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Catalog number: VIS 201.0736
In part two of this two-part interview, Skip Bell recalls four significant incidents in his two tours of duty in Vietnam. He describes in detail an enemy bomb that blew a tank off his unit's newly installed AVLB (armored vehicle launched bridge), sending the bridge into the air and seriously wounding a young soldier who had asked to ride on the tank. He also describes in detail how his friend, Lieutenant Burt Philips, was killed when the Viet Cong detonated a Chinese-made Claymore mine during Philips' patrol. He comments on the way the enemy quickly and effectively adapted to meet the challenge of new American combat tactics. He describes an incident during his second tour, flying helicopters, when a thunderstorm rendered his aircraft nearly unresponsive and drove them off course. He explains how they managed to return safely. Finally, he recalls an incident when he was tasked with flying an American senior advisor and a Vietnamese province chief into a newly re-captured village only to discover that the Viet Cong had taken it again. He explains how they were able to extract the team and displays a photograph of a Viet Cong flag from the village that he was given later. He reflects on his military service, soldiers, war in general, and the Vietnam War specifically.
15 мар 2022
