Scary/terrifying sounds from Vietnam War?

[PatrickBateman]

We all know the famous World War 2 sounds > MG 42, V-1 bomb, Katyusha rocket launcher. Does anyone know terrifying sounds specific from the Vietnam War? (so not things like hearing your wounded buddies screaming etc.)

I know Operation Wandering Soul is one of them.

[OpanaPointer]

The sound of a fast mover swooping down on your own position sticks in the mind. It's generic now I guess.

[PatrickBateman]

It sounds like you are a Vietnam vet, correct?

Do u know any vehicle/aicraft/weapon from the Vietnam War that had a 'scary' sound? I can understand that almost everything must sound terrifying during battle. For example, the sounds of every US fighter jet must be scary as hell, but was there one which stood out the most? The B-52 heavy bomber for example?

[OpanaPointer]

It sounds like you are a Vietnam vet, correct?

Do u know any vehicle/aicraft/weapon from the Vietnam War that had a 'scary' sound? I can understand that almost everything must sound terrifying during battle. For example, the sounds of every US fighter jet must be scary as hell, but was there one which stood out the most? The B-52 heavy bomber for example?

We seldom heard the BUFFs, they were flying too high. (But they taught me that a teenager with a radio could rain down Hell on the Earth.)

The sound of an RPG wailing in on you makes an impression not soon forgotten. The distinctive sound of the M-16 and AK rifles let you know who was shooting, but not at whom. The Ma Deuce* made a distinctive sound, not unique that that war or any since however. Charlie didn't hump the heavy gun through the boonies, so you knew a friendly was firing, but, again, not at whom. The rockets fired from an Ontos were distinctive, I'm told.


*Browning M2 .50 cal. heavy machine gun.

[PatrickBateman]

It sounds like you are a Vietnam vet, correct?

Do u know any vehicle/aicraft/weapon from the Vietnam War that had a 'scary' sound? I can understand that almost everything must sound terrifying during battle. For example, the sounds of every US fighter jet must be scary as hell, but was there one which stood out the most? The B-52 heavy bomber for example?

We seldom heard the BUFFs, they were flying too high. (But they taught me that a teenager with a radio could rain down Hell on the Earth.)

The sound of an RPG wailing in on you makes an impression not soon forgotten. The distinctive sound of the M-16 and AK rifles let you know who was shooting, but not at whom. The Ma Deuce* made a distinctive sound, not unique that that war or any since however. Charlie didn't hump the heavy gun through the boonies, so you knew a friendly was firing, but, again, not at whom. The rockets fired from an Ontos were distinctive, I'm told.


*Browning M2 .50 cal. heavy machine gun.

Oh right, but the low flying fighter jets must sound loud and scary as hell. I saw this clip on YouTube, I think I don't have to explain anything else, just watch at 1:54 minutes.

Thanks for all your other personal experiences, can't imagine what I would be like in real life. What about the minigun from the Huey helicopters? Or any type of artillery/mortar that stood out the most? Thanks again, sir.

[OpanaPointer]

The "Puff the Magic Dragon" and "Spooky" aircraft used mini guns. The NVA accused us of using lasers because the one-in-ten tracers formed a solid-seeming beam of light.

Hearing the guns from a forward artillery base was alway a bit scary, you couldn't be sure the rounds would land where they were supposed to land.

And finally, the sound of a Daisy Cutter bomb could be ... exciting ... if it went off too close. But the bomb made a LZ for the dust-offs, so you knew the wounded would probably get back to base.

[PatrickBateman]

I'm pretty I have seen footage of airmen firing miniguns from helicopters. Impressive that the USA had already gunships in the mid 1960s. It must have been scary as hell for the Viet Con when those aircraft fired their guns during the night.

Never heard of the "Daisy Cutter" before, I looked it up on YouTube but I couldn't find any real audio of a exploding Daisy Cutter.

Well, I can't think of anything else right now, except for the flamethrower.

[OpanaPointer]

Sound of mortar shells leaving the tube. Claymores going off. ("This side toward Lt.") And the LAAW rocket.

[OpanaPointer]

Oh, and the Daisy Cutter was just a big ass boom. Hard to miss.

[PatrickBateman]

Thanks OpanaPointer. I've got one more, the jungle. The sound of nature, combined with the thought that the enemy could fire at you at any moment.

I am really fascinated by the AC 47 gunship. The fact that they used an airplane from the 1930s and turned it into something new and so deathly, and terrifying for the Viet Cong, especially because they used it mainly at night. Hearing that old engine high in the sky and suddenly a rain of death fires at you. Had you ever seen one in action? I mean, look at this photo, looks like a natural phenomenon or something from another planet.

[OpanaPointer]

Spookys were greatly appreciated when they were overhead. That's enough to say about them. (Except that we made a huge number of them in WWII and they were a well-known and respected workhorse. I'll see if I can get a friend to comment on working the guns on one.)

[Robert Rojas]

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 introductory posting of Thursday - July 25, 2019 - 1:43am, old yours truly must also point out that one often overlooked psychological weapon that the United States of America had in its vast arsenal was a system and tactic that was SELDOM heard (much less seen) by the troops of the Peoples Army of Vietnam. When the time avails itself, you might want to acquaint yourself with the United States AIr Forces concentrated use of the B-52 Strategic Bomber in what would ultimately called ARCLIGHT missions. The troops of the Peoples Army of Vietnam would rarely know what was transpiring all around them until a torrent of IRON and WHITE PHOSPHEROUS bombs were literally detonating in their midst. Draw your own conclusions what those unheard AND unseen bomber raids did to the state of morale of the supply porters and common ground pounders of the Peoples Army of Vietnam as they slogged their way down the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail. On the other hand, THEY DID WIN THE WAR! Well. that's my initial two Yankee cents worth on this topic gravitating upon my nation's ill-advised involvement in greater Indochina - for now anyway. In any case, 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

[PatrickBateman]

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 introductory posting of Thursday - July 25, 2019 - 1:43am, old yours truly must also point out that one often overlooked psychological weapon that the United States of America had in its vast arsenal was a system and tactic that was SELDOM heard (much less seen) by the troops of the Peoples Army of Vietnam. When the time avails itself, you might want to acquaint yourself with the United States AIr Forces concentrated use of the B-52 Strategic Bomber in what would ultimately called ARCLIGHT missions. The troops of the Peoples Army of Vietnam would rarely know what was transpiring all around them until a torrent of IRON and WHITE PHOSPHEROUS bombs were literally detonating in their midst. Draw your own conclusions what those unheard AND unseen bomber raids did to the state of morale of the supply porters and common ground pounders of the Peoples Army of Vietnam as they slogged their way down the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail. On the other hand, THEY DID WIN THE WAR! Well. that's my initial two Yankee cents worth on this topic gravitating upon my nation's ill-advised involvement in greater Indochina - for now anyway. In any case, 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

Hi Robert,

Thanks for your message.

I didn't know that they flew that high with B-52 bombers during the so called Arc Light operations. I always thought that they flew as high as commercial flights, which we can hear and see most of the time. But yes, that must be scary as well to not hear and see where those bombs came from if you were in the position of the Viet Cong.

You would think that the B-52s were safe at the height but many were shot down during Linebacker II, this footage is pretty impressive to see.

[Sejanus]

On the other hand, the Vulcan 20mm Gatling gun some F4 Phantom jets were equipped with sounds a lot like flatulence and would often bring smiles because of the way they sounded to those that had never heard them being fired overhead before.

[Robert Rojas]

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