Vietnam War Group Session #3

The Grunts!

 

On Friday, November 7, the Vietnam War class was honored to host 2 infantrymen from the U.S. Army and 2 ground-pounding Marines.  These are the guys that take and hold the ground!  They told the students about their experiences with helicopters, booby traps, tunnels and C-Rations!  We appreciate these men sharing their experiences with us!


Mr. Ed Moor (Left) and Mr. Mike Maloof (Right).

MARINES

Ed Moor

I reported to OCS in Quantico, Virginia, in January 1967.  After being commissioned a 2nd Lt, I completed the Basic School, a 5-month course in combat leadership, small unit tactics, etc. and was assigned my MOS (military occupational specialty) of 08, which is artillery. I was assigned to artillery school at Ft. Sill, OK, and from there to the 3rd Marine Division in the Republic of Viet Nam. I arrived in RVN in early June 1968 and was assigned to B Battery 1st Bn 13th Marines which was a 105 howitzer battery.  I was attached to 2nd Bn 26th Marines who were sent to Con Thien from Khe Sahn.  My duty was as a forward observer for artillery fire.  2/26 was later assigned to be one of two Battalion Landing Teams (BLT) which meant that we didn't have a home base but were sent all over the I Corps region where ever and whenever the brass thought we were needed.  After a few months of FO duty I became the Fire Support Coordinator for 2/26, which meant that I cleared all the air and artillery activity in our Area of Operation (AO). Later I joined B 1/13 as battery XO for the last 3 months of my 12 months and 20 day tour. After my tour in RVN, I reported to duty at Parris Island, SC, for duty in recruit training for a period of 1 year. After that I was released from active duty and became a civilian again.

 

Mike Maloof

I joined the Marine Corps in June 1967, at which time I went to Parris Island for Boot Camp and additional training.  I also was sent to the Defense Language Institute, where I learn to read, write, & speak Vietnamese. While there the Tet offensive of 1968 started, which we watched on the evening news, each night. I was then sent to Vietnam where I joined up with "F"ox Company, 2/5 in Hue City for the end of the Tet battle.  After this we stayed in the jungle, doing clean up operations, living through many fights, ambushes,  sniper attacks, & friendly fire by both our own mortars & jet dropped napalm. Several months later we ended up back in Anh Hoa (R&R town for the NVA & VC), which was the Arizona territory, where I was wounded, surviving injuries to my leg, back, butt, stomach, both arms, wrist & the head. I was then medavaced to a field hospital for a couple of weeks, then a hospital in Japan for a couple of weeks, & finally a Stateside Navel Hospital for several months & more surgeries.

                                                                                                                                                                                                            

 


Mr. John Adams (Left) and Mr. Frank Klarnet (Right)

 

ARMY

John Adams

Inducted (Drafted) Private E-1 18 Feb 1968. Attended Basic Combat Training (BCT) and Advanced Individual Training (AIT), Armor, Ft. Knox, KY   1968.   Selected for Officers Candidate School (OCS), Infantry, Ft. Benning, GA 1969. Commissioned Second Lieutenant, (2LT, 0-1) Infantry, 02 April 1969.

Served as Infantry Platoon Leader, Infantry Company Commander, and Battalion S-4, 196th Light Infantry Brigade, I Corps, Chu Lai, Republic of Vietnam (RVN)  (Northern, mountainous sector of country), 1969-1970; experienced combat action in air and on ground against North Vietnamese Regular Army (NVA) soldiers and local Viet Cong insurgents.  Also fought with South Vietnamese and ROK (Republic of Korea) soldiers against NVA soldiers coming down Ho Chi Min trail from North Vietnam.

 

Frank Klarnet

 

82nd Airborne, 1966-1967.