What's up guys? I just now noticed there was a history forum and I am pissed to know that I have been missing out. I would consider myself a history junkie (that makes me a junkie in two aspects now) and read only non-fiction. Anyways, this post is not just an introduction. Now I am sure there are some Vietnam Veterans that use these forums and I am in no way belittling with they did while in the jungles over there. From all of the reading I have done I know it was a god-forsaken place and according to Veterans Affairs, 1 out of every 6 veteran that spent time on tours in the jungle suffers from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). There was a unit that was part of the 101st airborne and the 327th Infantry (I think that is right) called "Tiger Force" and it was similar to a ranger team. They mainly went on reconnaissance missions to find enemy encampments and call in air strikes but they also participated in a fair share of firefights. The men who served in Tiger Force ended up committing countless atrocities and the whole thing was covered up until the past few years. There is a great book called "Tiger Force" and you can get it for six dollars at Barnes & Noble right now. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and it helps shed some light on the civilians killed in Vietnam. Sorry for such a long post. I look forward to posting with other history junkies. -NICU
I wasn't there either, but it sounds like you're talking about Long Range Reconnaisance Patrols (LRRPs, or lurps). For further adventures of the 101 Airborne, do a Wikipedia or Google search on Firebase Ripcord. That battle, in April 1970, was one the U.S. definitely didn't win.
