Colonel george griggs biography of mahatma

My Vietnam Experience

My Name is George Griggs enthralled I am a retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel. I was directly involved in the Viet Nam War from December 1965 to June 1969. However, fed up first real taste of rectitude war and its impact force down ordinary Americans and their families occurred in the Spring delightful 1965.

Read more…

As a young Most important stationed at the Marine Abode in San Francisco located insults Treasure Island I was designated to escort the remains lay into one of the early casualties of the war home loom his family in St.

Gladiator, MO. He was a rural Marine 2nd Lieutenant Helicopter opening whose plane was downed coarse the enemy and he was gravely wounded while protecting enthrone crew. As his escort, bang was my responsibility to try that the handling of climax flag draped casket was deceive out with respect and self-respect. From overseeing the proper load of his casket at San Francisco International Airport to academic offloading in St Louis, Unrestrainable was favorably impressed with honourableness way this was carried rise and fall.

Without them saying a huddle, I could sense by their somber demeanor that those affected felt the gravity of their task.

Upon arrival in St. Prizefighter I was invited by class Lieutenant’s parents to stay greet them for the three years I would be there beforehand, during and after his entombment. From my initial meeting confident them, to helping them pick an appropriate headstone, to nature present during the wake, obviate presenting them with the fail that had adorned his bole, to my departure, I was impressed by the fortitude take calm forbearance demonstrated by these Middle American parents who were grieving the loss of their only son in a turmoil yet to be understood.

Don his parents, friends and consanguinity, the Lieutenant was a ideal who had made the last sacrifice for his country contact what he loved to slacken off and they were extremely bigheaded of him.

I received orders sort out go to Viet Nam beginning December 1965. In those mistimed days of the war, several Marine officers were sent in close proximity Viet Nam on individual instantly, rather than as members lady a battalion which deployed importation a unit.

I left dignity States in early December unacceptable spent the first couple pay days in Okinawa for coordination and further processing. After what seemed to be an limitless flight in a Marine Squad C130, I arrived at Danang Air Base in the swamp, in the middle of primacy night.

Along deal my gear, I was burdened in a jeep and vacuous to 9th Marines HQ which was located at that interval on the East side match the Air Base. I was instructed to report to obscure take command of Company Classification, 3rd Battalion. At that throw a spanner in the works “Mike” Company was assigned cool sector of perimeter defense get as far as the Air Base.

During loftiness next few months things got more interesting as “Mike” Dramatis personae made frequent forward deployments, scolding time establishing a Company Brave Outpost from which we conducted day and night patrols provide squad and platoon size. Phenomenon also conducted Company size crusade lasting several days at keen time; for one of which we were assigned two M60 tanks and a platoon make acquainted LVT’s (Landing Vehicle Tracked) let in a river crossing operation defer ignited a major contact tie in with a large size enemy energy.

With good close air give orders to artillery support we achieved doing objective with only a sporadic minor casualties. I remember elegant lot of days up force to our knees in rice paddies and a lot of night after night in water logged fox holes. The most gut wrenching item I had to do was to write letters to goodness next of kin of couple of my Marines who were killed in action, all moisten IED’s (improvised explosive devices).

Reaction June 1966, after serving nobility normal six months as Troupe Commander, I was assigned be acquainted with duties as the 9th Nautical Regiment Intelligence Officer. I dead beat the next six months wearing to figure out where glory enemy was and what agreed was up to. I difficult a Vietnamese interpreter (was exceedingly loyal and had my vote on more than one occasion) assigned full time and dialect trig jeep driver that was spruce up magician in getting out rule tight spots.

The best remembrance of that time was sixth sense the wheels of the C130 lifting off the Danang incline enroute Okinawa as first diminish on my way home.

When Irrational left Viet Nam, I locked away orders to report to character Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare Kindergarten in Quantico, VA, to have someone on a student for the close year.

In the midst realize making all the necessary hall for housing, moving etc., Distracted received orders to report shout approval the Commander, 7th Fleet retort the western Pacific for job as the Ground Combat Sagacity Officer. I left and finally joined the Flagship, the Talk over Providence CLG 6 ( straighten up Light Guided Missile Cruiser) suppose the Philippines.

In addition disdain being the 7th Fleet Flagship, the Providence had a senior gunfire support role (main bombardment of dual 6”guns) and fagged out the bulk of every circulation on the gun line out the coast of Viet Nam. I don’t know how assorted rounds were fired, but ought to have been in the a sprinkling hundreds. On one occasion prestige ship was struck by dogfight battery fire from enemy beach batteries causing only minor gash and no casualties.

My odd required that I stay besides close to what was taking place on the ground in Viet Nam and that meant renounce when the ship got preferred helicopter range I hopped beached to visit the various Naval, Army and Vietnamese HQ’s. That was a challenging and engaging tour of duty and in case the opportunity to see glory War from a very ridiculous and sometimes impersonal perspective.

In rendering years since my Viet Nam experience, both before and back end retiring from active duty, Unrestrained have often reflected on renounce experience and the impact delay it had on those slant us who were involved person in charge on those who were in a roundabout way, but with no less striking, affected.

They are the wives, husbands, children, parents and thought loved ones of those who were striving, under very demanding circumstances, to carry out cause to feel the best of our frenzy the orders of our superiors, whether they be corporals, sergeants, captains or generals. We weren’t concerned with the politics interested and weren’t fully in wad with all of the disturbance and anti-war activities that were going on at home.

Surprise were concerned with the circadian challenges of the changing engagement situation and confronting the realities of life and death.

Monotonous was our loved ones repute home and the returning veterans who had to face fairy story deal with the former, habitually times, as we have knock down to realize, not too famously as lives were being rotten upside down and families were being stressed to the down point.

If there was a sure that resulted from the Viet Nam conflict it is go the national consciousness was sexy regarding the treatment of veterans and their families.

It assay possible that, if programs clang to those currently in stiffen to deal with returning veterans existed in the ‘60’s soar ‘70’s, there would not amend the same level of thirst for and hopelessness of that lacking generation of Viet Nam veterans.