Vietnam combat story

eelgrass · Feb 12, 2023

This is Eric Hollenbeck. We graduated high school together and we both lived here our whole lives. He married a great lady who kept him sane all these years. He was asked to tell a humorous story about Vietnam. I just found it by chance. 22 minutes.

2lumpy · Feb 12, 2023

Very heart rendering eel. You have a great friend. Please tell him how much we appreciate him……. May God bless him and bring him reconciliation. He’s a legitimate hero!

JimNv · Feb 12, 2023

That was real good eel.

yoteduster · Feb 13, 2023

Thanks for posting that eel..I can relate to all he said I came home in April of 68 and it's all pretty much still with me...

eelgrass · Feb 13, 2023

yoteduster said:
Thanks for posting that eel..I can relate to all he said I came home in April of 68 and it's all pretty much still with me...

Welcome home yoteduster, and thank you for your sacrifice.

feddoc · Feb 13, 2023

The last two or three minutes were the takeaway.

Iddogguy · Feb 13, 2023

God Bless all the Vets.
Vietnam Vets hold a special place for me. I grew up watching Walter Cronkite report on the war every night. I was 7 in 1964 & Graduated High School in 1975. I have Uncles, Cousins & Friends that have packed around a lot of pain from that war. It seems weird that all of them heroes are old men now. God Bless

2lumpy · Feb 13, 2023

feddoc said:
The last two or three minutes were the takeaway.

As a hopelessly garrulous old man, I completely understand why the last three minutes are the take away.

Let me explain…….He was asked to speak on humor in Vietnam combat. First he said, to paraphase, are you kidding me, humor in 326 days of constant combat, the average in WWII was 38 days. He was having a hell of a time trying to figure out where there was any humor in that, and the only reason he was not there even longer was because his Dad die and his aged Mother was left without income or support, so he went home and went straight to work, 2 days after he got get there.

Further, he said, paraphrasing again, I need to give you enough back ground information, in my life’s experience (paint a picture for you) so you can understand why finding any humor in all was difficult for him.

He then went about painting that piture, and explained in vivid detail a most “holy ****, we’re going to die right here” event…… where his companions were yards away from North Vietnam’s best soldiers, with as good or better weapons the US troops and the point blank fire fight that ended up with he and his buddy laughing uncontrollably.

Then explained, in spite of how humorous that moment was, it dang sure took a full lifetime to reconcile those terrible 326 days, in the jungle.

I thought it was brilliant and as difficult as it was, he punted it out of the arena.

The most unappreciated American soldiers in the world are our Vietnam Vets, they all have my most humble admiration.

Walk4rams · Feb 13, 2023

Iddogguy said:
God Bless all the Vets.
Vietnam Vets hold a special place for me. I grew up watching Walter Cronkite report on the war every night. I was 7 in 1964 & Graduated High School in 1975. I have Uncles, Cousins & Friends that have packed around a lot of pain from that war. It seems weird that all of them heroes are old men now. God Bless

Great acknowledgement for our vets! I too watched those same news feeds and was very sad as I had friends who lost brothers. Those news clips were a , dose of reality at an early age, never forgot them, Class of 75.

eelgrass · Feb 13, 2023

2lumpy said:
As a hopelessly garrulous old man, I completely understand why the last three minutes are the take away.

Let me explain…….He was asked to speak on humor in Vietnam combat. First he said, to paraphase, are you kidding me, humor in 326 days of constant combat, the average in WWII was 38 days. He was having a hell of a time trying to figure out where there was any humor in that, and the only reason he was not there even longer was because his Dad die and his aged Mother was left without income or support, so he went home and went straight to work, 2 days after he got get there.

Further, he said, paraphrasing again, I need to give you enough back ground information, in my life’s experience (paint a picture for you) so you can understand why finding any humor in all was difficult for him.

He then went about painting that piture, and explained in vivid detail a most “holy ****, we’re going to die right here” event…… where his companions were yards away from North Vietnam’s best soldiers, with as good or better weapons the US troops and the point blank fire fight that ended up with he and his buddy laughing uncontrollably.

Then explained, in spite of how humorous that moment was, it dang sure took a full lifetime to reconcile those terrible 326 days, in the jungle.

I thought it was brilliant and as difficult as it was, he punted it out of the arena.

The most unappreciated American soldiers in the world are our Vietnam Vets, they all have my most humble admiration.

Another friend of mine who I hunted with got drafted and went to Vietnam. When I heard he got discharged I called his mom's house and talked to him. I suggested we go up squirrel hunting for a day. He said he would never pick up another gun as long as he lived. I gave him a few months and called his house again. His mom said he took off for San Francisco and hadn't heard from him. She was worried said if I talk to him, let her know. I never did. I was always too afraid to call her again and I truly regret that. I hope he found peace. I tried to do a search for him but never found anything.

2lumpy · Feb 13, 2023

eelgrass said:
Another friend of mine who I hunted with got drafted and went to Vietnam. When I heard he got discharged I called his mom's house and talked to him. I suggested we go up squirrel hunting for a day. He said he would never pick up another gun as long as he lived. I gave him a few months and called his house again. His mom said he took off for San Francisco and hadn't heard from him. She was worried said if I talk to him, let her know. I never did. I was always too afraid to call her again and I truly regret that. I hope he found peace. I tried to do a search for him but never found anything.

My personal opinion has always been they were done terribly wrong. The hippies and anti war movement did to the media and therefore the general public what the woke movement is doing today. That is demoralizing anyone that doesn’t support their misguided propaganda.

I’ve never believed and never will believe that Vietnam War was wrong. It was necessary and it stopped the violent take over movement of communist China.

Longun · Feb 14, 2023

Had a friend that was at the seige of Khe Sahn....on nights of lull they would turn on the comms radio to Hanoi Hanna and listen to propaganda and rock and roll music...one GI got on the mic replying "Boy am I ******-up" The CO replies "Who said that!!" A little while later a reply"Boy I ain't that ******-up" the Co grinned and said"That's my Boys" Being a vet myself we do have a sick twisted sense of humor sometimes amongst ourselves--- where civvies look at you and think you are a nut-case..

eelgrass · Feb 14, 2023

I worked with another guy in the woods who was a combat veteran in Vietnam. He smoked cigarettes and he always cupped the cigarette to hide the ember. He got in the habit of doing that so the enemy couldn't see it at night. I told him a hundred times he didn't have to do that anymore, but he couldn't help it.

DeerMadness · Feb 14, 2023

That was great Eel. I'm grateful for men like yiu and Eric. That was a tough Tour.

NVPete · Feb 14, 2023

Sometimes we found humor (and irony) in certain situations and horrors of war just to maintain our sanity! I remember a particular incident along the Cambodian border for me where there was a 24-hour cease fire in honor of Bhudda's birthday ( WTF- a time-out during war?). The war for us was to start again at midnight. The NVA cheated, and three crews of mortarmen started their attack fifteen minutes early! We were pissed that this happened. It seems to me they had around a dozen rounds in the air before we reacted . It was frightening, but they were lousy shots-every hit was clear over our fire support base! We were darn lucky- but I remember the consensual remarks vividly: "Hey! They cheated!"

eelgrass · Feb 14, 2023

DeerMadness said:
That was great Eel. I'm grateful for men like yiu and Eric. That was a tough Tour.

To be clear, I'm not a veteran. Somehow I avoided the war. I got drafted but before I reported for duty, I got a notice to not appear at this time, and that was the last I heard. After that they went to the lottery system based on your birthday and I always drew high numbers. I sometimes have guilt feelings about not going.

2lumpy · Feb 14, 2023

eelgrass said:
To be clear, I'm not a veteran. Somehow I avoided the war. I got drafted but before I reported for duty, I got a notice to not appear at this time, and that was the last I heard. After that they went to the lottery system based on your birthday and I always drew high numbers. I sometimes have guilt feelings about not going.

Many of us aren’t veterans, so we may not be as able as them to understand and feel that pain and since of humor………… all the more reason to let them know how much we love and appreciate them.

feddoc · Feb 14, 2023

eelgrass said:
To be clear, I'm not a veteran. Somehow I avoided the war. I got drafted but before I reported for duty, I got a notice to not appear at this time, and that was the last I heard. After that they went to the lottery system based on your birthday and I always drew high numbers. I sometimes have guilt feelings about not going.

My number was 225.

huntindad4 · Feb 15, 2023

Amazing video Eel! Thanks for sharing. My FIL is Viet Nam combat Veteran. He has told a few stories. I know it's hard for most to do so but our youth should hear more of them.