Scary/terrifying sounds from Vietnam War?

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Sejanus
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Re: RE: "Scary" and "Terrifying" Sounds From The Vietnam War? (Well Sort of).

#16

Post by Sejanus » 31 Jul 2019, 04:02

Robert Rojas wrote:
31 Jul 2019, 00:09
Greetings to both citizen Sejanus and the community as a whole. Howdy Sejanus! Well sir OR madam, in reference to your entry of Sunday - July 28, 2019 - 12:15am, if my now fading recollection serves, the VULCAN ROTARY CANNON generated an audible sound far more reminiscent to that of a BUZZ SAW rather than "flatulence". Standing next to VULCAN ROTARY CANNON while it is sending a torrent of steel down range is (and was) quite a memorable experience. After the conclusion of the United States of America's involvement in greater Indochina, the United States Army married up the M-61 VULCAN ROTARY CANNON with the venerable and vintage M-113 armored personnel carrier. The end result was the M-163 VULCAN AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM. So, technically speaking, this weapon system never saw any action during the course of the Vietnam War. Now you know. Well, that's my latest two Yankee cents worth on this topic down G.I. memory lane - for now anyway. As always, I would like to bid you an especially copacetic day over on your corner of the Continent.

Best Regards,
Uncle Bob :idea: :|
Greetings Uncle Bob. It is all in the eye (or in this case, ear) of the beholder I suppose. I never stood next to a Vulcan as it was fired though, only seeing and hearing them blasting from Phantoms overhead and trailing little white puffs of smoke as they fired. Standing next to one firing must have been quite impressive! And they are still being used, too. In this age of hideously expensive and highly technically advanced weaponry, it is good to see a weapons system like the Vulcan that is still being fielded. Less likely to malfunction/break and easier to fix than overpriced "smart" weapons crap with multi-million (and sometime billion) dollar price tags. KISS is the best way to go in my humble opinion...

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von thoma
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Re: Scary/terrifying sounds from Vietnam War?

#17

Post by von thoma » 01 Aug 2019, 05:25

Did anyone saw a Napalm bombing ?
" The right to believe is the right of those who don't know "


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Re: Scary/terrifying sounds from Vietnam War?

#18

Post by OpanaPointer » 02 Aug 2019, 12:40

Sandys and fast movers delivered napalm. Sounded like a gas station explosion I witnessed as a youngster.
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Robert Rojas
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RE: "SCARY" and "TERRIFYING" Sounds From The Vietnam War?

#19

Post by Robert Rojas » 07 Oct 2019, 07:16

Greetings to both citizen Patrick Bateman and the community as a whole. Howdy Patrick (or Pat if you so prefer). Well sir, in reference to your installment of Thursday - July 25, 2019 - 11:41am, in a continuing effort to explain the impact of acoustics on the battlefields of Indochina, on some occasions, it was not what you necessarily heard, BUT how you heard it OR how you perceived hearing it. When the time avails itself, you might want to acquaint OR reacquaint yourself with an aerial tactic known as NAP OF THE EARTH flying. During air assault operations, both the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps troop carrying helicopters would fly just above the top of the triple canopy rain forest. At that height, it was very difficult for the regular troops of the Peoples Army of Vietnam and the Guerrillas of the National Liberation Front to clearly discern what specific direction which the heliborne sticks were rapidly approaching. This acoustic phenomena, at least in theory anyway, gave the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps aerial attack force a modicum of tactical surprise. On the other hand, the Communists did win the war! Well, that's my latest two Yankee cents worth on my nations ill advised expedition into greater Indochina - for now anyway. As always, I would like to bid you an especially copacetic day over in your corner of the ever bucolic Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Best Regards,
Uncle Bob :idea: :|
"It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it" - Robert E. Lee

mikel
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Re: Scary/terrifying sounds from Vietnam War?

#20

Post by mikel » 31 Oct 2019, 06:13

B52s generally dropped from 25,000 to 30,000 feet. In my time they would announce "Arclite Warning!" in the clear. This was usually 30 minutes or so before the strike. They would announce the coordinates of the target path. I would have to plot this on my map and di-di the area. The safety zone was 5 Ks from the path. I have been within 3Ks and it was earth shattering. There were usually 3 planes and they were followed by 3 more a half hour or so later. On a clear day, if you knew just where and when to look, you might see the tiniest glint in the sky. Some guys had the mission to fly or rope in and assess the damage while it was still smoking. This could be quite dangerous. I have seen Napalm go in close. It was impressive. Mortars make no sound incoming. Rockets and RRs do. They will make you cringe pretty hard. Scary part was wondering when they would stop or where the next one would land. Then look to see what or who got hit and what could be done. I was spent 16 months in a SF A Camp on the Cambodian border with CIDG troops. Their dependents lived with them and lots of the kids and family members got hurt and killed during the prolonged attacks. Bad memories. Just some factual stuff I recall. No gaseous political or philosophical rhetoric.

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Re: Scary/terrifying sounds from Vietnam War?

#21

Post by OpanaPointer » 31 Oct 2019, 14:53

Ever been back?
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