Please consider donating to help us bring more stories to this channel. Thank you!! LEST THEY BE FORGOTTEN www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=U2WZVZ7B8XN3L VOICES OF HISTORY FILM AND VIDEO CATALOG ON RU-vid: ru-vid.comvideos Larry Cappetto WEBSITE: larrycappetto.com
may 03, 2023... I was a medic at 3rd Field Hospital OR in Saigon in 1972...I too recall the helicopters... the crews of all the choppers were fantastic....especially the medevac and gun ships.. I salute you all. olehippy, thats me.
@@VoicesofHistory I worked primarily in the OR... but I recall one time I was put on the recovery ward... I remember seeing two door gunners that had been shot in the calf muscle...it reminded me of when somebody takes a bite out of an apple.... the crater it leaves....They were lucky. I like your video's. My wife gets upset when I sit and watch them... but I like to see what others around me did... Keep at it my friend. and Thank YOU.
A couple of door gunner stories from my time in Vietnam in 1968/69. Even though I was trained in the Infantry I got lucky and worked in an office at Long Binh and only saw one firefight in Feb of 69 when I was on the Reaction Force. One of the things my office did was special procurement. We sourced some flak vests that did not zip up the front. They had ceramic/ballistic plates that slid into large pockets in the front and the back. These were tested by door gunners and I got to see the results of how one of them worked. The gunner was hit mid-chest by an AK47 round and survived. There was a crater at the bullet-strike site but it did not penetrate all the way through the armor. The gunner was bruised badly though. I worked with a female clerk who was married to a door gunner. They both would reenlist and pick their duty stations. He picked VIP flights as a crew chief and she stayed at USARV Headquarters. They were saving money to buy a ranch in Wyoming for when the ETS'd. I hope they both made it back to the world ok and were able to pursue their dream.
Being raised in a army / air force family I pulled a 300 plus lottery # I was 1a but never called. Went to 1 year of college but got married. Still married now.
Welcome home Mr. Lavrenz, and thank you for your service. You went to war at a time when you could have shirked service with the support of too many. Instead, you honored your father, and your father's name. No one had to take your place like the cowards you left on the bathroom floor, and you are beholding to no one. I am not a combat vet, and so I can never fully know what I speak of. But I do know I have spent my entire life being proud of our combat vets, and in awe of their efforts that guarentee our God given rights of freedom. Thank you Sir, and God bless.
You are not forgotten Sir! We know your sacrifice and those of us from those years are bitter as well. We hold the politicians accountable not our soldiers. God Bless you🙏🏼
My father in Law was 101st. Welcome Home. This is the first doc in the series I’ve watched that made me tear up. - with pride in some of those tears. God Be With You.
Mr. Laverenz earned the right to have any opinion of the war that he wants. Then and now. I hope that he finds more peace in his life every day. God bless him, and all the served.
Thank you for your service. Viet Nam veterans are my hero's. I was a young child during the war and love you guys. I understand what you are going through with ptsd as I have it from different reasons. I pray for you.
Thanks for serving your country! You should get compensation from the VA you deserve it. I was Coast Guard Aviation Veteran 70-74 you are a braver man than I.
Larry I’ve just recently found your channel and have since watched now 3-4 Vietnam era videos. I’ve left some comments to the veterans but wanted to also thank you for the excellent supreme work you’ve done and contributed to history. I’ve seen a few other producer’s videos and they were also very good but i want to say your style of questions and sincerity is above bar and you deserve a special thanks. So thank you.
Jerry, one of the best comments I've ever received about my work. I have saved it. I'm glad you found my channel. My goal is to share it with the world and especially our younger generation who know very little about freedom. I so appreciate your kind words. God bless you!!
YOU SIR, are NOT AND WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN! THANK YOU FOR YOUR AWESOME INTERVIEW AND SHARING YOUR STORIES WITH US OTHER VETERANS! BLESSINGS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND WE “THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR GREAT COUNTRY!”
Another wonderful interview of a Hero. The look of pride when they salute at the end, makes me cry every time. Thank you for your service & sacrifices. Sending love from Australia 🇦🇺
I was at danang on my second tour and remembered that Chinook crashing into a mountain while headed to phu Bai. I had just talked those boys before they border at freedom hill. Tragic. I also remember the typhoon.
I remembered the typhoon and the crash of the Chinook. I actually talked those boys at the guard gate at dsnang going up to freedom hill. I believe there were 30 plus boys on that chopper. I was on my second tour.
@@VoicesofHistory ,Thank you for what your doing! Is this channel still taking submissions for interviews? This story caught my attention because a coworker of mine was a door gunner in Vietnam, he’s in his mid 70’s with lots of stories. 🇺🇸
Another great story Larry and like where he mentions faith in the Lord brought him through the War. My freinds Dad served/drafted and vowed to preach the word if God could get him home safe.....and he did,Ernie Depew still preaches today here in East Tn. and I actually listen to his sermons on sunday morning while driving to my church.EVERYTHING is in the Gods hands.....even right now as a torn apart country,he is in control,take care Larry.
Chris, great comment!!. Please send me a link to Ernie's messages. I encourage you to watch my story on Robert Grass. He was a Korean Veteran and preacher. Let me know if you can't find it.
In 1970 I was 2/502 Inf 101st Airborne, before that I was a training NCO at Fort Polk... while with the Screaming Eagles (I wanted 173rd...too late) I was asked if I would like to be a door gunner... the whole pitch was a hooch, cot, showers and hot meals... nothing about getting shot. So I passed, though I know two of the other guys who had been in country longer than me took them up. On the ground I could hide, unlike up there in that damn bird.... one mate of mine was a radio operator for General Berry and they got shot down...the pilot was able to auto rotate the blades and landed sliding on the skids... he was fine.... sadly we spent 33o days in the jungle as we didn't have a base camp. We got our water out of springs in the mountains and boiled it to drink and for our food (LRPS-dehydrated food)... seems we ate and drank Dioxin poison (Agent Orange) along with 300,000 now dead VN Vets....ALL MY FRIENDS from that war are dead. "Thank you for your service?" you hated us, we got called up like our fathers and we went as Americans.
That sucks that he says I think I’m proud of being a Vietnam vet. He should be proud I’m sure proud of him an all Americans should be proud of him.Thank you for your sacrifice an service glad you made it home
I have a close friend that’s a Vietnam Veteran, and he was affected. We took a trip around the US, I’m thinking 1996. In Smoky Mountain National Park, I hear a big ruckus going on and I got to my friends tent he was sitting up eyes wide open and he looks at me and says Charlie in the wire. I woke him and snapped him out of it. I told him he needed help but the V.A. At that point wasn’t taking care of business. I have to say the V. A. has definitely stepped up since then and he now has help. I must commend you on the work that you’ve done and are doing.
This man should never be ashamed of his service to this country. He only did what he was taught and the only thing he did was follow orders. This man has nothing to regret.
This man has spoken the truth, no doubt about it. Sorry to make so many comments but I felt I needed to show how these people tried to get organized through many obstacles. Americans did an Excellent job, considering their downfalls. And many did over come all of those obstacles. I have to say this is the middle of combat and their wasn’t very much help. Although you/we have delt with the most chronic examples of the times, we will definitely overcome any obstacles.
PTSD is no joke. Some people that have never had an experience that may cause it might think that it means that you're fragile or weak. Nothing could be further from the truth. It takes courage to live every day with PTSD and the effects can last years. Welcome home sir.
I was a crew chief / repairman/ gunner on UH 1 in the early 1970 and I will never forget my MOS. It’s 67-N-20. How can you not know your MOS. Military occupation specialty.
Those poor guys what they went thur no young man should have to deal with what they did. I think the combat Vietnam Vets where the best of the America soldiers they did what they was asked to do. They really never lost a battle the leaders in Washington lost the war. They couldn't fight a war with one hand behind their back. I salute these guy's and what they did was amazing.
My Uncle trained at Fort Rucker Served as a CrewChief 229th and 235th aviation battalion Bong Son VIETNAM They called themselves the DELTA DEVILS My uncle is STEVEN LUPKES rank? Service mid 60's two two tours Wheaton, Mn
Don't understand the protest after he came home at the basketball games; sounds like he had a pretty clean tour. There is something underlying there. Best of luck.
