Let me preface this post by saying that over 2.5 million U.S. men and women served in Vietnam during the time period of 1959 – 1975. However, only 10% of the total were in the Infantry and ‘humped the boonies’ in search of the elusive enemy, the remaining 90% supported them in various capacities, their tasks, at times, more dangerous than those searching through the jungles. Helicopter crews were held in the highest regard and seen as “saviors” by the infantry soldiers, at times, watching in awe and disbelief while pilots braved enemy onslaughts to transport, rescue, supply and protect those on the ground. Crews were always there when needed – losing many of their own while performing in this role. Other supporting groups, stationed in rear areas or fire bases were also at risk of enemy mortar and rocket attacks, ground assaults or ambushes when traveling outside the base along roads in supply caravans. The ‘grunts’ or ‘boony rats’ had to contend with enemy ambushes and booby traps, sometimes walking directly into well-camouflaged enemy bunker complexes and getting pinned down for hours in the middle of the jungle. It was deadly tour for everyone – no one group was safer than the other! This article will focus only on those Cherries within an infantry unit. Certainly, each military unit received new replacements throughout the war; their indoctrination to war may have been quite different to what is written here.
Imagine, if you will, that most Cherries in Vietnam had graduated from high school within the past year; some never finished and were quickly drafted into the military. In Vietnam, these eighteen year old soldiers were thrust into a hostile environment where they had to do things never imagined in their wildest of dreams or even thought of as humanly possible to achieve. Nineteen year old corporals and sergeants were in charge of squads and twenty-one year old Lieutenants and Captains ran the platoons and companies. Turnover was rampant and a soldier with experience in the jungle was highly respected – regardless of age – and in most cases was a lower ranked enlisted man and not an officer.
After returning from my war, I had an extremely difficult time when trying to explain what it was like as a grunt in Vietnam to my family and friends . Finally, when the movie ‘Platoon’ began playing in local theaters, I relished the ability to have something visual to ‘show’ them. Not that I’m saying the movie portrayed my tour of duty, but I could relate to some of the things Charlie Sheen did in the film – that first hump in the bush (patrol in the jungle) when he passed out from exhaustion because he carried more on his back than what was really needed, filling sandbags, fighting mosquitoes and leeches, and of course, those times we returned to the rear area for stand down after surviving weeks in the jungle.
The average weight of a grunt’s rucksack and supplies was about sixty-five pounds and if you had to carry either an M-60 machine gun or PRC-25 radio, add another twenty-six pounds to your load. Cherries were usually assigned one of the two or walked point.
Humping with all that weight was difficult in itself, without having to mimic a chameleon; eyes continuously darting up, down and side to side, looking for booby traps, snipers and identifying possible enemy ambush sites – always hoping to catch them first before seeing us. The constant stress of tripping any of these took its toll on these young men. Adrenaline continued to pump through our bodies, ready to support us in whatever action we might take against enemy threats. But when none occur during a patrol (which happened often), this extra energy took time to bleed off – adding to our anxiety as the night approached.
I also remember the scene of Charlie Sheen’s first night in the bush when he suddenly awoke and saw the enemy soldiers walking straight toward his group in the pitch-black darkness. When on watch and the only one awake, every sound heard is amplified ten fold, making it easy for our minds and the jungle to play tricks on us. It was a sense of dread that I never overcame.
To understand this feeling, imagine yourself waking up in your bed during the middle of the night; the room in complete darkness – suddenly the bedroom floor in the old house creaks – sending a chill up your spine.
Your mind suggests that a stranger is moving toward the head of your bed – he’s unable to see you but knows you are there. You break out in a cold sweat, your heart begins racing, the beats gaining momentum and pounding loudly like a large drum in the dark quiet of night. You hope the intruder doesn’t hear your beating heart and give away your location. You lay paralyzed, frozen to the spot and too afraid to move your head or sit up to have a look around – let alone get up out of bed to turn on the light (not an option in the jungle). This is real fear! Now multiply that feeling by twenty-four hours a day over three-hundred plus days…You have just experienced how a Cherry felt on his first twenty-four hours in the Nam jungle.
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Great post, John. Thanks for this and nice to see this blog. Well done. I loved Platoon and felt I “understood” the war a bit better as Vietnam went down when I was far to young to understand the concepts but barely old enough to tell it was a mess. I was lucky to see Platoon with a good friend from college who was Willem Dafoe’s nephew and their family. That was kinda cool. Great movie, difficult war.
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Jason, thank you for visiting and leaving the wonderful comment. Good luck on your own five books – especially appreciated your help and guidance through your book “How to Make, Market and Sell your e-book all for free”. The information within was invaluable in setting up this site. I’ve added your site location below in the event any of the readers here want to check it out: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/11112
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Hey John just wanted to tell you again that this info about your book was very interesting and the slide show was very well done.. I hope the best for your novel.. Take care and see you Friday…
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John, can’t wait to read more from your book. I was with 1/27 Delta Co. the same time you were. Nov ’70 until I shipped out to another unit when the 2cd brigade separate folded in 1971. I’m glad you made it home and can write about your tour! Thank you for doing what you are doing!
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John, i know that cherry feeling you are talking about first hand. June 30 ,1968 my first patrol at night 3/27 mike co. marines. Nonthing happen but the fear i had that night was the worse i’d ever felt. I don’t know when I grew out of it. My guess it was after about three months. Don’t miss understand me I never lost the fear, just learn to live with it better. I truely believe fear is what got me home. Oh my best friend was with 1/27 Delta co. Wolfhounds in 68/69. His name was William Love,from Huntsville Al. As we Marines say. Semper Fi!
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The horrors that each of you had to go through is truly unfathomable from a civilian’s standpoint. I am so ashamed of America’s behavior when those who were lucky to survive made it back. Thank You Sir for your time and dedication to giving us a glimpse into your horror. Our respect grows even deeper.
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Thank you for your kind words, Debbi! God Bless you!
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John, you did a great job of portraying the reality of being a “grunt” in Vietnam. I was in country for 63 days until I got shot up and eventually sent back to the states to finish my tour of duty.
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Roger, thanks for the kudos! It’s great to hear that you are still with us today…Welcome Home Brother and God Bless!
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Excellent! Thanks!
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NOT ‘NAM, KOREA, 2 DAYS ON LINE, LISTENING POST, ENEMY SPOTTED = 2 CLIPS EXPENDED – 2 DEAD TREES – CHERRY BROKEN
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I crewed a Huey…..glad to have been of service to all you grunts.
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My Sgt had a way of busting your cherry. I walked point, daytime in my first couple days.
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As a newbie medic humping the mountains of I Corps I remember an awkward moment after a sit down break on a slippery steep trail. After I couldn’t arrange my body, arms, and legs to stand up again, a squad leader on his second tour reached down and gave me a hands-up, and a kind word….”You’ll get use to it real fast.” Then I saw other guys using the butts of their M-16s as a walking stick / crutch to climb and regain footing with, and mastering the heavy loads and balance of a ground pounder. I’ll never know how the M-60 gunners and the mortar crew teams carried their heavy guns and ammo, their heavy tripods, tubes, and baseplates up and down mud-slick mountains or across quick running streams.
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I was a “grunt” assigned to the I Corps with 1st Bn., 11th Infantry Div., 5th Infantry Division, Company A. I was “in country” for 63 days before I was injured and sent to 249th General Hospital in Japan, never to return back to Vietnam. I probably walked point 30 of those 63 days.
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This blog was well thought out, well written and explained perfectly what you men went through. I too am ashamed of how you men and women were treated upon your return home. I just want to say, God bless and Welcome Home. I love all of you to pieces.
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Thank you so much Karen! God bless!
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Karen, You are a wolf in sheep’s clothing… an iPredator cyber/suicide blogger on the infamous Jonn V. Lilyea and Mark C. Seavey military kook blogs which are harassing and dishonoring the combat disabled Vietnam War Veterans…. You know me… I am one of your cyber/bully victims…
SHAME UPON THOSE WHO STILL HARASS AND DISHONOR THE VIETNAM WAR VETERANS AFTER ALL THESE DECADES..
You are part of the 1960s civilian mindset problem and you should feel ashamed… you are NOT forgiven..
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I was a Cherry, or Newby, or Fresh meat once. Luckily an experienced soldier took me aside and told me a few things. After 3 weeks and 2 firefights the Platoon didn’t consider me a Cherry anymore. Loved the blog, as it is so on target. I humped the usual but also a PRC-25 radio. That was hard. I served with C company 2nd Battalion 327th Infantry 101st Airborne for my 2 tours. I have no regrets and would do it again if needed but at 63 years, I would have to have an assistant to “hump” my gear.
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Thank You!!!!!!
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I was a slick pilot in northern I Corp in 1970. In my AO there was no shortage of action and even survived Lam Son 719 in Laos. It will always give me a great deal of comfort to read the words of grunts about how they felt when they heard the thump, thump of a Huey coming to help. Still, I can’t imagine the world of a ground pounder and I will always give my highest salute to all 11 bravo’s. You did what most couldn’t do in their dreams and came home to insults and lies impugning your service to this country (i.e. John Kerry). And I’m glad people like you are willing to share your experience so that others NEVER FORGET.
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It was good i just ordered cherries want to read it first not only was i a cherry but a shaken bake also but a sgt named taylor took me under his wing i learned alot from him that kept me alive and everyone else !!
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For me it wasn’t to hard because I’m from Puerto Rico, but those from big cities was really hard. I mean HARD. You can see them crying under that 80 pounds rock sack.
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Will read your book. Served with B Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, First Air Cavalry Division. January 1966 to January 1967. 8+ months in the field, two bouts of malaria took up rest of tour, never wounded. Very lucky. Operated all over the Central Highlands: Bong Son, Happy Valley, Mang Yang Pass, Dong Tre helping 101st, Phan Thiet also helping 101st,
Ia Drang Valley in April ’66 (Colonel Moore insisted we be first American unit back in there after Nov. ’65 battle), and out of numerous SF camps when they detected NVA units nearby, all along the border between Cheo Reo and Dak To, and other places whose names I can’t recall.
Was in weapons squad, 3rd Platoon. Humped an M-60 most of the time, and glad for every pound of that weapon, heavy as it was. It never jammed! Not true of the M-16s early in the war.
Quit college to enlist, wanted to join SF but was only 19 when i got out of Jump School and you had to be 20 in those days to start their training. Off the 82nd Airborne Division in Aug. 1965 and part of 1,500 man levy in December from 82nd to Nam. 90% of us went to Cav because of the Ia Drang casualties. Most of those casualties were in the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 7th Cavalry.
Did another year in the 82nd after Nam, then out into the “World” and back to college. One surreal world to another. Felt like a stranger in a strange land for quite a while. Remembered every day of Nam for many years. Still, I am glad I did it. I believed in the war, never waived in that belief. The communists were our mortal enemy then, worldwide, and their false and hollow doctrine has failed them everywhere but Cuba and North Korea, and the Castros will soon fall.
My brother, David, was a Marine in Vietnam. Our tours overlapped 3 months. Very tough on our mother.
Michael O. Carmichael
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Thank you for your service and Welcome Home Brother!
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I was a draftee, lucky to become a cook, past the 1 year mark and thought that I wouldn’t have to go. Orders came in, 1st night at Tan Sanute Air Base in the mess hall and when the jets hit the after burners, I thought that we were under attack, 3rd morning at 199 LIB doing a morning run and seeing the red streak of mini-guns and getting rattled in your bunk during B52 strikes and you knew where you were. Then one evening when rockets came in and killed 2 in the next barracks and a couple other things, I asked to be a door gunner. Went to the 117th AHC. All this to say you can be frightened as a cherry no matter your MOS.
I had a friend , Roger McQuay, from basic training that was only in country for a couple of weeks before he was KIA.
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I fully agree Ed! Welcome Home Brother!
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Ed Aaron, Roger was a classmate of mine. We were all devastated when we got the news. I believe that out of 62 guys in our class 60 served. Your service is appreciated and never forgotten.
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I really enjoyed this article!! Thank you:)
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Great accounting. A good friend for past 46 years has begun accounting his experience a FNG officer in Vietnam. You may also enjoy his accounting
http://jamesstrauss.com/thirty-days-has-september/
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Thank you Marc! Once again, I remain humbled. In your opinion should I convert the italicised fonts so they are less of a disraction? The rules of writing do call for thoughts to be italicized. Thank you again! Welcome home brother!
On Sep 27, 2016 12:28 PM, “Cherries – A Vietnam War Novel” wrote:
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Cjbart2 Thanks for the link. I did purchase his book and enjoyed it. Check out my 5-star review on Amazon. Highly recommended!
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Never been to a war but always in one.It is crazy to come to reality (a peaceful environment) rather than in an environment where the fingers are ready to fire when there was a movement in the front.Safety catch on and off.I don’t really know when.The daily stress of guessing and gauging sometimes on the run after being chased it is mad.I can’t even distinguished which is real and which is false. PSTD.
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They called me FNG. I was with the 1st.Air Cav. Infantry 1/12th. I was reminded constantly ” is you saftey on?” It seemed like everyday for a month asked me this.They just came out of the A Shah valley and were pretty beat up and didn’t want some FNG killing them accidentally. I got it! I did the same thing to the next FNG. At first I didn’t think they liked me but you just don’t want to get to know anyone because if they get killed it just takes a lot out of you. I did the same thing. But, you can’t help but get close to your brothers after being in hell with them.
“It don’t mean nothing!”
BQ
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Michael, please respond to this email…I’m trying to find a way to contact you about the two articles on your website. / John
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