Vietnam Voices: 'Them ain't fireflies'
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- čas přidán 31. 03. 2016
- Vietnam War veteran Dean Batten talks about his experiences. Batten was with the U.S. Army from 1970 to 1972. He was born and raised in Billings, Montana, graduating from Billings West High in 1970. He was a dustoff helicopter crew chief.
I had a similar experience to his. My brother Tom flew Dust Off at Anh Khe 66-67. I quit high school in 69" and I wanted to go to Vietnam, my brother was 10 years older than me. I signed up at 17yo, basic training at Fort Campbell and Maint/Door Gunner School at Fort Rucker. Off to Vietnam 1970-1971 7/17th Air Cav Ruthless Riders. Pleiku, Qui Nhon and An Son. My brother told me, if your going to Vietnam get into aviation. Wasn't much safer than being a Grunt but I never slept outside. This guy is real, very honest simple soldier.
My Father was, and still is, MACVSOG for six years in Vietnam and Laos. He was first trained at the 75th at Benning, then the 5th Special at Bragg. Next, special training (sniper, sapper, picking locks, passing polygraphs). He had "Civilian service" with CIA in Vietnam for a couple years. When discharged, he worked for the Department of Defense/CIA through the mid-eighties. Vietnam Veterans are a different breed, trained by their Fathers! I love you all, and may God bless you and our beautiful Country.
God bless your family. This is really a wonderful series here.
What is a macvsog please? Excuse my ignorance
This channel is a goldmine. I really look up to these guys, the wisdom, the humility.
With everything that we know now, would you go to vietnam if there was another war
@@Kenia-sn1cg No and I didn't go the first time either. my draft number in 1971 was 300. Thank God.
@@stever4181 where did u go?
@@nunyaz6798 I stayed in the US
Remind each other to rewatch this by remarking again a year from now. Thanks so much.
Rest In Peace Mr. Batten
Dean Curtis Batten
September 1, 1952 - November 5, 2020 Billings, MT
🇺🇸🫡🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼👍🏽
Humble. Humility. Integrity. Honor. Heroism. Great interview. Thank you for you service sir. We do appreciate you.
I believe he was stationed at Phan Rang when I was there for a heavy weapons training program just outside the base in March 1971. I was Security Police Base Defense at Tan Son Nhut AB and was sent for 50 cal and small unit tactics training to be a member of our unit's QRT - Quick Reaction Team - if we had any bunkers overrun like happened in TET 1968. He had it much worse than me - absolutely nothing to do there when you were off duty at Phan Rang; I had Saigon. I am impressed with his attention to detail when talking about his duties. I would have felt lucky to fly in his chopper.
This is a laid back dude
God Bless you Dean Welcome home....Vietnam 1968-69
I've watched a few in this series but Dean really got my attention. He is so humble but has that thousand mile stare occasionally and I can tell he has suffered PTSD his whole life. As a Vietnam vet I can appreciate somewhat the pain he has suffered. I pray he is at peace and enjoying life now. Also, thank you Darrell for the kindness and professionalism that you show in producing these very important documentaries.
Thank you Mr. Batten and welcome home!
My uncle Scooter was in the 2nd ROK Marine Brigade in 70-71. He told me those Koreans show no mercy. Much respect!
This is about vietnam though.
@@jordancox559 he was in Vietnam in 70-71. He fought with the Korean Marines. He is an American Marine. They were also known as the Blue Dragons. When you hear someone talk about ROK Soldiers, that is who they're talking about
@@jordancox559 listen at 34:35
All shit aside, it really messes with me. I was born in 1981, and never served. What gets me the most is that every time I speak of it to him, he gives me a book to read. He is my hero, and never talks about his service. He is so kind, never raised his voice. He is the most friendly person I've ever known. He is in his 70's now, but I guarantee he's hard as a ROK
The interviewing journalist deserves an award for these. Amazing
This dude has muscle memory in everyone of his stories. He is making all the motions. 😂 I’m here for it ❤❤❤
Enjoyed watching Dean here. I've watched a few of these easy now. Salute soldiers. One of the best channels on here. My father was a Nam vet. I miss him dearly. Dealt with M.S. for many yrs as a result of exposure to the agent orange. 53'-00'.
Miss my grandfather...was my dad basically, he raised me. He was a Vietnam vet and a agent orange casualty...best man I've ever known, people knew him for years and when he died he had a military funeral and people were flabbergasted that he was a Vietnam vet. He never spoke of it...just the way he was. Very humble. He had kidney failure...got called for a transplant, got the kidney, they sent him home from the hospital a few days early. Was home for an hour and had a heart attack...so unfair. On his death certificate it says agent orange. 1947-2012 RIP Lee Samora
I mean agent orange for a start. You're own govn't are your enemy. Not some country 5k miles away. I mean maybe you need to get your own house in order before sticking your noses into another country's business of striving to be independant from a brutal French colonial rule then uniting their country.
I do feel sorry for the guys drafted though
From the several countries that sent soldiers to Vietnam, it was, I believe, only the US & Australia that conscripted young men to fight there.
In others, volunteers signed in the regular Army to be sent to fight in Vietnam as artillery men and infantry. Nurse graduates accompanied the soldiers. For most young people at the time Vietnam was somewhere that lead the six o'clock news, but not a place anybody would willingly ever want to go to. It was 1959 in current affairs class we learned first about Laos, then a little latter, Vietnam. The world then was a so much bigger place.
Although the military of several countries served there, all US allies, the war was almost entirely an American war with support from the usual suspects.
THANK YOU for your service DEAN BATTEN.
I like this guy a lot he was very legitimate. He wasn't one of those vets that swore he did everything under the sun and kicked everyone's ass after drinking 5 gallons of whiskey.
No Viet Nam vet would claim that.
I love this guy thank you for your duty
We all remember our drill Sergeant's name. Sgt Aponte for me. Thank you Sgt.
Thank you so much for all you did. You made it, and when you got back the country wasn't appreciative then, but I hope it is now. We are SO thankful for you and your brothers. God bless
Thank you for your service sir . Welcome Home
I like this guy. The real deal.
I was about to comment the same thing.
Thank you Dean!
Thank you for your service, hero's every last one
Thanks for doing this interview Dean, and thanks for your faithful service to our country. SMSgt, USAF Retired
These guys are absolutely heros!
I really enjoyed this gentleman - there was always a sense of humor creeping in. Remarkable.
It always amazes me the level of details these men have of their experiences. I served 20 years in the military in canada, peacekeeping missions and such. A few scary moments that i remember vividly. This tells me the level of stress these people experienced on a daily bases that burned these details into their brain. Much respect.
This guy has seen so much. Thank you for what you did back then, sir. I respect you. Wish you happiness and God brought you this far for a reason
To those criticising, the interviewer had to interact as Dean is a great guy, but a relaxed and reserved character. I’m surprised he didn’t go into helicopter maintenance as he clearly enjoyed that part.
Ch47 crew chief. is great to hear some helicopter guy scores
Thank you for your service Dean!
Mr. Batten,thank you for your comment on John Kerry.Ive heard the same thing from many vets.
So respect you Dean Batten, sir. From your very first word [voice] I could identify how much trauma you have been through in your life. From when you developed interest in enlisting it is obvious your intellect isn't average, and you prove it by saying you never wanted to be a grunt...And you graduated 15th from 45. That's in the higher bracket. Listening to this vid and I note you were aged 19 when you were on your Tour Of Duty in Vietnam. I cannot begin to understand what horror you would have to experience at that age. At 19 I was in my first year as an apprentice automotive engineer working on Bedford & Isuzu trucks and buses over here in New Zealand. I had joined a local rowing club and was rowing. I loved running and had completed 2 half marathons and 2 full marathons. I loved riding my motorcycle; a brand new 1981 Yamaha IT175J enduro [2 stroke]. Life was great. In comparison to you sir, I was experiencing an easy life, whereas you were experiencing hell. In some minor way I wonder if my near-death motorcycle accident here in New Zealand in 1990 when I was 26, may have woken me up as to how your experience was serving in Vietnam. I lost control of my motorcycle at high speed on the open road failing to negotiate a bend. I slid across the road and slammed in to a farmer's paddock concrete fence and instantly amputated my left leg at the knee. Ultimately after septicemia set in to the remaining part of my left leg, my complete left leg had to be amputated as high up as possible - i.e. my left hip and left side of my pelvis got amputated. The correct term is trauma hemipelvectomy. I also sustained serious internal injuries as well [urinary and bowel]. I was very fortunate to survive. Doctors & surgeons believed my high fitness level helped save my life. Ever since I have suffered strong nerve pain around the stump area even though there isn't a stump. A lot of my nerve pain is referred pain from my bowel. It is controlled by a cocktail of meds as well as exercise and acupuncture. I use a prosthesis however only for a short period during the day. I also use SideStix Boundless elbow crutches to ambulate. I completed 6 half and 6 full marathons on crutches on my one good right leg from 1991 to 1998. I became the first world's fastest leg amputee using crutches over the marathon in 1994. I set a time of 5 hours 58 minutes 13 seconds in the Christchurch Marathon in 1994 here in New Zealand. That's enough of me. Back to Mr Dean Batten. The video is about to end. I have watched it all. You are my HERO. Thank you for your service to your country. I have read the book 'Chickenhawk' - the story of Robert Mason a "Huey" UH-1 Iroquois helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War. I enjoyed reading the story. And I guess it explained the reality of such an insane war as in Vietnam. I couldn't agree more with your statement; 'keep the bureaucrats out of the Vietnam War'. I believe the bureaucrats made the Vietnam War one of if not the most insane war of the 19th century. And then there was the tactics used also by the American 'leaders'. I wonder if there was a lot of confusion from the air, marine, and infantry etc who actually fought in the war because of the politics involved. Such infantry became pawns essentially. Fodder. Tragic waste of human life. Such insanity was exposed at The Gallipoli peninsula in 1915 in WW1. It developed in to nothing other than slaughter of ANZACs etc because of poor decision making at the TOP by English bureaucrats. And exactly the same happened at Passchendaele in 1917. 843 New Zealand soldiers were either dead or lying mortally wounded between the front lines. It occurred because of again POOR DECISION making by TOP by English British/English politicians. To this day New Zealand ANZAC's have not had an apology from British/English politicians. Yes there has been an apology from the New Zealand & Australian politicians - however to me that is mere tokenism - and the REAL apology needs to come from British/English politicians British/English politicians and bureaucrats. They were the ones really responsible who called the shots in WW1 - and the ANZACs. I will fight for this injustice. Fight for my grandfather who served in WW1. He was a corporal in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force Auckland 1st & later transferred to 3rd Battalion D Company/Regiment New Zealand Rifle Brigade. He fought in Egypt in 1915 and 1916. He then sailed to France and fought in the Somme or Passchendaele in 1917. He got ill/sick with piles, pleurisy, phlebitis, and septic throat. He was eventually wounded. He spent time in several hospitals and convalescence camps at Alexandria [Egypt], then Brockenhurst, and then Codford [England]. He survived WW1 and returned to New Zealand a totally broken man. However he played rugby and represented out province of Southland. Southland won the Ranfurly Shield for the very first time in 1920. My grandfather played at the hooker position even though he was only 5ft 7in in height and 75kg in weight. He was a very tough man whom I barely got to know and unfortunately died in 1971at the age of 77. I was 8. Thankfully I received some of my grandfather's dna as I was an athlete for 24 years [both abled-bodied and as a left leg amputee]. Every year I attend the ANZAC Day Commemoration at our city's cenotaph. I wear my grandfather's WW1 war medals in honor and respect of his service to New Zealand for 3 years 157 days 1915-1919. My incredible wife accompanies me. Thank you to the interviewer here in this video, Daryl Ulrich. Great job!
This man was coming back home the year I graduated high school. I've seen a number of these Nam Vets docs coming back. I was in towards the end no one was ever shooting at me in Kansas. Knew a guy who was chapter president of VVA not far from *Dave Peterson kinda same AO.* Dust Off crews were right in the thick of it. They were Hero's...
dean batten ~ the real deal
Mr. Batten really brought me into his story, what a great interview. I loved how animated and just straight up this dude is. Really opened my eyes. Thank you for your service, what a wonderful American!
This is one damn good interview. God bless you sir.
Thank you for video. !
Great interview. Thanks
Most Huey Crew Chiefs in VN had M60 Machine guns to at least keep the enemies head down, but he didn't and most poignant was the enemy had no respect for the big red crosses on his ship. All the while he's trying to pick up wounded guys. And he didn't get hit. Great Job Mr. Batten, hope you got some air medals for all of that!
very nice interview , thanks
Welcome home Dean.
Vietnam crew chief UH-1C 1967-68
So interesting. Thank-you for your service! I was 18 yrs old in ‘70 so had a lot of friends who went to Nam from ‘65 to ‘71. Lost some friends, too. Am from Alaska, and really like Montana... my eldest son was born in Libby! He served in the Marine Corp. Our family is mostly Navy and we were raised to respect our servicemen and we are all very patriotic... huge family! This is a great interview! Thank - you!
I love this series because we get someone who does all the different jobs and the more I watch the more context widens and I see the different angles
Great interview. The real deal. Thank you for your service .Mr. Dean Batten.
Well done sir. Thank you for your service.
They referred to my father's generation (WW2) the greatest generation. These guys in 'Nam were a damn good bunch of boys, too. I lost 5 close buddies over there. Interviewer: "What were you going to do when you get back [home]. A lot of the time you didn't dare think about that because of the idea that you had a good chance of not going home or going home in a bag. Really like this guy; reminds me of a lot of my buddies......a real stand-up guy.
Thank you for sharing your experience and perspective.
Very good interview. Thanks Dean for your story and your service.
You're story's are amazing.tha nks for your service.
This is my 4th video watched in this series and I’m planning to hear them all. Thank you for making this content. We would all be served well to remember more of our history.
I've heard a number of veteran interviews from the Billings Gazette. I applaud their skills and sensitivity in giving these individuals an opportunity to tell their story. The paper and it'd editor should be commended.
They should call in Vietnam Vets from around the country and do interviews.
Agreed, both of you
I really like and appreciate these interviews. They put me right there. Thanks!
Thanks for your service sir.
Thanks!! Hope you get the best of life you earned it!!
Thank you for your service, well done Sir!
Thank you for your service!👍🇺🇸
Great video! Very, Very interesting.
Interviewer did a great job asking the right questions !
Thank you for your service!
Thank you, Sir! The extractions that were so precious to everyone, would not have happened without you! Much LOVE!
👍 respect and honor. Thank you!
Glad to hear you're story old timer... I'll catch you at them gates eventually ❤️
Very interesting talk. I enjoyed this immensely. Also this man looks remarkably like my great grandfather, who I have a picture of--same thinner face and bushy mustache. So many thanks for your service!
Dean what a good man you were and are! Thank you for your service. May may you and your family have peace and God bless.
Fantastic story, love it! Thank you for your service to the country!
These guys were ahead of their time with these interviews would make a great podcast
Tk you for your service sir. Bless u
Great interview, really packed with a lot of experiences. When I ask vets what it was they were most looking forward to when they got back to the world and there is that long silence or just no answer they could think of? They didn't really expect to get out alive. About about 6 mo. into their tour, death became an accepted inevitability.
Re: The civilians-"They lived in fear every day (para)" Sir, so did you. Until you got to that point-as did they. After awhile no one could cry. Numb protects-until it costs more than it saves.
You were a soldier once as well-and very, very young.
Thank you. Welcome home.
Well said!
This interview is still one of my favourites in the series.
@Mr Batten: For what its worth Sir, interviews such as you have helped me feel calmer, more at peace at times and also less distant from people. Thank you most sincerely. MB. [Op. Herrick XII & XIII]
Vietnam Voices is/are a great blog. Thank you for doing this extraordinary series of videos.
Thank You SIR......WELCOME HOME......JOB WELL DONE !!
Glad you came back , 30, 000 canadians volunteered for that war , and went too , not a well known fact .
I've never heard that before!!! What a shame that it's more popular to pit the US against Canada instead of mentioning that awesome fact. Plus y'all gave us RUSH. Yeah Rush!!!!!
@Dave Clifford x.🐾🔥
@Dave Clifford oh that’s sweet bro 😎. I got your back
I'm into my second round of viewing the Billings Gazette vietnam veteran voices. Of all the different war veteran interviews, Billings Gazette's are the best! Absolutely the best interviewer, best sound and video quality! The interviewer really brings out the amazing stories from the interviwees. He lets them follow their lines of thought and go deep. Really great!
He says K way too much
RC/Skater true that!
Batman you are an inspiration ....
Thank you Mr Dean Batten 🙏
Hero,s of vietnam.Thanks for your service time an presence.
Welcome hme.🙏🏻🙏🏻👏👏🎖🎖
Thank you for your service, Dean. Welcome home.
Really like your videos! I was born in 1957 and it took me decades to put the Viet Nam War in perspective. I am thankful that I did not have to fight there or anywhere for that matter.
Respect! Cool dude.
Thank you for your service to your country
time goes on, with or without you. -fidelity.
Great man.
Outstanding. !!!
Don't know why selected this interview but fortunate in doing so. Perhaps more on how he coped these past 47 years.
Disregard my prior comment. I wrote it before this excellent interview was finished.
Thank you Mr. Batten
Enjoyed “Batman’s” interview very much. I feel like I’ve been
“schooled” when listening to these interviews. These men and women risked life and limb to serve we Americans. I was in elementary school at the time Batman was there. I watched the evening news stories of Viet Nam with my Dad. Listening to their stories is the least I can do. Has anyone noticed how the microphone used in the interview looks like the muzzle of an M-16?
What heroes all these guys are
Love you Sir!
Semper Fi my friend. 1st Marine Airwing 1970-1971
I get my best information from these first person testimonials . Amazing courage. There but by the grace of G-d go I....175 in 71
Those F-4's are LOUD when they take off. Grew up on MCAS Cherry Point about half a mile from the end of the runway and you'd miss half your program while they'd sit there and run up a couple times. Thank you for your service, sir!
BRAVO!
Asks the question " its 2:30am...can you see anything?".... ....
September 1, 1952 - November 5, 2020
Rest in Peace.
God give you two eyes two ears one mouth for a reason
In 1971 the battle for Fire Base Rip Cord took place. The largest an longest battle of the war. An that was why the I Corp AO was so hot for grunt an air crew people in 71!
Hey Brother, did my time in Nam from Nov-71 until Aug-72 , and spent 5 months around Da Nang with B Trp 1/1 Cav 196th Light Infantry Brigade until they stood down and I moved from an APC to grunt status with C Co 2/1 Infantry around Phu Bai to help slow the NVA invasion in the spring of 72 until they stood down and I was sent to C Co 3/21 Infantry back to Da Nang for security around The airbase at Danang as part of Task Force Gimlet and we were the last combat ground force to leave in mid Aug-72. Welcome home, Brother.
He`s right--a human being,no matter where he or she is from,is born free;freedom is a GOD-given right,like the five senses,freedom should be the sixth.........Thank you sir...........
Its amazing, the training was so intense, yet off they went...and did their job with humility...
Thats what comes through...
Thank you for your service...Sir....
💞✌️🙏
yeah, the interviewer has to keep the interview rolling and I don't think he is horrible at it, better than I would be I am sure but as a viewer I would say to let the subject have time to think and answer completely, there are a few times I was interested to hear Mr. Batten answer but he is cut off by a comment or another question that stops the answer completely.
I agree. He usually doesn't interrupt as much as he did here. But I still love being able to watch these Amazing Vets
This guy sounds just like John Lear .. crazy much love