Fred Downs - Quotes

‘A man can’t feel safe anywhere in this country.'

‘We live in mud and rain’

‘... One wonders how much the human body can stand’

‘Everyone in the field wants the million-dollar wound so they can be sent back to the states’

‘It was a pretty exciting day’

‘Right now I’m pretending that I’m talking to you’

By Jordan

RODNEY CHASTANT Quotes

-‘My chances of coming away unhurt improve every month because I know so much more than I did as a beginner.’ Pg. 136

-‘The group of men that do this job must have a leader with a conscience.’ Pg 136

-‘We should never have committed ourselves to this goal, but now that we have, what should we do?’ Pg. 210

-‘Mom, I appreciate all your letters.’ Pg. 211

-‘I have a commitment to the men who have gone before me, American men that made the sacrifices...’ Pg. 211

By Laura

Rob Riggan very helpful quotes

‘The longer I am here, the more my hatred of war grows.’ – Rob Riggan, Pg 217

‘And I can go back feeling that I’ve both seen a war, and not been in one’ – Rob Riggan, Pg 166

‘The look on his face mirrored all the frustration and failures of foreign intervention’ – Rob Riggan, Pg 115
‘We seem still cursed by the generalized inability to view these whom we “came to save” as equals.’ –Rob Riggan, Pg 115

‘... Can only feel the human loss and terror which can never be measured in pretty medals or sweet, patriotic speeches.’ – Rob Riggan, Pg 217

By Michael

General Quotes

“We stalked those men as prey.” - James McLeory, page 65.

“Leaves you deaf for the rest of your life but just how long will that be?” - George T. Coleman, page 78.

“Vietnam has my feelings on a seesaw.” -  George Williams, page 105.

“Well, I’ve had my baptism by fire, and it’s changed my I think.” -  Robert C. “Mike” Ransom, Jr., page 180.

“It’s great to know your family’s safe, living in a secure country; a country made secure by thousands upon thousands of men who have died for that country.” -  Rodney R. Chastant, page 211.

“We are the ones you sent to fight a war you didn’t know a thing about.” - William Ehrhart, page 233.

“Please pray for me, Debby.” - Alan Brundo, page 265.

“There are a lot of mixed emotions.” - John Hagmann, page 274.

Rodney Chastant Quotes

• ‘I choose Vietnam’ (Page 137)
• ‘Here there is a job to be done’ (Page 136)
• ‘One of the staggering facts is that most men here believe we will not win the war’ (Page 209)
• ‘We should have never committed ourselves to this goal, but now that we have, what should we do?’ (Page 210)
• ‘I was proud to be an American, proud to be a Marine, proud to be fighting in Asia’ (Page 211)

Rob Riggan Quotes

• ‘The longer I am here, the more my hatred of war grows.’
• ‘And I can go back feeling that I’ve both seen a war, and not been in one’
• ‘The look on his face mirrored all the frustration and failures of foreign intervention’
• ‘We seem still cursed by the generalized inability to view these whom we “came to save” as equals.’
• ‘... Can only feel the human loss and terror which can never be measured in pretty medals or sweet, patriotic speeches.’

 

By Zac

'Sandy' Kempner

'We are here because we think this is where we must fight to stop communist threat. But not having gained momentum in conquering this country could bowl us out of Asia altogether and perhaps out of existence.' (Page 207)

'But we were given no choice and we must fight where the confrontation is, despite its cost, infeasibility, and possibility illegality, and physical and mental toll upon the participants’. (Page 207)

'By day we treat their ills and fix up their children and deliver their babies; by night, if we receive fire from the general direction of their hamlet, fire generally will reach them, albeit not intentionally.' (Page 114)

'We have two hands, both of which know what the other is doing but does the opposite anyway.' (Page 114)

'They finally left me sicker than before and with a medal I never wanted anyway.' (Page 183)

By Zoe and Kim

Mation Lee "Sandy" Kempner

• It is a country of thorns and cuts, of guns and marauding, of little hope failure. Page 138
• ....flimsy that legality is, such is the peg upon which we hang our hat, and it is a lot stronger than many we have hung it on before. Page 207
• Yet in the midst of it al, a beautiful thought, gesture, and even person can arise among it waving bravely at the death that pours down upon it. Page 138
• What was the use of it living and being a beauty among the beasts, if it must, in the end, die because of them, and with them? Page 138

Fred Downs Quotes

• “A man can’t feel safe anywhere in this whole country” (Pg.70)
• “We live in mud and rain” (Pg.60)
• “..One wonders how much the human body can stand” (Pg.61)
• “Everyone in field wants the million-dollar wound so they can be sent back to the states” (Pg.69)
• “At night the mosquito’s plaque me while I’m lying on the ground with my poncho wrapped around me. The rain drips on me until I go to sleep from exhaustion” (Pg. 60)
• “Right now I’m pretending that I’m talking to you” (pg.60)
• “My RTO ... was crying ... letters ... from ... his wife ... said she didn't whether he came back or not. It is bad enough over here. But when your wife writes shit like that it completely destroys a man”. (p.171)
• “We found ... where the [VC] had been ... and - get this - at one of the tables, six hands of cards”. (p.69)
• “I told my men ... the first ... to kill a dink ... I would buy them a bottle of whiskey. They can't wait to kill one of them now”. (p.70)
• “They pulled a few stiches out of my hind end yesterday, so only have about a thousand to go” (Pg.187)

 

By Kirsty

GENERAL QUOTES

• “Myself, God’s help, I’ll be able to walk in 8 to 12 months.”  - Rodney Baldra Page 209
• “I have never felt more human in my life, nor more part of a sea fumbling mutants born of god’s.” - Rob Riggan Page 166
• “It is not nice to find out that you cant always be a hero.” - Rob Riggan Page 166
• “It is something that I will always remember...” - Peter Elliot Page 254
• “I carry all your letters in the top of my helmet, and I was able to scrounge up an envelope.” - John R. Price Page 281
• “I would rather to have you for 21 years, and all the pain that goes with losing you, than never having you at all.” - Mrs. Eleanor Wimbish (Mom) Page 300
• “I don’t think it will be too terribly long before we are together again.” - Richard Van De Geer Page 294
• “One minute you’re picknicking, the next minute preparing for a possible attack.” - Robert Salerni Page 156

By Lacey