Author and Television News Executive discusses COMBAT in Vietnam | Bill Lord
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- čas přidán 26. 06. 2024
- Bill Lord was a young draftee at the height of the Vietnam War. He served in Vietnam as an infantry sergeant carrying a radio in the U.S. Army's Charlie Company, 4th/47th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division.
Later in his career he served as television news executive and general manager of WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C. His book "50 Years After Vietnam" is available here: www.amazon.com/50-Years-After....
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Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
01:23 - Berlin
03:19 - Vietnam
19:01 - Helicopter crash
21:07 - Leaving Vietnam
26:58 - Media career
32:30 - Book
We've reached a point where Vietnam War vets are getting old , we must document as much stories as we can.
We’re living within unfortunate times where media is more interested in celebrities lives than our own veterans stories, sadly.
Exactly, recently ive been watching so many of these veterans tell their stories. Better than any bs movie will make or any dumb article the media will make. HEAR IT FROM THE MOUTH !!!! While they are still here. Bravest men in our country. Thank you all who served!
We must listen to their stories
@@JustAnotherBurnerAccount why haven’t you produced anything to chronicle their stories ?
@@JustAnotherBurnerAccount when has it ever been different
Hi... im now 77 born in Utah 1941.... spent time in Vietnam ..{ i was a helicopter gunship pilot... later to be transferred to a field hospital recovering wounded GIs from battlefields... until a cong artillery shell blasted my copter... i was brought back home spent time in a VA hospital recovering in mind and body can never repay the staff for giving me my life back to me Thanks Guys....Edwin J Thompson.............Ed
Thank you for your service!
Thank you sir for what you did. My uncle from Delta, UT was a helicopter and later F4 pilot in Vietnam. You all deserve maximum respect and remembrance.
@@Cryptosafi Hi Greg thanks for your respect..Your uncle and myself did what had to be done like many before us {{ if Uncle Sam needs you. you answer.. terrible time for all concerned.. on both sides of the war... we are all human beings after all Thanks again Greg.. give my regards to your uncle ........SeeYa now..........Ed
@@bytesurfer8651....Hi thankyou very much sir for your respect comment most welcome .Ed
Thank you Ed. Good to see you on the internet you ole man. My grandfather Ronald Elton Leary was a helicopter gunship pilot and door gunner prior. Hopefully you two got to meet he is a great man.
My biological grandfather was a helicopter pilot Vietnam. He died providing ground support, saved eight passengers and dozens of ground troops, he was the only casualty in that incident.
May he Rest In Peace.
True hero. God bless him
A real hero. Sorry for yor loss.
Probably got sniped if he’s the only one
Thankful he helped save lives the country owes him a debt that can never be repayed
As a combat vet I find his stories true and hard to swallow, we haven't learned our lesson 50 years after the fact
That's because the real elites in power who move and shake world events and profit from the war machine dont actually care about you.
We have learned. It's the individual leaders on the ground that screw up sometimes. Back then it was catching bullets from behind
Drafted volunteered for Vietnam. “Large battle I was not involved in” clarification...Honor is strong in this gentleman.
"There was nothing to win." Memorable quote.
23:40 is why cartman from SouthPark hates hippies..
sitting at airports spitting on returning veterans
@@Bee-tj8gc well they were criminals.
@@DJKinney cry some more edge lord
@@DJKinney thats a pretty uneducated response most of them were forced into a horrible war they didn’t want to partake in. Course terrible things are gonna happen its war. They did a lot more than you would while you sit on your fat ass insulting our soldiers from a screen.
@@DJKinney The “criminals” were the same “people” that murdered JFK. I suggest that you try to expand your point of perspective somewhere above that of an ant.
He figured out they had no type of support on a bullshit war and used his position to overstate situations to keep himself and his brothers alive= GENIUS
The fact that he dodged a bullet by being sent to Berlin and then volunteered to go to Vietnam out and guilty for being there while others like him were fighting to survive, thats the craziest yet bravest and honorable thing anyone could ever do. Salute to this man.
In contrast to your draft dodging ex presidents.respect to this guy
lol na Vietnam is nothing to be thankfull for.
America DESTROYED Vietnanm villages and kiled so many that the terrorist didnt need to do ANYTHING to recruit new members.
No it's not. All these Vietnam videos are basically BS. These veterans willingly chose to go to an unwinnable, illegal war. If they say otherwise they are promoting a falsehood. A lot of these people push the image that they could or did win the war, but the "politicians" and the "people back home" lost it. Vietnam was a national American disgrace, tragedy and defeat...and they share in the responsibility of it. The politicians and American people saw that the war was not being won, or was unwinnable. The US never really had the "hearts and minds" of the South Vietnamese people...who they supposedly were fighting for. They don't talk much about the war crimes they committed against the Vietnamese....OR even against their own personnel. Lastly, whether these guys won or lost...the Vietnam war had absolutely NO effect on American freedom, security, safety or way of life. They did NOT sacrifice anything for my...or your freedom. These veterans present themselves as victims and wrongly treated. They are big boys and went to a country to kill or be killed. They shared in the failure. Now they want to be recognized for their "sacrifice" through videos, Honor Flights, endless trips to the Wall in DC or to Vietnam itself. They never grew up and really moved on. They have made themselves an embarrassment to themselves and my generation.
@@chrisgraham9778 No he was right to not go to that stupid war. I commend anyone rich or poor who was able to resist the draft and avoid fighting in that stupid war that we didn't need to in the first place. Why would you respect someone for going to fight in some pointless war that we didn't need to get involved in. All that senseless killing for nothing. I bet if he did go to Vietnam you'd be calling him a baby killer.
@@robertisham5279 seriously lol. Why do people support the government side that lied and let people die for literally no good reason… draft dodgers and all of types of victims of war… I feel for them. They had to deal with a crap gov. Dont blame the draft dodgers for anything… no one forced anyone to go fight a pointless war except the government administration at the time. One that was full of liars and crooks… straight lying all the time. Even admitting to planting “illicit” substances in minority neighborhoods to make them look horrid & push their agendas
This is one selfless dude volunteering to leave comfort for a nightmare. The world needs more people with this kind of empathy.
This is one laid back dude, glad he made out and was successful.
He's a renaissance man. Should've been an astronaut.
My uncle fought in nam pre M16 the stories he told man, i respect anybody who’s every served this country black,white, etc i appreciate you all
This guy is just all round wonderful.
The person conducting the interview did a fantastic job. One of the best interviews of Vietnam veterans I've seen. Great job!
Yea this dudes legit
@Percaholic l have incredible hearing and could barely hear from across the room.
Great interview. In listening to him I was reminded of old Vietnam war memories I had forgotten. I myself was an RTO for Air Strikes. God knows I love to see those F4C fighter/bombers answer my call. I served with the 505th TAC AIR attached to the Army’s 1ST AirCav(Airmobile), Div. 2/7 HQ from February 1966 to Dec 1966. - Thanks Wally HOLDSWORTH and Vic BRADBERRY for a friendship of 55+yrs.
@Percaholic Same here, but try headphones and it's much better.
I agree. Reminds me of the following impressive Vietnam veteran interview czcams.com/video/tixOyiR8B-8/video.html
Smartest dude in Vietnam...he used the radio perfectly to keep his unit out of a bunch of bullshit...he figured out the deal and acted on it.
I wonder how many died in other companies because of lack of support due to resources being diverted to overstated combat conditions.
@@rjake61 That's the kind of breakdown in discipline and communication that happens when morale drops due to the war being largely unjustified and fruitless, or, at least perceived so.
Yep, I’m an RAF Regiment serving in Ireland.
You know from the start when an officer hasn’t got it.
@Percaholic p
@@crackthefoundation_ And when you draft people that have nothing to do with the military.
This was during a time when many of us believed our government with blind faith. Never again.
A very humble honest man. Great interviewer. I served in Japan and Korea as a Sergeant 1968-72
Lucky no to go to nam!
Jerry Summers while in a formation in Korea The first sergeant asked for volunteers for Vietnam. I laughed out loud and said that didn’t even want to be In Korea. Everyone laughed. The first sergeant’s face got all Red but he didn’t say anything 😂😂😂
Just wanna ask but how old r you now?
WOW... 50 yrs after my time in Vietnam, he explained to me the great frustration I felt in that I abandoned my friendships from those to whom I was dependent to try to find normal.
Hope you're well man, you're appreciated.
Preciate you, Mr Yost
Warmonger
There are sites where you can look up old friends in the military. I found it one and a half years ago. Not sure where it's at today but it's there and I found old friends on it.
Just sayn.
I'm sure you echo a sentiment held by veterans throughout history.
A very humble man. His honesty on the Vietnam war is heart warming and endearing. He overcame a lot of trauma and made a success of himself. Would like to read his book.
I will read the book ..
@@jeffgidlow9000 did you read it yet?
@@jeffgidlow9000 I just finished it very good!
Bill proves, contrary to popular belief, that *the LORD LIVES!!*
Great interview. Very professional!
Such a well spoken and articulate gentleman. Could listen to him all day!
I’ve become completely addicted to these interviews. Fascinating and essential historic documents of the ordinary fighting men in a crazy war. So many of these men are humble and honest and unflinchingly loyal to their comrades to this day. I have the utmost respect for them while hating the war they were fighting. Great men!
This dude is very real..
talking about how surviving battle is more luck than training. And how you dont need to have much training to know what to do when you get shot at..
So many movies Vietnam movies make it seem like thats only highly trained american marines did
and Vietnamese people just run forward in a straight line yelling some bulshyt, like theyd didnt have any idea of what cover was
Spot on interview. Bill, unlike many other veterans, didn't allow Vietnam to define the rest of his life. Me, too.
90% of the victims in this world WANT to be victims…..especially, today.
@@phillamoore157 thats a very arrogant statement ur not that smart are you? We are talking about literal war not basic white girls acting depressed for attention
@@kanahbis3236 You're too stupid to spell the word "you're" properly, and I'm the stupid one? But, I digress.....that's exactly the kind of statement a professional-victim makes. A kid who was drafted into a war he never should've had to fight, getting his legs blown off is a "victim". Yet, how many videos of men in that condition do you see on the internet? The vast majority of true victims in this world, rarely piss and moan about it the way people today do. As a matter of fact, they rarely talk about it. How many Holocaust victims do you see playing that card? Again, that generation of people went though something literally undefinable, then went on to create the greatest beacon of Democracy that exists today (never mind their medical/technical contributions to the world). I'm not saying victims don't exist....especially in war. I'm saying that card is OBSCENELY abused.
@@phillamoore157 u smoke crack kid get off the internet
He was a Company radio operator. But the company radio operator is a "CP" job. They're not out /exposed on the perimeter or outer edges where the actual fighting is happening. He had a good job, compared to the grunts actually fighting. Therefore , wasn't mentally affected in the same manner....... He was exposed, YES. He was in the "bush", YES. Don't want to take anything away ... he just saw & experienced the war in a different manner & perspective. I don't want to make a big issue here..... just want people to understand a little more with an "open mind"...........
Those stories are not exaggerated. I had 2 uncle's that served in Nam, and he said the same things you did, plus some more grafic stuff. In Vietnam and getting off the plane. He said it broke his heart. I love you uncle Don and Junior
I remember the moment I walked off the 707 into the heat of Saigon! Good God this is my life for the next year?
@Leo Peridot And I should care what a POS like you thinks?
@Leo Peridot Troll.
@Leo Peridot Piss off!
This man had a guilty conscience to be with his brothers in Vietnam .....hats off to you sir much respect
First thing enlisted men learn is "never volunteer". He missed or disregarded that lesson.
It all could have been avoided the Vietnam war
Thank you to any veteran that served
Yep i agree, the Gulf Of Tonkin was nothing but a Political Lie !!
😤😡😠
He had no legitimate right or reason to be in Vietnam in the first place. It didn't matter if he manned a BB gun or a tank. That's his "story". He had a second chance in life for after dodging a bullet from people he was trying to kill and whose country he was trying to invade. Now....on to the next veteran's video who didn't belong in Vietnam either.
Thank you for this interview. My Dad was in Vietnam. We never really talked about it, not that he wouldn't have, we just didn't think we were supposed to ask I guess... He passed away in 2013. I'm learning through letters he wrote my mother and interviews like yours. Forever thankful for your service back then, and your service now through this interview.
Amanda McCaughey Sorry for your loss, and thanks for sharing. Insightful
''For there are none closer to the very author of Sacrifice Himself...
Than Those who choose to perform it for the very Sake of Others.'' -gilpin 2519
-former recondo sgt. ''rock'' gilpin 82nd abn. 11b4p 1/504 inf. '71-'74
My grandfather passed in 98 and I remember he used to try to talk about Korea, but I was so young I wasn’t interested. I wish I would’ve let him tell me stories.
Thank you all for your comments and the service of your family.
Ofcorse he didn't want to talk about it cause he was part of the my lai massacre.
I was a couple years too young for Vietnam but I do remember the times.These soldiers were subjected to terrible psychological and physical conditions. On top of that they were often times hated and attacked both by those they were sent to "help", as well as by their own countrymen. Much is owed to these brave, duty bound men.
Did you protest the men coming back?
Many countries were fighting with the Americans during the Vietnam war inc Australia. So you guys were no alone.
@@Matlockization Yes Australia has been a staunch ally of the US through many conflicts and wars. Much respect.
@@kevinwells4888 Much respect to the Americans as always. I believe these troops were fighting for freedom with a diligent sense of duty & honour.
What a wonderful interviewer and interviewee ... just pure honesty. My Dad was in Angola War (I’m In USA but he was South African army - I guess their “Vietnam War”) - his only talk when I used to ask him about his experiences was about his mates only. Just very humble and always accolades to those around him - this gentleman reminds me of him a bit! I am fortunate that I still have communication with his old army buddies since his passing - some of their stories of their mad respect for my Dad during skirmishes they were in made my hair stand up in fear - and I wasn’t even there! Super proud of the admiration his army mates had for my Dad.
Thank you for your service sir!
How refreshing. A coherent, honest, non reactive or hot-headed way. It is easy to see how these experiences would be overwhelming.
Thank you Bill. I was a scout gunner in a OH -13. Welcome home!
his home is Hell
and yours as well
A-P R - What a positive person you are. Hell is where your brain and your sorry excuse for a soul is currently. Don't give up! There is still time for you to learn to pour sugar onto people instead of vinegar. When you learn this, you will soon become a solid person and one with good qualities. I wish you well in this endeavor should you desire to become a decent person.
A-P R - If your country's military drafted you or you inevitably would be drafted so you enlisted so you could possibly choose your military branch, would you do what you were essentially obligated to do or would you go somewhere and hide while risking imprisonment? This man didn't WANT to go to war with Vietnam or anywhere else for that matter. He went to Vietnam because he HAD to. Now, go read most any book written by an American veteran and look for ANY instance(s) which indicate they were happy they and their country was at war with any country. No, we should not have been fully engaged in the Vietnam conflict and the men and women who served over there simply served their time with almost all of them wanting to leave the country as soon as possible. No one in their right mind would enjoy killing people regardless of the location.
War sucks, period! You don't like it, I don't like it but we have no basis to scold or berate those who were forced into combat. It wasn't THEIR choice to be at war. Blame the poor excuse for a human being known as LBJ for changing JFK's plan to avoid combat for the U.S.
@@a-pr8815 Judge, jury and executioner. You are quite the man. This is one of those moments in life A-P-R when you should judge not lest you be judged. I hope you are man enough to retract your statement or you will have an interesting time explaining your big mouth to Jesus when the day comes. And it is coming.
@@ToddSauve
i did not go to somebody`s country to kill innocent people there
if that is alright for you, so your jesus is devil
God bless all soldiers who were in pointless wars
1: there is no god
2 : all wars are pointless
@@ekimandersom4478 1: That is not a fact
2: You’re trash opinions are pointless
@@ekimandersom4478 You're very deep.....
Thank You Mr. Lord.......from the bottom of my heart........for using your radio to keep American Grunts alive........You SIR are a True American HERO !!
I’m proud to call myself a radio operator because of the amazing operators before me like this man, I hope to be at least half of the man he is
This man is honest in what he is saying, and I was in the USMC not in the Army.
Semper fi brother
@@rabidmoose2682 hakuna matada
Thank you for your service Bill 🙏🏻🇺🇸🇺🇸
Kudos to the interviewer. He asks great questions and listens to the answers.
Bill, you are a legend, much love from Scotland.🏴♥️What a fine human being you are sir, such a decent honest man, your family are very fortunate to have you.
Slainte Mhath! From sunny SoCal.
I was there in 68
Thank you for your service, Sir!
Thank you for your service. My dad got an educational deferment, and served his time state side.
I was also there in 68.
So was my pops.... appreciate your service n sacrifices
@Boris Sheen pretty sure u was not😂😂😂
Thank you for your service to our country Mr. Lord. Welcome Home.
Amazing being a young person growing up thru the 60s then ending up in Lebanon in the military myself serving with vietnam vets . God bless all military service peoples..respect & prayers to the families who lost loved ones , the real heros of our nation .
Thank you Mr, Bill for your service.
Please do not take this the wrong way because it is not a judgment on you but I do have to State as a veteran, that I hate that patronizing sentence when it is said to me after somebody finds out that I served in the military with Honor. There are times, especially when somebody the same age as me and I'm in my 60s, that I want to shout at them and ask well why didn't you? I don't shout but when I casually ask that question I get answers like---I never could have been in the military because I don't take orders from anyone which is a lie regardless of who you are. If you care about your country like the entire side of my father's family has going back to the war of 1812 then you want to see this country flourish and the only way that happens is through the dedication of those that actually served. I'll close by saying, thanks for the sentiment but rather than using words, actions do speak louder than words so if you see a veteran living on the street then I ask that you do a random act of kindness for that veteran even if it's a simple little, how can I actually help you whether it's getting them a motel room for night or two so they can feel human for a little while or even buying them a meal or two which can be accomplished by giving them a prepaid card any restaurant in their area. God bless you 🙏
@@nonamegame9857 first of all mr Doug. Thank you for your service . With all due respect.
But before , I respond to your comment.. . Let me tell you... I too am a veteran of the Gulf War. I served 1991 -1997.
That said,... I don't need to respond to your accusations. Other then , I too... don't like the ' thank you for your service ' comment .. I may not like it.. but I definitely do appreciate it. And quite frankly, I've done several things to help any fellow vets. Especially the ones that served in Vietnam. My uncle lost a limb over there by stepping on a landmine. And what saved him from shrapnel entering his vitals....was the fact that he ( for some unknown reason) put his weapon over his right shoulder... as opposed to putting it over his left.
And as far as helping a veteran ... in which manner you say People should help by offering money for a place to stay or feed them .. etc. I am biased on that. I seriously think that this stinking government should be the one supporting or helping them ( us ) out. But I do what I can for my fellow vets .. it might not be an extravagant hotel for a night , a new car, nor.... not even a cash money.
Sometimes an ear is all it takes . An ear to LISTEN , an ear to UNDERSTAND.. which in turn would give thsm( us ) the RECOGNITION that we so deserve.
My grandpa, another vet . Who served in the navy in the pacific.. once told me.
' Jack, if you ever do something for some one on a financial level,... never mention it or boast about it . For it then takes away from the deed itself '
Truth
Anyhow Mr Doug, I salute you.
I asked my grandpa about his service in Vietnam and he would never tell me. He had a purple heart and spent his time on a pt boat cruising the rivers. Thats all i know.
Thank you Mr. Lord. I still can’t believe people treated you and the other Vietnam vets with such disrespect.
And others who were in the “Vietnam Era”period.
Only 35 percent to 40 percent were combat troops in nam. The rest were support troops back in the rear with the gear where they belonged, cause they were not trained to fight a gorrella war in the jungle. I trained with the 7th Cavalry for 3 months before we transferred to nam in aug 1966.
WOW !! Bill you are one Heck of a smart soldier. The guys with you were lucky to have you in there group. No ranbow Hollywood bs
here. War is hell. Thanks for your service Bill.
This Bill Lord I feel like I have known Him forever!,✨ I really love His ideology of moving forward with His Life without remorse or shame! and respect that approach greatly!, ✨
Fascinating interview. To Mr. LORD and all the others who served- thank you for doing your duty.
My Buddy was stationed in Alaska..........Told me the cold & darkness were unbearable .. he asked for Vietnam........an the Army helped him.. lol..
Great Interview salute all the veterans and the Interviewer
A tour in Vietnam 50 years ago was a wake up call for me - incoming was not always from the enemy.
Vietnam had a lot of friendly fire incidents.
@JOE SIX PACK a lot. There were thousands of suspected fragging incidents.
Could you share a few please? I’m so infatuated with fragging incidents.
@@fifthbeatle nothing specific but records were not kept until 69. There were 239 that year. 383 in 70, 331 in 71, and 52 in 72. I would like to add over 95% were in the rear where morale was in shambles. In the field you had to stay alert and ready to fight together. Grunts never really lost the morale as pointed out in a few studies. Google and you'll find anything to you want.
@@fifthbeatle one incident is the pulled a pin out of a grenade and placed on the COs bed. If he didn't comply a smoke bomb was thrown in. If he didn't get it together the grenade would've been tossed in his hooch.
I suspect the unit he was assigned to was part of the 198th brigade which I went over with. We were loaded on three different troop ships in California and sailed together to Nam arriving late sept or early oct.
He is so on spot about the 10 minute battles. The VC knew the soldiers would call in artillery as soon as the first shot was fired. So they had their escapes all planned ahead of time. Some boogied through the woods or jungle others had tunnels they slipped into.
I was assigned to artillery in the north country from Oct of 67-68. The units we covered for learned to give our fire direction control office general instructions of where they would be conducting search and destroy. So FDC always knew where they were. We shifted our artillery pieces several times a day so we could rapidly drop shells to protect the units within our reach. Our 155 mm howitzers had a range of 11 miles and was incredibly accurate. Even out to 11 miles we could consistently hit an area the size of an army blanket with those 97 pound shells. We would hear the mission come in to the radio room and run to the gun. A few seconds later we were given all the critical data, we got the gun set and loaded and stood by. Less then one minute from the time of the radio call, we were given the order to fire thereby cheating the VC of a full ten minute gun battle where they had our guys pinned down. Evidently we were making life miserable for the Cong, as they began dropping mortars and later rockets on us on a regular basis trying to make us keep our heads down while they were ambushing our units in the field. So our infantry began to send out small units that went into hiding around our perimeter. Their duty was to wait silently for the VC mortar crews and blast them before they could set up and hit us. That became a cat and mouse game for the VC and our infantry. It was a hard way to fight a sneaky war.
I want to add to his comments, Vietnam was not a civil war. The UN had established a north and south Vietnam with good reason. Ho Chi Minh announced his country would have a communist government. I suspect being so close to China he thought they might be nicer to him if he went communist. Many people left the north and settled in the south to avoid communism. They left behind everything they couldn't carry on their backs and had to start all over. The communists began attacking the south because they wanted to reunite both halves. So it might sound like a civil war. Problem with calling it a civil war is that millions had already voted NO with their feet when they migrated to the south. The US was asked to assist since Russia and China were both assisting the north. So the US soldiers were helping defend the people of the south from aggression. The communists used terror tactics to force the young men of the south to join them. They would threaten to kill parents or siblings and sometimes they did. My unit had an interpreter when we were at a base camp. He got stories from the local people about the attacks the VC made on the citizens. You must remember the communists are godless people who only believe in what's best for the country. They racked up war crimes as if there was no Geneva convention. So don't tell me we weren't fighting for freedom, it was for the south Vietnamese.
The domino effect. That didn't happen because Russia and China were almost broke when the war ended. They couldn't afford to finance any more expansion. They wanted to begin pouring money into their nuke programs to keep up with the US. The US troops performed exceptionally well. They were brave and served with honor. At least the ones I knew of and read about.
If you are a veteran of Nam, find out if your old unit has a web page and contact them. My unit started having reunions ten years ago and I'm so glad I started going to them. It was very therapeutic.
Thank you for your service and for your perspective on the War.
Thank you for your service, friend. Thank you for sharing, too that was an interesting read! I hope you and yours are safe and healthy, peace.
"I want to add to his comments, Vietnam was not a civil war. The UN had established a north and south Vietnam with good reason. Ho Chi Minh announced his country would have a communist government. I suspect being so close to China he thought they might be nicer to him if he went communist. Many people left the north and settled in the south to avoid communism. They left behind everything they couldn't carry on their backs and had to start all over. The communists began attacking the south because they wanted to reunite both halves."
Vietnam was partitionned as a mesure of transition following the war. The Geneva accord had a referendum planned for an eventual reunion of both state, but both the US and southern vietnam did not sign that part of the accord, fearing a very potential communist victory. Then, south vietnam became a massive unstable and dictarorial shitshow supported by the US, which spend most of his time fighting against North Vietnam's army and the FLN.
Saying it wasn't a civil war is like pretending the US won that war.
Nice work. People these days don’t get that the assistance to South Vietnam was utterly necessary; and the reality of so-called Domino theory could be seen by everyone as it played out in Europe.
Thank you!! You just taught me more about Vietnam than I ever learned in school!!
Thank you for your service.
Young men like these. I watched my dad suffer in silence. After making it, and his little brother didn't. His best friend. Called him his "shadow", "he followed me everywhere I went". To see men like these tell these hellacious things. The best of the best.
50 years to late but welcome home Bill and thank you for your service. I was drafted in ‘72 for Vietnam, didn’t serve in Vietnam but did get the backlash from the locals.
Sgt.Johnny R.Huff Sr. I served in Vietnam 1968 ,25th infantry Div. I was in heavy combat wounded sent home to a totally different country they throwed rocks and bottles, at us wounded on the bus we were taken to Walter Reed Military hospital. I was only 17 yrs old , I enlisted at 16 yrs old ,basically I grew up as a teenager in combat in Vietnam ! What a experience .
From my family thank you for your Service and sacrifice. Our Vietnam vets should be viewed with reverence.
Hang tough brother. You are and always will be appreciated.
Functional human being, intelligent, thoughtful respectful not being boastful but giving others praise, grasp the over all situation and predicament he we and our country had gotten into, thanks for your service in Vietnam and sharing your story you guy are belated heros.
Mr. Bill Lord....you are an Amazing Man !!
Thank you for your service ! 👍
Thank you for your service sir. My son has served as well as my father in two wars my dad was World War II and my son did Afghanistan in a wreck. I think it’s about time we don’t do that anymore. But thank you again for your service.
Just watching this in 21. MR. Bill is very articulate and genuine. I can't understand what he's been through. I hope he is doing well now
Excellent interview by this charming gentleman, very glad he made it home.
All the best from the U.K.
Guess that he just answered my question. I'm glad that he made it home in one piece and with a sound mine.
Thank you Bill for your service to our country,glad your doing well.
All of these interviews are a sincere treasure. We are so lucky that these veterans shared their stories and somebody else archived them for us to learn from. I haven't heard a veteran that I didn't think was a beautiful person, especially for the horror they witnessed.
I'm English and have an interest in Vietnam. All war on the ground must be terrifying but fighting in the jungle must be somewhere near the top. You might not see what kills you. Brave men indeed.
@1manuscriptman I can only imagine what it was like. You and your mates were/are brave men.
English... They love the idea of war.
@@wolfthequarrelsome504 an ignorant, sweeping and bizzare statement.
Vietnam wasn't all jungle fight. The biggest battles were in cities. Hue and Saigon at the Ted offensive, for example.
@@Tom-2142 There are a lot of know it alls around anymore. All mouth, no ears.
My old man was in the Berlin Brigade and meet a few prisoners in his time. I miss his stories RIP Dad.
Thank you for taking the time to do this. This is so important to our history. I served in the USMC. Thx
What a well spoken person. Amazing account. Just an average guy in remarkable circumstances.
I don't know if I would call this guy average, but i know what you mean.
Thank you for serving in the most difficult circumstances ...
That man should lead your country, never heard a vet saying we did the right thing and still you start wars
Extremely well spoken gentleman. Huge respect and admiration for him, his service and for seeing things with such clarity.
What a great interview, the man is well spoken and so humble. Thank you for your Service Sir.
Man the way he used his position to keep people alive be it frowned upon makes this guy stand up and a hero
Thank you, Bill Lord, for your service to our country both before and after the Vietnam War.
Thank you so much for your service. I appreciate it more than you know sir.
Bill, I have so many Vietnam vet friends telling me all kinds of stories, but your job as an ATO, saying you're pinned down is quite creative.
Good job! And thank you for your service.
Thank all of the vets on here and familys that have lost love ones thank you for your service ! I'm proud of all of you !!!!!!!!
This is amazing! We too have begun to interview Vietnam and Korean veterans to capture their stories and preserve their legacy. As we interview them we noticed that a lot of them had trouble transitioning back to civilian life due to the civilians constantly calling them Baby killers.
If interested watch our interviews and subscribe. We have just begun but hope to expand.
I will never understand how these guys got through this vietnam war! My dads friend went through it and told me some stories that blew my mind!
What a great man! Hearing how he would use his job as a radio man to kinda exaggerate the pressure they would be under is brilliant. So thoughtful and caring for his brothers! Just an incredible man!
Interesting, first hand accounts are invaluable in understanding the full history of war. Thank you for your service and writing your book!
Americas best young men served and died in Vietnam. God bless all those who died and may God keep them in his eternal peace.
God protected the innocent people that got bombed and and shot by the United States and thus they lost the war end of story
@@hectortas1 not sure what you mean
Somebody should have told him about protecting his stuff in water. I know the feeling. 5 of us came in the same day and were assigned to the same platoon. A platoon in 69 was not 32 plus men, more like 15 or 16. We were put on guard duty that night. We had no idea what was going on, who to call, what to do. The next morning we went on a patrol. We had no clue what was going on. We made it 10 minutes and got ambushed. Total chaos. 2 guys were killed and 2 wounded and they broke it off. I don't remember much of that 15 minutes, but I did what I was told to do. The next morning I was hit, RPG, and dusted off. Spent 11 days in the rear and sent back out. For the rest of the time I spent in the field, I helped the new guys all I could.
Was it really that chaotic? Not knowing exactly who was in charge or what you were supposed to be doing? Scary.
Plen122 It could be that chaotic. You can bet the old hands in his platoon didn’t even know Daniel’s name. He was just ‘Cherry’ one day, and gone the next. Thanks, Daniel for your service. Your quick wounding turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the men who came on after you.
AMERICAN GENERALS jeeeeeeeez
I don't wanna be an s**hole but looking at his subscriptions, he isn't a real vietnam vet.
I'm apologetic if I'm wrong but there are soooo many fakes out there, with precise military knowledge.
@@mattkaustickomments Well, after 7 months of extensive training I realized that I had no idea what to do on my first patrol. I was told where to walk in the column and that's it. No one said "if this happens, do this" or anything. I was left on my own. After about 10 minutes, wham! It seemed like they were shooting from everywhere. Again, no one came forward and told me what to do. So, I hit the ground like everyone else did. It was chaos. Lots of people were yelling but you couldn't hear anything and I had no idea where to shoot. No one in our training explained chaos or noise to us. You just did what seemed reasonable. I spent another 5 months or so in the field and vowed I would always help the new guys, and I did.
Thank you for your service. Greatly appreciate you sharing your story and experiences on behalf of those who did not survive.
The best interviews happen when the guest can just tell their story without interruption. The host did a great job by sitting back and listening.
This was a great video. I am a son of a father who was drafted in Vietnam. Never heard a word from him about it. I later joined the Marines and in 2003 went to Iraq. I have to read his book.
Mr Bill Lord. Thank you for this record! So amazing you are
There is no such thing as a typical Vietnam War experience. The specific year that you were there, the area you served in, the leadership of your unit, and other factors made every combat veteran’s experience unique.
Bill came home in the summer of 1968 before much of the nation turned its vitriol on the individual veterans. Things got worse for returning soldiers in the later years of the war.
Guys from the unit that I served with in Vietnam have been having reunions every year for nearly two decades. It is really fun to gather with guys who you experienced the war with. The personal bonding cannot be found among many other sorts of groups.
Mr Jim thanks for serving over in Vietnam. I believe that the more Vietnam vets I know and meet , make my service record more humble.
When do you guys meet at for these reunions you speak of? It would be my honor to meet all of you guys.
There is no greater honor in life , to me, then to meet a Vietnam Veteran. The War was the biggest bunch of Bullshit I have ever learned about .
Yet.. to those men who served , it was all Guts and Glory. Totally no objective other then to save their own lives and for those people on Vistnam ... that werre actually good people. Can imagine ever..... being able to rub elbows with someone during the day..... then that very night.... shoot at Them.
This country is pathetic as I see we have become the very thing that we have been fighting against for the past 50+ years ......... Communist . Our citizens are great and for the most part .....humble . But the Polticians and the laws they impose ... are becoming more and more corrupt and even more Greedy as each day passes.
And government. .. that constantly tells there citizens what we need to do and how we shall live ... to me ...is Communism . Where are our so -called 'freedoms" at now adays? And my biggest question is " How in the world can we call our selves United? "
We are anything but ....United . And if people can't see that.... they are truly blind . I see it every four years during 'election' night in Novembers. Pretty much 50 % red and 50 % Blue . Let's not forget --- every state has different laws they institute and follow. Shall I even say....whats the gas price in your state ?
THE MOST CORRECT ANSWER TO THAT IS ...... "Well, its different then it is in my state "
LoL when a country, which has definitely changed since the forning of the 13 colonies , claims to STILL BE UNITED..... starts meddling in other countries affairs... I can see why other countries laugh at us. We can't even get our name correct .
How bout we just call ourselves " Worlds Poiice" . Instead of USA. ?
Police are necessary.. absolutely. But not in all situations .
If someone wants to wear a helmet when on a motorcycle... fine. Don't fine the ones that don't want to wear one . Friggin ridiculous. They know the danger of riding a motorcycle surely. It should be there right, or ' freedom ' in choosing not to wear one or not.
If the government really feelsl the need to be protective of a motorcyclist and their safety ... then they need to be consistent and care about our soldiers and bring their asses home. No one abroad is endangering our soil.. so why go ruffle other countries feathers??
I believe that.....
And thank you so much for your service...
Thank you.
Thank you from germany for sharing your experience
Thank you so much for your service Bill, and your willingness to tell your story!
Very well interviewed and an excellent subject. Intelligent, engaging, and knowledgeable.
Why don't such people become teachers?
Good book, great interaction with his mom via letters. Funny back and forth about a “gourmet” care package she sent. Inexpensive on Amazon, buy it, well worth it.
I was too young to serve in Vietnam. However, I go out of my way to thank every single man or woman who has served. They are always gracious and I am so grateful for these people. It always makes me proud to hear their stories and to see what fantastic people they are, thanks to all who served.
Chickenhawk is one of the best books on the Vietnam War that I’ve ever read I highly recommend it to anyone looking at reading some Vietnam war history
This guy is great !! ,he just tells his story so well.It's so honest, and so,so entertaining.. Thanks for posting..
I like what he said about what he would do on the radio during the war to try to save his crew. I was in the Navy (persian gulf but never under fire), I used to pull the same type of stunts. Some people love you for it, others hate you for it, it was the best decision based on the options I had at the time, you know your putting your neck on the chopping block to the chain of command, but the command didn't have the real time info and eyes on the action to make the decisions you needed to.
So admirable what he did in Berlin, volunteering for Vietnam. I don't think I would have had the moral courage to do that.
Very likable guy. Good story. Thank you 🙏 for your service.
“I used my position to keep me and friends alive”
Respect sir.
Decades later and he knows more about real leadership than 90% of today’s NCO’s.
I could not hack the whole interview period. But God Bless the USA and God bless this man anybody that serves or woman that serves but God bless any man that serves USA...
“The principles of leadership”. Great statement. We could use more of that leadership in government today. Thank you for service Sir. Very insightful interview.
My dad was an rto in the Americal infantry. He was injured jumping from a huey in a hot landing zone with the radio on his back. Really interesting to hear a man talking about the same sort of thing.
I was a crew chief on the OH6A with 67v20 MOS and held a 67n20 MOS. I served with 1st Aviation in the Republic of Vietnam '68. These dudes talk about pilots, but not us crew chiefs. Funny as hell. Those grunts loved seeing us flying over them.