* Born and raised in Brooklyn N.Y., David Yuzuk attended the University of Stony Brook on a football scholarship. Short Story / War and Military. Indirect Fire Infantrymen (MOS 11C), Combat Engineers (MOS 12B), and Bridge Crewmembers (MOS 12C) also have short . Sign up to IrishCentral's newsletter to stay up-to-date with everything Irish! Private contractors? I mean really small. Wakeman wrote numerous letters home detailing her love of rushing at the enemy amid gunfire . An Army Infantryman (MOS 11B) currently has the shortest amount of time in AIT at four weeks. The CIA? We'd love to hear eyewitness After one tour in Vietnam, Capt. Lessons from History is a platform for writers who share ideas and inspirational stories from world history. Giant Killers are among us-- author David Yuzuk walked with one and returned with this tale." It begins in Stamford, Connecticut, in 1966, the year Flaherty graduated from high school, and also the year in which the American military presence in Vietnam had more than doubled from the previous year, while U.S. casualties had nearly quadrupled. Photo credit: Funker530. vietnam war memorial. While tunnel rats often wanted to wear hearing protection to help lessen the consequences of this noise and avoid damage to their eardrums, they risked not being able to hear the enemy approaching. Join IrishCentrals Book Club on Facebook and enjoy our book-loving community. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Richard J. Flaherty may never be known. Hed traveled a lot, read a lot and was interesting to talk with.. In her spare time, Rosemary enjoys spending time with her partner, her cats, and her horse, or sitting down to read a good book. A former TV Reporter. On January 27, 1973, the Paris Peace Accords were signed, officially bringing to an end the American war in Vietnam. But Flaherty spotted the bunker, rallied his soldiers and led a charge under heavy fire that cleared the area of enemy troops. . Pararescue. If you include the near-nine years of fighting that took place during the First Indochina War, add that tally to the 20-year war in Vietnam, you understand why the conflict is sometimes referred to as the Ten Thousand Day War, that number more or less equating to 30 years. On occasion, they ended up having severe nervous breakdowns and their colleagues dragged them out of tunnels crying and screaming. When it came time to weigh in, Flaherty barely tipped the scale of 100 pounds. With the draft in full swing, many American males of a certain age did what they could to avoid being drafted or otherwise qualifying for military service. Tunnels were also built in zig-zags to prevent the enemy from pouring in chemicals or shooting bullets over a long distance. Richards future, therefore, was sealed before he took his first breath. You can check it out here. When the soldier tripped the wire, the ball would swing down the tunnel and strike into the face of anyone in the way. He becomes a mystery to family and friends alike. If they were feeling particularly cruel they may point the sticks downwards at an angle. On average, tunnels in this underground network were 1.2 meters wide and only 0.8 to 1.8 metres high. [3], He was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division during his first tour to Vietnam in 1968 during the Vietnam War. Reads: 47 Comments: 1. . One American man was trying anything to get in. This early condition stunted his growth. saigon 1975. army soldier. John Zander in Chu Lai, Vietnam in 1965. The Tropic Lightning Tunnel Rat School at Cu Chi base camp provides an example of this. A retired Miami cop spends three years trying to unearth the truth about a homeless gentleman he'd befriended. He says of Flaherty, I think that Vietnam tortured Richard.. The Viet Cong were simply experts at utilizing their surroundings to their advantage. I didnt believe him at first, Yuzuk recalled. Most likely a member of the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend" which sustained 43% casualties during the Normandy campaign. Maybe its because, as a high school student, I knew him, if only from a distance. Equally, these countries failed to understand how difficult it would be to detect and neutralize such networks. Abandoned by the CIA, Flaherty locates a smuggling ring stealing tons of explosives including a classified weapon from inside a U.S. Army base, and signs on to work the investigation undercover with the Federal law enforcement agency the ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Photo credit: USMC Archives. Postal Service. But it wasnt easy. He would see Flaherty and talk with him every day; they would even eat lunch together. Or were his missions something much darker? After the military he got into some pretty dicey stuff like gun trafficking. That medically makes you a dwarf (little person). After being removed from the CIA, Flaherty helped catch a smuggling ring at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and worked undercover for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as an informant. To even attempt Special Forces training, Flaherty had to gain six pounds and get another height waiver. Photo credit: The New York Times. Myanmar 159.52cm (5 feet 2.80 inches) The Temples of Bagan in Mandalay, Myanmar. Another particularly horrific tactic became known as the spike ball or the mace. Flaherty was tasked with training the Royal Thai Army in counterinsurgency, in preparation for being sent to Vietnam. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. During the war, more than 58,000 servicemen and women lost their lives. Special forces officer with a great deal of success. You were a mighty man. Some of these men were career military officers. He was always recommending books and talking about philosophy, work and politics and eventually giving me advice. Richard Flaherty, was certainly a standout. She received both her bachelor of arts degree in history, and her master of arts degree in history from Western University. You had to be a minimum of 5 feet tall and weigh at least 100 lb. After a while, whenever Id see him, Id give him a little head nod and hed do the same. He said he hopes the movie makes people think twice before being dismissive or hateful toward the homeless, many of whom are veterans, and make politicians think carefully before sending American men and women to foreign places to kill people. If you look at all of the things the radio operators were tasked with, it becomes abundantly . He came home from Vietnam after his second tour and moved to Hallandale, Florida, where he worked for a time with the U.S. 4' 9" 97lbs Vietnam Vet Green Beret Captain Richard J. Flaherty - 101st Airborne & 3rd Special Forces Group Vietnam 1967-1971. He first deployed to Southeast Asia in 1968 as a member of the 101st Airborne Division. Captain Flaherty's Irish lineage is traced back to his grandfather Joseph Patrick Flaherty who was born in the Aran islands and his grandmother Bridget Smythe was born in the village of Feakle next to the Sliabh Aughty Mountains. As a result, many tunnel rats often avoided using hearing protection while underground. Rosemary Giles is a history content writer with Hive Media. He was often mistaken as a freshman when he was a senior. The NVA troops hit the soldiers with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. Capt. From this point, they were to seek out enemy soldiers or potential hiding spaces where they may have once been. Despite this, Yuzuk honored his friend by producing a documentary called The Giant Killer,which tells the full story of Richard Flahertys service in Vietnam and his life after he returned to the US. Current standards for men is 60-80 inches tall. 20002023 The Veterans Site and GreaterGood. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. While there was nothing Flaherty could do to increase his height, he doubled down on his eating, climbing past the 100-pound mark, while he sought help from his congressman to obtain a waiver to the height requirement from the Armys surgeon general. He took to eating six meals a day and was able to bulk up to the 100 lb. The Lone . It was if he was hardening himself up for some special task.. Yuzuk told the West Virginia Gazette that he hopes the documentary will make people think twice about judging the homeless. The Marines have adopted a new program as of January 2017. His size also meant he worked as a tunnel rat during his tour of duty, crawling through enemy tunnels to destroy them. With Harvey Arango, Ernie Bourcier, Jeff Burns, Carl Cain. Many American men were trying to avoid serving the U.S. military in the 1960s and 1970s. Archives held in Texas revealed this happened to one unfortunate soldier. 7'3" Jakob Nacken (221 cm), the tallest German soldier of WW2, chatting with 5'7" (170 cm) Eddie Worth, AP photographer with the wartime still picture pool, after his surrender. Each panel is numbered from "1" to "70" at the base, with West Panel 1 and East Panel 1 . After successfully graduating the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC), also known as Q course, Flaherty was assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group. All of that ends when hes arrested for possession of gun silencers. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Captured U.S. pilot major Dewey Waddell is guarded by a militiawoman with a gun and a bayonet on a rice field. He came home from Vietnam after his second tour and moved to Hallandale, Florida, where he worked for a time with the U.S. He also fell below the Army's weight requirement of 100 pounds. In one interview, tunnel rat soldier CW Bowman recalled how his fellow colleagues bet money on the fact he would not live through his whole tour as the job was so dangerous. It has a rating of 7.4 on IMDb. Got the VC screaming "we said no Oddjob! In particularly horrendous circumstances, enemy soldiers would dig another pit directly beside it. Read on to learn about the crazy booby traps soldiers faced, the creepy crawlies they encountered, and the damaging psychological consequences of such close combat. That way, when a soldier fell into a pit and became trapped, he would call for a colleague who would rush to his aid and collapse into the trap next to it. 11,465 of those killed were younger than 20 years old. However, other than being underground, they were actually very different from the real Viet Cong tunnels. Captain Flaherty's incredible life story was captured in the Amazon #1 Best Selling book, "The Giant Killer" available on Amazon as a Paperback, eBook, & Audiobook, and the award-winning documentary, "The Giant Killer Finding Flaherty" available worldwide on Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, iTunes, and Tubi. Sometimes these snakes were even poisonous and so became known as three-step snakes because a soldier was only granted three more steps before the venom killed him. Copyright 2023 Irish Studio LLC All rights reserved. Once the Viet Cong caught on to what was happening, they began to use the same soap the Americans used. Owned and operated by CharityUSA.com, LLC. Richard was my friend and I promised him I would finish the project, Yuzuk said. I quote the half-inch ants have such a powerful bite that to pull them off means losing a bit of skin. By 1990, he was homeless and living on the streets of Aventura, Florida. Trni was severely wounded after he skied into a mine during 1942, but . How does he get kicked out due to reduction of force? His ODA was tasked with training the Royal Thai Army in counterinsurgency operations and prepare them for a deployment to Vietnam. According to federal law, the United States' military involvement in the Vietnam War began in February 1961 and lasted until May 1975. This was devastating news to Yuzuk. Thus, when Richard was born, he was different. or anything. This would-be Captain America was just 49, three inches too short for Army service. In addition to exposing himself to enemy fire while leading the charge on the bunker, Flaherty displayed extraordinary heroism while engaged in close combat with a well dug-in enemy force, in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.. After 15 years of friendship, Flaherty finally confessed, Its time I tell you who I really am. Only 10 days later Flaherty would be killed in a bizarre hit and run. Tools of the trade metal tin sign. During one search and destroy operation, for example, a unit destroyed 6000 pounds of rice, 40 pounds of salt, 8 rifle grenades, 8 bunkers, numerous dwellings, and one 120-foot-long tunnel. How many men and women have we lost to the anonymity of our city streets? It was only after a determined effort, which included the involvement of his local Congressman, that he managed to acquire a waiver. MILTON The shortest soldier to serve in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, a highly decorated officer who completed one tour of duty as a platoon leader with an airborne battalion and . He was awarded a Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts during his service. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Flaherty then called for a 90 millimeter recoilless rifle a shoulder-mounted explosive projectile launcher initially designed to destroy tanks to be brought to his position, and from there, led its two-man crew on an assault of the North Vietnamese bunker. Greek Army veteran (National service with 575th Marines Battalion and Army HQ). If the army located an entrance and needed it explored, the team lowered a tunnel rat into the area to scout out the surroundings. Network news was filled with the stories of young men dying in combat to stem the spread of Communism to South Vietnam. During this deployment, he would be promoted to captain, earn two Bronze Stars and would be wounded in combat two times, receiving a Purple Heart for each time. April 12, 2021. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, MIGHTY NETWORKS, 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Mandalorian recap before Season 3: Everything you need to know, serving the U.S. military in the 1960s and 1970s, He returned to the U.S. that same year to attend the Army Special warfare School. Soldier in Vietnam War was the Army's Badass Combatant . The Viet Cong were experts at creating very sophisticated tunnel systems that would sometimes be so large that they could be used as company-sized staging areas for hiding and for rest, even for hospital facilities. No offense intended, but most armies have minimal-height, like here in my country you can't go to the army or police when being less than 1.55m as a man (don't know if this is still accurate, but it was in the past. How many other Richard Flahertys are there living among us as homeless veterans? He had crossed the DMZ back into South Vietnam where he was shot as he was recaptured. Medically speaking, Richard would be considered a proportionate dwarf. When he finally got past the 100-pound mark, he petitioned his Congressman to obtain a waiver for the Armys height restrictions. Don't Threaten. Twenty-year-old Mike . Finding out about him and what he had done since graduating from high school has put me through a roller coaster of emotions. Weve got a clip from the movie that details Richards ruthlessness in combat. After college David moved to Miami and became a 19-year veteran of the Aventura Police Department working as a uniformed road patrolman, undercover officer, and detective. Similarly, one American soldier highlighted how they liked to soften things up by throwing in one or more hand grenades before sending in tunnel rats. Watch on. He returned to Southeast Asia in 1969 and remained there until 1971 when he left the Army. In most cases, tunnel rats were engineers, infantrymen, cavalry scouts, or chemical specialists. You see, he did not meet the minimum height and weight requirements. Operation Crimp hoped to target a key Viet Cong headquarter location believed to be unground. The Lone Soldier. The American Soldier in VietnamMore than 2.5 million American men served in Vietnam during the war. The enemy would litter a concrete ball with barbed spikes. He was the shortest US serviceman in history. soldier has to be fit both physically and mentally to endure the hardship in an adverse environment such as a battle field. After DNA testing confirmed his identity, the remains were removed from the tomb and returned to Blassie's family, but the Medal of Honor remained as a tribute to those . In September of 1966, Rep. Donald J. Irwin of Connecticut got in touch with the U.S. Army Surgeon General, who recommended a waiver for Flahertys height. Submitted photo. Theres a documentary on his life/death. More from us: Phil Bucklew: The Father of US Naval Special Warfare. We often look at college students as punk kids, lazy frat guys or any other kind of social stereotype. He was later reassigned to the 10th Special Forces Group at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. After completing basic training, he qualified for Officer Candidate School, from which he graduated as a second lieutenant, before receiving orders sending him to Vietnam. You can also learn about how these soldiers came about, who opted to become one, how they trained, and what equipment they used. Lance Corporal Robert A. Bishop explores a Viet Cong tunnel complex found by Leathernecks of the 2d Battalion, 26th Marines. Shortest US soldier in Vietnam War was not short in courage. The two maintained a long friendship. Miami Police officer David Yuzuk befriended Richard J. Flaherty when the former soldier was living on the streets as a homeless man. After all, it was a very stressful and dangerous job. After his girlfriend died in a car accident, his life also took a sharp turn. He showed his fearsome warrior spirit during the Vietnam War, and later entered the roster of the Army's elite task . Vietnam Veterans represent the largest cohort of American Veterans in . Marines who score 285 or higher on BOTH the PFT and CFT are exempt from height/weight standards. After shooting a maximum of three bullets, soldiers would typically reload to avoid letting the enemy know when they were out of ammo. At 4-foot-nine-inches tall and 97-pounds he was the. Because of this, they often targeted their legs instead. By 1990, the US Army veterans was homeless and living in Aventura, Florida. Invalid password or account does not exist. Another method frequently used attempted to flood the area so badly that the enemy desperately sought to escape to avoid drowning. One of the prerequisites for and provisions of the accords was the return of all U.S. prisoners of war (POWs). Though there are . 22 Feb 2018. He used to spend all day at a movie theater. Get your SPECIAL OFFER for MagellanTV here: https://try.magellantv.com/simplehistory. There is a story about Flaherty being involved in a federal investigation that ended in the arrest of two Green Berets in the 1980s. Doctors from Stamford Connecticut's Regional Hospital worked intensely to save the newborn as his mother wasn't aware of her blood group of Rh-negative. None of these wars were longer than the Afghan war, anyway.] Yuzuk also found papers showing that Flaherty had paid a deposit for a burial plot in Miltons Forest Memorial Park, with a request to be buried near Lisa Davis Anness, whom the Vietnam vet described as the love of his life. , Vietnam in 1968 as a tunnel Rat school at Cu Chi camp! Arts degree in history, and her master of arts degree in history, and two Purple during! A homeless gentleman he 'd befriended, therefore, was sealed before he to. Myanmar 159.52cm ( 5 feet tall and weigh at least 100 lb gentleman he befriended... 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shortest soldier in vietnam