So much to learn

So, I have been working on my book for 4 to 5 years.  That's not counting the time I spent collecting information from the Veterans. 
I'd say most of the first year was spent researching things.  Lots of things.
After I learned to decipher the Daily Staff Journal, I moved on to other things. Like, what time does the sun set in Vietnam in March? What does a rice paddy smell like?
What is the jungle like in Vietnam? or the other areas?
There is so much to learn. What weapons do the men carry? What's a claymore?  What's  C4? What's a Spooky? How do you spell medivac? Medivac or Medevac? (either is correct) booby trap or boobie trap? What kinds of boobie traps are there? What's a Bouncing Betty?
Learn all about these things in my book!

As I look at my blog I see some of my pictures are missing.
Well, that's another thing to figure out. Obviously, I'm not doing so good on this.
But, I'll keep trying.

Mail Call

Phil on the LZ getting his mail.

So many quesions... but how else would I know?

I begin writing my book by reviewing what the Vets told me.  Then I just start writing. 

 I can go back and make it sound better at any time.

But I cannot get far before I have to do more research. I need details. Lots of details.

I need to feel like I am there.  That means researching on the internet.  And asking Phil.

I ask Phil LOTS and LOTS of questions. I want details. 

He says that it was 50 years ago. 

Do I really expect him to remember details?  

But, he does a good job.  Some things he thinks about for a while, but every tidbit he passes on to me is helpful.

And we look at pictures.  They help a lot.

Me: You wore shorts?  I didn't know they issued shorts.

Phil: (Laughing) No. We were wearing our underwear. Drab Olive underwear. It was really hot there. And usually we had on boots.

Luxury Bathing in Vietnam

M16 Rifle

The M16 rifle is one of the world’s most famous firearms, iconic as the American weapon of the Vietnam War—and, indeed, as the U.S. military’s standard service rifle until only a few years ago. But the story of the M16 in Vietnam is anything but a success story.

In the early years of the war, the U.S. military had a problem: its primary infantry rifle, the M14, couldn’t stand up to the enemy’s AK-47s.

he search was on for a replacement that was lighter weight, more durable, and more lethal than the M14. After tests and debates , Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara ordered the adoption of the M16, which was rushed through production and rushed to Vietnam, reaching troops’ hands in early 1965.

Problems appeared immediately. Soldiers were often not adequately trained to maintain the new rifle, nor were they always given cleaning supplies or instructions. The harsh jungle climate corroded the rifle’s chamber, exacerbated by the manufacturer’s decision against chrome-plating the chamber. The ammunition that accompanied the rifles sent to Vietnam was incompatible with the M16 and was the principal cause of the failure to extract malfunctions. The result was the M16 often jammed, making the rifle “about as effective as a muzzleloader,” in the words of one officer.

Men were killed in combat because they couldn’t return fire until the malfunction was cleared. Congress investigated and the rifle and its ammunition were incrementally modified, greatly improving its reliability over the next few years. Troop training was also improved. But the damage to the M16’s reputation could not be undone, and many soldiers remained deeply skeptical of their rifle through the war’s end.

M60 Machine Gun

Phil Feder with his ammo belts for the M60

The M60 got the nickname of Pig or Hog because its report sounded like the grunt of a barnyard hog. It was also the only rifle that could “huff and puff and blow down houses.