It happened in 1965...

[Grand Torino]

America finally signalled its intention to become fully committed to war in Vietnam with the arrival of 3,500 combat troops just north of Da Nang, on March 8, 1965.

Men of the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade were met by South Vietnamese officers, girls carrying leis, sight-seers and four US soldiers holding a sign saying ‘Welcome, Gallant Marines’.

It was all much to the dismay of General William Westmoreland, the senior US officer in the country at that time.

Both Westmoreland (pictured below) and General Nguyen Van Thieu, chief of the South Vietnamese Armed Forces Council, had asked for the troops to be "brought ashore in the most inconspicuous way feasible".

Edited October 20, 2018 by Grand Torino

[Quavodus]

I had a supervisor back years ago, that went over there in '67 and stayed nearly 18 months. He said after he came home he was jumpy for a long time.

[Whisper]

M274 military mules.  The original ATV.  I'd love to have one in original paint scheme.

[Ronald_55]

3 minutes ago, Whisper said:

M274 military mules.  The original ATV.  I'd love to have one in original paint scheme.

Funny it looks like a jeep with no body. Lol

[bersaguy]

5 hours ago, Grand Torino said:

America finally signalled its intention to become fully committed to war in Vietnam with the arrival of 3,500 combat troops just north of Da Nang, on March 8, 1965.

Men of the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade were met by South Vietnamese officers, girls carrying leis, sight-seers and four US soldiers holding a sign saying ‘Welcome, Gallant Marines’.

It was all much to the dismay of General William Westmoreland, the senior US officer in the country at that time.

Both Westmoreland (pictured below) and General Nguyen Van Thieu, chief of the South Vietnamese Armed Forces Council, had asked for the troops to be "brought ashore in the most inconspicuous way feasible".

Nothing got done like Westmoreland wanted things done because it was not what the politicians back in DC wanted it done. I think Westmoreland wanted a night landing and instead they landed them in broad daylight and the Girls with Leis made it look more like a beach party. I know 2 guys that were part of that beach landing and one of them said Westmoreland was ferious with how it took place. 

[bersaguy]

3 hours ago, Quavodus said:

I had a supervisor back years ago, that went over there in '67 and stayed nearly 18 months. He said after he came home he was jumpy for a long time.

My team went through training for 13 months of vigious training  and then my team and I were in Nam from 1970 - 1973 and extracted out in January 1974.

I don't think anyone that went over there came home with the same personality they had before going so I can understand your boss being little jumpy at first. He is very lucky if that is all he came back with. 

[Quavodus]

Yeah. I guess in some ways he was lucky. He was wounded and thats why he was sent home. 

[bersaguy]

22 minutes ago, Quavodus said:

Yeah. I guess in some ways he was lucky. He was wounded and thats why he was sent home. 

Well, thats a tough reason to come home but with 18 months done he was due to come home or was very short anyway. Glad he made it home alive and was just jumpy for a while. When you get short is normally when most guys got the most careless cause they had going home on their minds. 

[Quavodus]

Bersaguy, you was over there a long time. Many Thanks for your service.

[bersaguy]

52 minutes ago, Quavodus said:

Bersaguy, you was over there a long time. Many Thanks for your service.

Thanks. You stayed till your job was done when your trained for special things or you got killed or they told you to go home. 3 options! Last one was the one most GI's wanted to hear including us.

[Quavodus]

There was another guy I worked with about 10 years ago who left out of Fort Campbell in 1968. I think he was over there a few years. He was wounded too but, I don't know if it got him sent home or not. He had a bad scar on the side of his neck.