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A ripcord is the part of a parachute pulled when the jumper is in the air to deploy the parachute canopy. (i.e., It opens the parachute when pulled)

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What was life like in the trenches during Vietnam conflict?

The only war KNOWN for "Trenches" was WW1; however, at one time or another, nearly every 20th century foot soldier ended up spending "some" time in a muddy trench. With the exceptions of the Battle at Khe Sanh, and some Firebases such as "Mary Ann" or "Ripcord", the Vietnam War was fairly mobile. That is to say, never staying in one place for very long. The Firebases, such as LZ Action, LZ Blackhawk, Mary Ann, Ripcord, English, Bastogne, Rifle, Carol, Fort Defiance, etc. were mostly BUNKERS built partially underground, then heavily sand-bagged.


What do US Army Paratroopers traditionally yell when jumping from an aeroplane?

When Paratroopers jump out of an airplane, they don't yell anything. They do execute the 1st point of performance; the first point of performance is to execute a proper exit, check body position, and count. Counting by 1000nds, (e.g., one thousand, two thousand, three thousand, four thousand) is how Paratroopers determine if they need to deploy their reserve parachute. If no opening shock from the main parachute is felt by four thousand (4 seconds after exiting the aircraft), the ripcord rip is pulled thus deploying the reserve parachute.(former Sergeant, 1-501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, and 307th Airborne Engineers, 82nd Airborne Division).


Camp Evans mortar or rocket attacks Oct. 1969-Oct. 1970?

See response above. Additional infor: Evans was a very big base; as was Camp Eagle located in the same AO. Any mortar/rocket attacks at those places with those weapons during those time frames would have been extremely minor in nature. Small firebases (aka LZ's) such as English, Oasis, Apache, Rifle, Vandergrift, Camp Carol, Mary Ann, Ripcord, A4, C2, Blackhawk, Action, Schueller, etc. etc. etc. THOSE are the ones that would've suffered, if hit. Some of THOSE firebases were tiny...a one hundred yard football field...although not necessarily shaped like a football field.


Was camp eagle Vietnam ever over run by enemy?

Camp Eagle, located between Camp Evans and Phu Bai, was a very large military base, and is not known to have ever been over-run. Normally Firebases were over-run, such as Lang Vei or Mary Ann, and possibly Ripcord. Often times, an "over-run", is mistaken for "sappers in the wire" (commandos/infiltrators in the wire) or a probe (testing the defenses); Firebases, as well as large Camps experienced those actions. Firebase Vandergrift experienced a sapper attack which damaged the JP4 (aviation fuel) fuel dump during LAM SON 719, and the word was spread that the firebase was being over run; some GI's present during that attack, had reportedly been present when Firebase Vandergrift had been over-run during an earlier campaign when manned by US Marines. In both cases the enemy had been beaten back...or withdrew after completing their mission. The SE portion of Camp Eagle was reportedly a Marine base and was known by another name (Cha Lai?) prior to being taken over in '68 by the 101st. The base was reportedly attacked during the Tet offensive in 1968. There were some bullet holes in some of the hooches but most likely it was not overrun.


Why would you travel to Vietnam?

People most likely travel to Vietnam because they heard so much about it when they were growing up. For military aged people during the 60's, Vietnam=War. Not curiosity, not romance, and not for a vacation; although there were some American Adventurers that enlisted into the military and went there. Danger was in Vietnam in abundance; and they certainly got their "adventures." Often the veteran wants to return to the place where he spent a year, or two (or three) in his youth. In some cases, it was the most exciting (adventurous) times of his young life...there is NOTHING to compare with almost dying! It truly does give life a flavor that the protected will never know. There would be little reason for "some" veterans to return there. Khe Sanh is a bean farm now, Firebase Carrol is most likely a small city, dirt roads are most likely paved small two lane highways. Firebases Mary Ann and Ripcord, English, Rifle, Blackhawk, Action, and a host of others are so over grown with vegetation that they couldn't be located in the short time that a tourist had to explore them. Or, they too, have been developed into small towns or paved streets. In some cases, famous battlefields like Hamburger Hill, Dak To, and the Ia Drang Valley (film: We Were Soldiers) are most likely OFF LIMITS by the Viet Government. But there will always be that one little river, buried deep in the hills north of "Rockpile", where some men fought a battle, and they retreated across it...in heavy panic, laced with numbness, induced by fear...that place might still be there, looking the same as it did nearly a half a century ago...that might be worth seeing again.