>In 1967 US Army sergeant William D. Elias served his second combat deployment to South Vietnam with the 25th Infantry Division.
>During this tour, he led his men in many engagement with enemy forces in Da Nang province and spent the majority of his deployment deep into the South Vietnamese jungles.
>In November 1967, towards the end of his deployment, controversary arouse when his unit was ambushed by a much larger force. Sgt Elias attempted to rally his men to repel the enemy forces. But incoming friendly artillery made this task very difficult as his men had to seek cover. Risking his own personal safety, Sgt Elias bravely moved and flanked the enemy in order to give his men time to rally. During this he killed several Viet Cong fighters.
>While he was conducting this sweep, US Army UH-1 Huey helicopters from the 1st Air Cavalry arrived to extract his unit from this position.
>During the confusion, Sgt Elias was inadvertently left and his men spotted him from the air
>Sgt Elias was shortly killed.
>Sgt Elias's awards include, the Combat Infantryman Bade, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal.
>He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star.
Why did they leave him bros?
He was a crusader and full of shit
He was well respected by his soldiers. I wouldn't consider him a crusader nor full of shit
>Why did they leave him bros?
You answered this already
>During the confusion, Sgt Elias was inadvertently left
>inadvertently
you might want to talk to a Sgt. Barnes about it
Because he knowingly sacrificed himself to save them and that's why he's a hero
We are all gonna die anyways, but this motherfucker dies a hero. Life is very short, and some people are not afraid to die.
Often they are afraid to die but they do it anyways to save others
Crazy that only merited a bronze star
back then merit awards were much harder to obtain. the bronze star had to be earned whereas now, a brand new marine pog platoon leader can receive a bronze star on a deployment for keeping his paperwork in order.
I mean my friend's dad got a silver star in vietnam for clearing an enemy machine gun nest while his team was under fire and survived. This guy died and it sounds like he saved even more people and got snubbed. A lot of awards seem like it's entirely up to chance or how good your superior officer is at operating a typewriter.
>A lot of awards seem like it's entirely up to chance or how good your superior officer is at operating a typewriter.
yeah thats probably right. it wouldn't surprise me
That's about it. Make sure that you remember importance of asslickery as well. It's commanding officers that write up merit reports.
your buddy's dad was greasin poles
US military personal achievements nowadays are all bald faced lies
My platoon sergeant got a Bronze Star despite leaving the FOB only once on my last deployment.
I wrote a paper about him when I was in uni. He really was a hero. I read about interviews from his soldiers and they said he was a great NCO. Its a shame he went out as he did
vietnam was such a waste, we should've just nuked hanoi
>>He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star.
ffs how did he not at least get a Silver Star if not the MoH? I knew officers who were given a Bronze star with V device for calling in artillery. Is the medal awarding process really this arbitrary?
My platoon had a guy who was personally responsible for his platoon leader surviving a near ambush.
He didn't even get "Thanks dude" from the PL.
Elias was a waterwalker
>Wade Collins also known as Fred II was a comrade of Snake-Eyes, Storm Shadow and Stalker in Vietnam. He later became a member of the Cobra Crimson Guard
>During the Vietnam War Wade Collins was one of a six member Long Range Recon Patrol (L.R.R.P.), led by the future Stalker and also containing the future Snake-Eyes, the future Storm Shadow, Dickie Saperstein and Ramon Escobedo. Whilst operating in the jungle the patrol was ambushed by the Vietcong. Saperstein and Escobedo were killed and the others thought Collins had died as well so did not retrieve his body. However he survived and was captured by the Vietnamese, spending two years in a prisoner of war camp and cursing his former comrades for not finishing him off. When the war ended he came home to face huge public hostility to veterans, whilst his wife divorced him without even seeing him and few wanted to employ a veteran. He took to wandering the United States when he came to Springfield and joined Cobra. He found he had friends, influence, respect, power and a sense of belonging. When the Crimson Guard were formed he was amongst the first to join
Elias and Barnes were both objectively terrible leaders whose friction and extreme styles of command got their men killed regularly.
Elias was a hero and served his country honorably
Your statement and the one you quote are not mutually exclusive.
Elias' only problem was that he smoked dope back in the rear. Other than that (and being what some would consider a "Joe hugger") he was a solid NCO.
Barnes was probably a really good NCO at first if not a bit of a hard ass, but his personal need for revenge and willingness to commit more atrocities (fatally wounding Elias, attempting to kill Taylor) to cover up his bullshit ended up overtaking any other quality he may have had as a leader.
Both men were changed by their time in country, but I'd rather be like Elias than Barnes.
The LT is a case study in poor leadership.
LT was a giga retard who honestly deserved to have his ass beat and sent home. He couldn't keep a leash on Barnes and the other enlisted men during the raid on the village and he called IDF on top of their own heads. Hard agree with you there
Depends on the time. The Army was about as close to mutiny in Vietnam as it ever got.
Only specific units late in the war. Combat refusals were not unheard of tho. Neat history collectively forgotten...
A 1917-style movie that's a single shot of an infantry grunt in Vietnam, one continuous go as he enters his forward position, goes on patrol, members go down to boobytraps, dead silence and suspense walking in unknown jungle territory.. it could almost double as a horror movie if they do it right
>Only specific units late in the war. Combat refusals were not unheard of tho. Neat history collectively forgotten...
tell us more
Because it was a movie and the writer was trying to make a point.
The entire squad sucked. That night ambush? who has the new guy and the KNOWN squirrelly bro on watch back to back?
The bunker sweep? at the point in the war? Fuck that movie makes me mad. But the suicide vest attack hit so good. Fuck that HQ bunker.
>In 1977 chief Taluk Kabu Haluk served his second combat deployment to South Bami with the 7th Bowmen Hunting Party.
>During this tour, he led his men, wifes and children in many engagement with enemy forces in Balimi Balu valley and spent the majority of his deployment deep into his third wife Antoinette.
>In November 1977, towards the end of his deployment, controversary arouse when his hunting party was ambushed by a much larger Indonesian force. Chief Taluk attempted to rally his children to repel the enemy forces. But incoming friendly arrows made this task very difficult as his cousin had to seek cover. Risking his own personal safety, Chief Taluk bravely moved and flanked the enemy in order to give his wifes time to rally. During this he killed several Indonesian soldiers and one parakeet.
>While he was conducting this sweep, Papu Parakeets PP-1 from the 1st Air Flock arrived to harass his unit from this position.
>During the confusion, Chief Taluk was inadvertently left and his children spotted him from the the cliffs
>Chief Taluk was slowly killed.
>Cief Taluk's awards include, the Combat Hunter’s Feather, Balimi Balu Campaign Yellowish Stone, Lami Service Earing, OutValley Service Necklace, Horny Conduct Cockring.
>He was posthumously awarded the Piglet’s Heart and a double Wild Pig Tusks Nose Rings.
Why did they leave him bros?
this tour, he led his men, wifes and children in many engagement with enemy forces in Balimi Balu valley and spent the majority of his deployment deep into his third wife Antoinette.
>>Cief Taluk's awards include, the Combat Hunter’s Feather, Balimi Balu Campaign Yellowish Stone, Lami Service Earing, OutValley Service Necklace, Horny Conduct Cockring.
>He was posthumously awarded the Piglet’s Heart and a double Wild Pig Tusks Nose Rings.
His son, William Markus Haluk, earned his own double Wild Pig Tusks Nose Rings in 1992, when raiding the West Dani Tribe, bringing back fabulous spoils of war such as his fifth wife and 3 piglets.
>Horny Conduct Cockring
KEK that should be a real medal, i know a lot of people who proudly deserve it.
Because he was Queer.
His twin brother was a cross-dressing homosexual Glowmorongay attached to the Boston PD on a Russian Mafia case.
So…fuck Elias!
Let the VC have his Gay ass.
Hey Greenley. Onion bagel, cream cheese.
Nice
>Whaddya say there, Bob? Get the day off?
Isn't that De Foe?
who?
the patch on the right shoulder youre seeing is 1st Cav yes. the right shoulder is a combat patch. he would be wearing a 25th ID patch on his left side, his unit patch. Elias deployed with 1st Cav during his first tour
Are you trying to tell me that someone who was in the Air Cav for a tour in Vietnam would willingly go back to the jungle in a Leg Infantry outfit like the 25th?
Would he have been a shitbird and the Air Cav didn’t want him back?
An habitual marijuana addict back in the 1960s wasn’t exactly seen as a high speed low drag type.
You act like they had a choice?
Yeah, except his patch is of the First Air Cavalry.
The 25th Infantry Division looks completely different.
>We got zips in the wire down here. For the record, it's MY call. Dump everything you got on my pos, say again, expend all remaining in my perimeter. It's a lovely fucking war. Bravo Six out.
Basedest of them all.
That scene is nuts and the communication between the captain and the AF is amazing
>Capt. Harris : Be advised. We've got zips in the wire down here.
>Phantom Pilot : Roger your last, Bravo Six. Can't run it any closer. We're hot to trot and packing snake and nape, but we're bingo on fuel.
>Capt. Harris : For the record, it's my call. Dump everything you've got left on my pos. I say again, expend all remaining in my perimeter. It's a lovely fucking war. Bravo Six out.
>Phantom Pilot : Roger your last, Bravo Six. We copy. It's your call. Get them all in their holes down there. Hang tough, Bravo Six. We're coming cocked for treetops.
>Why did they leave him bros?
Did you even watch this movie?
How did he only get a bronze star?
Elias was full of shit. Elias was a crusader. Now, I got no fight with any man who does what he's told, but when he don't, the machine breaks down. And when the machine breaks down, we break down. And I ain't gonna allow that in any of you. Not one.
>takes 3 rounds COM
>RUNS back to the LZ
5.56mm BTFO.
>Just keep your pecker hard and your powder dry.
That man was such a king
thats just willem dafoe
Who?
He seems familiar
>Sgt Elias was shortly killed.
Wrong. The Vietnamese are not a tall race.
He was averagely killed.