Looking back on it you had to be wild 'n crazy to volunteer to be a crew member on a huey in Vietnam especially in'67-'68 a flying target is what you were , my ship was shot up a time or two and we were shot down twice once in HOBO Woods outside of CuChi and again in War Zone C both times pulling out of a LZ , Landing and taking off was the most dangerous times , in each case the pilots were able to land the craft , first time was a really hard landing and s--t flew everywhere both pilots were wounded gun shot , second time not so bad and no one hurt , but then you had to wait for help to arrive in a Country where the only ground the Americans controlled was the ground they were standing on .

Then I suppose one would have to be even crazier to volunteer for the grunts...

Never volunteer for anything

Don't know depends on your definition of crazy but most grunts in Vietnam when I was there weren't volunteers they were draftees , but they became very , very good at it .

My dad was a grunt on his first tour in 1967-68 with the 1st battalion 9th Marines "the walking dead". He volunteered...something I'm sure he regretted once he found himself at Hill 861 and Con Thien...

I thought the same once in Baghdad when we were trying to take the city lol. Laying face down in rubble with sparks and tracers flying all about...booms blowing concrete, rocks, and shrapnel. Looking at all the spent casings, smelling the choking cordite, and wondering if we will be supplied in time to hold out against the seemingly infinite number of enemy fighters. I thought to myself at that very moment "what the hell have I gotten myself into...."

I wasn't born till Jul 67, so I missed it all.

As with everything there is a lighter side , Jan. 10 '68 I went to see my CO , in Aviation a CO is a Major a Platoon Leader is a Captain , I told Major Auth I was tired of Aviation and wanted to return to the Infantry my MOS was 11B20 Grunt E-4 , Auth asked me if my Platoon Leader knew that I had come to see him I replied no , Auth jumped up from behind his desk his face as red as his hair he pointed at me and asked me if I was being insubordinate this confused me and before I could say anymore he told me to get my ass down to the flight line and not waste his time , there was / were a gray area here , aviation crew members were volunteers and supposedly could op out at any time , but in war time you served where needed and apparently I was where I was needed , don't rock the boat , eh .

You were born in ' 67 because and earlier generation made it possible .

Originally Posted by tetvet

You were born in ' 67 because and earlier generation made it possible .

Or his parents had an interesting night at the pub in the fall of 66!

Yes there's always that possibility .