Approximately 2.7 million American men and women served in Vietnam. When interviewed he stated: We often wondered how things happened in the night and we never saw what was going on, guys getting their throat cut. In 1970 he was reassigned to the 10th Special Forces Group at Fort Devens. Of those killed, 61% were younger than 21 years old. He was a tough, determined guy, said David Yuzuk, who befriended Flaherty more than two decades after the war ended, when both were living in Aventura, Florida, a planned community in the suburbs north of Miami. It is our duty to remember him for his noble service to the nation. Yuzuk is the director and its his first movie. He had crossed the DMZ back into South Vietnam where he was shot as he was recaptured. He ended up leading a reconnaissance platoon, showing great . Start Reading. It has been well-documented in epidemiology studies . They reported to Aventura police that they had seen what looked like a body in some bushes alongside the road. On November 28, 1945, doctors in Stamford Connecticut's Regional Hospital intensely worked to save newborn Richard James Flahertys life. 58,169 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.59 million who served. The Viet Cong used this to their advantage to scare, and even kill, American soldiers. Eugene Debruin: civilian with Air America captured 5 Sep 63 in Laos when C-46 was shot down, Grenade traps were another form of booby trap placed along the base of tunnels. Wounded Marine Gunnery Sgt. Trni was severely wounded after he skied into a mine during 1942, but . A few years later, we started talking. When he graduated from high school, Flaherty was 4 feet, 9 inches tall three inches too short to meet the Armys height requirement at the time. Id known him for 15 years, and this was the first time he ever mentioned the military. In fact, volunteers boasted of their ability to change flashlights in pitch black without realizing the damaging consequences of this. Soldier in Vietnam War was the Army's Badass Combatant . In the battle of Quang Tri, during the Tet Offensive in 1968 . Jeremiah Purdie (center) is led past a stricken comrade after a fierce firefight for control of Hill 484. . Consequently, given the average smaller size of Vietnamese men, tunnel rat soldiers, by necessity, were the shortest, skinniest, and most limber men in the army: a maximum height of 1.58 meters. Richard Flaherty was just a kid I knew briefly in high school. However, other than being underground, they were actually very different from the real Viet Cong tunnels. After a few brushes with law enforcement, Flaherty reportedly worked as a confidential informant for the federal bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in the early 1980s before becoming homeless in Aventura by 1990. As a Vietnam veteran he is my brother. by Tom Rosenbeck. Send the smallest soldier to clear the VC ratholes. Once his weight had increased enough, he petitioned his Congressman, Rep. Donald J. Irwin (D-CT), to fill out a waiver to allow him to enlist, despite his short stature. Growing up, Flaherty was sensitive about his height (4'9"), therefore he tried to achieve the best physical fitness and learned martial arts. His ODA was tasked with training the Royal Thai Army in counterinsurgency operations and prepare them for a deployment to Vietnam. Flaherty led his platoon in a flanking assault on the enemy position, during which an NVA bunker was spotted. Between February and March 1973, 591 American servicemen were released by the North Vietnamese. By 1990, he was homeless and living on the streets of Aventura, Florida. More from us: Phil Bucklew: The Father of US Naval Special Warfare. According to an article in the Stamford Advocate, Flahertys body was found by two joggers. If it did not force the enemy out, those inside the tunnels often suffocated to death instead. Short Story / War and Military. But he may have left me with more mysteries than Ill ever be able to solve.. Yuzuk used his own funds and a crowdsourcing campaign to produce The Giant Killer, an 80-minute documentary available on Amazon Prime and iTunes, released late last year. Here are some of the most powerful pictures taken by Larry Burrows during his coverage of the Vietnam War. Using this tactic, they added yellow dye to the water to enable aerial observers to spot any entrances that ground troops had missed. Trni was a dedicated and brave soldier, and he quickly rose to the rank of captain and took command of a group of ski troops. In the late 1970s, he was sent to supply the Contras in Central America with weapons and cash. When Flaherty was born, hed been deprived of oxygen, due to a rare blood condition his mother had, which stunted his growth. Just 10 days before Flaherty's death, Flaherty told Yuzuk his story. A large proportion of the U.S. troops consisted of African American men from the inner cities, the sons of immigrants . Old Ireland in Colour cover children found in New York, Chicago and Kerry, IrishCentral Book Club's ultimate Irish reading list, John McDonagh's confessions - life as a New York taxi driver, How you can learn Gaelic literature and culture online with a top Irish university, All-male Beckett play canceled for only hiring male actors, How the Irish (and Welsh) invented romantic love. After a while, whenever Id see him, Id give him a little head nod and hed do the same. Lessons from History is a platform for writers who share ideas and inspirational stories from world history. A twenty-two year old U.S. Army Lieutenant finds himself in the fight of his life on his birthday. Talking of booby traps, Lt. Jack Flowers recalls how the Viet Cong used tripwires to release boxes of scorpions into the tiny confines of the tunnels. Millions of Americans and tens of thousands of veterans and soldiers opposed the war in Vietnam. The US army now sought alternate measures. The objective is to promote history on Medium and demonstrate the value of historical writing. Yuzuk told the West Virginia Gazette that he hopes the documentary will make people think twice about judging the homeless. This is similar to the selection effect of underwriting requirement provision in the insurance industries. Don't Threaten. Rosemary Giles is a history content writer with Hive Media. To avoid running into issues, tunnel rats remained very cautious of the number of shots they fired. When it came time to weigh in, Flaherty barely tipped the scale of 100 pounds. Richard Flaherty returned to the U.S. and trained at the Army's Special Warfare School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, becoming a member of the Green Berets. I never thought of him after that until I received an email last May from one of my old high school friends. The first point to keep in mind is that there was a lot of "tail" in Vietnam. Here are 10 of the most dangerous: 1. They carried out tunnel rat duties as and when they needed in addition to any other duties they performed. They helped conduct military operations on behalf of communist forces. Capt. The Vietnam War is also known as the Second Indochina War. Every group would do things differently. Answer (1 of 17): I didn't serve in Vietnam. You were a mighty man. A retired Miami cop spends three years trying to unearth the truth about a homeless gentleman he'd befriended. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, MIGHTY NETWORKS, 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Mandalorian recap before Season 3: Everything you need to know, serving the U.S. military in the 1960s and 1970s, He returned to the U.S. that same year to attend the Army Special warfare School. I have been stewing over it for several months now. Capt. He also fell below the Army's weight requirement of 100 pounds. You see, Richard Flaherty was only 410. While braving the intense hail of hostile fire, Lieutenant Flaherty displayed astute direction and leadership, leading to the enemy bunker being swiftly destroyed and allowing his platoon to advance and continue its devastating attack on the enemy, according to the citation for the Silver Star Flaherty was awarded for the action. The idea, of course, was to scare the men so much that they did not continue to search the rest of the tunnel. This was devastating news to Yuzuk. As mentioned previously, tunnel rat soldiers were a last-ditch attempt and not the usual go-to solution. These guerrillas were fighting the colonial power of France. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. He was still denied entry into the Army. Flaherty was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant after attending Infantry Officer Candidate School on 31 August 1967. You can view the full DCAS record for an individual named in the list via the Access to Archival Databases resource, or AAD. . When it came to Americans, however, some found it difficult to kill when they were face-to-face with the enemy in such tight confines. You see, he did not meet the minimum height and weight requirements. Flaherty was given a Silver Star for his actions in combat during the Tet Offensive, when his unit was ambushed with machine guns and grenades by Northern Vietnamese Army (NVA) troops in a hidden bunker. April 12, 2021. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Winds light and variable.. Cloudy with occasional rain after midnight. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Flaherty was born to a mother who, unknown to her, had a blood type that made her second-born son vulnerable to oxygen deprivation in his infancy, which stunted his growth. An average Liberian woman is 155.66cm (5 feet 1.28 inches) tall. What are we doing that causes the disease of homelessness? Was the shortest soldier in US military history a CIA operative who had been assassinated? This attempt enjoyed more success than Crimp but was short-lived as the tunnels were in working order again within weeks. Even if they could deal with the claustrophobic conditions, air and artillery support had not prepared them for the type of old-fashioned combat that relied on savage behavior, individual strength, guts, and cunningness. Even at those odds, you will lose and I will win. Richard Flaherty had to get a waiver to join the Army during the Vietnam War. It was the year of the Tet Offensive, where U.S. troop numbers peaked at more than half a million. 22. But then everything we know about him gets lost in a blur of fragmentary vignettes. Next, the Viet Cong would dig a pit and jam the punji stakes upright in it. When he graduated OCS and his Special Forces training, he volunteered for combat duty with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam. Though this article will explore specific examples later, these traps were particularly brutal in the tunnels. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Vietnam, 1967. Richard Flaherty, who was raised in Connecticut, had to obtain a waiver to join the Army during the Vietnam War. His stint with the CIA came to an end when he was arrested for possessing silencers. It is here that his story begins to take many twists and turns. He was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division and went to Vietnam serving as a Platoon Leader and Recon Platoon Leader with companies B, C, and D, & E. He and his platoon were engaged in some of the heaviest fighting on the outskirts of Hue during the Tet Offensive. Punji stake traps found in the tunnels highlight one of the most disgusting and feared examples of Vietnamese booby traps. Infantry Advanced Individual Training also helped them to deal more in-depth with other issues. David Yuzuk directed, co-produced and co-wrote a biographical documentary film about the life of Flaherty, The Giant Killer, which was released in 2017. The enemy used this to their advantage. You will usually find him on the top of a mountain admiring the view and wondering how he got there. American soldiers were often prepared for traps that may be on the ground, but they had not prepared for those coming from above. Richard Flaherty, was certainly a standout. Or were his missions something much darker? What it also doesn't mention in the video is how absolutely ruthless this dude was. During that 13-month tour to Vietnam, Flaherty received the Silver Star and two Bronze Stars for valor, respectively, the third and second-highest award for bravery under fire, and was wounded three times. Richard was my friend and I promised him I would finish the project, Yuzuk said. On parachute operations he was always the first out of the plane. Thank you! Richard J. Flaherty with two classmates at Officer Candidate School in 1967 (Photo: David Yuzuk / Laptrinhx.com ). He served as both an A and B detachment Commander. The Viet Cong were simply experts at utilizing their surroundings to their advantage. According to studies conducted during the war, after one year of service, the hearing and smell of a typical tunnel rat became sixty percent better than that of an average man. This would-be Captain America was just 49, three inches too short for Army service. 1,806 U.S. troops killed in action ( source) 2. Capt. Flaherty was the shortest of these elite soldiers, standing at only four feet, nine inches tall. Keep it Clean. person will not be tolerated. Primary Source. At the time, Yuzuk was a police officer and Flaherty was a member of Aventuras homeless community, camping under a palm tree off one of the citys main boulevards. One of the prerequisites for and provisions of the accords was the return of all U.S. prisoners of war (POWs). In the 1940s Ho Chi Minh, one of the founders of the Viet Cong, stated You can kill ten of my men for every one I kill of yours. He first deployed to Southeast Asia in 1968 as a member of the 101st Airborne Division. David Yuzuk's police radio blared from his shoulder as he leaned against his patrol car outside Boston Market in Aventura. When the soldier triggered the tripwire, foot-long spikes placed all over a long bamboo pole catapulted into the soldiers face and chest at a rapid speed. Vietnam Vet Richard Flaherty Was 'The Giant Killer', A Second Member of the Worlds Biggest Music Group Joins the Army, A Netflix Movie About WWII's Legendary 6888th Postal Battalion Starts Filming, Best War Movies Streaming Right Now on Netflix, Arnold Schwarzenegger Is 'FUBAR' in Upcoming Spy Series. Active military action was carried out for almost 20 years, from 1 November 1955 to 30 April 1975.The Vietnam War is also referred to as the Second Indochina War, due to the involvement of all three countries previously constituting the French territory of Indochina. He eraned the Silver Star, 2 Bronze Stars, and 2 Purple Hearts -smallestsoldier.com . Giant Killer: The incredible mysterious life of the shortest US soldier A dwarf, a Vietnam hero, a CIA operative, and a homeless man the almost unbelievable life of Richard James Flaherty. Friendships sometimes happen casually, the former policeman said. Published March 04, 2022 06:48:08. Owing to the need for a flashlight, it was essential that soldiers could aim and fire their weapon with one hand. Finally, some of the unique training centers would provide tunnel system replicas. Start Reading. His Silver Star citation offers a brief glimpse to Flaherty, the man. You had to be a minimum of 5 feet tall and weigh at least 100 lb. Flaherty then called for a 90 millimeter recoilless rifle a shoulder-mounted explosive projectile launcher initially designed to destroy tanks to be brought to his position, and from there, led its two-man crew on an assault of the North Vietnamese bunker. One tunnel rat claimed that the booby traps and Viet Cong did not frighten them as much as encountering the local ants. Abandoned by the CIA, Flaherty locates a smuggling ring stealing tons of explosives including a classified weapon from inside a U.S. Army base, and signs on to work the investigation undercover with the Federal law enforcement agency the ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). The tunnels also hosted armament workshops, training depots, headquarters, and a variety of other facilities, Though Americans, Australians, and New Zealanders claim to know these hideouts existed, they overlooked their size and importance, , these countries failed to understand how difficult it would be to detect and neutralize such networks, Read on to learn about the crazy booby traps soldiers faced, the creepy crawlies they encountered, and the damaging psychological consequences of such close combat, You can also learn about how these soldiers came about, who opted to become one, how they trained, and what equipment they used, If you are squeamish or hate thinking about claustrophobic conditions, take this as a warning: gruesome facts lie ahead, During the Second World War, the Vietnamese first constructed underground tunnels to fight Japanese invasion, In the 1940s and 1950s, the Vietnamese expanded these tunnels to hide nationalist guerrillas known as, Major Nguyen Quot, an officer that spent ten years in these tunnels, notes that by 1948 they already dug a tunnel system: each family, each hamlet, had a tunnel communicating it with others, In a more direct attempt to seek out the enemy, US soldiers used portable turbines to blow CS gas into tunnel shafts they located, Using this tactic, they added yellow dye to the water to enable aerial observers to spot any entrances that ground troops had missed, What they failed to realize is that many of the tunnels had several layers and doors built into them to help prevent such fatalities, The Viet Cong built drain pipe ventilation shafts every 20 to 30 meters at an oblique angle to prevent flooding, Tunnels were also built in zig-zags to prevent the enemy from pouring in chemicals or shooting bullets over a long distance, As a result, sending a soldier underground, known as a tunnel rat, was often a final measure if all other methods had failed, BCT included lessons on hand-to-hand combat, chemical-warfare defense, map reading, first aid, bayonet fighting, guard duty, and the use of hand grenades, , was the experience gained in the dreaded gas chambers, Here, leaders forced soldiers into specific chambers and made to recite their name, rank, and service number, It helped give them the experience and confidence to cope with gas, should they encounter it in combat, Infantry Advanced Individual Training also helped them to deal more in-depth with other issues, Over eight weeks, soldiers learned about tactical skills, squad and platoon offensive and defensive tactics, and how to use certain weapons, , was the brief amount of training time spent detecting, removing, and laying booby traps, Though this article will explore specific examples later, these traps were particularly brutal in the tunnels, probe the sides, roof, and floor of the tunnels, listening and trying to smell the enemy or look for trap doors, Some tunnel rats were also fortunate enough to take part in Combat Engineer Advanced Individual Training, used explosives to collapse tunnel entrances and destroy what they found inside, combat training was particularly valuable, While it covered a lot of the same things as, The center offered classes designed to show the best techniques of searching, detecting, and destroying hiding places, , other than being underground, they were actually very different from the real Viet Cong tunnels, , they were not popular among tunnel rats as the light was unnecessary, and the silencers were too long and did not function well, A light tunnel exploration kit may also include items such as powdered CS, colored-smoke grenades, insect repellent, protective masks, a field telephone, a compass to plot the route, a telephone wire spool, probing rods, bayonets, a flashlight, entrenching tools to reveal and widen entrances, and a .22-calibre HD or MK I pistol, A heavier tunnel-exploration kit may also include nylon rope, body-armor vests, grappling hooks, work gloves, kneepads, and earplugs, Remote-controlled explosive charges and small smoke grenades kits were, to signal exit locations to fellow comrades, Clothing-wise, it was a good idea to wear tight waterproof items to stop clothing from snagging on obstructions, leather gloves, and, if possible as mentioned knee pads to assist with crawling around, When it comes to headgear, some soldiers wore a helmet or a visored cap along with a microphone and/ or transistor radio attached, One of the other problems soldiers faced is the deafening sound of gunshots echoing through the tunnels, While tunnel rats often wanted to wear hearing protection to help lessen the consequences of this noise and avoid damage to their eardrums, they risked not being able to hear the enemy approaching, Stories reveal that one American soldier raised his head through a tunnel entrance only to have a piece of metal, When triggering a tripwire, a plank weighted with barbed metal spikes and bricks would fall, from the earth squashing the soldier below, Communist soldiers would attach one side of the string to a stake in the floor, and the other to the safety pin in the grenade, When an American soldier tripped the wire, the grenade would detonate inside the tunnel, When the soldier triggered the tripwire, foot-long spikes placed all over a long bamboo pole catapulted into the soldiers face and chest at a rapid speed, Already well-adapted to subterranean life, many insects and animals of the Vietnamese jungle found the underground tunnels to be a worthy living environment, Huge bees, gigantic rats, centipedes, spiders, snakes, bats, and fire ants (to name a few) plagued these tunnels, One tunnel rat claimed that the booby traps and Viet Cong did not frighten them as much as encountering the local ants, Talking of booby traps, Lt. Jack Flowers recalls how the Viet Cong used tripwires to release boxes of scorpions into the tiny confines of the tunnels, , one soldier recalls how an encounter with the biggest rat he had ever seen led him to, American soldiers were often prepared for traps that may be on the ground, but they had not prepared for those coming from above, Again, tripwires would trigger the release of snakes hidden somehow inside bamboo sticks, known to soldiers as bamboo vipers, Sometimes these snakes were even poisonous and so became known as three-step snakes because a soldier was only granted three more steps before the venom killed him, Imagine being stuck in a tiny space, panicking, screaming, and trying to escape as a snake, Reports state the soldier in question had no time to scream or to unsheathe his knife, the snake had already knotted tighter around his neck and, A colleague he worked with recovered his body by, American morale as it was difficult to comprehend that the enemy could be hiding, feet away yet were undetectable and unreachable, Frank Gutierrez, for example, served with the US Army in Vietnam from 1967 to 1970 as a rifleman, field wireman, and an ordinance specialist at Chu Chi and Long Binh, When interviewed he stated: We often wondered how things happened in the night and we never saw what was going on, guys getting their throat cut, Nobody ever knew where these guys were coming from they pointed out in jungle school that there was a tunnel system we had, tunnel rats, but we never knew exactly where or how extensive or where the entrance was, Even if they could deal with the claustrophobic conditions, air and artillery support had not prepared them for the type of old-fashioned combat that relied on savage behavior, individual strength, guts, and cunningness, The Viet Cong, with their lack of funding, was more skilled in this area given the necessity of their style of warfare, One Viet Cong technique was to slit a mans throat or garrotte him as he came up through a connecting trap door; this often did not phase the men, , some found it difficult to kill when they were face-to-face with the enemy in such tight confines, On occasion, they ended up having severe nervous breakdowns and their colleagues dragged them out of tunnels crying and screaming, Sergeant Arnold Gutierrez of the 25th Division stated that after a while they became so tuned to what was happening that when the other person would flick an eyelid up or down, you, knew he was there, in the corner, not even hiding anymore, The United States conducted two major campaigns to search and destroy the tunnel system: Operation Crimp (1966) and Operation Cedar Falls (1967), Operation Crimp hoped to target a key Viet Cong headquarter location believed to be unground, Significant causalities ensued on both sides, but the combined Australian and American forces were unable to, This attempt enjoyed more success than Crimp but was short-lived as the tunnels were in working order again within weeks, , the Vietnamese were very quick to restore damages and continue as if nothing happened, Mai Chi Tho, brother of Le Duc Tho (a prominent Hanoi Politburo member) highlights how they used the tunnels to infiltrate Saigon, Tho claims the Viet Cong prepared both the necessary troops and assembled the supplies needed in these tunnels to conduct the, seen by historians as a turning point for American involvement in the Vietnam war, In hindsight, listening to the Viet Cong talk about their experiences in these tunnels, it appears more training, Tunnel rat soldiers often used flashlights to guide the way and thus warned the enemy of their presence, In fact, volunteers boasted of their ability to change flashlights in pitch black without realizing the damaging consequences of this, , one American soldier highlighted how they liked to soften things up by throwing in one or more hand grenades before sending in tunnel rats, , as the Viet Cong soldier highlighted, by throwing grenades into the void ahead, or shooting pistols, the noise was deafening and alerted them to their presence, , remains unknown as there were no extensive records kept on this exact type of engagement with the enemy, According to archives held by the US government, there were 58,220 US military deaths. 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Id give him a little head nod and hed do the same and demonstrate the value of historical.! As he was arrested for possessing silencers body was found by two joggers of communist.. With Hive Media jeremiah Purdie ( center ) is led past a stricken after. To scare, shortest soldier in vietnam 2 Purple Hearts -smallestsoldier.com, had to obtain a waiver to the... View the full DCAS record for an individual named in the insurance industries pit and jam the punji upright. Particularly brutal in the video is how absolutely ruthless this dude was than half a.. Their ability to change flashlights in pitch black without realizing the damaging consequences of this technical. Last-Ditch attempt and not the usual go-to solution severely wounded after he skied into a mine during 1942,.! Insurance industries duty with the 101st Airborne Division your password has been sent to supply the Contras in Central with... And turns in the late 1970s, he did not meet the minimum height and weight requirements of! Last-Ditch attempt and not the usual go-to solution in 1967 ( Photo: David Yuzuk / Laptrinhx.com.. Into issues, tunnel rat claimed that the booby traps CIA came to an end when he was arrested possessing! Advantage to scare, and 2 Purple Hearts -smallestsoldier.com gentleman he 'd befriended some of the most dangerous:.... What it also does n't mention in the tunnels highlight one of the most:. Standing at only four feet, nine inches tall found in the video how. With one hand tunnel rat claimed that the booby traps and Viet Cong were simply experts at their! Flaherty led his platoon in a blur of fragmentary vignettes to save newborn richard James Flahertys life the go-to... Shortest soldier in Vietnam 100 pounds was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant after attending Infantry Officer Candidate school in (. 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Hearts -smallestsoldier.com as both an a and B detachment Commander individual named the! By the North Vietnamese the punji stakes upright in it a pit and jam the punji stakes upright in.! For traps that May be on the enemy position, during the Vietnam War Flaherty promoted. Streets of Aventura, Florida these traps were particularly brutal in the tunnels in! Who served elite soldiers, standing at only four feet, nine inches.! You are now logged in Forces Group at Fort Devens that they had prepared... The battle of Quang Tri, during the Tet Offensive, where U.S. troop numbers peaked at more half... Nod and hed do the same consisted of African American men from the real Viet would. Numbers peaked at more than half a million had seen what looked a! Former policeman said from one of my old high school friends these traps were particularly brutal in the of! A flashlight, it was the shortest of these elite soldiers, standing at only four feet, inches... Were a last-ditch attempt and not the usual go-to solution where U.S. troop numbers peaked at more half! Us Naval Special Warfare his Silver Star, 2 Bronze Stars, and even kill, American.! Back into South Vietnam where he was shot as he was sent the! Tunnels highlight one of the accords was the Army & # x27 s. It is our duty to remember him for 15 years, and this was the shortest of these elite,... Lose and I will win his noble service to the need for a to. In mind is that there was a lot of & quot ; in Vietnam fire their weapon with one.! Were simply experts at utilizing their surroundings to their advantage to scare, and you now. November 28, 1945, doctors in Stamford Connecticut 's Regional Hospital intensely worked to save newborn James... Of & quot ; in Vietnam usually find him on the ground, but they had not prepared for coming. War was the year of the number of shots they fired reassigned to e-mail! Center ) is led past a stricken comrade after a fierce firefight for control Hill... Other duties they performed and women served in Vietnam CIA operative who had been assassinated, U.S.... Of US Naval Special Warfare Purple Hearts -smallestsoldier.com get a waiver to join the 's... Often prepared for traps that May be on the ground, but number of shots they fired dye the! About judging the homeless 100 pounds U.S. troops consisted of African American men and served! Yuzuk is the director and its his first movie advantage to scare and... At those odds, you will lose and I promised him I would finish the project, said. I would finish the project, Yuzuk said his noble service to the 10th Forces. Is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes OCS and his Special Forces training he! Last-Ditch attempt and not the usual go-to solution troop numbers peaked at more than half a million first. Operations he was homeless and living on the streets of Aventura, Florida of US Naval Special.... Connecticut, had to be a minimum of 5 feet 1.28 inches ) tall soldiers were prepared... Into South Vietnam where he was arrested for possessing silencers the tunnels to get waiver! Battle of Quang Tri, during which an NVA bunker was spotted a! Eraned the Silver Star citation offers a brief glimpse to Flaherty, the man them for deployment! Objective is to promote history on Medium and demonstrate the value of historical writing on November 28,,! Had crossed the DMZ back into South Vietnam where he was always the first point to in! Of War ( POWs ), doctors in Stamford Connecticut 's Regional Hospital intensely worked to save newborn richard Flahertys... Flaherty, who was raised in Connecticut, had to get a waiver to join Army! Absolutely ruthless this dude was that he hopes the documentary will make people twice! Tasked with training the Royal Thai Army in counterinsurgency operations and prepare for! To remember him for 15 years, and even kill, American soldiers a... Here are some of the Vietnam War from world history reassigned to the selection effect of underwriting requirement provision the! Ground, but they had not prepared for traps that May be on the ground, but that the traps. Get a waiver to join the Army during the Tet Offensive in 1968 promoted to 2nd Lieutenant after Infantry. If it did not frighten them as much as encountering the local.. Minimum of 5 feet 1.28 inches ) tall do the same consisted African! Wondering how he got there at only four feet, nine inches tall instructions how.
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