When serving during the Vietnam War, many of us were unaware of the real names of our fellow soldiers in the bush; the exception being those extremely close to us. Our fatigues were severely worn and without unit patches, rank and name tags – no identities. Nicknames were easier to remember so that was how we referred to one another; some names were scribed with magic markers on helmet covers to let others know. Soldiers had arrived in country with existing nicknames – either having the moniker since childhood or inherited one in basic training. Those without, were quickly dubbed by their peers, using their looks, stature, home state, last name and occupation before the service as possible criteria to consider. These names stayed with us during our entire tour – and for some of us – ever since.
This is how we knew one another. Unfortunately, this practice caused problems for many of us later in life when trying to locate old friends and/or identifying lost brothers on the Vietnam Memorial Wall. Many vets were successful in their search…others are still trying to find them.
This is a list of nicknames that I’ve compiled from memory. I know it’s not all-inclusive and I’m looking to add to it. If your nickname is not mentioned, please let me know and I’ll make the changes. I’m not certain if call signs are appropriate for this list unless it’s the only alternative name you were known by at the time. Looking forward to your feedback…thank you in advance…Welcome Home to all!
Ace
Aftershock
Alphabet
Alpine
Asshole
Babe
Baby Huey
Bahstin
Baldy
Bam-Bam
Bama
Batman
BB
Bear
Beetle
Benny Clap
Big Al
Big Daddy
Big Ears
Bigfoot
Bird Man
Bizo
BJ
Blondie
Blood
Blue
Bonzo
Boom-Boom
Bowser
Bozo
Brother Man
Buck
Bud
Buddah
Bug
Bugs
Bull
Bunny
Butch
Cactus Jack
Calico
Cap
Cat
Charlie Brown
Charlie Sierra
Cherry
Chief
Chink
Click
Cool Hand Luke
Cotton Top
Country
Cowboy
DA
Deadeye
Dee
Dero
Dewey
Dizzy
Doc
Dock
Dog Boodie
Doo Rag
Duser
Dutch
Earnie
Fearless Freddy
Fish
FNG
Fragman
Fred
Freddy
Frenchie
Frisco Kid
Frog
Fuge
Fuzzy
GI
Ghost
Gomer
Grasshopper
Green Mountain
Grits
Grumpy
Grunt
Guns
Ham
Hammer
Hardcore 54
Hawk
Hawkeye
Head
Hero
Hick
Higgi
High Pockets
Hillbilly
Hippie
Hippy
Hobo
Hollywood
Hound Dog
Huey
Indiana Brown
Irish
Jammer
Jock
Joe Shit
Joker
Jolly Green Giant
Jumbo
Junior
Kid
Killer
Killer Niner
Kootch
Krazy Ken
Lifer
Little Brother
LT
Lucky
Lurch
Mack
Mad Dog
Mad Mike
Magoo
Maggot
Magnet Ass
Man Overboard
Monday
Monk
Monster
Moon
Moose
Mop
Mort
Mouse
Muleagain
Old Man
Ollie
Outlaw
Pa
Pal
Papa
Peckerhead
Pigpen
Pills
Pineapple
Polack
Polecat
Pops
Preacher
Precious
Professor
Radar
Rat
Rebel
Red
Road Dawg
Rock Ape
Rock Star
Rubber Duckie
Sandy
Scooby
Scout
Sgt. Marty
Sgt. Bird Shit
Sgt. Bull
Sir James
Shit Head
Short Round
Shorty
Sixpack
Ski
Skippy
Smiley
Smitty
Smoke
Snake
Snag
Snoopy
Spanky
Sparky
Speed
Spider
Spiderman
Spooky
Stake
Stack
Stoner
Stoney
Stube
Stud
Sugar Bear
Sunshine
Sully
Super Jew
Superman
Surfin’ Lou
Swede
Sweden
Tack
TC
Tennessee
Tex
Thor
Tick
Tiger
Tiny
Too Tall
Top
Trail Spike 23
Trung Si Ski
Radar
Vulture
Whore
Wild Bill
Wild man
Wizard
Wop
Xonk
Note: All new entries added since publication are in italics.
Did I miss yours? Please list it below under comments.
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CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website 
not mine, but my grandfathers was “warlock” according to him it was cause he “could do things no one thought was possible”
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Chett
Sandman, Nam 66-67.
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Pawtucket, where I was from.
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Crazy 8
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Kraut
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Called me “Fetch”, short for Fechik.
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FERDALANCE(1ST KID ) KIA OCT1968.
ANYTHING(LOST TRACK OF) HOPE HE made it home.
Coffee, I know he was from Haiti died when we went back to Bastogne.Fast Eddie same chopper. . 2 Cerry’s and 2 FNGs. Thanks Most were Kia in Thuey Thuen province.thanks
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Been there-Done that: My nickname was “Tiger Shadow Warrior”.
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I was manoverboard for a 80’ dive from the USS Princeton to save my rubber lady from shark infested waters in the South China Sea,when we were a battalion landing team! Lima 3/5 RVN 66/67
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Had one guy who was always talking and had been called Motor Mouth before I even met him. He got upset one day about his nickname and told all present he wished we all would stop calling him by this moniker. I quickly replied: No problem ‘Piston Lips’
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Mine is already on the list, but we had a “Sleazy Joe” and a “Roger Ramjet”
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My nickname was Kraut
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“Toon Daddy” (Crusader 16)
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I was a helicopter pilot, with B/227 1Air Cav, 69/70. Old guys gave the nicknames and, good or bad, they stuck. The old guy naming me was a baseball fan, as am I. We talked a lot of baseball in the cockpit. My last name is Coleman. There was a catcher on the infamous ‘62 Mets named Choo Choo Coleman, hence I became “Choo Choo”. When I’d show up at VHPA reunions most guys told me they never knew my first name.
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trying to find out if a lady named Ahn or her son have tried to find me. My nickname was Ozzy. I was stationed there in Saigon, MACV. My real name is Larry G. Osborne. The lady was would know me by Ozzy. I was there in 1971-1972. Pulled 11 month tour.
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I think the use of nicknames was a way to show closeness, and paradoxically, keep a distance. With soldiers rotating in & out, it might be better not to get to know them very well and avoid that sense of loss if they died or rotated out.
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I carried a M79, and was in A Company 2/27 in Cu Chi ’67-67.My nickname was canister because I always carried canister double aught buck shot for jungle warfare.
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Welcome home fellow hound!
On Thu, Oct 29, 2020 at 4:42 PM CherriesWriter – Vietnam War website wrote:
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I liked it. I was in Vietnam in 1972 worked for MACV, Saigon, Vietnam. My nickname there was Ozzy. Lived with a girl named Ann. She had a baby by me around November to December. I never got to see the baby. I should not have left that way but could not marry at the time. I wonder if my name Larry Osborne and nickname Ozzy could show there somehow and maybe be recognized. I know that it was a boy who would be around 48 now. I guess I will never get to meet him or see a photo of him. Not sure about the mother or him whether they are living or not. This has always bothered me all my life. I left my name and address with Ann but I do not know anything after leaving Vietnam except for a friend stationed with me there called Christmas time in 1972 and told me it was a boy. Maybe with some luck, something could come from this.
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Beaner
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Did not see Goof or Skeeda or Murk or Rip in the nicknames.This is a great list.
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Mr. Cologne
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I was known to all as “Skeeter”
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I have a friend in nam, they from Boston, we called him from Leprechaun, they called my from bunny, like platoon, i AM shotguner.
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This is kinda random, but I actually had a question about the soldiers in Vietnam. (this may or may not make sense based on how I phrase it) but… could soldiers who were deployed in Vietnam get tattoos there? like while they were in the middle of the jungle was there any way they could get tattoos? I saw a movie and a character didn’t have a tattoo, but then there was a scene cut and he had a tattoo… this was really confusing to me! I tried to google it, but there was literally nothing regarding military tattoos in Vietnam during the war (like 1968 ish). If anyone knows the answer or got their tattoo while deployed, can you tell me how? I really need to know the answer. Thank you so much! And thank you for your service!!
-Becca
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Hi Becca, I don’t know the answer to that. I do remember, though, that during the VN War, soldiers were considered “government property” and higher ups always preached that if we did anything to “injure” or “deface” our bodies then we could face a charge such as an article 15 (usually a fine and reduction in rank). I would imagine that some of the larger cities such as Saigon, Da Nang, and others had tattoo parlors and soldiers stationed nearby might have snuck in some art in places not visible. However. many of the soldiers (infantry, artillery, and SOG to name a few were very rarely near civilized areas during their time in country and didn’t have the time or opportunity to partake.
During the early part of my military career, soldiers were threatened with courts-martial is we got sunburned to the point of not being able to function. Nobody, as far as I knew, challenged that rule.
Hope this helps. / John
On Sat, Jul 20, 2019 at 12:48 AM CherriesWriter – Vietnam War website wrote:
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During the Vietnam era and into the late nineties Tattoos were allowed as long as they were not visible when in full uniform. Tattoos weren’t a popular item then in the Army and it was the Navy guys who were famous for it ever since God invented port-calls. A helicopter driver, I’d had the opportunity to visit main “gathering areas” in Saigon, Vung Tau, Nha Trang, Quinon, Pleiku, Ban Me Thuot, Dalat, Bien Hoa, Camron Bay (all official business, of course!), and even went through a fish market (man, you only do that once!) Never saw a tattoo parlor. Now, even if there were any, I really doubt many of us would subject ourselves to being jabbed and dyed in those less than sanitary
conditions. Another factor was public opinion about tattoos which was that only sailors and ex-cons were into it. Now days, the USAF has permitted parlors to be part of its PX complexes and newborns even have their user ID engraved on them before the umbilical’s cut.
Nick-names: Aviators had official call-signs based upon their respective assignments and unit call signs which really became a nick-name, too, as they had a numeral attached. 7/17th Cavalry Squadron was Ruthless Riders; Troop B, was the Pale Horse and Scouts (in the OH-6 ( loach) were Scalp Hunters; Cobra gunships (snakes) were Undertakers; lift ships (Huey or sljcks) were Pallbearers which carried the infantry platoon (Blues); every newbie was FNG or Peter Pilot; any pet dog was Tail Rotor, (one had a name change to Tripod after tripping a claymore mine, another named Spots, became remembered as Numbah One Chop-Chop after he was given to a hootch-maid to take home while the troop was deployed to the field for four months; Hootch-maids called us all Dinky-Dau, sometime Beaucoup Dinky-Dau, and when really being emphatically formal YOU BEACOUP F***NG DINKEY-DAU, G.I.!!! I often pondered over how between them they could know as to whom they were referring when they called us all the same endearing name!
If I haven’t found it already in here, next visit, I’ll cover how navy aviators (nasal radiators) are awarded their official names. RJ
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This was a great article there were a lot of nick names. With my last name mine was easy. I was Boots.
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Thank you all for your service! I am currently working on a manuscript regarding a foreign correspondent in Nam, and I wanted to request if I could possibly use a few of the nicknames listed. If so, I greatly appreciate it, and if not, I understand. Again, thank you for your service.
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Be my guest. Good luck on your book, Mia!
On Mon, May 20, 2019 at 7:03 PM CherriesWriter – Vietnam War website wrote:
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Jackie
I was Swamp Rat . based out of chu lai with 4/31/196th. operated around lz west and lz siberia
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My Nick name was Boots because of my name. In the Nam 1970/1971
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I was a R.T.O. I was asked once if I was the lieutenant. I replied that I was the Roscar Toscar Oscar.. Roscar stuck
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My nickname was “Ptomaine.” I was the Mess Sergeant on Hill 65 in 1968.
My chief cook was “Sumo.” He was an amateur Sumo wrestler while stationed in Iwakuni, Japan.
My Baker was “Reb.” He grew up in Charlotte, NC and was strong on the confederacy.
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Had a friend we called slick he was 20 yrs old didn’t have a hair on his head another friend we called oldsmobile
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Mind was( LA ( being from Los Angeles was member of A co 2/27th wolfhounds and then B Co 4/31st infantry Americal
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We are looking a 198 infantry vietnam veteran nicknamed BIG DADDY and I hope we can have his real full name. And hoping we can have an information where he is at now. He is a long lost close buddy of my partner. Please do email me. Thank you and thanl you for your service SIR!
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Spud
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Baylan what is my nickname
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I like it keep up the good work
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GROSSIE 3/47th 9th Division 68/69 1st platoon Delta Company
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Recon 3/21/196 Worked off LZ West 69-70 and my name was Snake
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My husband was known as Carolina (because he is from North Carolina) and was in country from July 1969 to July 1970. I wonder if you’ve ever found any of your buddies known only by their nickname.
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Great thing! I remembered a Lt. was nicknamed Shit Hole because he spent most of his time
in the latrine.
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They called me Jersey in Nam
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Viet Nam – 69/70. Nickname – O.D. Since the army color was olive drab green, and my last name was Green, some called me O.D.
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Xonk. I was a division medic with the 101st Airborne 1967 to ’68 and got sent out on lots of short term TDY assignments. I returned from a mission up around Phu Bia with my fatigues worn out & filthy and was issued the new jungle fatigues. Mamasan sewed my name tag on backwards, KNOX became XONK. I wore them that way till my platoon Sargent got PO’d about it and made a speech about how I was gonna get killed and buried as Xonk and my poor momma would spend the rest of her life never knowing what happened to her boyfriend.
The name tags got changed – but I stayed Xonk and it’s still my nickname.
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Love it! Thanks Xonk!
On Sun, Jul 31, 2016 at 10:22 AM, Cherries – A Vietnam War Novel wrote:
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That’s one of the funniest nickname stories I ever heard. You deserve being one of the fictional names in my true short stories about Nam on Amazon. But how the devil do you pronounce “Xonk????” Could it be “Zonk?”
Glad you made it through that mess, Xonk.
all best,
Bob
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Please help Billy looking for his friend, Hillbilly!
http://www.veteranresearch.org/looking-for-hillbilly-delta-co-1st12th-4th-inf-div-vietnam-1970/
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I have a friend that served in Vietnam and is looking for one of his unit members and can’t remember his real name. All he knows was his name was Hillbilly and he was from Arkansas. My friends name is Billy Johnson and he is from Texas. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you for your service to our country.
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Sam,
It would help if you could find out who Billy served with and the dates of his service in Nam.
On Thu, Dec 10, 2015 at 7:57 PM, Cherries – A Vietnam War Novel wrote:
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Benny Clap, (he always had the you know what!!)
Mort (we had 3 morticians in combat arms…sadly NONE of them made it)
kootch (a buddy of mine)
Jolly Green Giant (this guy was about 6 foot 8 and must’ve weighed close to 400 pounds.
He’d barely fit inside the commanders cupola on an M48a3 tank. (I have pictures of him)
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Thanks Bob, I’ll add them to the list. / John
On Mon, Oct 26, 2015 at 8:57 AM, Cherries – A Vietnam War Novel wrote:
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Thanks Bob! I’ll add them to my list. / John
On Mon, Oct 26, 2015 at 8:57 AM, Cherries – A Vietnam War Novel wrote:
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I was called “pineapple” instead of “chief”. This nickname may have been a mistake, because of my look and appearance. I did not tell my Airborne Sky Soldiers that I was actually a chief from Navajo Reservation until I was almost done with my first tour.
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After I initially commented I appear to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now every time a comment
is added I recieve 4 emails with the same comment.
Perhaps there is a way you can remove me from that service?
Thank you!
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Did you try going back to your original posting and uncheck the box? / John
On Wed, Jul 29, 2015 at 1:16 AM, Cherries – A Vietnam War Novel wrote:
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My nickname was “DA” since my initials were D.A.M.
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“Pills” NCOIC, Pharmacy 6th Convalescent Ctr, 44th Med Brigade 1969-1970
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Cactus Jack, 9th ID 9th SigBn 1967-68 from Arizona
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Interesting
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mine was SugarBear Squad Leader 1st plt H co 2/5 67 68
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Nick name on boonie hat was Earnie [last name Ernst ]
Later Dee[ 815th/102nd Cbt Eng 75th Ranger US Army Rt. ]
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I was BLT 3/5 Lima Co.did swan dive off USS Princeton to save my rubber lady,man overboard is still my nickname ….I have witnesses and photos
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As the pharmacist, they called me “pills”
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Great article,looking forward to reading “Cherries”.Due to lack of senior NCO’s,I was given a Platoon as an E-5.The other Platoon Sgt’s called me the young Buck(Sgt),young was finally dropped and until this day,all my Vietnam brothers and their families still refer to me as “Buck”.
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Enjoyed the article, the “remembrances” of my brothers in Nam. I landed in country, November 1966, as a 19 year old and left feeling a lot older (as many of you did).
We had a “Lurch” in our outfit, a “Precious”, “Tex” and a “Moose”. I look forward to reading “Cherries”. Thanks for your service brothers.
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that was pretty cool. I was known as Gomer 1 on the radio as well as on the ground. I served my first tour with the E Company, 4th Battalion, 503rd Airborne division Nick named (The Nomads) 173rd abn brigade. I knew many by nicknames was glad to see this.
My first tour was 1969-1970 and on my second tour, I was attached to MACV Advisory team 70 in Lai Khe , during my second tour my former unit was sent back stateside and then they were sent to ITALY and was used during the Iraqui war ….. “Drive On SKY SOLDIER” was our motto.
The name Gomer 1 was pinned on me by an officer and an NCO and thus word got around as I was attached to all the companies: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and my own unit Echo Company Raiders LRRPS.
I also worked other areas no one knew about as I and my team crossed over enemy lines between companies I was attached to, although everyone knew my call sign, no one ever suspected I was gathering intel and extracting american prisoners: We were not allowed to wear any id or unit patches, or anything resembling a combat unit, we went in with no name tags nothing, except our weapons and uniforms, so if captured, we were non combatants to the enemy, lol lol ! It was all hush hush then and when I left a company to go to another company , I was also -in-betwen them gathering the information and sometimes tracking a large NVA unit, No one ever knew that my secondary job, other than what the daily combat routine s were, such as Hawks(ambushes) Patrols etc, I was known by just the stupid RTO Pric 25 NCO trooper that looked like Gomer Pyle from the TV series. Thats how I gained the nick name , although actually it started in Jump School at Benning.
Many of the plattoon seargents and officers used me as their own personal Radio Person and I had to remember a lot of Radio Identities, as well as my own 4.2 Morter company 11 C was my original mos and changed quickly to 11 B 40 P. Everyone seemed to call me on the radio as I made it a regular basis to be on the radio monitoring it. Many times when a ambush was sprung or units, and plattoons were hit, everyone called me. Many times I had to calm down soldiers who were under siege and scared, I know how they felt had been their many times.
Anyway could always get their “Fire Missions” and info to me. At the time a lot of other people refused to monitor the radio at different levels. So many in the Battalion knew I was always their. (except when i was between companies) Thus became my permanenet nick name on the radio and the ground. That nick name also was given my team (gomers ghosts) when behind enemy lines. First you see me , then you don’t. After we brought info and prisoners back to friendly lines we would fade back into the jungle for a planned chopper pick up, We never got to friendly with soldier,as we were in and gone quickly as possible.
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Thanks Tom! Welcome Home Brother!
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i was 23 years old when I first arrived in Vietnam at my artillery battery, the (younger) guys in my tent were all set for this “new guy’s” initiation. They introduced themselves as Scooby and Lurch and one other name I can’t recall and told me I’d earn a nickname, too. I outranked several and quickly told them I’d answer to Corporal Larsen, but nothing else.
Then, with a big spit-eating grin on his face, Scoobie asked me if I’d ever “eaten clit”. I had absolutely NO idea what he was talking about, but I suspected from everyone’s grinning that this question had a sexual connotation, so I unhesitatingly answered, “I don’t discuss my private life with anyone.”
That floored Scoobie. He didn’t know what to say and suspected that I MUST know what he was talking about. He immediately suggested that I be called “The Professor”. After refusing to acknowledge their tag, they dropped it.
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Not a veteran, just a grandson. I learned recently through family that my Grandfather was known as Lurch. Ironically enough, his best friend was nicknamed Scooby. Just seeing you interacted with a man I consider a legend, brought some closer with knowing who I am. My father, Lurch’s son, was nicknamed Opie and was 10th/20th SFG in the 90’s. These men in my life were nothing but greatness. 110% all the time. God bless you all. A true generation of great men.
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The nickname “Highpockets”, was given to me by soul brother Zebedee Wimbleton. I am 6’4″, and my pockets, packs, belts were bursting full of medical supplies in the field. Zebedee would greet me with, “Say, say, say Highpockets, what’s goin’ on?”
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I wus called Sargent Bull,,by me men i like thes article n thks.
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great reading,my own zippo to the dismay of my mom,probably others as well had my co name with the year of my tour 68-69 on one side ad below it the words fly united represented by two high flyig geese doing just that.very easy to see where united came from.the other side had a picture of a rather convential looking couple in a bed and the words(you and your damn midnight snacks engraved beneath.i know what happened to mine but won,t disclose here,blue
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My Nickname was Sgt. Marty. I gave all my brothers nicknames when they came into my platoon!
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Mine was Outlaw.
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The Fragman
I was First Fire team Leader 3rd Squad, 2nd Platoon “M” Co. 3rd Battalion 4th. Marines when we landed in Viet Nam April 1965. Cpl. Royster was the Squad Leader, Sgt. Wright was the Platoon Sgt.and Lt. Steve Kemple was the Platoon Commander. Prior to our amphibious landing up the Perfume River near Hue, my fire team and others unloaded ammo for the 9th Marines who landed ahead of us in Danang. It should be pointed out that up to this point there were no combat units in Viet Nam, so we had no information to go on as to exactly what was about to come. When we returned to our APA the Magauffin (better known as the Magoo) we were issued our personal ammo to carry ashore. The Platoon Sgt. and the Right Guide oversaw the issue of the ammo in the berthing area. There was no attempt to restrict anyone from taking as many fragmentation hand grenades as they wanted. In my 2 1/2 years in the Corps the one thing that they never ever let you handle unless you were on the grenade range are the M-26 frags! I knew that the sh_t was about to hit the old fan. So we better get our sh_t together right away. The general feeling as I recall was one of anticipation, fear and excitement. We did not think that whatever we were going into would last as long as it did. We were American fighting men and Marines with a proud tradition. Besides we were the 4th Marines with something to prove.
Our first mission was one of a defensive nature protecting the airfield at Phu Bai. Our TAOR (tactical area of responsibility) was very limited and we were not trained for a long term defensive posture. In Hawaii we were trained as a jungle fighting, guerrilla warfare unit. So the first weeks there we experienced several cases of jitters from the Marines in the line at night. Now the Battalion Commander was getting tired of reports about Marines shooting at whatever (sounds & movement) and nothing to show for it. A directive was issued from Bat. HQ that stated that from now on if you hear something out there throw a M-26 fragmentation grenade at it and there will be something there in the morning (we were told that it was a directive from Battalion). That night it was pitch black, no moon and overcast. It was hot and humid and no breeze the mosquitoes were out in force. Out of nowhere there was movement right in front of my position. We could hear something moving very slowly. Nothing could be seen, but we knew it had to be a VC patrol trying to sneak by (the sweat was really pouring from us now and our hearts were about to pound right through our flack jackets). Very quietly I took a frag and motioned to my rifleman with me to do the same. We took the frags and tossed them out to our front (after pulling the pins of course). When they detonated all hell broke loose. Machine guns opened up , flares were popped, just about everyone was shooting it was a real battle (all one-sided I might add). The next morning there was a huge water buffalo laying there with over one hundred bullet holes in it. The Lt. comes up to me and wants to know why we threw the grenades. So I took full responsibility for the action and told the Lt. that the directive from Battalion was my reasoning for throwing the grenades and at least we had something to show for it. As I recall he did not appreciate my answer and the humor behind it. He had a look that could kill on his face (I’m sure he had to answer for it to the CO).
Shortly after that a similar incident happened on hill 225. Machine guns had opened up and were shooting along the concertina wire flanking my teams positions. No water buffalo this time. While being debriefed the next day, I tell the Lt. that it was a real “FUBAR”, the Lt. tells me “Viavattine the Marine Corps is going to start charging you for those grenades”! I asked him how much they cost and what happens when my E-3 pay runs out. Again he did not appreciate my humor and knew I didn’t give a fat rats ass if they charge me or not. My men & I were going home. Besides what could they do; send me to Viet Nam.
We were on a Search & Destroy Mission and called an Air Strike on this VC Village. The bombs opened up a huge tunnel complex running through the area of the Vil. Now the Lt. wants me to take my fire team and recon this trail leading to the river. The Company Gunny gives me a PRX-6 radio and a satchel of frags and orders to blow up any tunnels and caves (boy did he give it to the right guy). After patrolling down to the river and blowing up several tunnel entrances & some stores of rice we headed back to the Vil. On the way back I spotted a small building off in the jungle about 30 yards away. We deployed in front of the structure and there was a large, flat, upright stone about 5 feet from the entrance door. We got behind it, and everyone got 2 frags ready and we tossed them in. Well there were no VC in there, there was no roof anymore and the inside looked like hell. Mission accomplished, so we returned to the Company area. When we reported back in the Lt. wanted to debrief me and asked me what that big explosion was he heard just before we got back. I explained that we came upon a building that appeared to be a fortified structure, so we blew it up, with frags! Now the Lt. really comes unwrapped and says “who do you think you are Viavattine! Mr. Hand Grenades or what”? Everything was always Mister something with him must be an Officer thing. Now he had raised his voice enough that several Marines nearby heard it and they started calling me the Fragman.
Minutes later the Lt. says he is going to go up and take some pictures of all the tunnels exposed. I asked him to let me take my team up there and recon and clear the area before he goes up (despite the incidents listed above the Lt. & I liked and respected each other, he once put me in for Meritorious Corporal). He tells me that’s OK, he would be taking the Radioman Offtadahl and the Doc (Navy Corpsman) with him. They were gone about 5 minutes when there was an explosion in their area (one of them stepped on a booby trap). We got there and all three of them were wounded. We called in a Medi-Vac and got them out. All of them recovered from their wounds, which is to say they lived. Lt. Kemple later became a Naval Aviator, Marine Fighter Pilot, flying jets so he could stay in the Corps. Lt. Ahern ran into him in El Toro. He was now a Major. Me I just became known as the “Fragman” and went home.
Recently an entry was made in my Guestbook (Duty Log) from a Marine who served in Mike Company in 1968 and he recalled hearing about the “Fragman” and the M-26 grenade. I can only imagine what a sea story that must have turned into after 2 years time. Semper Fi!
FUBAR= Fu_ked Up Beyond All Possible Recognition.
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wow dude, thats a great story you have.
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Very interesting…Feel some real kinship here since I was
“The Mad Fragger” (I guess because I threw so many at very close intervals!)
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We were BLT 3/5 and I did a perfect swan dive from the USS Princeton 80’ and they still call me manoverboard35
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Little brother
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Pigpen
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Joe Shit
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Served with a few Hawaiian’s and they always ended up being called pineapple.
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