Battlefield Commissions in Vietnam
Tom Lacombe
after which a SP 4 was offered a battlefield commission. The story
didn't say that he accepted it, but I can't remember hearing of this
before. When I Google the subject, I find some reports that there
were none awarded in Korea and Vietnam, and then I find reports that
tell of battlefield commissions beeing awarded during both of these
wars.
Nigel Brooks
>news:4638fd56-2d74-4164...@79g2000hsk.googlegroups.com...
This site seems to indicate that there was such a thing - I assume by
BattleField Commission you are speaking of an individual promoted in the
field to a commissioned rank ( I now pronounce you Sir Butter Bar)
http://www.battlefieldcommissions.org/history.htm
But I wonder if they are in fact confusing a Battlefield Commission with a
Direct Commission.
There was the USARV Direct Commission program but that required a number of
hoops be jumped through and that the individual go before a board - it also
required that the individual be in grade E-5 through E-9 or a Warrant
Officer , between 18 and 28 years old and have been on active duty with
USARV for at least 6 months. Following selection, the individual received
an commission in the USAR.
http://www.25thida.com/TLN/tln4-01.htm
--
Nigel Brooks
Billzz
news:4638fd56-2d74-4164...@79g2000hsk.googlegroups.com...
I served, in the US, with Sergeant Jon Cavianni, who was awarded the MOH (by
Reagan, I saw the ceremony on TV - and he had the thousand-yard stare that
told me he was regressing to that time) and I knew that he was recommended
for a commission by General Haig. Now when this was, I do not know, and
maybe it was only to go to OCS, but Cavianni turned it down. He had private
reasons, which I don't think I really know, and if I did, I should not say.
My battery commander, in the 1960s was, I believe, a battlefield commission
in Korea. Since I was a new lieutenant, former enlisted, we could talk.
Warren K. Olson. (maybe Olsen.) He was riffed (as a lot were after both
Korea and Vietnam) but made a Warrant Officer 4th class, and for his last
tour, as some sort of odd assignment, sent back to Korea, as was I, in
1961, and we met again, in Oijongbu (sp?) where he did supply for the
infamous 49th MASH, years before the book.
Edward Zurawski survived the kamikazi attack on the USS Bunker Hill, got out
after WWII, joined the army and got some sort of commission in Vietnam. He
was riffed about 1975, but made a command sergeant major. We could talk
also, having been both enlisted and officer. He smoked like a fiend, and
died on the golf course at the Presidio of San Francisco.
My own experience is that my enlisted life completely ended with my
commission, and even when I presented my DD214 to the VA, it had absolutely
nothing on it about my previous time in service. It had me on active duty
the day I was commisioned, even though I had a years previous enlisted
service. I only mention this because it may be that it is hard to track
these things.
La N
"Tom Lacombe" <tlac...@shentel.net> wrote in message
news:4638fd56-2d74-4164...@79g2000hsk.googlegroups.com...
Hey, Tom. This got me curious too.
According to Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlefield_commission
"From World War I to the Vietnam conflict, over 31,200 soldiers, Marines,
and airmen have been awarded battlefield commissions."
There is another biographical sketch of a Dick Meadows from a SOG: One
notes the term "rare" when it comes to Vietnam recipients of this
commission.
http://www.specialoperations.com/MACVSOG/Tales_from_SOG/Last_Patrol.htm
"His exceptional Special Forces and civilian career included operations
behind enemy lines in Vietnam for which he received a rare battlefield
commission, leadership in a daring rescue attempt of POWs at Son Tay Prison
near Hanoi, infiltration into Tehran for the Desert One hostage rescue
mission, and a key role in establishing the elite Delta Force. "
From another site:
http://www.battlefieldcommissions.org/history.htm
"The Department of Defense, in an official communication, has stated that
there were no battlefield commissions awarded by the Army during the Vietnam
conflict. In September, 1985, a letter was written to General William
Westmoreland who commanded all troops in Vietnam requesting the General's
comments on the subject. General Westmoreland replied: "We did commission
several NCO's on the battlefield in Vietnam." He also recommended that we
contact General John K. Singlaub who had commanded a Joint Unconventional
Task Force in Vietnam.
In October, 1985, General Singlaub wrote a lengthy letter and in it gave
several examples of NCO's who had received battlefield commissions in
Vietnam. In his closing paragraph, he stated, "It was my impression at the
time and remains so today that young NCO's who performed particularly well
were being promoted to officers during the conflict in Vietnam during the
late 1960's."
Very confusing indeed ...
- nilita
Marcus Aurelius
to this topic.
There were many enlisted men in the field in Vietnam in the combat
arms, including the infantry,who had college degrees.
The same clearly had the intelligence, the education, and the training
to become military officers.
Their competent performance in the field, under combat conditions,
along with the aforementioned, should have been seen, by the military,
as both a necessary and sufficient condition for a battle field
commission (perhaps with some short period of additional training).
That the same were not offered battlefield commissions in and during
the War in Vietnam seems to me
unreasonable and very detrimental to this ideal way of acquiring an
educated, intelligent, and patriotic number
of officers with combat experience.
As I remember it, some nations grant reserve commissions in their
military to men who have college degrees.
Nigel Brooks
news:2633a0e2-b940-401a...@34g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
During the Vietnam war, the United States Army offered direct commissions as
is evidenced by the below from the 25th Infantry Division's "Tropic
Lightning News of January 6, 1969.
Particularly note the last paragraph.
Quote:
"Direct Commission Program Looking For Combat Leaders
In the course of the Vietnam war, distinguished combat leaders of all ranks
have emerged. As a means of recognition for achievement and a source of
qualified personnel to help end the serious shortage of Infantry
lieutenants, the USARV Direct Commission Program has received special
emphasis.
The program capitalizes on the experience of non-commission officers and
warrant officers, by permitting outstanding individuals to be appointed as
second lieutenants. Thus junior officer vacancies are filled with combat
tested personnel.
The most important eligibility criterion for this program is an applicant's
demonstration of outstanding leadership in a combat environment. The fact
must be fully documented by the individual's immediate commander in order to
qualify the applicant for consideration under the program.
Other qualifications include; the individual having been assigned to this
command for three months, recommended by company and battalion commander and
be a high school graduate or school of comparable level, or pass the GED
test (high school level or higher).
He also must possess a minimum GT score of 110 and a minimum OCT score of
115, and be no more than 28 years old on the date of appointment. He must
successfully pass an interview by a board of officers and attain a
qualifying Officer Qualification Inventory (OQI-1) score.
The applicant must be in the grade E-5 or higher with six months in grade
and have applied for a commission in Armor, Artillery, Infantry, Corps of
Engineers, Signal Corps or Transportation Corps. He must be a U.S. citizen
or have lawfully entered the United States for permanent residence under the
Immigration and Naturalization Act, and possess a favorable National Agency
check at time of appointment.
Commanders are urged to give the program personal attention and support to
the end that no prospective individual is overlooked as directed by
Lieutenant General Frank T. Mildren, deputy commanding general."
and
Commission Arrives Four Years Too Late
BY SP4 ROBERT C. CAPLAN
TAY NINH - Sometimes the Army works in strange and wondrous ways. Just ask
Chief Warrant Officer Maurice Smith of Munich, Germany, property book
officer for the 4th Battalion (Mech.), 23rd Infantry, Tomahawks.
In 1964, when Smith was a buck sergeant, he applied for a direct commission
as a second lieutenant. But somehow, somewhere, the paperwork went astray
in Army channels and nothing ever happened. Not to be dismayed, Smith
applied for and received an appointment as a warrant officer in January
1966.
That was four years ago.
The mail of Feb. 18, 1970, brought Smith a large brown envelope from the
Department of the Army. Inside the envelope was a certificate dated June 4,
1969, appointing Maurice Smith a second lieutenant in the Regular Army, six
years after he sent in the paperwork.
"It was quite a shock," said Smith. "It could be a joke but I'm having
headquarters look into it. No, I wouldn't accept it. I've been in the Army
18 years and I'll probably retire in another two - besides, I'd probably be
taking a pay cut."
--
Nigel Brooks
paul.e....@gmail.com
Did you know my Grandfather?
I understand he was a gunners mate on the Bunker Hill, got a bronze star for the kamikaze attack, and died @ the Presidio. I have one his gold oak leafs.
You can reach me at paul.e.zurawski at gmail dot com.
Thanks,
Paul Zurawski
Eris
THE COLONEL
news:75db67c0-059f-4325...@googlegroups.com...
Stumpy REMF
retired as a real Colonel, not some internet whack job.
THE COLONEL
news:l08eho$aan$1...@dont-email.me...
whack that, blubber lipz.
︰ones
paul.e....@gmail.com wrote:
>> My own experience is that my enlisted life completely ended with my
>> commission, and even when I presented my DD214 to the VA, it had absolutely
>> nothing on it about my previous time in service.
Jones
Stumpy REMF
cyclic rate of 'tire' did you get the bolo badge for the -214?
︰ones
<awrli...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>with the continued hot weather and no water from above I develop a high
>cyclic rate of 'tire' did you get the bolo badge for the -214?
read.
I'm one deadly mother f**ker!
Jones
johnfrank...@gmail.com
Chinook Lover
> This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
> http://www.avg.com
>
Master Sgt Bob Howard got a battlefield commission to 1Lt he also
got the MOH and retired a bird Colonel
--
"they called him 'stumpy' and his kidneys were end-stage as well. we
gonna try fistula surgery again...a little higher up. Try saying
secondary brachial-cephalic ten time real fast. surgery saeemed to
work...the vein is starting to show up at night"
MarcusAurelius
Colonel Edmund J. Burke
Livin' in the past is easy; going forward takes guts.
Jack G
Colonel Edmund J. Burke
> While in Vietnam, I did good. As a result, I was sent to Combat NCO school at Camp Enari (4th I.D.). It was much more relaxed than the state side NCO school. I graduated from the same. Then, I was sent back to my unit. Perhaps, they should have offered an "in country" Vietnam OCS (Officer Candidate School) for excellent soldiers who qualified for same. I think that would have been a very good idea!
>
qualify you as a real soldier.
nann...@gmail.com
Colonel Edmund J. Burke
Colonel Edmund J. Burke
Casa de Masa
explanation :
> I throw up my legs and take it in the caboose.
>
https://imgur.com/lrQvLto LOL
jew pedophile Ron Jacobson (jew pedophile Baruch 'Barry' Shein's jew aliash)!
%
Colonel Edmund J. Burke
LOL
Sir Gregory Hall, Esq.
<...>
>Notice how assworm always responds. He's a little hot under the collar these
>days cuz I keep doing <smackdowns> on him all over the place.
>LOL
Alex Cain, aka *Dink* and that is VERY SHORT!
--
Yours Truly, Sir Gregory
Nadegda, kensi, Fran, Pandora » these are easily
ignored misandrists and anti-American, leftist liars.
%
Do you want results only for impersonating military personnel?
Many states have statutes making it a crime to impersonate military
personnel or to claim advantages based on that fraud. The federal
government has laws on the books, for nearly a decade. In 2011 the
Supreme Court declared the Stolen Valor Act Unconstitutional, but last
year the President signed a new law making some acts of impersonating
military personnel or claiming military backgrounds criminal acts.
%
offense that is punishable by law. If you have witnessed someone who has
committed this offense, it is imperative that you contact the proper
authorities immediately. In this case, the proper authorities include
the U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Command (CID), which should be
called for someone impersonating an Army officer, the Air Force Office
of Special Investigations (AFOSI), which should be called for someone
impersonating an Air Force officer, or the Naval Criminal Investigative
Service (NCIS), which should be called for someone impersonating either
a Navy or Marine officer.
%
> On Tue, 13 Aug 2019 12:37:36 -0700, "Colonel Edmund J. Burke" <Your_C...@usa.com> wrote:
>
> <...>
>
>> Notice how assworm always responds. He's a little hot under the collar these
>> days cuz I keep doing <smackdowns> on him all over the place.
>> LOL
>
> LOL. Keep it up and PeeScent will soon be shorter than
> Alex Cain, aka *Dink* and that is VERY SHORT!
>
Colonel Edmund J. Burke
> Impersonating an Army, Navy, Air Force or Marine officer is a serious offense that is punishable by law. If you have witnessed someone who has committed this offense, it is imperative that you contact the proper authorities immediately. In this case, the proper authorities include the U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Command (CID), which should be called for someone impersonating an Army officer, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), which should be called for someone impersonating an Air Force officer, or the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), which should be called for someone impersonating either a Navy or Marine officer.
LOL
Colonel Edmund J. Burke
jew pedophile Ron Jacobson (jew pedophile Baruch 'Barry' Shein's jew aliash)!
Sick old nazoid pedo Andrew Andrzej Baron
In article <jds7le9iqkun8r4ll...@4ax.com>,
A shiteating cowardly nazoid sub-louse PEDO named Andrew "Andrzej"
Baron (aka "Ron Jacobson") wrote:
>> Please explain... why did David Irving's daughter "deserve
>> to die"?
> Because Irving is a traitor to the cause, kikey.
Shame on you.
fsp...@gmail.com
jrecc...@yahoo.com
> Direct commissions were awarded in Vietnam, I received one on 1969, my second tour, first started in Jan., 1968. Not much can be found on the computer about direct commissions awarded in Vietnam or number awarded. No such thing as "battlefield commission" in Vietnam. Direct commissions were permanent and required a long process that included board reviews, medical and psychological test, aptitude, and proven combat performance.
Colonel Edmund J. Burke
>
LOL
Colonel Edmund J. Burke
always a Colonel when I did it. See my log entry below:
During my NAM tour, I always kept a close eye on Charlie, kept him in my
gun sites if you catch my drift. It was during one perilous period back
in '67 I was charged with the duty of "mine sweeping" an area 3 klicks
around camp. Mine sweeping is basically patrol duty, but ours differed
in that we actively searched out and sanctioned Charlie units in the
field. Combat soldiers, we were seasoned with the fine arts of
efficient and silent murder--and we relished the business of war. We
were as silent ninjas, killing tigers. Nearly guiltily, I still hold
dear the cloth satchel containing my fleshy trophies, embalmed for all
time and safekeeping. But I digress…
In time the men and I coined “mine sweeping” as the killing act. (The
squeamish should leave off here.) I should mention that as trained
military men, we were expert bushwhackers, and nearly always discovered
Charlie’s position without revealing our own. Time and again it was
curtains for Charlie units, whose ranks we diminished one “bug-eater” at
a time. The act of mine sweeping took the form of heroic hand to hand;
it was almost a sadistic game for us. After disarming Charlie, the
soldier-ninja quickly thrust his combat knife cleanly past Charlie’s
ribs and into heart muscle, where Charlie died that same instant. I do
not regret our campaign of terror we bring to NAM; I do it for God and
Country.
Colonel Edmund J. Burke
NAM ‘67
Paul Connors
> I was reading about a battle at FSB 20, in the Central Highlands,
> after which a SP 4 was offered a battlefield commission. The story
> didn't say that he accepted it, but I can't remember hearing of this
> before. When I Google the subject, I find some reports that there
> were none awarded in Korea and Vietnam, and then I find reports that
> tell of battlefield commissions beeing awarded during both of these
> wars.
a425couple
MarcusAurelius
After the Vietnam War, I obtained a B.S. in Biochemistry which, as I understand it, is a a very prestigious degree among the U.S. Military, especially the officer corps.
The hardships (both mental and physical), duties, personal risks, lack of employment security, loss of personal freedom,being subject to military discipline and otherwise make being a military officer very unpalatable for me. However, if the situation was like W.W. II, I would accept, seek and carry out faithfully my duties as a military officer. This is not meant to be an insult towards military officers whom I admire, thank, and support for their patriotic and heroic military service.