I remember reading a Marine's encounter with the NVA compared to the Viet Cong. He talked about how most NVA were taller, stronger, and more disciplined than most Viet Cong.
From what my dad told me the VC were basically a part time fighting force who were farmers during the day and fighters at night. Not the most highly trained but we’re still a worthy foe. I think the north used them mostly to buy time to build up the NVA forces to where they were on par with and had the numbers to go head to head with us Americans. I guess a better way of putting it the VC we’re used as cannon fodder to buy time. After Tet the remaining VC (survivors) were assimilated into the NVA from what I’ve read. I’m not trying to take away from there fighting abilities as they were a tough enemy but they just didn’t have the training or equipment as the full blown NVA had
The NVA were a conventional military force. Infantry supported by armor and artillery. The VC had two components, the local force, and the main force. The local force were the farmers by day, fighters by night. Making and placing booby traps and limited direct action. The main force were full time soldiers, many of them were from the NVA. They functioned as light infantry. Much more maneuverable than the NVA, they specialized in raids and ambushes. By the beginning of 1968 they had much more combat experience than the NVA. As you will see in my next video. The NVA in Laos took experienced main force fighters out of South Vietnam to deal with MACV-SOG.
My grandfather was a Green Beret in Nam and he said they’d find tons of dead NVA soldiers that had Chinese features and even carried Chinese cigarettes and sometimes documents. It’s pretty common to hear these stories too
My mother-in-law was a member of the Youth Shock Brigade working on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos. She went on to become a nurse in the NVA. She was never shunned by anyone and today remains a highly respected veteran entitled to numerous perks and benefits. Also, if she were indoctrinated by communist ideology, she has completely forgotten all of it, as has everyone else in Vietnam.
Thanks for your interest and comment. The problems many women members of the Youth Shock Birgade faced are very well documented. "However, the women in the Brigades often faced extreme conditions with little help from their superiors, including a lack of cotton pads for menstruation and high levels of sexual assault, and faced difficulties being accepted back into civilian society after the war." Guillemot, Franççois (2009). "Death and Suffering at First Hand: Youth Shock Brigades during the Vietnam War (1950--1975)". Journal of Vietnamese Studies. Sherry Buchanan notes the same problems in her book titled "On The Ho Chi Minh Trail: The Blood Road, The Women Who Defended It, The Legacy about the role women soldiers played on the Trail"
@@DawsonsWar Thanks for the follow-up. It appears life was hard for these women and the fact that my wife's mother was able to overcome it just deepens the imense respect I have for her. What about the indoctrination piece? Do you know what ideology was being piushed on NVA soldiers. (Marxism, Lenninism, Maoism) or was it more focused on the nationalism expressed by Ho Chi Minh? More importantly, what happenned to that ideology? As an American expat living in Vietnam I can honestly say that there are far more Marxists in America right now than there are here in Vietnam. Why do you think Vietnam has abandoned communism and embraced capitalism?
@@chrishamlin5863 I think the people of Vietnam just wanted to be free of foriegn rule, and at the time they would embrace whatever ideology that would would get them to their goal. It's no secret that the South vietnamese government was extremely corrupt, and most of the ARVN troops did not want to fight and were pooly led. (that is not the case for the airborne and marine troops), or the Vietnamese Kingbee pilots that supported MACV sog units. The NVA were detemrined, very clever in their tactics. It's good that Vietnam has rejected communism, and embraced capitolism. Vietnam is a beautiful country and the vietnamese a smart and resilent people. I would love to visit there.
@@Rebel-Rouser I've lived in vietnam for 4 years and I love it. Vietnam isn't for everyone but you should definitely visit because it sounds like you already appreciate this beautiful country and its amazing people.
@@chrishamlin5863 I would love to. I'm a student of the war, and would love to visit the various sections of the country where the history is strong. I would love to live in Danang. One of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
That they were, most of them seemed to be fanatics and the ones that weren't were dragged along by the fire-breathing nationalists! The NVA/VC tried never to leave a man alone, as OP mentions in the video they used 3 men groups for everything, if one guy was ready to quit and Chieu Hoi (give up - as would any human being in that jungle hell) the other two were expected to see the signs and raise up his morale so he wouldn't.
This is peak content sir! I haven’t found another channel who covers Vietnam (in general) more in depth than you! I’ve searched and there are few videos but I watch and rewatch your videos bc it has the information no one else does. Thank you
I actually had one of those belts with a star on it some years back I went to Fort Campbell and donated it to the introduction company of 101st which focuses on fire base ripcord
@@Jack-ux1ow Im not sure and i also think many ain't a good read cause its fill with bullsht propaganda many of them just hilarious bad (We good, Yankee very very bad, coward, ...bla bla, NVA soldier very very brave,....)
I played a video game when I was a very young man, probably age 11 or 12. The game was called "Vietcong." It released in 2003, the game is set in 1967, Vietnam. You play as a sergeant in the Green Berets, and are tasked with a series of missions extremely akin to the real life MACV-SOG missions. It was the most immersive, terrifying, and eye opening experience in my life up until that point. It was so well done, the squad pointman was a Montagnard who had a 6th sense for anything out of place in the jungle. The player experienced jungle ambushes, navigating booby traps, jungle survival scenarios (snakes, spiders, dehydration) and of course, discovering a massive cache of weapons and a previously unknown route of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The subsequent mission has you placing explosives on the weapon cache and then discovering a Vietcong tunnel network, which you actually played a mission clearing out. It was an incredible game, and this video brought back a lot of nostalgia randomly, if you ever get a chance to play it somehow I'd highly recommend!
My favorite uncle would watch me play and be blown away. Would talk to me a little about how certain things were similar to when he was there. It was a truly great game and deserves a modern sequel.
Loved that game. A friend and I used to do 3 day and night marathons on his farm playing that till we started hallucinating and seeing VC coming out the mist through his windows walking towards the house. We divided it was time to stop playing and get some rest .
My grandfather James Steel Gray served for 22 years from Korea through Vietnam. I know there were many special operations in the different forces. He passed in 1980 from complications of Agent Orange. I do have his Bronze Star along with a mountain of markman trophies. Was he in MAVG SOG? Whenever I've show his detachments to other veterans they say he was a spook that would of been sent on assassin' missions. Anyway I've been enjoying your videos, didn't know if there was a list. In 1969 he landed at Ft.Lewis as a drill sergeant.
I bought Dawsons war and have absolutely loved it. I think you should conplain to amazon cause the paperback copy is rife with typos. But the story is great i stayed up all night and read it. Will read it again. Definitely worthwhile!
I'm glad you enjoyed it. But I'm concerned about the typos. I had that problem when the book was first published, but the corrections were made and I haven't had any complaints since. I wonder if you have an old copy? Does the Prologue begin with "Two helicopter gunships" or "As the Titanic was sinking"?
@DawsonsWar hey there. It starts with as the titanic is sinking. Sorry for the delay- youtube just notified me of your comment. Still it's an exceptional read. Thank you!
I have to say I was initially a little bit sceptical about this channel, simply because you present in such a non-bullshit and straightforward way. Nonetheless your research is very thorough, and your videos are of excellent quality.
3 minutes in, you've mentioned the word "indoctrinate" three times. Are you under some impression that western soldiers are not also indoctrinated in western ideology? We make our kids "pledge allegiance" every day in school and sing the national anthem at sports events, for god's sake. Have some self-awareness.
It’s crazy to think that had the Americans given Vietnam their independence back after WW2 when they helped the allies defeat the Japanese occupation but instead they gave control back to the French colonialists and even used the Japanese troops in Vietnam to keep them under control till the French had gained a secure foothold once again, the Vietnam war would likely never hand happened as Ho wouldn’t of had to go looking for communist support in his endeavor to get independence from the west.
"The People's Army is the instrument of the [ Communist ] Party and of the revolutionary State for the accomplishment, in armed form, of the tasks of the Revolution." Vo Nguyen Giap, Viet-Minh Commander-in-Chief.
When I remember, as well as still see and hear the looney toons of how "Nixon spread the war to Cambodia and Loas", it always pisses me off.... The war was ALWAYS in Cambodia and Loas.
@@ucnguyenanh9414Not quite, strictly PAVN was fighting US marines on the DMZ and there were strict PAVN units in the Central highlands which fought the US army but yes there were mixed up most of the time.
Calif Native since 61 , As boy growing up the Veit nam war was the war that I cried and was scared. Listening to the news,. Thinking of those BRAVE BOYS. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸. Thank You Sir for posting this on U Tube. DD 214 ALUMNI 🇺🇸🇺🇸⚓⚓🇺🇸🇮🇱🇺🇸
I'm not sure when we knew. The first counter recon unit was deployed west of the A Shau Valley in late October 1967 to support the movement of troops for the Tet offensive. I'm making making Part 2 of Killing SOG now. It describes the formation and capabilities of those units. By the time I got to SOG in May of 1968 it was well known.
I'm a seafood processor in Alaska and I've been really getting into SOG books can you please make an audiobook because I unfortunately do not have the time to read I read Dale Hansen's book and John Stryker Meyer
Difficult as is was I liasoned with Vietnamese people in California assisting them to learn how to survive in American, we disabled soldiers used our abilities, medical, language, transportation etc to help with whatever they needed. Learned how wonderful these people are and their beautiful society.
I think that the standard issue for the NVA Type 56 AK was 4 magazines and 4 chicom stick grenades. Equates to about 120 bullets and only officers would carry pistols. Maybe machine Gunners would be given a Tokarev.
@@Boomy2nicce Machine Gunners in the NVA would carry about 500 rounds of ammunition plus other a personal back up weapons which was mostly a tokarev/Makarov pistol. NVA were no slouch compared to Cong which barely knew how to shoot properly.
@@dobridjordjeNVA only issued a pistol for an officer and commissary officer. Machine Gunner doesnt carry any sidearm as the NVA infantry squad is like the Soviet infantry squad. Machine Gunner would be assigned with 2 assistant gunners. Infantry squad would split into 3 fireteams with 2 assault fireteam and 1 machine gun fire team as a fire support element in L shape formation. Machine gunners would carry 300 rounds with 200 rounds bandolier and 2 gunner assistants carrying 200 rounds each. 2 assault fireteam would carry ak and a dedicated team member carry B-41 (rpg-7) for the assault. No side arms for grunts.
@@boocomban I think I read this article about NVA where it said that for the later war mostly machine gun operators would get a sidearm (1972 Easter offensive) and I think snipers would also be issued a sidearm for just in case purposes, but in 90% of the cases it was officers only.
Should make a video on Soviet involvement in Nam, theres Old Russian vets that have been trying to get their fallen comrades recognized for their actions during the war
Thank you for theses videos, I'm interested on the subject and they really shine a light on a subject that sadly was, for many years, hidden away and shunned by the govt. and media.
It is pretty much the basic Soviet infantry fire team doctrine. NVA infantry squad is 11-15 man. A platoon is 30-45 man with 2 assault squad and 1 preserve squad to watch the flank and reinforce for the attack element if the other 2 squad casualties reach the combat ineffective rate. Hence usually encounters with NVA platoons are between 22-30 soldiers.
@@DawsonsWar any interest in doing buds podcast? Having talked back and forth with you a bit over the last year Id love to hear you tell some of your story’s
Dac Cong, or sapper, special force of Vietnam People's Army. Their mission is to assault important targets and/or disarray their enemies so that other forces can finish off. One notable mission they made was the destruction of B52s in Utapao
Do you know anyone that did operations in code name operation Phoenix? My father said he did but doesn’t talk about it at all! Any information would be greatly appreciated.
My sergeant major in the 7th Special Forces Group retired while I was there. About a year and a half later I ran into him in Kontum, Vietnam. He was running a PRU team out of a Villa as a civilian. If you want to know more Google Operation Phoenix.
@@charlesmullins3238 Hollywood Blvd is a long ways from the Ho Chi Minh Trail and that DAY goes back , way back before folks pretended about being there on the BIG $CREEN....OUI !....Rambo was a DRAFT DODGER !
Well, there are many dreadful threats for NV: +Aids from communist group are basically 1/10 compared to the SV +War is far from homeland +Rains of rains of rains of democracy in from of physical boom or chemical herbicide So it is obvious that the life of PAVN is hellish, one side throws cash the other side throws lives. The most important key point is hope and hope comes from a belief in better future and indoctrination. P/s: since the life is basically hell on earth, there is a uplift song call "Loi nguoi ra di" roughly translated into words of the soldiers.
American boys should never have been sent off complicit in an imperial misadventure, from men to sociopaths, psychopaths and violators. Thank God for the Vietnamese north
A normal military contract is 4 years, I wonder how long it was for the north Vietnamese soldiers. I bet they belong to the military Until the war was over
They fought until the war was over or until they died or wounded to the point of combat ineffectiveness. Since all of them volunteered as the whole country mobilised for the war. After the Vietnam war, many vets volunteered to return to continue to fight in Cambodia in 1979 and continue to fight until 1991. Many participated in the northern border conflict with China in 1979 and only retired after the conflict ended in the 1990s. So by 2000, most of these vets had been in war over 50 years since the 1950s as many volunteered to join when they were barely 18.
All I know is these VC only feared 1 group of USA SOLDIERS, 173RD US ARMY MAC/SOG (SKYSOLDIER), we were only Jungle trained Special Forces, Green Hell, Fort Sherman, Panama 🇵🇦,,,, and on completion of training received a custom Machete and sheath,and we used them,,only unit to parachute in, after we slaughtered many unmercifily, when they saw chutes,,,they disappeared in Jungle.the Flying Armadillo.
Not hardly..ha..bravo company usmc was the most decorated in all the years of the war..up till the end of it ..read up on it...never lost a battle .never backed off a fight..these are the ones vc and nva hated the most..cause when they went ip against them they always lost..now you know two things..dont want to overload your brain...ha.
I remember reading a Marine's encounter with the NVA compared to the Viet Cong. He talked about how most NVA were taller, stronger, and more disciplined than most Viet Cong.
From what my dad told me the VC were basically a part time fighting force who were farmers during the day and fighters at night. Not the most highly trained but we’re still a worthy foe.
I think the north used them mostly to buy time to build up the NVA forces to where they were on par with and had the numbers to go head to head with us Americans.
I guess a better way of putting it the VC we’re used as cannon fodder to buy time. After Tet the remaining VC (survivors) were assimilated into the NVA from what I’ve read.
I’m not trying to take away from there fighting abilities as they were a tough enemy but they just didn’t have the training or equipment as the full blown NVA had
The NVA were a conventional military force. Infantry supported by armor and artillery. The VC had two components, the local force, and the main force. The local force were the farmers by day, fighters by night. Making and placing booby traps and limited direct action. The main force were full time soldiers, many of them were from the NVA. They functioned as light infantry. Much more maneuverable than the NVA, they specialized in raids and ambushes. By the beginning of 1968 they had much more combat experience than the NVA. As you will see in my next video. The NVA in Laos took experienced main force fighters out of South Vietnam to deal with MACV-SOG.
My grandfather was a Green Beret in Nam and he said they’d find tons of dead NVA soldiers that had Chinese features and even carried Chinese cigarettes and sometimes documents. It’s pretty common to hear these stories too
@@freakingabagool3510 they were there I think as well as a few Russians advisers
Within the NVA regular forces were Chinese soldiers.
My mother-in-law was a member of the Youth Shock Brigade working on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos. She went on to become a nurse in the NVA. She was never shunned by anyone and today remains a highly respected veteran entitled to numerous perks and benefits. Also, if she were indoctrinated by communist ideology, she has completely forgotten all of it, as has everyone else in Vietnam.
Thanks for your interest and comment. The problems many women members of the Youth Shock Birgade faced are very well documented.
"However, the women in the Brigades often faced extreme conditions with little help from their superiors, including a lack of cotton pads for menstruation and high levels of sexual assault, and faced difficulties being accepted back into civilian society after the war."
Guillemot, Franççois (2009). "Death and Suffering at First Hand: Youth Shock Brigades during the Vietnam War (1950--1975)". Journal of Vietnamese Studies.
Sherry Buchanan notes the same problems in her book titled "On The Ho Chi Minh Trail: The Blood Road, The Women Who Defended It, The Legacy about the role women soldiers played on the Trail"
@@DawsonsWar Thanks for the follow-up. It appears life was hard for these women and the fact that my wife's mother was able to overcome it just deepens the imense respect I have for her. What about the indoctrination piece? Do you know what ideology was being piushed on NVA soldiers. (Marxism, Lenninism, Maoism) or was it more focused on the nationalism expressed by Ho Chi Minh? More importantly, what happenned to that ideology? As an American expat living in Vietnam I can honestly say that there are far more Marxists in America right now than there are here in Vietnam. Why do you think Vietnam has abandoned communism and embraced capitalism?
@@chrishamlin5863 I think the people of Vietnam just wanted to be free of foriegn rule, and at the time they would embrace whatever ideology that would would get them to their goal. It's no secret that the South vietnamese government was extremely corrupt, and most of the ARVN troops did not want to fight and were pooly led. (that is not the case for the airborne and marine troops), or the Vietnamese Kingbee pilots that supported MACV sog units. The NVA were detemrined, very clever in their tactics. It's good that Vietnam has rejected communism, and embraced capitolism. Vietnam is a beautiful country and the vietnamese a smart and resilent people. I would love to visit there.
@@Rebel-Rouser I've lived in vietnam for 4 years and I love it. Vietnam isn't for everyone but you should definitely visit because it sounds like you already appreciate this beautiful country and its amazing people.
@@chrishamlin5863 I would love to. I'm a student of the war, and would love to visit the various sections of the country where the history is strong. I would love to live in Danang. One of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
A determined enemy is a dangerous enemy.
That they were, most of them seemed to be fanatics and the ones that weren't were dragged along by the fire-breathing nationalists! The NVA/VC tried never to leave a man alone, as OP mentions in the video they used 3 men groups for everything, if one guy was ready to quit and Chieu Hoi (give up - as would any human being in that jungle hell) the other two were expected to see the signs and raise up his morale so he wouldn't.
Russia
This is one of the best descriptions of the NVA on the web. Thanks for all you do!
This is peak content sir!
I haven’t found another channel who covers Vietnam (in general) more in depth than you!
I’ve searched and there are few videos but I watch and rewatch your videos bc it has the information no one else does.
Thank you
I actually had one of those belts with a star on it some years back I went to Fort Campbell and donated it to the introduction company of 101st which focuses on fire base ripcord
Nva officers belt. My cousin brought on home and had a picture of the previous owner.
There are many books writen by NVA's vets that go more into the travelling toward the South, the shenanigans and small details that only vets known
Are these books in english too? I would love to read the experiences and point of view of the NVA or VC.
@@Jack-ux1ow Im not sure and i also think many ain't a good read cause its fill with bullsht propaganda
many of them just hilarious bad (We good, Yankee very very bad, coward, ...bla bla, NVA soldier very very brave,....)
I played a video game when I was a very young man, probably age 11 or 12. The game was called "Vietcong." It released in 2003, the game is set in 1967, Vietnam. You play as a sergeant in the Green Berets, and are tasked with a series of missions extremely akin to the real life MACV-SOG missions. It was the most immersive, terrifying, and eye opening experience in my life up until that point. It was so well done, the squad pointman was a Montagnard who had a 6th sense for anything out of place in the jungle. The player experienced jungle ambushes, navigating booby traps, jungle survival scenarios (snakes, spiders, dehydration) and of course, discovering a massive cache of weapons and a previously unknown route of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The subsequent mission has you placing explosives on the weapon cache and then discovering a Vietcong tunnel network, which you actually played a mission clearing out. It was an incredible game, and this video brought back a lot of nostalgia randomly, if you ever get a chance to play it somehow I'd highly recommend!
My favorite uncle would watch me play and be blown away. Would talk to me a little about how certain things were similar to when he was there. It was a truly great game and deserves a modern sequel.
Loved that game. A friend and I used to do 3 day and night marathons on his farm playing that till we started hallucinating and seeing VC coming out the mist through his windows walking towards the house. We divided it was time to stop playing and get some rest .
My grandfather James Steel Gray served for 22 years from Korea through Vietnam. I know there were many special operations in the different forces. He passed in 1980 from complications of Agent Orange. I do have his Bronze Star along with a mountain of markman trophies. Was he in MAVG SOG? Whenever I've show his detachments to other veterans they say he was a spook that would of been sent on assassin' missions. Anyway I've been enjoying your videos, didn't know if there was a list. In 1969 he landed at Ft.Lewis as a drill sergeant.
Straight cap 😂
You guys from Nam were my mentors as a young Ranger, God bless!
Same here as a young Marine.
Same here as a Ranger
I bought Dawsons war and have absolutely loved it. I think you should conplain to amazon cause the paperback copy is rife with typos. But the story is great i stayed up all night and read it. Will read it again. Definitely worthwhile!
I'm glad you enjoyed it. But I'm concerned about the typos. I had that problem when the book was first published, but the corrections were made and I haven't had any complaints since. I wonder if you have an old copy? Does the Prologue begin with "Two helicopter gunships" or "As the Titanic was sinking"?
@DawsonsWar hey there. It starts with as the titanic is sinking.
Sorry for the delay- youtube just notified me of your comment.
Still it's an exceptional read. Thank you!
I have to say I was initially a little bit sceptical about this channel, simply because you present in such a non-bullshit and straightforward way. Nonetheless your research is very thorough, and your videos are of excellent quality.
And of course the fact of your actual experience in the matter makes your account even more entertaining and impressive.
Well, thanks. I think some authors fall into the trap of trying to compete with the action people see in war movies. I just tell you what happened.
A book worth reading The tunnels of Cu Chi
3 minutes in, you've mentioned the word "indoctrinate" three times. Are you under some impression that western soldiers are not also indoctrinated in western ideology? We make our kids "pledge allegiance" every day in school and sing the national anthem at sports events, for god's sake. Have some self-awareness.
No no you don’t understand, it’s indoctrination when THEY do it. When WE do it, it’s freedom and patriotism.
Polítical indroctination was raging in both sides
The Narrator's accent seems to be from the Philadelphia/South Jersey/Delaware Valley area.
You nailed that one
Definitely could tell he’s from Northeast Philly without even having to look him up
It’s crazy to think that had the Americans given Vietnam their independence back after WW2 when they helped the allies defeat the Japanese occupation but instead they gave control back to the French colonialists and even used the Japanese troops in Vietnam to keep them under control till the French had gained a secure foothold once again, the Vietnam war would likely never hand happened as Ho wouldn’t of had to go looking for communist support in his endeavor to get independence from the west.
"The People's Army is the instrument of the [ Communist ] Party and of the revolutionary State for the accomplishment, in armed form, of the tasks of the Revolution."
Vo Nguyen Giap, Viet-Minh Commander-in-Chief.
When I remember, as well as still see and hear the looney toons of how "Nixon spread the war to Cambodia and Loas", it always pisses me off.... The war was ALWAYS in Cambodia and Loas.
It predated Nixon by more than a decade. It was Nixon who wound the thing down.
"THE KEY TO PROTECTING VIETNAM....WAS LAOS" ! PRESIDENT EISENHOWER
JFK GAVE UP LAOS 1961 ! FACT !!!
The NVA apparently were like the boss fight whilst the VC were the first enemies you fight in the game.
They're the same thing
@@ucnguyenanh9414Not quite, strictly PAVN was fighting US marines on the DMZ and there were strict PAVN units in the Central highlands which fought the US army but yes there were mixed up most of the time.
Can we get more of the "Killing SOG" series? Hearing from the NVA/VC perspective is fascinating work.
The NVA even most American small units had respect for them.
Calif Native since 61 , As boy growing up the Veit nam war was the war that I cried and was scared. Listening to the news,. Thinking of those BRAVE BOYS. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸. Thank You Sir for posting this on U Tube. DD 214 ALUMNI 🇺🇸🇺🇸⚓⚓🇺🇸🇮🇱🇺🇸
Thank You for your service 🫡
Thanks
When did you guys figure out that there was counter MAC-SOG teams running ops in the north, Cambodia, and in Laos against you?
I'm not sure when we knew. The first counter recon unit was deployed west of the A Shau Valley in late October 1967 to support the movement of troops for the Tet offensive. I'm making making Part 2 of Killing SOG now. It describes the formation and capabilities of those units. By the time I got to SOG in May of 1968 it was well known.
@@DawsonsWarWe Vietnamese call those counter-SOG units as "Đặc Nhiệm Trường Sơn", or Trường Sơn Commando.
@@ucnguyenanh9414 Thanks, I'll definately use this in the next video.
Great video!!!!!! Thank you for uploading!!!!!
I'm a seafood processor in Alaska and I've been really getting into SOG books can you please make an audiobook because I unfortunately do not have the time to read I read Dale Hansen's book and John Stryker Meyer
I just ordered your book Dawson’s War.
Thanks. Hope you enjoy it.
Difficult as is was I liasoned with Vietnamese people in California assisting them to learn how to survive in American, we disabled soldiers used our abilities, medical, language, transportation etc to help with whatever they needed. Learned how wonderful these people are and their beautiful society.
interesting to know how poor the NVA was
SOG operator, carries 500 rounds of ammo.
NVA, "60 rounds is fine."
I think that the standard issue for the NVA Type 56 AK was 4 magazines and 4 chicom stick grenades. Equates to about 120 bullets and only officers would carry pistols. Maybe machine Gunners would be given a Tokarev.
Honestly they were such a small group of men they basically had to be a little army to fight the nva
@@Boomy2nicce Machine Gunners in the NVA would carry about 500 rounds of ammunition plus other a personal back up weapons which was mostly a tokarev/Makarov pistol. NVA were no slouch compared to Cong which barely knew how to shoot properly.
@@dobridjordjeNVA only issued a pistol for an officer and commissary officer. Machine Gunner doesnt carry any sidearm as the NVA infantry squad is like the Soviet infantry squad. Machine Gunner would be assigned with 2 assistant gunners. Infantry squad would split into 3 fireteams with 2 assault fireteam and 1 machine gun fire team as a fire support element in L shape formation. Machine gunners would carry 300 rounds with 200 rounds bandolier and 2 gunner assistants carrying 200 rounds each.
2 assault fireteam would carry ak and a dedicated team member carry B-41 (rpg-7) for the assault. No side arms for grunts.
@@boocomban I think I read this article about NVA where it said that for the later war mostly machine gun operators would get a sidearm (1972 Easter offensive) and I think snipers would also be issued a sidearm for just in case purposes, but in 90% of the cases it was officers only.
Should make a video on Soviet involvement in Nam, theres Old Russian vets that have been trying to get their fallen comrades recognized for their actions during the war
Thank you for theses videos, I'm interested on the subject and they really shine a light on a subject that sadly was, for many years, hidden away and shunned by the govt. and media.
CCN really had it bad, but what about CCS, 1968-on? The Ho Chi Minh trail extended into Cambodia by then.
Very informative
The Chinese "Triad" is a 3 man team,so the 3 man grouping must have come from the Chinese who trained the MVA.
I thought the Triad is Ipman 😅😅😅.
It is pretty much the basic Soviet infantry fire team doctrine. NVA infantry squad is 11-15 man. A platoon is 30-45 man with 2 assault squad and 1 preserve squad to watch the flank and reinforce for the attack element if the other 2 squad casualties reach the combat ineffective rate. Hence usually encounters with NVA platoons are between 22-30 soldiers.
Cool vid as always
Thanks!
@@DawsonsWar any interest in doing buds podcast? Having talked back and forth with you a bit over the last year Id love to hear you tell some of your story’s
Great videos sir
also is there any information regarding the Dac Cong?
Dac Cong, or sapper, special force of Vietnam People's Army. Their mission is to assault important targets and/or disarray their enemies so that other forces can finish off. One notable mission they made was the destruction of B52s in Utapao
@@RealCaptainVN I know about those, however I am talking in-depth detailed, selection process, equipment wise, type of training.
@@sylkiContent will inform you later about this. There will be a whole lot to process with this
@@RealCaptainVN Awesome I would love indepth information about this
@@RealCaptainVN This is one of the mission that I was told about by one of the former Dac Cong member I spoke of
Do you know anyone that did operations in code name operation Phoenix? My father said he did but doesn’t talk about it at all! Any information would be greatly appreciated.
My sergeant major in the 7th Special Forces Group retired while I was there. About a year and a half later I ran into him in Kontum, Vietnam. He was running a PRU team out of a Villa as a civilian. If you want to know more Google Operation Phoenix.
@@DawsonsWar what is a PRU team? Thanks for the reply
@@ronniepetko3444 Provincial Reconnaissance Unit. The operational arm of Project Phoenix.
Political indoctrination also happens in America, but it's more centered around pampering and validation.
no volume
🇺🇸
Send me the link to the book please, thank you!
are you from philly?
I can’t imagine how you can tell
@@DawsonsWar your accent?
@@walkermorgan1710 Of course.
Nifty
I liked and subscribe.
Thanks!
Charlie don't $urf !....FAFO , OUI !
My cousin had that shirt back in the day..
@@charlesmullins3238 Hollywood Blvd is a long ways from the Ho Chi Minh Trail and that DAY goes back , way back before folks pretended about being there on the BIG $CREEN....OUI !....Rambo was a DRAFT DODGER !
A NVA team could easily beat a typical US team of the same size.
And with the right gear
Chet tiet doi mat tron🦎
Well, there are many dreadful threats for NV:
+Aids from communist group are basically 1/10 compared to the SV
+War is far from homeland
+Rains of rains of rains of democracy in from of physical boom or chemical herbicide
So it is obvious that the life of PAVN is hellish, one side throws cash the other side throws lives. The most important key point is hope and hope comes from a belief in better future and indoctrination.
P/s: since the life is basically hell on earth, there is a uplift song call "Loi nguoi ra di" roughly translated into words of the soldiers.
And of course, political indoctrination 😂
Yeah, took our military 50 years to catch up.
American boys should never have been sent off complicit in an imperial misadventure, from men to sociopaths, psychopaths and violators. Thank God for the Vietnamese north
A normal military contract is 4 years, I wonder how long it was for the north Vietnamese soldiers. I bet they belong to the military Until the war was over
They fought until the war was over or until they died or wounded to the point of combat ineffectiveness. Since all of them volunteered as the whole country mobilised for the war.
After the Vietnam war, many vets volunteered to return to continue to fight in Cambodia in 1979 and continue to fight until 1991. Many participated in the northern border conflict with China in 1979 and only retired after the conflict ended in the 1990s. So by 2000, most of these vets had been in war over 50 years since the 1950s as many volunteered to join when they were barely 18.
please add your email address under about so we can send you news tips.
All I know is these VC only feared 1 group of USA SOLDIERS, 173RD US ARMY MAC/SOG (SKYSOLDIER), we were only Jungle trained Special Forces, Green Hell, Fort Sherman, Panama 🇵🇦,,,, and on completion of training received a custom Machete and sheath,and we used them,,only unit to parachute in, after we slaughtered many unmercifily, when they saw chutes,,,they disappeared in Jungle.the Flying Armadillo.
Not hardly..ha..bravo company usmc was the most decorated in all the years of the war..up till the end of it ..read up on it...never lost a battle .never backed off a fight..these are the ones vc and nva hated the most..cause when they went ip against them they always lost..now you know two things..dont want to overload your brain...ha.