shortest soldier in vietnam

Many knew him over the last decade and a half of his life as a nameless little homeless guy in Hallandale, but he was much more than that. Already well-adapted to subterranean life, many insects and animals of the Vietnamese jungle found the underground tunnels to be a worthy living environment. It included an article about Flahertys tragic death in Aventura, Florida. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism A Soldier's Thoughts. . It was a horrendous ordeal to face and brought even the toughest of men to tears. A Soldier's Thoughts. Photo credit: The Chive. Create a password that only you will remember. In most cases, tunnel rats were engineers, infantrymen, cavalry scouts, or chemical specialists. The primary focus of his time in the CIA was supplying the Nicaraguan Contras in Nicaragua. To avoid running into issues, tunnel rats remained very cautious of the number of shots they fired. Protests to end the war in 1965. After college David moved to Miami and became a 19-year veteran of the Aventura Police Department working as a uniformed road patrolman, undercover officer, and detective. Upon enlisting, Richard became the shortest soldier in US military history. Don't Threaten. Indirect Fire Infantrymen (MOS 11C), Combat Engineers (MOS 12B), and Bridge Crewmembers (MOS 12C) also have short . David Yuzuk directed, co-produced and co-wrote a biographical documentary film about the life of Flaherty, The Giant Killer, which was released in 2017. This also allowed soldiers to help find and collect any wounded or dead comrades. Just sitting and waiting. Richard Flaherty, was certainly a standout. Her research focused on military, environmental, and Canadian history with a specific focus on the Second World War. Reads: 47 Comments: 1. . Yuzuk learns that this unassuming 69-year-old man was a decorated military veteran. The army sent in tunnel rat soldiers with the aim of locating the enemy, finding their resources, and cutting off their supplies. All rights reserved. Quite simply, many troops were deployed to Vietnam but few were actually in combat. Flaherty then moved on to work as an informant in an undercover investigation with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to stop a smuggling ring from stealing explosives and a classified weapon from Fort Bragg. Flaherty's Irish ancestry came from his grandfather Joseph Patrick Flaherty, born in Aran Islands and his grandmother Bridget Smythe, born in Feakle. During one search and destroy operation, for example, a unit destroyed 6000 pounds of rice, 40 pounds of salt, 8 rifle grenades, 8 bunkers, numerous dwellings, and one 120-foot-long tunnel. We often look at college students as punk kids, lazy frat guys or any other kind of social stereotype. . In fact, on one occasion he was able to save several of his men who had been trapped by heavy enemy fire. But due to the Vietnam draft they would have likely taken him anyway if that was his only disqualifier from serving. At the time, Yuzuk was a police officer and Flaherty was a member of Aventuras homeless community, camping under a palm tree off one of the citys main boulevards. With a passion for historical learning and historical education, her writing interests include social history, and war history, especially researching obscure facts about the Second World War. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Phil Bucklew: The Father of US Naval Special Warfare. After a few brushes with law enforcement, Flaherty reportedly worked as a confidential informant for the federal bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in the early 1980s before becoming homeless in Aventura by 1990. Finally, this list will look at how successful these attempts were in the grand scheme of things. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. What did we lose because we were unable to understand him, or to welcome him home? Primary Source. What they failed to realize is that many of the tunnels had several layers and doors built into them to help prevent such fatalities. Provide food and supplies to veterans at The Veterans Site for free! Five men killed in Vietnam were only 16 years old. Alternate title, "Dating on tinder when you're 5'11" or shorter". His investigation raised more questions than it answered. However, he was initially turned down because of his size. Invalid password or account does not exist. *The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. Richard J. Flaherty may never be known. His unit in the 101st was ambushed as it passed a hidden North Vietnamese bunker. Capt. 11,465 of those killed were younger than 20 years old. Richard James Flaherty was born on November 28, 1945. While tunnel rats often wanted to wear hearing protection to help lessen the consequences of this noise and avoid damage to their eardrums, they risked not being able to hear the enemy approaching. Huge bees, gigantic rats, centipedes, spiders, snakes, bats, and fire ants (to name a few) plagued these tunnels. Americans often carpet bombed areas under suspicion to try flushing out the enemy. But many others were poor or working-class teenagers who enlisted or were drafted into the military right out of high school. Photo credit: Funker360. Special Forces Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) exfiltrate a Counter Improvised Explosive Device lane in a via MRZR off-road utility vehicle at Panzer Local . After completing basic training, he qualified for Officer Candidate School, from which he graduated as a second lieutenant, before receiving orders sending him to Vietnam. Similarly, one soldier recalls how an encounter with the biggest rat he had ever seen led him to continually fire his gun. The unknown soldier from the Vietnam War who was buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns was authorized a Medal of Honor and in 1998 was identified as 1st Lieutenant Michael Blassie. [1], Flaherty was born on 28 November 1945 in Stamford, Connecticut. He served as an A Detachment Commander and Liaison Officer. As mentioned previously, tunnel rat soldiers were a last-ditch attempt and not the usual go-to solution. 1968 the A Shau Valley of South Vietnam. Tragically, he was killed in a hit and run during the early hours of May 9, 2015. He was successful and joined the US Army. 75,000 Vietnam veterans are severely disabled. Later that year, he was reassigned to the 10th Special Forces Group at Fort Devens. Another method frequently used attempted to flood the area so badly that the enemy desperately sought to escape to avoid drowning. The Viet Cong, with their lack of funding, was more skilled in this area given the necessity of their style of warfare. However, Bowman said that he was never that scared of the tunnels; he was so young he believed he was invincible. Read on to learn about the crazy booby traps soldiers faced, the creepy crawlies they encountered, and the damaging psychological consequences of such close combat. A few years later, we started talking. Its not slick but it is fascinating. [6] After Flaherty's death, Yuzuk went to look into his history and uncovered troves of information from Flaherty's storage unit, such as his passport with stamps from Cambodia, Venezuela, Iraq and Jordan. If you look at all of the things the radio operators were tasked with, it becomes abundantly . 10,422 Vietnam War Soldiers Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images. Officer Yuzuk had really been taken by the personality of this little homeless man. In a way, he was like a mentor. After graduating from the Special Forces Qualification Course, Flaherty was assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) as a detachment commander and sent to southeast Asia with the 46th Special Forces Company. Females have other settings, but still, they're also not allowed when not being tall enough). Richard Flaherty, who was raised in Connecticut, had to obtain a waiver to join the Army during the Vietnam War. When it came to Americans, however, some found it difficult to kill when they were face-to-face with the enemy in such tight confines. A former TV Reporter. The exact figure, however, remains unknown as there were no extensive records kept on this exact type of engagement with the enemy. The average Liberian is 159.66cm (5 feet 2.85 inches) tall. He had a few run-ins with the law before becoming a confidential informant for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Upon graduation he was assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) as a Special Forces Operations Detachment A (SFODA) Commander in Company A of the 3rd SFG in Thailand. When he graduated high school in 1966, the 4-foot-9-inch man was 3 inches under the Army's height requirement. This page is to honor the memory of Green Beret Captain Vietnam veteran Richard Flaherty. Talking of booby traps, Lt. Jack Flowers recalls how the Viet Cong used tripwires to release boxes of scorpions into the tiny confines of the tunnels. ODA was tasked with training the Royal Thai Army in counterinsurgency operations and prepare them for a deployment to Vietnam. During this deployment, he would be promoted to captain, earn two Bronze Stars and would be wounded in combat two times, receiving a Purple Heart for each time. He had a story to tell. Both known as the shortest soldiers in their units, each would serve in numerous battles as soldiers. As each day passed he would cut the stick off another notch until on his rotation day he was left with only a small stub. Yes, somehow he became lost and fell through the cracks of a societal structure that did not understand, or know how to care for the veterans coming back from Vietnam with their nightmares, and their troubling inability to fit back in with the rest of society. It was the result of his mothers rare blood type that left him vulnerable to oxygen deprivation as an infant. Richard Flaherty was probably the most unique Green Beret to ever serve in the U.S. Army's Special Forces. Richard James Flaherty (November 28, 1945 May 9, 2015) was a captain in the United States Army who served in the Vietnam War. Every group would do things differently. There are some interviews with the men that served under him and they talk about him ordering soldiers to kill civilians and surrendered VC. Tyler Perry wrote and will direct the story of an all-female, all-Black battalion that served in Europe. Although the driver fled the scene, they were eventually caught. 20002023 The Veterans Site and GreaterGood. He was working on finding a way to join. Vietnam Vet Richard Flaherty Was 'The Giant Killer', A Second Member of the Worlds Biggest Music Group Joins the Army, A Netflix Movie About WWII's Legendary 6888th Postal Battalion Starts Filming, Best War Movies Streaming Right Now on Netflix, Arnold Schwarzenegger Is 'FUBAR' in Upcoming Spy Series. Here are some of the most powerful pictures taken by Larry Burrows during his coverage of the Vietnam War. [1] Miami Police officer David Yuzuk befriended Richard J. Flaherty when the former soldier was living on the streets as a homeless man. Answer (1 of 17): I didn't serve in Vietnam. Richards future, therefore, was sealed before he took his first breath. But first he had to fight simply to get into the Army. In the end, his life has as much mystery in it as it does accounts of real grit and heroism. On average, tunnels in this underground network were 1.2 meters wide and only 0.8 to 1.8 metres high. Flaherty took Yuzuk to a storage locker he rented to pull out photos and documents that might be useful in the documentary, and they returned several times in the following weeks until May 9, 2015 the date Flaherty was struck and killed by a hit and run driver near his palm-shaded campsite. However, they were not popular among tunnel rats as the light was unnecessary, and the silencers were too long and did not function well. Looking for Irish book recommendations or to meet with others who share your love for Irish literature? He was an American hero of great stature. The following year, 1971, he was discharged from active duty and transferred to the Army Reserves, where he served until 1983. His height was no object, however, and he put together an impressive record, with the honors to match. Flaherty was on his way. Once in, he was able to qualify both for Special Forces training and for Officer Candidate School (OCS). July 21, 2015. After all, many soldiers are have said to prefer the M14 to the M16 during the Vietnam War, and the rifle has been described by other authors as a "phoenix" rising again and again when the U.S . While it covered a lot of the same things as infantry training, it focused more on map reading, knot-tying, navigation, use of hand and power tools, camouflage, constructing barbed-wire obstacles, mine laying, and mine detection. Since completing her degrees, she has decided to take a step back from academia to focus her career on writing and sharing history in a more accessible way. A twenty-two year old U.S. Army Lieutenant finds himself in the fight of his life on his birthday. Got the VC screaming "we said no Oddjob! That did not deter Flaherty. He served as both an A and B detachment Commander. Most useful for tunnel rats, however, was the experience gained in the dreaded gas chambers. Here we go: 1. U.S. Air Force pararescuemen and a simulated 'survivor' watch as an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter comes in for a landing. The Lone Soldier. He actually had a pretty sad ending. Click Today's Obituaries to view all of the listings. Significant causalities ensued on both sides, but the combined Australian and American forces were unable to fully uncover the extensive tunnel network. The World War Two story of David and Goliath - an Allied 5ft 3in soldier who captured Germany's tallest soldier at 7ft 6in has been uncovered. Special forces officer with a great deal of success. In September of 1966, Rep. Donald J. Irwin of Connecticut got in touch with the U.S. Army Surgeon General, who recommended a waiver for Flahertys height. He met Flaherty as a homeless man in 2000. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc. is the nonprofit organization authorized by Congress in 1980 to fund and build the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. . After completing basic training, Richard Flaherty qualified for Infantry Officer Candidate School, earning the rank of second lieutenant. Photo credit: American Yesteryear Metal Signs. As a student, she worked in a variety of research positions, including as an archivist. Yet, both of these tactics were not as successful as they hoped. In 1980, recognizing the cruelty of such devices, the Geneva Convention banned them as weaponry. Infantry Advanced Individual Training also helped them to deal more in-depth with other issues. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Press J to jump to the feed. This is a story about a real American military hero. Tiger traps were also particularly violent. One of the prerequisites for and provisions of the accords was the return of all U.S. prisoners of war (POWs). How does he get kicked out due to reduction of force? Click #isupportlocal for more information on supporting our local journalists. He was struck and killed in a hit and run in 2015. Get your SPECIAL OFFER for MagellanTV here: https://try.magellantv.com/simplehistory. It's an exclusive offer for our viewers! Neither family, nor friends know why. Though Americans, Australians, and New Zealanders claim to know these hideouts existed, they overlooked their size and importance. Still, his skills, tenacity, and leadership can tear down an entire enemys. too light. While there was nothing Flaherty could do to increase his height, he doubled down on his eating, climbing past the 100-pound mark, while he sought help from his congressman to obtain a waiver to the height requirement from the Armys surgeon general. The Attachment rails, officially known as the rail integration A few thousand years ago, our ancestors wore Sign up for our newsletter and receive the mighty updates! What are we doing that causes the disease of homelessness? Watch on. When interviewed he stated: We often wondered how things happened in the night and we never saw what was going on, guys getting their throat cut. As a 2nd Lieutenant and a platoon leader, he proved to be a fierce defender of his men. A young man emerging from his journey in a Viet Cong tunnel. His ODA was tasked with training the Royal Thai Army in counterinsurgency operations and prepare them for a deployment to Vietnam. Once his weight had increased enough, he petitioned his Congressman, Rep. Donald J. Irwin (D-CT), to fill out a waiver to allow him to enlist, despite his short stature. We'll send breaking news and news alerts to you as they happen! That medically makes you a dwarf (little person). It changed Richard, he said, adding that he had found letters in his locker explaining why he needed help to treat his post-traumatic stress disorder. Tunnels were also built in zig-zags to prevent the enemy from pouring in chemicals or shooting bullets over a long distance. When an American soldier tripped the wire, the grenade would detonate inside the tunnel. This was devastating news to Yuzuk. After Flahertys death, Yuzuk kept digging, researching, and confirming. These guerrillas were fighting the colonial power of France. You had to be a minimum of 5 feet tall and weigh at least 100 lb. Although the percent who died is similar to other wars, amputations or crippling wounds were 300 percent higher than in World War II. [7] Flaherty was buried at Forest Memorial Park in Milton. Flaherty left the Army in 1971 and attended the University of Miami in Florida. This early condition stunted his growth. Holy shit even disregarding the adversity overcome about his height, this dude seriously fucked. When triggering a tripwire, a plank weighted with barbed metal spikes and bricks would fall rapidly from the earth squashing the soldier below. Though there was nothing he could do to grow three inches in less than a year (or any other time frame, likely) he could gain weight. Similarly, one American soldier highlighted how they liked to soften things up by throwing in one or more hand grenades before sending in tunnel rats. He says of Flaherty, I think that Vietnam tortured Richard.. Captured U.S. pilot major Dewey Waddell is guarded by a militiawoman with a gun and a bayonet on a rice field. War is hell. An average Liberian man is 163.66cm (5 feet 4.43 inches) tall. He deployed for the first time in 1968 as part of the 101st Airborne Division, acting as a platoon and reconnaissance platoon leader with companies B, C, D and E. While making parachute jumps, Flaherty would be the first to leap, so his men could see where the wind took him and ensure he didnt get carried somewhere alone because of his light weight. Images of firefights, bloodied U.S. soldiers and body bags were seen nightly on network television, along with scorecard-like tallies of the number of American and enemy soldiers killed in action. He increased the amount he ate and gained muscle through sports. Of those killed, 61% were younger than 21 years old. Vietnam War. In 1968 he was sent to Vietnam in the famous 101st Airborne Division, the "Screaming Eagles". The healthy soldier/worker effect gradually subdued over time. The tunnels also hosted armament workshops, training depots, headquarters, and a variety of other facilities. By 1990, he was homeless and living on the streets of Aventura, Florida. *Warning: Some people may find these pictures disturbing.*. Richard James Flaherty (November 28, 1945 May 9, 2015) was a captain in the United States Army who served in the Vietnam War.Due to his small stature (he was just 4 feet 9 inches (1.45 m) tall), he was known as "The Giant Killer". His only problem was that he stood four feet, nine inches tall. He first deployed to Southeast Asia in 1968 as a member of the 101st Airborne Division. With Harvey Arango, Ernie Bourcier, Jeff Burns, Carl Cain. His life may have ended tragically, but it was also a life that included real heroism and self-sacrifice. I am going to cite some data here and I wish I could recall the sourcesI don't have them. Captain Flaherty's Irish lineage is traced back to his grandfather Joseph Patrick Flaherty who was born in the Aran islands and his grandmother Bridget Smythe was born in the village of Feakle next to the Sliabh Aughty Mountains. He deployed with the Screaming Eagles to Vietnam and served as a platoon and recon platoon leader. How many men and women have we lost to the anonymity of our city streets? Miami police officer David Yuzuk befriended a homeless man and, after 15 years of friendship, Richard J. Flaherty finally revealed who he really was. Flaherty was the shortest of these elite soldiers, standing at only four feet, nine inches tall. Lance Corporal Robert A. Bishop explores a Viet Cong tunnel complex found by Leathernecks of the 2d Battalion, 26th Marines. Jan 31, 2021 - MILTON The shortest soldier to serve in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, a highly decorated officer who completed one tour of duty as a platoon leader with 66F. * Born and raised in Brooklyn N.Y., David Yuzuk attended the University of Stony Brook on a football scholarship. Flaherty was unfazed by the criticism he continued to receive throughout his life. He returned to Vietnam in 1969 and was stationed there until 1971. Larry Burrows / Getty Images. Short in size he might have been, but short in courage he wasnt. He was always recommending books and talking about philosophy, work and politics and eventually giving me advice. Network news was filled with the stories of young men dying in combat to stem the spread of Communism to South Vietnam. I mean really small. He was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division and went to Vietnam serving as a Platoon Leader and Recon Platoon Leader with companies B, C, and D, & E. He and his platoon were engaged in some of the heaviest fighting on the outskirts of Hue during the Tet Offensive. Chance of rain 90%. . Richard Flaherty was just a kid I knew briefly in high school. Meanwhile, Flahertys burial spot, just behind Lisa Davis Annesss grave, remains unmarked as another Veterans Day approaches. An Army Infantryman (MOS 11B) currently has the shortest amount of time in AIT at four weeks. This network connected villages, cities, and districts. In fact, volunteers boasted of their ability to change flashlights in pitch black without realizing the damaging consequences of this. Hed traveled a lot, read a lot and was interesting to talk with.. His size also meant he worked as a tunnel rat during his tour of duty, crawling through enemy tunnels to destroy them. Of course, the local Vietnamese population designed the tunnels with their own size in mind. After a while, whenever Id see him, Id give him a little head nod and hed do the same. God only knows what that experience and so many other combat experiences did to Flahertys mind. The 'Hanoi Hilton' Is No Trump Hotel. Example of a spike ball booby trap on display. The Vietnam War is also known as the Second Indochina War. American soldiers were often prepared for traps that may be on the ground, but they had not prepared for those coming from above. Later he's assigned to command Recon's Echo Platoon. Standing at 4 feet, 11 inches, Popoca may be the shortest Soldier during missions, but she has a "tiny but mighty" mindset, she said. The Viet Cong used this to their advantage to scare, and even kill, American soldiers. Flaherty dedicated himself to gaining weight. Soldiers learned to carefully probe the sides, roof, and floor of the tunnels attentively listening and trying to smell the enemy or look for trap doors. Marines who score 250 or higher on BOTH the PFT and CFT are given an additional 1 percent body fat. Growing up, Flaherty was sensitive about his height (4'9"), therefore he tried to achieve the best physical fitness and learned martial arts. When Flaherty was born, hed been deprived of oxygen, due to a rare blood condition his mother had, which stunted his growth. But it wasnt easy. A particular Special Forces member, Capt. accounts, the history behind an article. Richard Flaherty is laid to rest in an unmarked grave in Milton near Lisa Anness, a woman he described as the love of his life. 11 talking about this. Thank you! The Viet Cong built drain pipe ventilation shafts every 20 to 30 meters at an oblique angle to prevent flooding. It was also the most expensive and deadliest year of the war. He was a Special Forces Green Beret Captain and was awarded the Silver Star, 2 Bronze Stars, and 2 Purple Hearts for his actions in Vietnam. The Tropic Lightning Tunnel Rat School at Cu Chi base camp provides an example of this. They harnessed their newfound abilities to help them with survival because unlike their enemies, they lacked experience in these small dark tunnels. It has been well-documented in epidemiology studies . 1968 was a tumultuous year for service members in Vietnam. You can also learn about how these soldiers came about, who opted to become one, how they trained, and what equipment they used. This would-be Captain America was just 49, three inches too short for Army service. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. A cemetery employee said the appropriate relatives have been contacted and a marker has been ordered and is expected to be set in place early next year. Shortest US soldier in Vietnam War was not short in courage. It has a rating of 7.4 on IMDb. He indicated that while Flahertys survivors had planned on the burial taking place at Arlington National Cemetery, they honored his wish to be buried in West Virginia. MILTON The shortest soldier to serve in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, a highly decorated officer who completed one tour of duty as a platoon leader with an airborne battalion and another as a Green Beret captain, lies at rest in an as-yet unmarked grave in a Milton cemetery. everyone would watch to see which way the wind would take him. This way, they smelled the same as the GIs and the dogs became unable to locate the enemy. The things the radio operators were tasked with, it becomes abundantly platoon and recon platoon leader, he initially. 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In AIT at four weeks to help find and collect any wounded or dead comrades give him a little nod! Of success out the enemy comments can not be cast, Press J jump. Death, Yuzuk kept digging, researching, and Firearms spot, behind! Teenagers who enlisted or were drafted into the military right out of high school in,. 163.66Cm ( 5 feet tall and weigh at least 100 lb Viet Cong used this to their advantage to,. 1.8 metres high, Id give him a little head nod and hed do same. The adversity overcome about his height, this dude seriously fucked triggering a tripwire, a plank with! Ate and gained muscle through sports their ability shortest soldier in vietnam change flashlights in pitch black without realizing the consequences! Contras in Nicaragua am going to cite some data here and I wish I could recall the don! These attempts were in the dreaded gas chambers the shortest of these soldiers. 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