As with any war, some soldiers  saw a lot of action while others may have not seen any. This is just one young soldier experience.

One source says that the average age of the US soldier in Vietnam was 19. Another source says the average age was 22. Either way they were a lot younger than the soldier of WWII.

Republic-Democrat
Brockport, NY

Thursday, March 5, 1970

Larry Vaughan Writes From VN

Soldier in Vietnam; NOT Larry Vaughan

Viet Nam, 15 Feb. ’70; Sunday

I have just finished reading Lt. Corcoran’s letter published in your January 22nd issue. I really enjoyed reading it. She told it like it is from her end, but it is quite different in the field as an infantry man. We see how it happens, she sees the result.

Having been here only about 2½ months, I haven’t seen too much steamy action. Our battalion works off of two hills or what is commonly called a Fire Support Base, occupied by a company of artillery. We have five companies in our battalion and we alternate spending about two weeks in the field and then about two weeks on a hill.

Out area of operations is very hilly and we spend plenty of time on foot, walking from one destination to another. If we have a great distance to cover, we get a helicopter airlift. The airlifts are nice because when we are in the field, everything we need, we carry on our backs. I hate to put a guess on the average weight of the equipment we carry, but it somewhere around fifty pounds.

Time spent in the field is like a camping trip. We have a day lager (day camp) at which we set up for the daylight hours. From the lager, we send out two of the three platoons in our company on a sweep or patrol. These sweeps or patrols last two or three hours on the average and they are a means of checking and securing the area. We move just before dark to a night lager where we spend the night and possibly the next day. At the day lager we clear an area for a helicopter pad. During the day we get our re-supply. Re-supply consists of a hot meal, C-rations, mail and any equipment or ammunition we may need. Then periodically we get clean clothes and soda. It is a great sight to your re-supply “bird” coming in–it is one of the big things of the day. Unfortunately the “birds” do not fly in inclement weather, such as the monsoon season which just ended.

In this war we are fighting two groups. One is the organized North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the second is the unorganized Viet Cong (VC). We have the Viet Cong in our area and once in a while the NVA. The VC use booby traps and sniper fire to harass us, while the NVA mount regular attacks.

Our area has been real quiet until last week. We encountered snipers on two different days. It is really hard to locate a sniper. One man can pin down a whole company for horns. We called in artillery to free us once and the other time our platoon went to assist another one. Luckily we took no casualties.

Viet Nam is a poor country, which shows the effects of many, many years of war. There are many buildings and ruins which the French built while they occupied the country.

The people are very independent. They live in almost complete isolation from the outside world. The survive only on what they raise, which is rice. vegetables and some livestock, such as pigs and some chickens.

There are very few cities and few large populated areas in my area. The people are spread all over the countryside in groups of two or three hootches here and there. They make everything they have and few get to buy things at the bigger villages as the only means of travel is on foot.

The war is having a definable effect on the children of Viet Nam. They can speak enough English to ask for chop=chop (food), cigarettes, candy, and KoolAid. When we move through a hamlet, it is just like the local fire engine coming down the block. The first thing you know you have every kid within three miles following you. It is real odd to see a small child about three years old smoking a cigarette.

I am with the American Division which has its headquarters at Chu Lai. Chu Lai is located on the coast of the South China Sea about two hundred and fifty miles north of Cam Ranh Bay. Also located here at Chu Lai are the Navy Seabees, the Air Force and Marines. It is a large base and relatively secure. The Armed Forces done much to give the members of the service a few of the things like home. They have USO’s, gyms, beaches, ice cream stands, etc. The people in the rear areas benefit from these services. The men in the field get a couple of days out of the field every two and a half months..

The Armed Forces have their own AM and FM radio and TV networks. The people in the field appreciate the radio. They have good news coverage, good sports coverage, an occasional pro or college sporting event, and a good variety of shows that play music to suit all tastes. The television carries a good variety of stateside shows.

It is hard to relate all of the experiences here, but I know it will be a year of experiences I will never forget.

Sincerely,
Larry Vaughan

(Ed. Note: Larry is a rifleman and assistant machine gunner with the American Division — 196th Infantry Brigade)