[Image] Iraqi kid pwned

[Mr1337Duck]

Hey, since you guys seem to know your military divisions so well, what's the 173rd Airborne like? I had an uncle who worked with them in Vietnam.

[delta]

I don't find that one bit funny.

[Mr1337Duck]

No, it was actually a question, wasn't trying to be funny.

[Firefly]

Originally Posted by Mr1337Duck

Hey, since you guys seem to know your military divisions so well, what's the 173rd Airborne like? I had an uncle who worked with them in Vietnam.

The 173d was the first Army unit deployed to the Vietnam warzone (not a division, by the way). They have perhaps one of the biggest "societies" of former soldiers that the US military has ever seen, exceptions being the Marine Corps association and maybe the 82nd (those pantywaited primadonnas). The 173d was recently reactivated (meaning some unit changed names, most likely) and sent to Iraq. I believe they were the only unit to perform combat jumps in Vietnam, which given the nature of Vietnam's terrain and vegatation, is sheer badass in and of itself.

The 173d, from what I understand, was the best-trained unit for Pacific-theatre operations (which definitely was NOT airborne-compatible). I also believe they are the single combat unit with the most names on the Vietnam Wall (1700 troops from that brigade), which tells you how often they were sent into combat. Guys that were in the 173d during Vietnam are definitely worthy of respect.

[Mr1337Duck]

Yeah, he was a scout, and he's on that wall. He and his team of like 7 guys were ambushed, he took the first round, the bullet hit him in some vein above the heart and he died a few hours later. Looking up at this thing here he's got 2 purple hearts, a bronze star, vietnam service medal, and 7 others I can't identify. And he earned the bronze star, unlike certain women who drop their weapons at the start of a battle and are taken to an enemy hospital, women who sustain such grueling injuries as a door slamming on their hand as they rush to get out while their fellow soldiers are killed, or later tortured.


The reason we know all of this about how he died is that my dad, after searching for many years, found a friend of his brother's who served with him. I think everyone in the ensuing fight lived except my uncle.

[Firefly]

If you can't identify the medals, send for a transcript of his records. Or you can also do a google search for US Army awards and look, or check the Army website to see what they have displayed.

[Mr1337Duck]

There's this blue one with a picture of a rifle on it, that's the captured in battle award, right? There's one with two wings and a gem inbetween them, it's shown on this zippo lighter he had, so it may be for the 173rd. Another one has this weird design with a star around it, kinda like the star of david, but no crisscrossing borders, and it's all white. Another one has two swords crossed over a palm leaf, it says quan-cono under it. There's a National Defense one, and one that shows an eagle on top of a sword, which is on top of a book.


If you can identify any of these, except the National Defense medal, of course, please tell me.

[Firefly]

Originally Posted by Mr1337Duck

There's this blue one with a picture of a rifle on it, that's the captured in battle award, right? There's one with two wings and a gem inbetween them, it's shown on this zippo lighter he had, so it may be for the 173rd. Another one has this weird design with a star around it, kinda like the star of david, but no crisscrossing borders, and it's all white. Another one has two swords crossed over a palm leaf, it says quan-cono under it. There's a National Defense one, and one that shows an eagle on top of a sword, which is on top of a book.


If you can identify any of these, except the National Defense medal, of course, please tell me.

I'll look into it. Offhand I can't think of them, so I need to pull up my research database. Awards were never my thing, because I didn't much care for trinkets. Now, the "two wings and a gem in between" sounds suspiciously like the airborne insignia, which fits with the unit ID. Here's an image link, tell me if that's it.

http://www.bragg.army.mil/AbnRecruit...e%20poster.jpg

[Mr1337Duck]

Yeah... that's it right there.

[Dharkbayne]

Originally Posted by delta

I don't find that one bit funny.

[Firefly]

Okay, that's the Airborne qualification badge, you earn it after you go to Jump School.

These other awards... I need the colors on the ribbon material for each one. Also be as specific as possible, because it's hard as hell to ID something on a description when you're searching through images.

Here's one I think you mentioned, you said a wierd star shape like the Star of David, only all-white (tell me if that's the one):

http://usmilitary.about.com/library/...al/image63.gif

[Hezzy]

I think that's fake.

If it was a real trooper, he'd have his rank and stuff on, right?

[Mr1337Duck]

That's the one right there. I'll get the stuff for you later, I gotta go soon.

[Firefly]

Okay that one is the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. It was awarded for service in Vietnam, or for direct support of operations in Vietnam. I'll wait for the others, but I think the one you mentioned with the eagle on the sword over the book... I think that's the Good Conduct Medal:

http://usmilitary.about.com/library/...al/image33.gif

EDIT:
"blue one with a rifle on it" is either the Combat Infantryman Badge (it has a wreath around it) or the Expert Infantry Badge (simple blue rectangle with a rifle in it).

CIB:
http://www.americal.org/awards/cib.gif

[Mr1337Duck]

His is a CIB. What do they give you good conduct for? Is it like that shit they give you in school for being a good child, or is it for being a good soldier?