Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
2:47 | They took away the M-14s and gave the Marines the new M-16 rifle. Burrell Landes recalls how, when the new weapon was used in combat, a host of problems became evident.
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He was still in high school when Burrell Landes went to talk to a Navy Recruiter. He and his friends were looking for the man when a Marine recruiter from down the hall said come on down here, boys.
After basic training, Burrell Landes went to a Marine Reserve unit in Kansas. He decided he should be an officer, started college and went through Officer Candidate School and received a commission. He went back to college as a history major with an eye toward being a coach but the pull of the Marines was stronger.
He didn't care for the commander of his first Marine unit so Burrell Landes jumped at the chance to become a General's aide. Then he became a ceremonial Marine at the Marine Barracks in Washington. It was while he was there that the Vietnam War heated up. Like all young Marines, he wanted to go do his part.
When he got to Vietnam, Burrell Landes had a couple of staff jobs, then took command of a rifle company. He soon became a hard ass when it came to discipline in the field because he quickly recognized that being lax would get you killed.
It was a Special Landing Force. Burrell Landes and his company of Marines hovered aboard ship until needed and then they came ashore to fight. It was nearly always in a free fire zone so they didn't have to worry about civilian casualties.
A company of Marines was nearly wiped out in a NVA ambush. Burrell Landes was part of the relief force that rushed in and it was as they were carrying out the bodies of the fallen Marines that an even larger force struck. Part 1 of 2.
There are some things that Burrell Landes will never forget about the fight in which he earned the Silver Star. First, there was the jet fighter shot down by a SAM from the North. Then he had to chase down a brash young Marine who took off with his war souvenir. Then there was the Marine in the embattled line who said something that echoed throughout Marine lore. Part 2 of 2.
After six months in the field, rifle company commanders were transferred into another job. Burrell Landes became the S4 in charge of logistics. In wartime Vietnam, this was a license to steal, but it was all for the good of the Marines.
The grit and determination shown by his men never ceased to amaze Burrell Landis. He recalls one Marine who not only embodied those qualities, he accomplished great things after the war. Another Marine, who was constantly in trouble, stood fast under a withering attack. (Caution: rough language)
After his Vietnam tour, Burrell Landes was assigned to Headquarters, Marine Corps. He marveled in disgust at the anti-war protestors in the streets and parks of Washington. He went on to serve nearly thirty years in the Corps before enjoying a successful business career.
They accepted the call. Burrell Landes and his fellow Marines considered it their duty to their country. The leaders he admired in the Corps and who shaped his career earned his admiration. His greatest fear in combat was that he might make a mistake and get young Marines killed.
