been located and they held reunions every year and that the next one was going to be in Gilroy, California. He asked if I remembered Jack Chavez and I replied sure then Bud told me Jack and his wife Kathy were putting it together. Bud put me on his list and told me he would contact me in the future with other information and about future reunions.
I was thinking of attending since I could just drive to Gilroy but for some reason I did not attend. I probably did not want to relive some of those memories. The next year the reunion was planned for New Orleans and again I did not attend.
The 2010 reunion was planned for Branson, MO and after a few phone calls and emails from Bud I finally decided to attend. It is not easy to get to Branson from Los Angeles. You can’t get directly to Branson and you have to fly into Springfield, MO and then rent a car and drive.
I arrived in Branson and checked into the Hotel. The first person I saw walking toward our meeting room was Charlie Shyab. I looked at him and said…”Charlie?” and he said…”Fred?” Well I was feeling better already. I connected up with other Charlie Company buddies including Tim Dieffenbacher, David “Kentucky” Ratcliff, Ray Warner and many more. One interesting thing was that you really only knew those in your platoon or squad and not too many from other platoons.
I showed up with maybe about 10% knowledge of the pie or remembrance of our time together in Vietnam. By the time the reunion was over I had about 40% knowledge of the pie. When talking to the others it was just like continuing a conversation we had 40 years ago. I had never really shared or talked about my experiences in Vietnam before but with these great guys it was easy.
All-in-all I now feel better about myself. Charlie Company was the best therapy I could get…and I want more.
– Fred Childs
Welcome to Charlie Company
******************************************************
Welcome to Charlie Company website. This site is dedicated to the fine men that served with Charlie Company 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division in Vietnam from 1966 to 1972.
******************************************************
For more information or to buy our book ‘The Battle for Chu Moor Mountain‘ Click Here
For more information of the 1st Battalion, Click on the About page.
SCROLL DOWN TO READ THE MOST RECENT POSTS
I was disappointed to have to cancel our original destination of the Holiday Inn but there were some serious red flags about the hotel. Consequently we have now moved to the Radisson Hotel Airport of Colorado Springs. The Radisson has a free airport shuttle so if you need, you have that option.
To make a reservation at the Radisson:
- Call (719) 597-7000
- Tell the front desk you are a part of the Charlie Company Reunion.
- Tell them what dates you are staying at the hotel.
- You will be asked to provide a credit card to guarantee your reservation.
- Rate will be about $142 out the door without breakfast. Breakfast can be included in your reservation for an additional $15 per person per day. Mention you would like breakfast when making your reservation if you want breakfast included in your bill.
- All reservations must be made or existing reservations cancelled by August 21st.
When I have a better hold of how many we are expecting, I can give you a better agenda for the activities.
We really hope that we can have as many Charlie Company family as possible at this reunion!
Most affectionately,
Kathy
(408)422-2869 cell & text
Hello from soggy California. We’re finally getting much needed water & snow but way too much all at one time.
We have approximately six months and 10 days until the next Charlie Company Reunion, our 17th. As you know, it is in Colorado Springs, Colorado at the Holiday Inn Airport.
We have had only eight reservations thus far and I really need to have a better idea of how many will be attending. I have reservations for Cox, Crawford, Nelson, Roach, Schiele, and Shyab as well as Jack & I.
The agenda is that we will have Wednesday, September 20th as our arrival meet & greet day. Thursday we will visit the Military Museum. It was requested that we break into two groups is we have a large crowd. So we will visit in the morning and then again in the afternoon. Friday we will have a tour of Fort Carson for 40 people (the funds were cut and so that’s the largest that they can accommodate with transportation) with reservations for Charlie Co vets first, other vets second, and lastly, if there is room, for any spaces spouses, family, or friends.
Saturday, we will have our banquet and remembrance ceremony. I am also working on a group dinner in a local restaurant maybe Thursday night and a possible local American Legion dinner on Friday night.
Each room is $129.00 out the door per night. It comes with a full breakfast (like eggs cooked the way you want). There is a free airport shuttle, free parking, a full bar and restaurant onsite.
Two queen beds, Standard king, or ADA accessible King bed are your choices.
My request is that if you think you might be able to attend the reunion please make a reservation now. We have a contract that allows people to reserve a room but cancel without penalty by August 19, 2023. So if it turns out you are unable to come to the reunion, you can
still back out with no charge. Your assistance would be gratefully appreciated to finalizing arrangements as to how many people might be attending.
Reservations can be made through Kristi Hensley, of Holiday Inn Airport by phone at
(719) 380-8516 x582 or email kristi.hensley@nhshotels.com with your credit card number and room reservation. Credit card will not be charged if you cancel by August 19th.
I am finally on the mend from my tumble and can finally walk around not looking like Quasimodo. Really looking forward to seeing all of you and creating some more memories with all of our Charlie Company family!
Much affection,
Kathy
Charlie Company Vietnam 1966-1972 