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Howie Bachman
Vietnam
| ARVN Advisor
Near the end of his tour, ARVN advisor Howie Bachman was patrolling in an unfamiliar area when the vehicle in front of him was hit by an anti-tank rocket. A platoon of Montagnards was wiped out and when the Vietnamese wouldn't touch them because of cultural prejudice, he had to step in. (8:13)
Howie Bachman didn't experience any anti-war protests when he returned from his first tour of Vietnam but he did drop to the floor when his wife scared him at home. A little adjusting was needed. He got command of a tank company at Fort Hood but was then tapped as an aide-de-camp, a job he was not suited for. He started making it known to armor branch that he was available for another combat command. (6:11)
Howie Bachman arrived well prepared and experienced but his second tour of Vietnam was not starting off well. He was locked into an insulting job and reluctantly put his head down and worked. In the course of his mundane duties, he met Mustang, the commander of the 3-5 Cavalry. Sir, I'm a prisoner at a staff job. I will take any position in your fine unit. (11:29)
Rescued from his lowly staff job, Howie Bachman visited each company of his new unit, the 3-5 Cav. The last one was actually an attached company, Dreadnaught Charlie. It's commander did not run a tight ship and his job was in jeopardy. (8:44)
Dreadnaught Charlie was a mess. The tank company had been run in a lax manner but new company commander Howie Bachman had them shaping up fast. It earned him an uncomplimentary nickname but then the men saw that he ate what they ate and slept where they slept. Then came the infamous overheard radio conversation that really earned their respect. (10:33)
The brass didn't like to send out the big tank recovery vehicles so when one of Howie Bachman's tank commanders got stuck by a creek, he used his own resources instead. One of his clever plans backfired, though, when a booby trapped Claymore he was preparing exploded in his hand. Evacuate to Okinawa? No way! (8:19)
No one in armor had ever done it. When he assumed command of C Troop of the 3-5 Cav, Howie Bachman had his second combat command in a row. He began to assert his usual leadership style which meant that the men hated him at first. That would change. (8:56)
Jon Eckert
Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan)
| India Battery, 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines
Jon Eckert volunteered for another deployment, but this time he was going to be handling IED detecting dogs. When they were later sent to the Kajaki Dam, these Marine canines were critical to finding the multitudes of hidden explosives that were incapacitating American forces on a regular basis. (3:22)
Jon Eckert describes a tragic day in Afghanistan when he and his dog were leading a patrol to prevent anyone from hitting an IED when the unthinkable happened and they lost fellow Marine CPL Jorge Villarreal. (Caution: strong language) (5:39)
Terry Caskey
Vietnam
| Multiple Units
Ever since watching the old TV series Combat, Terry Caskey knew he wanted to be a medic. He knew he wanted to go to Vietnam, as well, so he could help soldiers survive if they were wounded. After his training, he had dual MOS's as a combat medic and operating room technician. He got his orders for Vietnam in July 1968. (4:42)
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