WEBVTT 00:00:16.010 --> 00:00:18.510 All across America and around the world, welcome 00:00:18.510 --> 00:00:22.890 to America's number one veterans program, the 00:00:22.890 --> 00:00:25.929 voice of Americans veterans, Veterans Radio. 00:00:26.609 --> 00:00:29.449 And now your host for today's program, former 00:00:29.449 --> 00:00:35.369 CB, July 66, Republic of Vietnam, Gary Lilly. 00:00:39.570 --> 00:00:42.909 Good morning, Bob. Representing the 101st Airborne, 00:00:43.109 --> 00:00:45.329 trained as a forward observer, put to work as 00:00:45.329 --> 00:00:50.130 a medic, it's the military way. Hoorah! Good 00:00:50.130 --> 00:00:52.630 morning to that thin green and blue line out 00:00:52.630 --> 00:00:54.549 there protecting us and the rest of the world. 00:00:54.950 --> 00:00:56.969 That's our military of today. You're doing a 00:00:56.969 --> 00:00:59.450 great job. We older veterans are proud of you. 00:00:59.990 --> 00:01:02.890 My veteran brothers and sisters, welcome home. 00:01:03.210 --> 00:01:06.030 And to you folks down under, thanks for listening 00:01:06.030 --> 00:01:09.019 in. And good morning America. Welcome to Veterans 00:01:09.019 --> 00:01:12.579 Radio. This is about our 270th. Over five years. 00:01:12.659 --> 00:01:15.920 How many programs, Bob? About 270, 275? Oh no, 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:19.040 we're over 300. Over 300? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm 00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:21.579 flys. I'm flys. It's beautiful. I love it. A 00:01:21.579 --> 00:01:27.159 lot of things. It's a great day for veterans 00:01:27.159 --> 00:01:30.140 and when you see a veteran, thank them. When 00:01:30.140 --> 00:01:33.959 you see somebody in a uniform, active duty military, 00:01:34.519 --> 00:01:39.019 thank them. and make it sincere. These people 00:01:39.019 --> 00:01:41.700 are good. You and I went up to Camp Grayling 00:01:41.700 --> 00:01:44.560 and watched them train the Michigan National 00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:47.439 Guard. You know, it has changed, not that my 00:01:47.439 --> 00:01:51.120 perspective hadn't been toward professional, 00:01:51.180 --> 00:01:54.560 but to see it firsthand and to watch the professional. 00:01:54.620 --> 00:01:58.420 I was looking at my photographs that I took there, 00:01:58.700 --> 00:02:01.760 and all the things that I saw reminded me, reminded 00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:04.599 me on how confident I felt being around those 00:02:04.599 --> 00:02:07.530 troops. how professional they were. America, 00:02:07.790 --> 00:02:10.590 you can rest easy and be comfortable. We're in 00:02:10.590 --> 00:02:14.530 good hands. Those troops today are superb. Well, 00:02:14.650 --> 00:02:16.949 what a great segue because I was watching television 00:02:16.949 --> 00:02:20.449 yesterday and, oh, I know, saw the movie Stripes. 00:02:20.930 --> 00:02:22.930 I'm telling you, folks, that's not the way it 00:02:22.930 --> 00:02:25.270 is. That's the Beatle Bailey Army. That certainly 00:02:25.270 --> 00:02:28.250 is not the way it is. The disrespect and all 00:02:28.250 --> 00:02:31.030 you veterans that are out there know that that 00:02:31.099 --> 00:02:35.539 Never ever ever happen at any of the repo stations 00:02:35.539 --> 00:02:38.960 absolutely never but now to see the soldiers 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:42.680 Being professional going out risking their lives 00:02:42.680 --> 00:02:46.599 risking their very selves For America and then 00:02:46.599 --> 00:02:49.860 seeing that kind of garbage on television If 00:02:49.860 --> 00:02:52.479 you get a chance write your station tell them 00:02:52.479 --> 00:02:54.439 what you feel about they don't need to show programs 00:02:54.439 --> 00:02:57.639 like that Hollywood ought to start making themselves 00:02:57.639 --> 00:03:01.370 because it would be more appropriate Our troops 00:03:01.370 --> 00:03:06.909 should not be mocked. When you take that oath, 00:03:06.930 --> 00:03:08.870 just signing a blank check, that includes your 00:03:08.870 --> 00:03:12.770 life. Who are we to mock them? I don't believe 00:03:12.770 --> 00:03:16.509 that that's really comedy or humor. It's sort 00:03:16.509 --> 00:03:27.909 of high school scatological. We can joke about 00:03:27.909 --> 00:03:31.430 ourselves, but not you. Not you. Exactly. So, 00:03:31.530 --> 00:03:35.389 anyway. What's going on over there in EMU? What's 00:03:35.389 --> 00:03:37.509 coming up? Well, there's another great segue 00:03:37.509 --> 00:03:39.789 I want to tell everybody about. September the 00:03:39.789 --> 00:03:42.569 5th. Saturday, September the 5th at Reinerson 00:03:42.569 --> 00:03:46.669 Stadium. It's going to be West Point versus the 00:03:46.669 --> 00:03:50.229 Eastern Michigan Eagles. Yes, a football game. 00:03:50.490 --> 00:03:52.729 kick off at seven o 'clock. And who's going to 00:03:52.729 --> 00:03:55.550 be there? We're going to be there and we're going 00:03:55.550 --> 00:03:59.110 to be doing a program. That's right. If you want 00:03:59.110 --> 00:04:02.069 to get yourself on Veterans Radio and be a part 00:04:02.069 --> 00:04:06.009 of this wonderful event, we have a hundred tickets 00:04:06.009 --> 00:04:09.750 to the tailgate party, hundred tickets. And we'd 00:04:09.750 --> 00:04:12.229 like you all who would be interested in going, 00:04:12.550 --> 00:04:17.490 starting with going onto our website, www .veteransradio 00:04:17.490 --> 00:04:20.879 .net. Be sure it's dot net. and email us, tell 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:23.560 us how many tickets you'd like. Tailgate party 00:04:23.560 --> 00:04:26.860 starts at four. There will be refreshments, there'll 00:04:26.860 --> 00:04:31.720 be hot dogs, hamburgers, tater chips, pop, water. 00:04:31.819 --> 00:04:35.019 Did I miss anything besides us? You missed priorities. 00:04:35.160 --> 00:04:37.319 Our priorities are going to be to the troops 00:04:37.319 --> 00:04:40.240 of today and their families and to hospitalized 00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:44.399 veterans, right? Yes. Parking, by the way, for 00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:46.300 the tailgate, which begins at four o 'clock. 00:04:46.360 --> 00:04:48.620 This is our tailgate. We're going to have a tent. 00:04:49.259 --> 00:04:51.939 As I said, the refreshments, et cetera, the parking 00:04:51.939 --> 00:04:55.639 is free. You'll be directed to parking. Admission 00:04:55.639 --> 00:04:58.379 to the tailgate is free for the veterans and 00:04:58.379 --> 00:05:02.180 their families. As I said, we have 100 tickets, 00:05:02.379 --> 00:05:05.399 100 tickets to give away, and we certainly like 00:05:05.399 --> 00:05:08.040 to give them away as soon as possible. Our program 00:05:08.040 --> 00:05:11.240 will be recording approximately 5 to 6 in the 00:05:11.240 --> 00:05:13.519 afternoon. Come on down and be a part of it. 00:05:13.899 --> 00:05:17.259 And if you happen to not be one of the first 00:05:17.259 --> 00:05:19.759 100... that we give away the tickets to, there's 00:05:19.759 --> 00:05:22.980 going to be a special price of $3 to get in the 00:05:22.980 --> 00:05:26.480 game and to be part of the tailgate. And every 00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:29.800 ticket that's sold as part of this particular 00:05:29.800 --> 00:05:34.660 project slash program, $1 will benefit the EMU 00:05:34.660 --> 00:05:37.579 ROTC program. So once again, we're going to be 00:05:37.579 --> 00:05:39.720 telling you lots about this Saturday, September 00:05:39.720 --> 00:05:42.779 5th, happens to be Labor Day weekend, right here 00:05:42.779 --> 00:05:46.529 in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The Army vs. Eastern 00:05:46.529 --> 00:05:48.990 Michigan. The Army Cadets. Eastern Michigan Eagles. 00:05:49.129 --> 00:05:52.670 Kickoff at 7 o 'clock. And we're going to have 00:05:52.670 --> 00:05:55.709 tailgate at 4. We'll be giving you more information. 00:05:56.350 --> 00:05:59.589 It's going to be fun. We got troops coming home 00:05:59.589 --> 00:06:03.389 today, do we? Yes, we do. Each week on Veterans. 00:06:03.430 --> 00:06:06.149 Thank you, Gary. Each week. Oh, I know. I'm shuffling 00:06:06.149 --> 00:06:08.329 papers there as we go along. Each week on Veterans 00:06:08.329 --> 00:06:11.430 Radio we welcome home servicemen and women who 00:06:11.430 --> 00:06:14.100 have been stationed around the world. in the 00:06:14.100 --> 00:06:21.680 service of our country. After a year overseas, 00:06:21.959 --> 00:06:25.279 Fort Benning, Georgia saw the 988th Military 00:06:25.279 --> 00:06:29.220 Company coming home. Approximately 50 soldiers 00:06:29.220 --> 00:06:32.420 with the 988th will return from Iraq and arrive 00:06:32.420 --> 00:06:35.920 at Fort Benning, Georgia. While deployed, the 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:38.939 988th mentored and trained Iraqi police force. 00:06:39.319 --> 00:06:41.579 This was the Military Police Company's third 00:06:41.579 --> 00:06:45.149 deployment. The company also spent six months 00:06:45.149 --> 00:06:49.610 in 2002 guarding prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, 00:06:50.329 --> 00:06:54.350 Cuba. Dateline, the Keystone State, the largest 00:06:54.350 --> 00:06:56.790 Pennsylvania National Guard contingent sent into 00:06:56.790 --> 00:07:00.050 combat since World War II, will stream home from 00:07:00.050 --> 00:07:03.629 Iraq one plane load at a time. Advanced elements 00:07:03.629 --> 00:07:07.589 of the 4 ,000 -member 56th Stryker Brigade combat 00:07:07.589 --> 00:07:10.670 team will start the homeward journey within days. 00:07:10.970 --> 00:07:13.709 The entire brigade should be back by late next 00:07:13.709 --> 00:07:17.209 month. Colonel Mark Ferraro said yesterday in 00:07:17.209 --> 00:07:21.509 an interview from Camp Tajid, northwest of Baghdad, 00:07:21.589 --> 00:07:25.829 said his troops, and I quote, have exceeded every 00:07:25.829 --> 00:07:29.069 expectation in carrying a heavy load of responsibility 00:07:29.069 --> 00:07:33.149 rarely given to a guard unit. That fits right 00:07:33.149 --> 00:07:35.329 in, Gary, what we talked about when we were covering 00:07:35.329 --> 00:07:37.589 the guard there at Graylands. Exactly. Isn't 00:07:37.589 --> 00:07:40.250 that something? Yep. Since late February, the 00:07:40.250 --> 00:07:42.790 56th has been in charge of security in a wide 00:07:42.790 --> 00:07:45.850 swath of territory northwest of Baghdad. They 00:07:45.850 --> 00:07:48.350 were working to put down a diminishing Iraqi 00:07:48.350 --> 00:07:51.209 insurgency. They also built up the capabilities 00:07:51.209 --> 00:07:54.889 of the Iraqi army and even expanded the electrical 00:07:54.889 --> 00:07:57.370 supply in the region. That's another thing, too. 00:07:57.370 --> 00:07:59.829 I wanted to point out this National Guard unit, 00:08:00.009 --> 00:08:01.990 the engineers, they're bringing electricity, 00:08:02.149 --> 00:08:04.970 bringing comfort back to civilians. Water, bringing 00:08:04.970 --> 00:08:09.910 water. Absolutely. Water. electricity. I'm going 00:08:09.910 --> 00:08:12.610 to further quote the Colonel, I think our major 00:08:12.610 --> 00:08:14.790 accomplishment is our partnership with the Iraqi 00:08:14.790 --> 00:08:19.069 Army. We have seen them grow in many areas. That's 00:08:19.069 --> 00:08:22.029 also good to hear, great stuff. The 56 is the 00:08:22.029 --> 00:08:24.629 only one of the Army's seven elite striker brigades 00:08:24.629 --> 00:08:27.610 to be contained within a guard division. The 00:08:27.610 --> 00:08:30.389 striker is a recent type of combat vehicle that 00:08:30.389 --> 00:08:33.029 looks like a tank but rolls on wheels instead 00:08:33.029 --> 00:08:35.470 of tracks. Once again the Colonel and I quote, 00:08:35.639 --> 00:08:37.980 I think we have proven the concept that a striker 00:08:37.980 --> 00:08:40.799 brigade can exist within the National Guard. 00:08:41.340 --> 00:08:44.460 Everybody's back home can be extremely proud 00:08:44.460 --> 00:08:49.940 of these soldiers. Duty, honor, country. The 00:08:49.940 --> 00:08:53.259 world is supported by four things only. The learning 00:08:53.259 --> 00:08:56.879 of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers 00:08:56.879 --> 00:09:00.519 of the righteous, the valor of the brave. To 00:09:00.519 --> 00:09:03.779 your own self be true. Medal of Honor recipient, 00:09:04.100 --> 00:09:09.730 Samuel Davis. 2001. Sammy, welcome to Veterans 00:09:09.730 --> 00:09:12.909 Radio. Thank you, sir. Good to join you. And 00:09:12.909 --> 00:09:16.330 I want to point out to people it is not a winner. 00:09:16.850 --> 00:09:19.049 You do not win the Medal of Honor. It was not 00:09:19.049 --> 00:09:21.889 a sporting contest. You are a recipient of the 00:09:21.889 --> 00:09:24.090 Medal of Honor. Is that right, Sammy? That's 00:09:24.090 --> 00:09:26.529 fact, sir. Yes, sir. That was pointed out to 00:09:26.529 --> 00:09:29.629 me one time and I have never forgotten it. A 00:09:29.629 --> 00:09:33.029 fellow from the Korean War who was awarded the 00:09:33.029 --> 00:09:35.259 Medal of Honor. I said that. I understand you 00:09:35.259 --> 00:09:38.039 won the Medal of Honor. He said, I was a recipient 00:09:38.039 --> 00:09:40.440 of the Medal of Honor, son. It was not a sporting 00:09:40.440 --> 00:09:47.860 contest. Yes, sir. Very true. Sam, you're from 00:09:47.860 --> 00:09:51.899 Kansas, aren't you? No, sir. I'm from Flat Rock, 00:09:51.899 --> 00:09:55.539 Illinois. Oh, really? Not far away from here. 00:09:56.019 --> 00:09:59.240 Not too far. You enlisted in the Army right out 00:09:59.240 --> 00:10:01.899 of high school? Yes, sir. I went to Vietnam on 00:10:01.899 --> 00:10:09.350 my senior trip. Some people go to Cancun. A lot 00:10:09.350 --> 00:10:13.049 of people don't realize this, but between two 00:10:13.049 --> 00:10:14.929 -thirds and three -quarters of those who served 00:10:14.929 --> 00:10:17.250 in Vietnam and closer to three -quarters were 00:10:17.250 --> 00:10:20.850 volunteers. The popular image is that everybody 00:10:20.850 --> 00:10:22.549 was dragged over there kicking and screaming. 00:10:25.169 --> 00:10:29.590 You were in the artillery. Your dad was in World 00:10:29.590 --> 00:10:31.950 War II, and so you volunteered for the artillery, 00:10:32.009 --> 00:10:34.529 did you? Yes, sir. I wanted to follow in my dad's 00:10:34.529 --> 00:10:39.750 footsteps. Where did he serve? In Korea, or excuse 00:10:39.750 --> 00:10:44.309 me, in Europe. World War II. What unit was he 00:10:44.309 --> 00:10:49.009 with, do you remember? What Army? No, sir, not 00:10:49.009 --> 00:10:51.610 at the moment. Okay, good. Listen, I should be 00:10:51.610 --> 00:10:56.350 calling you, sir. What are some of the honors 00:10:56.350 --> 00:10:58.629 that are extended to a Medal of Honor recipient, 00:10:59.870 --> 00:11:02.250 Sammy? Some of the honors that are extended to 00:11:02.250 --> 00:11:05.740 it? Well, it's obligations more than honors, 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:10.080 I believe. I have attended every presidential 00:11:10.080 --> 00:11:14.860 inauguration since Lyndon Johnson, and there 00:11:14.860 --> 00:11:17.840 again, it's not... Well, I guess it is an honor 00:11:17.840 --> 00:11:21.720 to attend, but they expect you to attend to represent 00:11:21.720 --> 00:11:24.740 We the People. That's how it was described by 00:11:24.740 --> 00:11:28.340 me many, many years ago by Eddie Rickenbacker, 00:11:28.340 --> 00:11:31.500 actually. Really? You miss him? Yes, sir. Oh, 00:11:31.860 --> 00:11:37.759 certainly, yes, sir. Does somebody in the military 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:41.340 salute the Medal of Honor? I don't remember that 00:11:41.340 --> 00:11:44.200 anymore. Even the President salutes the Medal 00:11:44.200 --> 00:11:48.440 of Honor first. Isn't that amazing? For people 00:11:48.440 --> 00:11:54.299 to get an idea of... Well, you're a part of a 00:11:54.299 --> 00:11:58.110 very select group of a very select group. What's 00:11:58.110 --> 00:12:01.210 the percentage of Medal of Honor recipients that 00:12:01.210 --> 00:12:05.549 receive it posthumously? Do you know that? Currently, 00:12:05.590 --> 00:12:09.149 I believe we have 98 living recipients, and there's 00:12:09.149 --> 00:12:15.710 been 3 ,470, I believe. Don't quote me exactly 00:12:15.710 --> 00:12:21.149 on that number, but there's been several received, 00:12:21.169 --> 00:12:23.950 but only 98 living. Right. Going back to the 00:12:23.950 --> 00:12:27.970 Civil War. In the Civil War, most of them were 00:12:27.970 --> 00:12:30.269 awarded for capturing the other side's flag, 00:12:31.330 --> 00:12:35.509 which was quite important, especially in those 00:12:35.509 --> 00:12:40.250 days. Do I remember right that over fifty percent 00:12:40.250 --> 00:12:43.129 of those awarded the Medal of Honor receive it 00:12:43.129 --> 00:12:45.970 posthumously? Well, at least that, yes, sir. 00:12:48.690 --> 00:12:52.269 Again, when I say that, you're part of an elite 00:12:52.269 --> 00:12:55.899 group of an elite group. a minority of an elite 00:12:55.899 --> 00:12:59.779 group. But tell us about, let's jump right into 00:12:59.779 --> 00:13:03.759 what happened. It was in, how do you pronounce 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:07.639 it, Keelai? What was the town that you were west 00:13:07.639 --> 00:13:10.940 of down in, you were in South Vietnam? Kailay. 00:13:11.320 --> 00:13:12.840 South of the most portion of Vietnam, down in 00:13:12.840 --> 00:13:15.759 Kailay, right off the Mekong River. And that's 00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:18.799 that far from the Cambodian border. You were 00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:23.330 with your artillery unit. As I read, 11 guns 00:13:23.330 --> 00:13:26.710 and 42 men were helicoptered into an area west 00:13:26.710 --> 00:13:30.909 of Kailay to set up a fire support base. How 00:13:30.909 --> 00:13:33.889 many of you all told were there at that fire 00:13:33.889 --> 00:13:39.789 support base? In our unit, there were 42. We 00:13:39.789 --> 00:13:44.269 only had four guns. D -Battery, which was the 00:13:44.269 --> 00:13:47.870 battery that they had devised these platforms 00:13:47.870 --> 00:13:53.240 that had hydraulic legs on them. and they moved 00:13:53.240 --> 00:13:59.679 in just off our port side and set them up in 00:13:59.679 --> 00:14:04.720 a rice paddy and now they were four or five hundred 00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:07.600 yards at least from us and then we were set up 00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:12.340 right on Riverbank and we had four 105 howitzers. 00:14:13.059 --> 00:14:18.120 How many men were there besides your 42? I didn't 00:14:18.120 --> 00:14:21.220 know how many was in B battery while we We had 00:14:21.220 --> 00:14:23.419 42 with us, that's what was running our guns. 00:14:25.399 --> 00:14:28.220 You started taking mortar fire, heavy mortar 00:14:28.220 --> 00:14:30.080 fire, about 2 in the morning, is that right? 00:14:30.259 --> 00:14:34.279 Yes, sir. And that was followed immediately or 00:14:34.279 --> 00:14:37.080 concurrently by an attack from the... At 2 .30 00:14:37.080 --> 00:14:39.879 exactly, the mortar stopped and the ground assault 00:14:39.879 --> 00:14:44.360 waves started. It was Viet Cong, and they were 00:14:44.360 --> 00:14:49.860 good fighters too. The NBA was... We were fighting 00:14:49.860 --> 00:14:52.559 two armies. Most people don't know that. We were 00:14:52.559 --> 00:14:55.000 fighting the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet 00:14:55.000 --> 00:14:58.700 Cong, which were the South Vietnamese guerrillas. 00:15:00.059 --> 00:15:04.899 How many hit you? Do you know? It was a reinforced 00:15:04.899 --> 00:15:09.019 heavy weapons battalion of NVA. I know it says 00:15:09.019 --> 00:15:12.960 in the citation that they were Viet Cong. You 00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:16.019 did not ever see 1 ,500 Viet Cong in one spot, 00:15:16.059 --> 00:15:19.200 all dressed in uniforms. That caught me by surprise, 00:15:19.480 --> 00:15:22.100 and I thought, well, there it is in writing, 00:15:22.360 --> 00:15:25.820 so they were NVA. Just politically expedient. 00:15:26.179 --> 00:15:29.940 It was not politically expedient in 1967 to admit 00:15:29.940 --> 00:15:32.779 that there were that many NVA in the southernmost 00:15:32.779 --> 00:15:37.399 portion of Vietnam. They became Viet Cong. Okay, 00:15:37.700 --> 00:15:43.360 that makes sense. Political correctness even 00:15:43.360 --> 00:15:45.860 then, or politics even then, not political correctness, 00:15:45.960 --> 00:15:51.679 but politics. We accounted for at least 20 red 00:15:51.679 --> 00:15:56.320 Chinese advisors. In that battle? Yes, sir. Okay, 00:15:56.320 --> 00:16:00.200 so you were hit by roughly how many North Vietnamese 00:16:00.200 --> 00:16:04.299 soldiers? Reinforced battalion, about 1 ,500. 00:16:04.679 --> 00:16:11.799 1 ,500. All attacking your battery of four guns 00:16:11.799 --> 00:16:16.620 and 42 men? Yes, sir. That's a fierce battle. 00:16:17.080 --> 00:16:19.899 Tell us what happened then. Where did they come 00:16:19.899 --> 00:16:21.440 from? Were they coming from the other side of 00:16:21.440 --> 00:16:25.519 the river or were they all around you? Originally 00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:27.860 they started from just across the river and then 00:16:27.860 --> 00:16:30.960 they started coming in from all sides. If it 00:16:30.960 --> 00:16:34.039 had not been for the Beehive round, which is 00:16:34.039 --> 00:16:36.240 a plachette round that the 105 Howitzer has, 00:16:37.080 --> 00:16:39.220 none of us would have been able to make it through. 00:16:39.299 --> 00:16:42.940 But the Beehive round accomplished its mission. 00:16:43.519 --> 00:16:46.860 For the folks out there that don't know what 00:16:46.860 --> 00:16:51.360 Sammy's talking about, there was a round that 00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:55.460 was similar to the grape shot of the Civil War 00:16:55.460 --> 00:16:59.100 days, except that it had 18 ,000 beehive darts 00:16:59.100 --> 00:17:01.679 in each shell, little darts. They're just little 00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:03.340 arrows is what they look like, got little fins 00:17:03.340 --> 00:17:06.740 on them and everything. Right, and the guns were, 00:17:06.740 --> 00:17:10.160 the barrels were lowered to horizontal position 00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:13.549 and fired directly into the into the enemy and 00:17:13.549 --> 00:17:19.589 they were destructive. Extremely destructive. 00:17:20.490 --> 00:17:24.349 How many rounds a minute could your guns fire 00:17:24.349 --> 00:17:28.009 doing that? I believe under sustained fire you 00:17:28.009 --> 00:17:32.869 can fire three a minute but when you're getting 00:17:32.869 --> 00:17:35.589 overrun by fifteen hundred of the enemy you don't 00:17:35.589 --> 00:17:38.150 pay a lot of attention to how many you're supposed 00:17:38.150 --> 00:17:40.369 to be able to fire a minute and you fire and 00:17:40.369 --> 00:17:44.039 load them as quick The adrenaline speeds up the 00:17:44.039 --> 00:17:46.500 process a little bit, I guess. Yes, sir. But 00:17:46.500 --> 00:17:51.279 you took over a machine gun at that point, did 00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:54.559 you, Matt? Yes, sir. That was what I grabbed 00:17:54.559 --> 00:17:57.619 the hold of first because they had hit my howitzer 00:17:57.619 --> 00:18:01.920 with a rocket and had blown it up and blown us 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:05.539 away from the gun. So my first response was, 00:18:05.799 --> 00:18:07.720 I've got to do something, so I grabbed the machine 00:18:07.720 --> 00:18:12.519 gun. ammunition for the machine gun. I fired 00:18:12.519 --> 00:18:16.140 my M16 until I ran out of bullets and the only 00:18:16.140 --> 00:18:18.759 thing left was the 105 howitzer that was all 00:18:18.759 --> 00:18:21.740 blown up and burning and I thought well maybe 00:18:21.740 --> 00:18:26.059 I can just get one round out of it. So I found 00:18:26.059 --> 00:18:28.619 the beehive round and assembled it and put it 00:18:28.619 --> 00:18:31.359 together and on the next mass assault wave I 00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:35.940 fired the beehive round and the howitzer came 00:18:35.940 --> 00:18:38.869 back over me. because the recoil mechanism was 00:18:38.869 --> 00:18:41.750 totally blown off of the weapon. So it ran over 00:18:41.750 --> 00:18:48.190 me, but it seemed that it had done its job. It 00:18:48.190 --> 00:18:51.490 had taken the brunt of the enemy and wiped them 00:18:51.490 --> 00:18:54.049 out. So I thought, well, maybe I can do one more 00:18:54.049 --> 00:18:56.509 round. So I didn't put quite as much powder in 00:18:56.509 --> 00:19:00.529 the succeeding rounds, and it worked much better. 00:19:04.910 --> 00:19:09.430 With guns of that size, you put in the projectile 00:19:09.430 --> 00:19:11.670 and then you put in bags of powder behind it, 00:19:11.670 --> 00:19:17.549 right? Yes, sir. So it's kind of amazing. I think 00:19:17.549 --> 00:19:21.750 the bags of powder are in strings of five bags 00:19:21.750 --> 00:19:24.230 and you cut off what you want to use and you 00:19:24.230 --> 00:19:26.849 discard the rest. In a 105 Howitzer, there are 00:19:26.849 --> 00:19:30.009 seven bags of powder sewn together on a cotton 00:19:30.009 --> 00:19:34.210 string. And it depends on how far you want to 00:19:34.210 --> 00:19:36.509 shoot. is how many bags of powder you put in. 00:19:36.970 --> 00:19:38.930 How many did you put in with that first round? 00:19:40.049 --> 00:19:43.269 Well, because I could not find any of the bags 00:19:43.269 --> 00:19:45.490 of powder, which that's the way we had been trained. 00:19:45.509 --> 00:19:49.250 I'd never put loose powder in. All of the powder 00:19:49.250 --> 00:19:54.049 had been hit by the bullets and the mortars, 00:19:54.069 --> 00:19:56.750 and there was no bags. It was just loose powder. 00:19:57.230 --> 00:19:59.470 So I was scooping it up, and the first round 00:19:59.470 --> 00:20:02.829 that I fired, I filled the canister full of loose 00:20:02.829 --> 00:20:06.039 powder, When you put the seven bags of powder 00:20:06.039 --> 00:20:09.140 in the canister, it does fill the canister, but 00:20:09.140 --> 00:20:11.359 there's a lot of air holes because of the bags. 00:20:11.960 --> 00:20:15.519 But when I filled it full, that's one of the 00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:18.660 reasons why it ran over me so aggressively. And 00:20:18.660 --> 00:20:21.180 later, Fort Stale, Oklahoma, the home of the 00:20:21.180 --> 00:20:24.299 artillery for the Army, said that, well, son, 00:20:24.420 --> 00:20:27.880 you probably fired a charge 20 in a cannon that 00:20:27.880 --> 00:20:31.079 in excellent condition, seven is a maximum charge. 00:20:31.599 --> 00:20:36.230 So that's why. The first round was a duel. I 00:20:36.230 --> 00:20:41.130 thought he fired out to the horizon. So you fired 00:20:41.130 --> 00:20:44.589 the second round and you kept on firing until 00:20:44.589 --> 00:20:49.349 you ran out of rounds, is that correct? Yes sir, 00:20:49.769 --> 00:20:52.390 I fired everything that I could find. And you 00:20:52.390 --> 00:20:55.450 ended up, what was the last one you fired? A 00:20:55.450 --> 00:20:59.210 propaganda round. So your last, this is almost 00:20:59.210 --> 00:21:02.420 like a The last round you fired was a bunch of 00:21:02.420 --> 00:21:07.079 leaflets? Yes, sir. Did it do anything? Most 00:21:07.079 --> 00:21:10.619 definitely. Changed the mind of some of them, 00:21:10.619 --> 00:21:13.420 I guess. I changed the mind of several of them, 00:21:13.420 --> 00:21:15.799 yes, sir. All right, so then when you ran out 00:21:15.799 --> 00:21:20.039 of ammunition for the howitzer, where was your 00:21:20.039 --> 00:21:21.839 crew at that point? You were the only one firing. 00:21:22.039 --> 00:21:25.400 Is that operating? Is that right? Yes, sir. What 00:21:25.400 --> 00:21:32.759 happened to your crew? Some had fallen back on 00:21:32.759 --> 00:21:40.240 one of the other guns to help them. In that extent 00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:43.640 of a combat situation, your world becomes very, 00:21:43.640 --> 00:21:46.940 very small. I know I thought that I was the only 00:21:46.940 --> 00:21:49.940 one left alive from my unit. I thought everybody 00:21:49.940 --> 00:21:52.740 else was gone. In talking with the other men 00:21:52.740 --> 00:21:56.319 the next morning, they were each concerned with 00:21:56.319 --> 00:22:00.549 their own small bit of the perimeter. You didn't 00:22:00.549 --> 00:22:02.390 have time to stand up and look around and say, 00:22:02.529 --> 00:22:04.549 well, I wonder what Sam's doing, or whatever. 00:22:04.869 --> 00:22:07.450 You were busy tending to business at your area. 00:22:07.970 --> 00:22:09.710 And that's what I was doing, and that's what 00:22:09.710 --> 00:22:11.950 they were doing. And the noise is ferocious? 00:22:12.369 --> 00:22:18.269 Oh, the noise is unreal. And they had tracers, 00:22:18.589 --> 00:22:22.029 right? Were they green? Well, their tracers were 00:22:22.029 --> 00:22:25.210 white, blue or green. Okay. And on which Communist 00:22:25.210 --> 00:22:27.990 nation was supporting that particular effort, 00:22:28.109 --> 00:22:30.779 and that night, It must have been well supported 00:22:30.779 --> 00:22:33.640 because we could see red, white, blue, green 00:22:33.640 --> 00:22:36.279 tracers going everywhere. The reds were ours. 00:22:36.539 --> 00:22:39.079 The reds were ours, right. I remember having 00:22:39.079 --> 00:22:43.099 a green tracer go by me one time, and I kind 00:22:43.099 --> 00:22:46.000 of was afraid to say that later on to people 00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:49.519 because I thought, well, tracers are red. And 00:22:49.519 --> 00:22:52.720 then I learned that that was one of their tracers. 00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:57.339 Yes, sir. Yeah. We didn't get shot at very often, 00:22:57.400 --> 00:23:06.539 thankfully. So, in a combat situation, it's kind 00:23:06.539 --> 00:23:10.920 of like controlled madness. And you guys were 00:23:10.920 --> 00:23:12.940 all doing... Not so controlled. What's that? 00:23:13.339 --> 00:23:15.700 Sometimes it's not so controlled. It's just madness. 00:23:16.279 --> 00:23:19.160 And you guys were just reacting to your training 00:23:19.160 --> 00:23:22.980 and the will to live. We were doing our job. 00:23:23.180 --> 00:23:25.720 Taking care of each other and doing our job. 00:23:26.079 --> 00:23:29.359 You know, I've said that more times on this program. 00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:32.420 Someday I'm going to figure out what that term, 00:23:32.779 --> 00:23:38.220 just doing our job, means. When it involves machine 00:23:38.220 --> 00:23:41.119 gun fire coming at you and doing the things that 00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:44.660 you guys do. I've heard more guys say, I was 00:23:44.660 --> 00:23:47.599 just doing my job. That really works my mind. 00:23:47.819 --> 00:23:50.200 I really want to tell you. You're taking care 00:23:50.200 --> 00:23:53.200 of your brother in the same manner that you would 00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:55.519 want them to take care of you. That is your job. 00:23:55.759 --> 00:24:00.700 There you go. The brother. The brother alongside 00:24:00.700 --> 00:24:02.160 of you. That's what you're fighting for, right? 00:24:03.140 --> 00:24:05.160 Sure. So then speaking of the brother alongside 00:24:05.160 --> 00:24:07.099 of you and taking care of your brother alongside 00:24:07.099 --> 00:24:09.900 of you, at some point you heard yelling from 00:24:09.900 --> 00:24:13.180 the other side of the river? Yes, sir. Gwindale 00:24:13.180 --> 00:24:16.220 Holloway stood up and said, don't shoot, I'm 00:24:16.220 --> 00:24:20.119 a GI. And I just was devastated to the fact that 00:24:20.119 --> 00:24:23.059 I'd been firing beehive all night at my brother. 00:24:24.480 --> 00:24:26.279 What were they doing on the other side of the 00:24:26.279 --> 00:24:29.519 river? They were with 50th to 60th recon. They 00:24:29.519 --> 00:24:32.880 had set up the perimeter around our fire support 00:24:32.880 --> 00:24:36.559 base. They were providing our security. So that's 00:24:36.559 --> 00:24:39.380 why they were over there. You weren't aware that 00:24:39.380 --> 00:24:41.619 they were over there? Yes, sir. We knew they 00:24:41.619 --> 00:24:44.819 were over there, but we had been told that when 00:24:44.819 --> 00:24:48.160 the enemy attacked us that all of our guys were 00:24:48.160 --> 00:24:52.680 back within our circle. Okay. So they started 00:24:52.680 --> 00:24:57.740 yelling, and what took place then? I had to go 00:24:57.740 --> 00:24:59.579 get them. You don't leave your brother across 00:24:59.579 --> 00:25:03.019 the river. You can't swim. So I devised a method 00:25:03.019 --> 00:25:05.420 to go get them, which by that point my body was 00:25:05.420 --> 00:25:10.299 in pretty sad shape. I'd been shot with bullets 00:25:10.299 --> 00:25:12.940 and beehives and had shrapnel wounds all over 00:25:12.940 --> 00:25:15.400 me. I thought, well, I'd better find a piece 00:25:15.400 --> 00:25:17.440 of an air mattress. So I found an air mattress 00:25:17.440 --> 00:25:21.369 and blew it up and tied it off. Closest to the 00:25:21.369 --> 00:25:23.910 blow up novel that I could that didn't have any 00:25:23.910 --> 00:25:26.190 bullet holes or any holes in it and sure enough 00:25:26.190 --> 00:25:28.490 I thought well that'll hold enough air to get 00:25:28.490 --> 00:25:31.430 me across the river and it did and I made my 00:25:31.430 --> 00:25:34.369 way to where I had last seen Gwendolyn standing 00:25:34.369 --> 00:25:37.430 wavy's boonie hat at me and when I reached that 00:25:37.430 --> 00:25:40.910 location there were two more men in a foxhole. 00:25:41.789 --> 00:25:43.869 So there were three guys instead of just one 00:25:43.869 --> 00:25:47.430 and it had taken me about 45 minutes to make 00:25:47.430 --> 00:25:50.519 my way across the river and then crawl up Through 00:25:50.519 --> 00:25:54.079 the jungle back to where I'd seen Wendell and 00:25:54.079 --> 00:25:56.960 I knew I didn't have the physical strength to 00:25:56.960 --> 00:26:00.099 Left to make three separate trips So I asked 00:26:00.099 --> 00:26:01.940 the man above to give me the strength to carry 00:26:01.940 --> 00:26:05.099 all three of my brothers at one time So the worst 00:26:05.099 --> 00:26:08.380 wounded Jim Deister Was shot right through the 00:26:08.380 --> 00:26:11.259 head. I picked him up and put him across my shoulders 00:26:11.259 --> 00:26:14.799 Billy Ray Crawford from Alvin, Texas picked up 00:26:14.799 --> 00:26:18.720 Billy Billy Ray now Billy Ray had lost I think 00:26:18.720 --> 00:26:24.539 it was his left leg, but Gwindale had put a tourniquet 00:26:24.539 --> 00:26:27.480 on it so he could still help. Gwindale had been 00:26:27.480 --> 00:26:30.720 shot in the back and had been shot in the head, 00:26:31.240 --> 00:26:33.500 or had a shrapnel wound in the head, but he was 00:26:33.500 --> 00:26:38.980 still doing okay. We all helped each other back 00:26:38.980 --> 00:26:40.740 across the battlefield until I got to the river, 00:26:40.759 --> 00:26:42.359 and then I started ferrying them back across 00:26:42.359 --> 00:26:45.420 one at a time. Now, did you take a weapon with 00:26:45.420 --> 00:26:48.259 you because I understand you stood up and fired 00:26:48.259 --> 00:26:52.240 into the jungle to suppress the enemy at that 00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:55.160 point? At that time, I did not have a weapon. 00:26:55.279 --> 00:26:57.460 I did not have any ammunition. It wasn't until 00:26:57.460 --> 00:27:00.779 I got to Gwindel's Foxhole. He still had three 00:27:00.779 --> 00:27:04.700 quips of ammunition left for his 16 because he 00:27:04.700 --> 00:27:08.009 didn't think it was too wise to... He is dead 00:27:08.009 --> 00:27:10.609 in the middle of 1500 NVA. He didn't think it 00:27:10.609 --> 00:27:13.069 was a good idea for one man to stand up and start 00:27:13.069 --> 00:27:15.450 shooting at him, so he was just trying to hide. 00:27:16.750 --> 00:27:19.029 You were exercising a little bit of common sense. 00:27:19.230 --> 00:27:23.349 Yes, sir. You were badly wounded. You had holes 00:27:23.349 --> 00:27:25.329 all over your body. You took an air mattress 00:27:25.329 --> 00:27:29.170 that had holes all over it, and you went across 00:27:29.170 --> 00:27:32.630 the river to retrieve these badly wounded guys, 00:27:32.789 --> 00:27:35.009 and on top of everything else, you can't swim. 00:27:35.699 --> 00:27:37.960 Oh, no, sir. I've always swam like a fish. It 00:27:37.960 --> 00:27:40.420 was just because my body was in bad shape that 00:27:40.420 --> 00:27:42.980 I couldn't swim. Okay, okay. I'd always heard 00:27:42.980 --> 00:27:45.559 you couldn't swim. Well, we heard. Unbelievable. 00:27:45.559 --> 00:27:48.039 I had an inability to swim. I believe in the 00:27:48.039 --> 00:27:51.160 citation, that's what it says. My inability to 00:27:51.160 --> 00:27:53.299 swim doesn't mean I didn't know how. It just 00:27:53.299 --> 00:27:55.079 means my body wasn't working good. All right. 00:27:55.339 --> 00:27:56.799 All right. You're listening to Veterans Radio. 00:27:56.920 --> 00:27:59.200 We're coming up on a break. We'll be right back. 00:28:04.460 --> 00:28:07.539 Staff Sergeant Rudolf De Villa landed at Enzio 00:28:07.539 --> 00:28:10.740 to little resistance, but that didn't last. Details 00:28:10.740 --> 00:28:14.019 after this. De Villa's unit moved quickly into 00:28:14.019 --> 00:28:16.680 a mountain pass leading to Rome. When the supply 00:28:16.680 --> 00:28:18.900 lines became overextended, they were ordered 00:28:18.900 --> 00:28:22.180 back to the beach. German artillery began firing 00:28:22.180 --> 00:28:24.420 down on the Americans, making Anzio a bloody 00:28:24.420 --> 00:28:27.460 battleground for weeks. On May 28th, Davila's 00:28:27.460 --> 00:28:29.660 squad had moved back into the mountains and was 00:28:29.660 --> 00:28:32.279 ambushed by Germans dug into high ground. Davila 00:28:32.279 --> 00:28:33.960 scrambled toward the crest of the hill, yelling 00:28:33.960 --> 00:28:35.779 for his men to follow, but they continued to 00:28:35.779 --> 00:28:37.940 hug the ground. He ordered them to pass him a 00:28:37.940 --> 00:28:40.579 tripod, machine gun, and ammunition. He assembled 00:28:40.579 --> 00:28:42.880 the weapon and raked the enemy position until 00:28:42.880 --> 00:28:45.839 he'd used up several 250 -round ammo containers. 00:28:46.119 --> 00:28:48.839 He jumped on a disabled tank to use the .50 caliper, 00:28:49.000 --> 00:29:13.960 but it had been re - We're back on Veterans Radio 00:29:13.960 --> 00:29:16.559 with Sammy Davis, Medal of Honor recipient for 00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:22.799 action in Vietnam. 31 March 2000, this email 00:29:22.799 --> 00:29:26.960 was sent by Jim Deaster. Hello, I tuned into 00:29:26.960 --> 00:29:29.539 your website on Sam at the advice of one of my 00:29:29.539 --> 00:29:32.519 friends. It is a very good website. I was the 00:29:32.519 --> 00:29:34.980 most seriously wounded soldier that he brought 00:29:34.980 --> 00:29:38.160 back across the river. Sam is one of the bravest 00:29:38.160 --> 00:29:40.839 individuals that I know, although he will only 00:29:40.839 --> 00:29:43.200 tell you that he was doing what was right. He 00:29:43.200 --> 00:29:46.680 has a lot of integrity. Thanks again, Jim Deaster, 00:29:46.960 --> 00:29:51.519 Salina, Kansas. So the one who was the most seriously 00:29:51.519 --> 00:29:56.039 wounded lived? Yes sir, he did. Thanks to you 00:29:56.039 --> 00:29:59.619 and the docs and the nurses, but thanks to you 00:29:59.619 --> 00:30:01.740 he got a chance to go to the docs and nurses. 00:30:02.519 --> 00:30:05.859 That's a fact, yes sir. Have you met Jim Deaster 00:30:05.859 --> 00:30:10.420 since the war? Oh, yes sir. We've definitely 00:30:10.420 --> 00:30:15.220 become brothers. We see each other a couple times 00:30:15.220 --> 00:30:19.640 a year, sometimes more often. What does it make 00:30:19.640 --> 00:30:23.319 you feel when you see him? Like seeing family? 00:30:24.319 --> 00:30:27.339 This May I was out in Stockton, California where 00:30:27.339 --> 00:30:29.839 Gwindale Holloway lives. I got to spend some 00:30:29.839 --> 00:30:32.019 time with Gwindale. I don't get to see him as 00:30:32.019 --> 00:30:36.660 often as I do Jim Deister, but it was good. One 00:30:36.660 --> 00:30:40.000 of the lieutenants that was across the river, 00:30:40.000 --> 00:30:41.740 he was the lieutenant in charge of the 5th or 00:30:41.740 --> 00:30:45.119 the 6th, Lee Alley from Wheatland, Wyoming. I 00:30:45.119 --> 00:30:51.380 get to see Lee. Every year or two anyway So all 00:30:51.380 --> 00:30:55.059 three of those men lived Say again all three 00:30:55.059 --> 00:30:58.759 of those men lived. Oh, yes, sir. No, sir. I 00:30:58.759 --> 00:31:02.039 apologize Lee was not one of the three men that 00:31:02.039 --> 00:31:04.500 I swim across the river for Lee was their commander 00:31:04.500 --> 00:31:07.599 Okay, and he survived no sir Billy Ray Crawford 00:31:07.599 --> 00:31:11.660 from Alvin, Texas did not Survive the people 00:31:11.660 --> 00:31:14.259 he survived the war. He did not survive the peace 00:31:14.259 --> 00:31:17.809 he came home and He self -medicated himself. 00:31:19.470 --> 00:31:22.569 He was a black man from Alvin, Texas. He had 00:31:22.569 --> 00:31:27.769 come home a disabled veteran. I would call down 00:31:27.769 --> 00:31:29.410 and talk to him and he would say, �Yeah, Sam, 00:31:29.410 --> 00:31:32.750 everything is doing good.� It wasn't until later 00:31:32.750 --> 00:31:34.690 that I found out that things weren't doing that 00:31:34.690 --> 00:31:48.329 good. You got all three of them across at the 00:31:48.329 --> 00:31:52.210 same time? No, sir. I carried Jim Deister across 00:31:52.210 --> 00:31:57.710 first, and then when I got to our bank, Bill 00:31:57.710 --> 00:32:00.890 Murray and Frank Gage jumped in the river and 00:32:00.890 --> 00:32:03.490 helped get Jim Deister up out of the water, and 00:32:03.490 --> 00:32:06.589 then I immediately went back across. Gwindel 00:32:06.589 --> 00:32:10.769 and Billy Ray could both hold on to the air mattress, 00:32:10.809 --> 00:32:12.789 so my job was somewhat easier and I frayed them 00:32:12.789 --> 00:32:15.099 back across, and then once again, Bill Murray 00:32:15.099 --> 00:32:18.000 from the North Carolina and Frank Gage from Buffalo, 00:32:18.099 --> 00:32:22.740 New York helped get them out and got us all squared 00:32:22.740 --> 00:32:26.359 away and we kind of took care of each other medically 00:32:26.359 --> 00:32:30.380 and then that's when I decided I'd try to crawl 00:32:30.380 --> 00:32:33.559 on back and help one of the other artillery pieces 00:32:33.559 --> 00:32:35.420 that was still firing. So that's what I did. 00:32:35.460 --> 00:32:41.180 I couldn't do much but I did help. Okay, you 00:32:41.180 --> 00:32:43.500 were full of holes. You rescued three guys. You 00:32:43.500 --> 00:32:47.180 went across that river a couple of times. You 00:32:47.180 --> 00:32:49.460 stood up and fired on the other side of the river. 00:32:50.059 --> 00:32:51.940 All this time the attack was still going on, 00:32:52.039 --> 00:32:54.319 is that right? Oh, certainly, yes, sir. Well, 00:32:54.460 --> 00:32:56.220 you wouldn't have had to go help the other artillery 00:32:56.220 --> 00:32:59.859 crew if it wasn't. How long did that attack last, 00:33:00.099 --> 00:33:03.500 Sammy? They didn't break contact until about 00:33:03.500 --> 00:33:07.230 8 o 'clock in the morning. As I recall and I 00:33:07.230 --> 00:33:09.009 believe by nine o 'clock we were starting to 00:33:09.009 --> 00:33:12.690 get dust -offs in and so we had to do triage 00:33:12.690 --> 00:33:16.289 you know as kids with absolutely no medical experience 00:33:16.289 --> 00:33:20.710 we had to evaluate Who's going to live if they 00:33:20.710 --> 00:33:23.990 got medical treatment right now, and that's that's 00:33:23.990 --> 00:33:26.809 one of my nightmares Did I make the right decisions? 00:33:28.130 --> 00:33:31.990 How old were you? I had just turned 21 years 00:33:31.990 --> 00:33:37.799 old just a few days before that night awesome 00:33:37.799 --> 00:33:41.220 responsibilities and experience that our young 00:33:41.220 --> 00:33:45.240 people carried out in those days and still do. 00:33:46.460 --> 00:33:50.079 I think we're a little bit younger than the troops 00:33:50.079 --> 00:33:53.539 today with the all -volunteer army. It's hard 00:33:53.539 --> 00:33:57.839 for me to imagine looking at young people today. 00:33:58.200 --> 00:34:00.700 I hear a lot of guys say, I look at my son and 00:34:00.700 --> 00:34:04.240 I think, I was killing bad guys at that age or 00:34:04.240 --> 00:34:08.199 carrying an M16 at that age. I remember looking 00:34:08.199 --> 00:34:11.639 around at the... Well, I was old. I was 25. My 00:34:11.639 --> 00:34:14.079 squad leader was 25, but nobody else in the squad 00:34:14.079 --> 00:34:16.980 was old enough to drink. Go through a war and 00:34:16.980 --> 00:34:18.980 come back and you're not even old enough to drink. 00:34:19.480 --> 00:34:21.840 And in those days, not old enough to vote. My 00:34:21.840 --> 00:34:24.760 Sergeant, James Gant, he was an old man. He had 00:34:24.760 --> 00:34:27.840 been in the Army all of his life and he was 27. 00:34:32.219 --> 00:34:35.179 I'm going to skip around a little bit right now. 00:34:35.940 --> 00:34:38.519 You played the harmonica over there. Yes sir, 00:34:38.579 --> 00:34:40.079 that's where I learned how to play the harmonica. 00:34:40.199 --> 00:34:43.619 My mother had sent me one because of the letters 00:34:43.619 --> 00:34:48.079 that I was writing home. I didn't want to worry 00:34:48.079 --> 00:34:51.199 mom so I would write about the beautiful sunrises 00:34:51.199 --> 00:34:54.059 and the beautiful sunsets and how the mud smelled 00:34:54.059 --> 00:34:58.199 and what she thought was that I was bored. So 00:34:58.199 --> 00:35:02.989 she sent me a harmonica. I hope this helps you 00:35:02.989 --> 00:35:05.389 be not quite so bored. That note should still 00:35:05.389 --> 00:35:07.929 be on the original harmonica in the Medal of 00:35:07.929 --> 00:35:10.130 Honor Museum at Patriot's Point, South Carolina. 00:35:10.789 --> 00:35:15.349 Is that right? Well, I remember with my folks, 00:35:15.889 --> 00:35:18.949 I would ask for socks in every letter that I 00:35:18.949 --> 00:35:20.889 wrote home and years later, my dad said, well, 00:35:20.949 --> 00:35:22.989 you know, we were always asking if you needed 00:35:22.989 --> 00:35:24.849 anything, but you never needed anything. And 00:35:24.849 --> 00:35:26.670 I said, well, that's not true. I asked you for 00:35:26.670 --> 00:35:29.340 socks. Every letter I sent home he said, ìYeah, 00:35:29.360 --> 00:35:31.199 we saw that, but we figured if you wanted socks, 00:35:31.260 --> 00:35:36.159 why didnít you just go buy some ?î People donít 00:35:36.159 --> 00:35:42.559 understand. No, thankfully. You had a sergeant 00:35:42.559 --> 00:35:47.019 that asked you to learn to play Shenandoah. Yes, 00:35:47.019 --> 00:35:50.460 sir. Johnston had done a lot. What would he say 00:35:50.460 --> 00:35:53.519 to you when he would walk past? He would say, 00:35:53.519 --> 00:35:56.280 ìPlay it again, Sam .î So he would sit down. 00:35:56.300 --> 00:35:59.219 John and I went through basic training together. 00:35:59.239 --> 00:36:02.119 He was prior service. So immediately out of basic 00:36:02.119 --> 00:36:05.739 training he made E -5. And then in Vietnam we 00:36:05.739 --> 00:36:09.380 met up again and he was with the 5th Cav, 9th 00:36:09.380 --> 00:36:14.500 Infantry Division. And John was the one going 00:36:14.500 --> 00:36:16.619 out and gathering the intelligence that would 00:36:16.619 --> 00:36:20.219 ultimately end up sending us to a certain location 00:36:20.219 --> 00:36:24.219 because the enemy was there. So John would come 00:36:24.219 --> 00:36:29.440 into our perimeter and find me and say, Sam, 00:36:29.480 --> 00:36:31.539 play it for me. So I would sit there and I would 00:36:31.539 --> 00:36:33.840 play Shenandoah. John was from New York, Avery, 00:36:33.840 --> 00:36:36.579 New York as I recall, and he would drive down 00:36:36.579 --> 00:36:38.960 to the Shenandoah River Valley when he was a 00:36:38.960 --> 00:36:42.940 young man and sit on this same rock and hang 00:36:42.940 --> 00:36:45.039 his feet over the ledge and look down into the 00:36:45.039 --> 00:36:46.820 water below and he said, Sam, you can see trout 00:36:46.820 --> 00:36:48.980 this big. And the water was just so clean and 00:36:48.980 --> 00:36:52.719 clear. And he would mention the soft hint of 00:36:52.719 --> 00:36:55.500 pine. He says, not real strong, but just a soft 00:36:55.500 --> 00:36:58.619 hint of pine and always the cool breeze and that's 00:36:58.619 --> 00:37:01.719 where I go in my heart when I want to relax. 00:37:02.019 --> 00:37:04.320 And when you play the song Shenandoah in your 00:37:04.320 --> 00:37:06.800 harmonica, it helps my heart get there quicker. 00:37:08.599 --> 00:37:12.019 We're awfully lonesome days and what happened 00:37:12.019 --> 00:37:18.679 to John? Johnston was killed in Vietnam. So many 00:37:18.679 --> 00:37:24.639 good people. Is there anything else you wanted 00:37:24.639 --> 00:37:27.320 to say about the battle that took place in the 00:37:27.320 --> 00:37:29.099 last two and a half minutes of this segment? 00:37:29.440 --> 00:37:31.760 Although I am the one that received the Medal 00:37:31.760 --> 00:37:34.980 of Honor, I think it's so unfair to the rest 00:37:34.980 --> 00:37:37.940 of the men that were there that night. Because 00:37:37.940 --> 00:37:42.000 if one Medal of Honor was awarded, they all deserved 00:37:42.000 --> 00:37:44.219 a Medal of Honor because we all took care of 00:37:44.219 --> 00:37:48.119 each other. We all did what we had to do in our 00:37:48.119 --> 00:37:51.769 immediate area to take care of each other. I 00:37:51.769 --> 00:37:55.070 don't know why. Of course it was the other 11 00:37:55.070 --> 00:37:59.489 men that put me in for the Medal of Honor. But 00:37:59.489 --> 00:38:01.230 I think they all should have the Medal of Honor. 00:38:01.349 --> 00:38:03.130 I think Lee Alley should have the Medal of Honor. 00:38:04.550 --> 00:38:07.110 They all earned it. If I earned it, they earned 00:38:07.110 --> 00:38:09.030 it because we were all doing the same thing. 00:38:10.730 --> 00:38:13.070 But you must have done a little bit different 00:38:13.070 --> 00:38:16.570 if the men that you were with put you in for 00:38:16.570 --> 00:38:21.099 the Medal of Honor. Well, yes sir. You guess 00:38:21.099 --> 00:38:25.219 you did, huh? I deeply appreciated their belief 00:38:25.219 --> 00:38:28.599 in me. You were told that you were going back 00:38:28.599 --> 00:38:31.739 to the United States, is that right? When I woke 00:38:31.739 --> 00:38:34.159 up in the hospital in Yokohama, Japan, yesterday 00:38:34.159 --> 00:38:35.659 they told me they were going to send me home 00:38:35.659 --> 00:38:37.880 and retire me from the Army because of my injuries. 00:38:38.739 --> 00:38:40.739 I told them I didn't want to go home, I didn't 00:38:40.739 --> 00:38:42.400 want to retire from the Army. I wanted to go 00:38:42.400 --> 00:38:46.000 back to Vietnam and be with my brothers. General 00:38:46.000 --> 00:38:48.639 Westmoreland had just given me a pair of boots 00:38:48.639 --> 00:38:52.949 a few weeks before. for that night. And that's 00:38:52.949 --> 00:38:55.050 what I was basing this great friendship between 00:38:55.050 --> 00:38:57.190 General Westmoreland and I on at that time. And 00:38:57.190 --> 00:38:58.690 I told them, I said, General Westmoreland and 00:38:58.690 --> 00:39:00.449 I are close friends. You call him, he won't send 00:39:00.449 --> 00:39:05.170 me home. Well, they did. And Westy called back 00:39:05.170 --> 00:39:07.449 and they came on a stretcher and carried me down 00:39:07.449 --> 00:39:10.110 to the colonel's office. And I spoke to Westmoreland 00:39:10.110 --> 00:39:12.110 and he kind of let me ramble on for a little 00:39:12.110 --> 00:39:13.909 while. And then he said, well son, what is it 00:39:13.909 --> 00:39:15.849 that I can do for you? And I explained to him, 00:39:15.929 --> 00:39:17.559 I said, well sir, they're going to send me home 00:39:17.559 --> 00:39:19.119 and retire me from the Army and I just want to 00:39:19.119 --> 00:39:21.340 go back to Vietnam and be with my brothers. And 00:39:21.340 --> 00:39:23.460 he said, well son, let me talk to your Colonel. 00:39:23.639 --> 00:39:25.380 We'll see if we can do that. And I got to go 00:39:25.380 --> 00:39:28.119 back to Vietnam and I spent my remaining tour 00:39:28.119 --> 00:39:31.440 with my guys. What do you think of General Westmoreland? 00:39:32.519 --> 00:39:36.800 He was a friend, a confidant. He treated me like 00:39:36.800 --> 00:39:42.159 a son and I loved him like a father. He had a 00:39:42.159 --> 00:39:45.820 hard job and there's a lot of Vietnam vets that 00:39:45.820 --> 00:39:48.170 are You know, I think it's natural you're going 00:39:48.170 --> 00:39:51.309 to the guy on top, you know He takes the blame 00:39:51.309 --> 00:39:53.750 and he takes the credit but when you're on the 00:39:53.750 --> 00:39:55.630 bottom, it's the blame when you're on the top 00:39:55.630 --> 00:39:58.489 I guess it's the credit but he was well loved 00:39:58.489 --> 00:40:01.750 to stay by the troops We're coming up on a break 00:40:01.750 --> 00:40:04.389 and we'll be right back with our last segment 00:40:04.389 --> 00:40:07.769 We're back on veterans radio with Sammy Davis 00:40:07.769 --> 00:40:12.210 the a Medal of Honor recipient from the Vietnam 00:40:12.210 --> 00:40:18.070 War amazing story Anyone that won, anybody that 00:40:18.070 --> 00:40:20.050 received the Medal of Honor, it's an amazing 00:40:20.050 --> 00:40:24.650 story. I've met a few. Did you ever meet Roy 00:40:24.650 --> 00:40:28.210 Benavides, Sammy? Certainly, yes sir. Roy and 00:40:28.210 --> 00:40:34.309 I went on several speaking tours together. I've 00:40:34.309 --> 00:40:37.329 always pictured a Medal of Honor recipient as 00:40:37.329 --> 00:40:40.809 this giant of a man. Boy, I met Roy and he didn't 00:40:40.809 --> 00:40:43.929 come up to my shoulders. But he was a giant of 00:40:43.929 --> 00:40:47.760 a man. There you go. I guess it's how tall you 00:40:47.760 --> 00:40:52.320 are inside your insides. It's your heart. Yes, 00:40:52.360 --> 00:40:57.099 sir. Yep. Westmoreland, going back to him, I 00:40:57.099 --> 00:40:59.579 just wanted to make a comment after the comments 00:40:59.579 --> 00:41:02.159 I made before. Pretty interesting. I've heard 00:41:02.159 --> 00:41:06.019 from people that knew General Westmoreland that 00:41:06.019 --> 00:41:08.780 even though he served in World War II Korea and 00:41:08.780 --> 00:41:11.599 Vietnam, he always considered himself a Vietnam 00:41:11.599 --> 00:41:16.079 vet. Yes, sir. And I guess we were his boys. 00:41:16.579 --> 00:41:20.219 Another thing about the man that you rescued 00:41:20.219 --> 00:41:23.920 who later on committed suicide, I guess, whether 00:41:23.920 --> 00:41:27.179 it was the slow or the fast method, society, 00:41:27.719 --> 00:41:30.719 it's up to you to help these people coming home 00:41:30.719 --> 00:41:33.760 from war to heal. And we've got people coming 00:41:33.760 --> 00:41:36.980 home from war right now, and one of the things 00:41:36.980 --> 00:41:39.880 that helps them heal is simply saying thank you 00:41:39.880 --> 00:41:42.880 for the job you've done. And that way you know... 00:41:43.639 --> 00:41:45.980 It wasn't just in vain that there are people 00:41:45.980 --> 00:41:48.500 who appreciate it. Yes sir, it's important that 00:41:48.500 --> 00:41:51.000 we get them to talk about it. Because one of 00:41:51.000 --> 00:41:54.199 the mistakes that was made with the Vietnam veterans, 00:41:54.260 --> 00:41:56.840 I remember the VA telling me to just forget about 00:41:56.840 --> 00:41:59.380 it. It wasn't important. And because I could 00:41:59.380 --> 00:42:01.480 not forget about it, I thought I was defective. 00:42:01.599 --> 00:42:03.619 I thought I was crazy. And when you think you're 00:42:03.619 --> 00:42:07.400 crazy, you will do crazy things. So let's circumvent 00:42:07.400 --> 00:42:10.780 all these problems and let our kids coming home 00:42:10.780 --> 00:42:13.510 today know that It is okay to talk about it. 00:42:13.650 --> 00:42:16.070 In fact, we need to talk about it so we can move 00:42:16.070 --> 00:42:18.510 it from in front of us and put it beside us. 00:42:18.949 --> 00:42:20.949 Because you will carry it with you all of your 00:42:20.949 --> 00:42:23.010 life, but you don't want it to be in front of 00:42:23.010 --> 00:42:25.949 you to keep you from going forward. You want 00:42:25.949 --> 00:42:28.110 it beside you so you can drag it with you because 00:42:28.110 --> 00:42:29.909 you do indeed drag it with you everywhere you 00:42:29.909 --> 00:42:32.849 go. It is with you every day of your life. And 00:42:32.849 --> 00:42:34.949 the funny thing about it is, I don't know if 00:42:34.949 --> 00:42:39.880 you've noticed it, but the word Vietnam comes 00:42:39.880 --> 00:42:42.739 to me every day in my life, whether it's somebody 00:42:42.739 --> 00:42:45.139 making a comment, whether it's somebody on the 00:42:45.139 --> 00:42:48.659 radio or a movie or in the newspaper, the word 00:42:48.659 --> 00:42:54.920 Vietnam is always there. It'll leap out at us 00:42:54.920 --> 00:42:57.659 like a mountain, whereas nobody else will even 00:42:57.659 --> 00:43:00.960 notice it. When I talk to kids in high school, 00:43:01.019 --> 00:43:03.340 I say when you meet somebody coming home, a troop 00:43:03.340 --> 00:43:05.659 coming home from the war, there are two words 00:43:05.659 --> 00:43:10.460 that you use. Thank you. That's fact we've got 00:43:10.460 --> 00:43:13.400 I believe Monday the 333rd MPs out of Freeport, 00:43:13.480 --> 00:43:16.239 Illinois is coming home And I hope to be able 00:43:16.239 --> 00:43:19.119 to go up and give each one of them a hearty welcome 00:43:19.119 --> 00:43:21.119 and a hug tell them I love them. I'm proud of 00:43:21.119 --> 00:43:25.420 them That yeah, I get chills even thinking about 00:43:25.420 --> 00:43:28.500 that you've you've stayed pretty close to the 00:43:28.500 --> 00:43:32.360 troops you did a Tour over in the Balkans in 00:43:32.360 --> 00:43:36.860 2000 to remember that Yes, sir I told as many 00:43:36.860 --> 00:43:39.079 as I could how proud I was of them and gave them 00:43:39.079 --> 00:43:41.539 a hug. I just did for them what I would have 00:43:41.539 --> 00:43:43.699 wanted someone to do for me when I came home 00:43:43.699 --> 00:43:48.039 from Vietnam. What precipitated that tour and 00:43:48.039 --> 00:43:52.340 what brought it about? Secretary of Defense Bill 00:43:52.340 --> 00:43:56.320 Cohen asked me if I wanted to go over and I said, 00:43:56.500 --> 00:44:03.780 well, of course, and he made it happen. You were 00:44:03.780 --> 00:44:07.900 also a Navy SEAL scout. Sniper graduation class 00:44:07.900 --> 00:44:11.340 in February of 2002. Yes, sir. I have had the 00:44:11.340 --> 00:44:15.219 privilege of addressing every graduating class 00:44:15.219 --> 00:44:20.840 since the late 90s. I found this kind of interesting. 00:44:21.579 --> 00:44:24.760 You were with them on Friday. They had the graduation 00:44:24.760 --> 00:44:29.760 party then. You were with them Saturday. And 00:44:29.760 --> 00:44:32.039 you said that, well, I guess on Friday, we sat 00:44:32.039 --> 00:44:35.119 up until 2 .30 a .m. Sunday morning talking. 00:44:35.309 --> 00:44:38.929 and I tried to answer their questions. I really 00:44:38.929 --> 00:44:41.469 got to know them on a personal level, and this 00:44:41.469 --> 00:44:46.949 is the one thing that really made me smile. They 00:44:46.949 --> 00:44:49.489 were asking you questions that they were too 00:44:49.489 --> 00:44:53.889 shy to ask you earlier. It's hard to imagine 00:44:53.889 --> 00:44:59.570 Navy SEALs, scout snipers, being shy. They're 00:44:59.570 --> 00:45:04.320 just good kids. But they are kids. There was 00:45:04.320 --> 00:45:07.739 a great story about the SEALs. I don't remember 00:45:07.739 --> 00:45:09.760 if it was the Gulf War or this current war where 00:45:09.760 --> 00:45:13.460 they had to go in and take some platforms. It 00:45:13.460 --> 00:45:15.880 had to be this war because they were afraid that 00:45:15.880 --> 00:45:18.119 Saddam Hussein was going to blow up the platforms, 00:45:18.300 --> 00:45:21.380 the oil platforms out in the sea. They sent SEALs 00:45:21.380 --> 00:45:25.579 in there and they captured the platforms without 00:45:25.579 --> 00:45:31.079 the platforms being blown up. The Navy officer 00:45:31.079 --> 00:45:33.360 giving the briefing to the media, somebody asked 00:45:33.360 --> 00:45:35.619 him, How were they able to do that? And the guy 00:45:35.619 --> 00:45:37.760 stopped and with a puzzled look in his face, 00:45:37.880 --> 00:45:39.460 he said, what kind of a question is that? And 00:45:39.460 --> 00:45:42.659 he said, gentlemen, you have to understand, these 00:45:42.659 --> 00:45:48.300 are Olympic class athletes with guns. Most indeed. 00:45:52.019 --> 00:45:53.960 We've got about three and a half minutes left. 00:45:55.199 --> 00:46:00.739 What would you like to talk about? What would 00:46:00.739 --> 00:46:02.679 I like to talk about? I'd like to talk about 00:46:02.679 --> 00:46:06.440 our kids coming home, our troops. Sometimes when 00:46:06.440 --> 00:46:08.880 you call them kids they become offended and I 00:46:08.880 --> 00:46:11.739 don't mean that in an offensive way because they 00:46:11.739 --> 00:46:17.159 are my kids, all of them are my kids. The duty, 00:46:17.340 --> 00:46:19.840 honor, country that's in the heart of all those 00:46:19.840 --> 00:46:22.280 young men and women that are serving and have 00:46:22.280 --> 00:46:25.539 served over there is just most excellent. The 00:46:25.539 --> 00:46:29.159 highest praise goes to them. You know, you were 00:46:29.159 --> 00:46:32.659 mentioned on an earlier program on Veterans Radio. 00:46:32.780 --> 00:46:36.139 It was something about the ethics of war. I can't 00:46:36.139 --> 00:46:39.900 remember it. An officer, a female officer from 00:46:39.900 --> 00:46:43.000 the Naval War College said that one of her most 00:46:43.000 --> 00:46:46.199 memorable moments was when you spoke to one of 00:46:46.199 --> 00:46:49.420 the classes and you said, an officer's duty is 00:46:49.420 --> 00:46:51.820 to see that his men don't lose their humanity. 00:46:52.699 --> 00:47:01.159 Yes, sir. True to our own hearts. You have a 00:47:01.159 --> 00:47:03.539 friend and I have a friend named Michael J. Martin 00:47:03.539 --> 00:47:06.099 and he said to me one time in talking about me 00:47:06.099 --> 00:47:10.079 life which was his unit a year earlier and he 00:47:10.079 --> 00:47:12.659 said I can understand the rage that would make 00:47:12.659 --> 00:47:15.539 you want to do it but that's what you have officers 00:47:15.539 --> 00:47:18.699 for to see that you don't. Yes sir. And that 00:47:18.699 --> 00:47:21.340 ties in exactly with what you said an officer's 00:47:21.340 --> 00:47:23.519 duty is to see that his men don't lose their 00:47:23.519 --> 00:47:31.409 humanity. When we're off to a war were there 00:47:31.409 --> 00:47:35.690 actually to rescue people, not to take territory. 00:47:36.929 --> 00:47:42.150 Sure, that's a fact. And it's hard to keep sight 00:47:42.150 --> 00:47:46.750 of the fact sometimes when the sheer weariness 00:47:46.750 --> 00:47:51.090 and the hunger and the loneliness, the fright, 00:47:51.809 --> 00:47:54.469 you experienced it. There had to be times when 00:47:54.469 --> 00:47:56.269 you didn't think that you could go on another 00:47:56.269 --> 00:48:00.940 step. Most definitely, but you do. You don't 00:48:00.940 --> 00:48:04.119 lose until you quit trying. I learned that in 00:48:04.119 --> 00:48:06.159 Vietnam and I have carried that with me the rest 00:48:06.159 --> 00:48:09.159 of my life. That's what I try to share with all 00:48:09.159 --> 00:48:12.019 the young people that I speak to today is the 00:48:12.019 --> 00:48:13.559 fact that no matter what you are faced with, 00:48:13.739 --> 00:48:15.400 truly you don't lose until you get to that point 00:48:15.400 --> 00:48:18.179 where you go, I quit. As long as you don't quit, 00:48:18.579 --> 00:48:22.699 you don't lose. You got it. Sammy, I know that 00:48:22.699 --> 00:48:26.280 you held off on leaving for a trip, you and your 00:48:26.280 --> 00:48:31.469 wife. to do this interview and truly, truly do 00:48:31.469 --> 00:48:33.849 appreciate it. So thank you very much for being 00:48:33.849 --> 00:48:36.550 on Veterans Radio. It's been an honor, sir. Thank 00:48:36.550 --> 00:48:38.150 you for everything that you do for our country 00:48:38.150 --> 00:48:40.889 and for our troops. I can never do enough as 00:48:40.889 --> 00:48:43.070 far as I'm concerned. Thank you very much. Yes, 00:48:43.070 --> 00:48:45.010 sir. Thank you. Bye -bye. Safe trip. Bye now. 00:48:46.530 --> 00:48:52.789 Bob, can you imagine doing the things that these 00:48:52.789 --> 00:48:58.659 people do that Sammy did that night? Oh yeah, 00:48:58.780 --> 00:49:02.699 yeah, Gary, that was quite a story, quite a story. 00:49:02.880 --> 00:49:06.059 I'm glad that we... You know, and we also do 00:49:06.059 --> 00:49:09.079 our little welcome home, too. So, you know, he 00:49:09.079 --> 00:49:11.320 was talking about getting hugs. Well, we do our 00:49:11.320 --> 00:49:16.800 welcome home. Yeah, we do. And we're down at 00:49:16.800 --> 00:49:19.500 the end of the program next week. Who's coming 00:49:19.500 --> 00:49:23.199 up next week? Do you recall? Not at the moment. 00:49:23.559 --> 00:49:26.539 Alright, we'll let you know next week. We'll 00:49:26.539 --> 00:49:29.980 let you know next week. In the meantime, you 00:49:29.980 --> 00:49:40.400 are dismissed. All programs are not part of or 00:49:40.400 --> 00:49:44.519 necessarily the views on this station or WDEO 00:49:44.519 --> 00:49:46.820 or Veterans Radio LLC.