Wounded Marine Gunnery Sgt. saigon 1975. army soldier. 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. It helped give them the experience and confidence to cope with gas, should they encounter it in combat. He was an American hero of great stature. In a way, he was like a mentor. Thank you! Overcast. He served as both an A and B detachment Commander. As you may have guessed, life expectancy was low. Alternate title, "Dating on tinder when you're 5'11" or shorter". Most likely a member of the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend" which sustained 43% casualties during the Normandy campaign. Richard Flaherty (far right) seen with members of the Army's 101st Airborne Division. "The true story of the smallest Green Beret soldier who became a war hero-only to be killed homeless and alone, whose life and death are shrouded in mystery." If they hesitated at all, it is highly likely they would be the ones to die in such close confines. Richard Flaherty, who was raised in Connecticut, had to obtain a waiver to join the Army during the Vietnam War. 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. In the battle of Quang Tri, during the Tet Offensive in 1968 . He also weighed less than 100 pounds, further disqualifying him from serving in the Army. And there was more; he was homeless. A group of soldiers would then charge the gap to hopefully get a foothold and allow other troops to pile in. He went back to Southeast Asia with the 46th Special Forces Company as a Special Forces Operational Detachment A (SFODA) commander. Flaherty dedicated himself to gaining weight. Trni was severely wounded after he skied into a mine during 1942, but . He took to eating six meals a day and was able to bulk up to the 100 lb. The tunnels also hosted armament workshops, training depots, headquarters, and a variety of other facilities, Though Americans, Australians, and New Zealanders claim to know these hideouts existed, they overlooked their size and importance, , these countries failed to understand how difficult it would be to detect and neutralize such networks, 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, You can also learn about how these soldiers came about, who opted to become one, how they trained, and what equipment they used, If you are squeamish or hate thinking about claustrophobic conditions, take this as a warning: gruesome facts lie ahead, During the Second World War, the Vietnamese first constructed underground tunnels to fight Japanese invasion, In the 1940s and 1950s, the Vietnamese expanded these tunnels to hide nationalist guerrillas known as, Major Nguyen Quot, an officer that spent ten years in these tunnels, notes that by 1948 they already dug a tunnel system: each family, each hamlet, had a tunnel communicating it with others, In a more direct attempt to seek out the enemy, US soldiers used portable turbines to blow CS gas into tunnel shafts they located, Using this tactic, they added yellow dye to the water to enable aerial observers to spot any entrances that ground troops had missed, What they failed to realize is that many of the tunnels had several layers and doors built into them to help prevent such fatalities, The Viet Cong built drain pipe ventilation shafts every 20 to 30 meters at an oblique angle to prevent flooding, Tunnels were also built in zig-zags to prevent the enemy from pouring in chemicals or shooting bullets over a long distance, As a result, sending a soldier underground, known as a tunnel rat, was often a final measure if all other methods had failed, BCT included lessons on hand-to-hand combat, chemical-warfare defense, map reading, first aid, bayonet fighting, guard duty, and the use of hand grenades, , was the experience gained in the dreaded gas chambers, Here, leaders forced soldiers into specific chambers and made to recite their name, rank, and service number, It helped give them the experience and confidence to cope with gas, should they encounter it in combat, Infantry Advanced Individual Training also helped them to deal more in-depth with other issues, Over eight weeks, soldiers learned about tactical skills, squad and platoon offensive and defensive tactics, and how to use certain weapons, , was the brief amount of training time spent detecting, removing, and laying booby traps, Though this article will explore specific examples later, these traps were particularly brutal in the tunnels, probe the sides, roof, and floor of the tunnels, listening and trying to smell the enemy or look for trap doors, Some tunnel rats were also fortunate enough to take part in Combat Engineer Advanced Individual Training, used explosives to collapse tunnel entrances and destroy what they found inside, combat training was particularly valuable, While it covered a lot of the same things as, The center offered classes designed to show the best techniques of searching, detecting, and destroying hiding places, , other than being underground, they were actually very different from the real Viet Cong tunnels, , they were not popular among tunnel rats as the light was unnecessary, and the silencers were too long and did not function well, A light tunnel exploration kit may also include items such as powdered CS, colored-smoke grenades, insect repellent, protective masks, a field telephone, a compass to plot the route, a telephone wire spool, probing rods, bayonets, a flashlight, entrenching tools to reveal and widen entrances, and a .22-calibre HD or MK I pistol, A heavier tunnel-exploration kit may also include nylon rope, body-armor vests, grappling hooks, work gloves, kneepads, and earplugs, Remote-controlled explosive charges and small smoke grenades kits were, to signal exit locations to fellow comrades, Clothing-wise, it was a good idea to wear tight waterproof items to stop clothing from snagging on obstructions, leather gloves, and, if possible as mentioned knee pads to assist with crawling around, When it comes to headgear, some soldiers wore a helmet or a visored cap along with a microphone and/ or transistor radio attached, One of the other problems soldiers faced is the deafening sound of gunshots echoing through the tunnels, 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, Stories reveal that one American soldier raised his head through a tunnel entrance only to have a piece of metal, When triggering a tripwire, a plank weighted with barbed metal spikes and bricks would fall, from the earth squashing the soldier below, Communist soldiers would attach one side of the string to a stake in the floor, and the other to the safety pin in the grenade, When an American soldier tripped the wire, the grenade would detonate inside the tunnel, When the soldier triggered the tripwire, foot-long spikes placed all over a long bamboo pole catapulted into the soldiers face and chest at a rapid speed, Already well-adapted to subterranean life, many insects and animals of the Vietnamese jungle found the underground tunnels to be a worthy living environment, Huge bees, gigantic rats, centipedes, spiders, snakes, bats, and fire ants (to name a few) plagued these tunnels, One tunnel rat claimed that the booby traps and Viet Cong did not frighten them as much as encountering the local ants, 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, , one soldier recalls how an encounter with the biggest rat he had ever seen led him to, American soldiers were often prepared for traps that may be on the ground, but they had not prepared for those coming from above, Again, tripwires would trigger the release of snakes hidden somehow inside bamboo sticks, known to soldiers as bamboo vipers, Sometimes these snakes were even poisonous and so became known as three-step snakes because a soldier was only granted three more steps before the venom killed him, Imagine being stuck in a tiny space, panicking, screaming, and trying to escape as a snake, Reports state the soldier in question had no time to scream or to unsheathe his knife, the snake had already knotted tighter around his neck and, A colleague he worked with recovered his body by, American morale as it was difficult to comprehend that the enemy could be hiding, feet away yet were undetectable and unreachable, Frank Gutierrez, for example, served with the US Army in Vietnam from 1967 to 1970 as a rifleman, field wireman, and an ordinance specialist at Chu Chi and Long Binh, 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, Nobody ever knew where these guys were coming from they pointed out in jungle school that there was a tunnel system we had, tunnel rats, but we never knew exactly where or how extensive or where the entrance was, Even if they could deal with the claustrophobic conditions, air and artillery support had not prepared them for the type of old-fashioned combat that relied on savage behavior, individual strength, guts, and cunningness, The Viet Cong, with their lack of funding, was more skilled in this area given the necessity of their style of warfare, One Viet Cong technique was to slit a mans throat or garrotte him as he came up through a connecting trap door; this often did not phase the men, , some found it difficult to kill when they were face-to-face with the enemy in such tight confines, On occasion, they ended up having severe nervous breakdowns and their colleagues dragged them out of tunnels crying and screaming, Sergeant Arnold Gutierrez of the 25th Division stated that after a while they became so tuned to what was happening that when the other person would flick an eyelid up or down, you, knew he was there, in the corner, not even hiding anymore, The United States conducted two major campaigns to search and destroy the tunnel system: Operation Crimp (1966) and Operation Cedar Falls (1967), Operation Crimp hoped to target a key Viet Cong headquarter location believed to be unground, Significant causalities ensued on both sides, but the combined Australian and American forces were unable to, This attempt enjoyed more success than Crimp but was short-lived as the tunnels were in working order again within weeks, , the Vietnamese were very quick to restore damages and continue as if nothing happened, Mai Chi Tho, brother of Le Duc Tho (a prominent Hanoi Politburo member) highlights how they used the tunnels to infiltrate Saigon, Tho claims the Viet Cong prepared both the necessary troops and assembled the supplies needed in these tunnels to conduct the, seen by historians as a turning point for American involvement in the Vietnam war, In hindsight, listening to the Viet Cong talk about their experiences in these tunnels, it appears more training, Tunnel rat soldiers often used flashlights to guide the way and thus warned the enemy of their presence, In fact, volunteers boasted of their ability to change flashlights in pitch black without realizing the damaging consequences of this, , one American soldier highlighted how they liked to soften things up by throwing in one or more hand grenades before sending in tunnel rats, , as the Viet Cong soldier highlighted, by throwing grenades into the void ahead, or shooting pistols, the noise was deafening and alerted them to their presence, , remains unknown as there were no extensive records kept on this exact type of engagement with the enemy, According to archives held by the US government, there were 58,220 US military deaths. Johns Hopkins University. We can imagine that it may have had something to do with his Vietnam combat experiences. Here are 10 of the most dangerous: 1. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. These soldiers made punji stakes out of heated and sharpened wood or bamboo. During these ongoing operations, he gained a reputation for intelligence, and the CIA in the late 1970s recruited him to supply the Contras in Central America with weapons and cash. The US army now sought alternate measures. So began a wild adventure involving guns, cash, and High Altitude Low Opening parachute jumps into the Florida Everglades swamps. But then everything we know about him gets lost in a blur of fragmentary vignettes. By 1990, he was homeless and living on the streets of Aventura, Florida. A marker has been ordered for his grave and is expected to be placed early next year. He did time in prison for drugs but was that a cover or a real conviction? Every group would do things differently. A lot of the time it really depended on the size of the soldiers in the infantry division. Special forces officer with a great deal of success. Flaherty served with the 101st Airborne & the 3rd Special Forces Group. 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. *Warning: Some people may find these pictures disturbing.*. 1968 was a tumultuous year for service members in Vietnam. In addition to exposing himself to enemy fire while leading the charge on the bunker, Flaherty displayed extraordinary heroism while engaged in close combat with a well dug-in enemy force, in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.. Unbeknownst to his parents, Richard and his mother, Beatrice Rose, shared incompatible blood types (Richard, Rh-Positive; Beatrice, Rh-Negative). . Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. when a soldier had approximately two months remaining on his tour in Vietnam, he might take a long stick and notch it for each of his remaining days in-country. racist or sexually-oriented language. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. 66F. Flaherty's Irish ancestry came from his grandfather Joseph Patrick Flaherty, born in Aran Islands and his grandmother Bridget Smythe, born in Feakle. Copyright 2023 Irish Studio LLC All rights reserved. In 1967, Flaherty attended Army Officer Candidate School (OCS) and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the infantry and assigned to the 101st Airborne Division. Many American men were trying to avoid serving the U.S. military in the 1960s and 1970s. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. They carried out tunnel rat duties as and when they needed in addition to any other duties they performed. . [5] Fifteen years before Flaherty's death, he was befriended by Miami Police officer David Yuzuk after Flaherty became homeless. Shortest US soldier in Vietnam War was not short in courage. During the war, more than 58,000 servicemen and women lost their lives. (Petty Officer 2nd Class . Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Pictured left to right: Topsy, Fatty, Cotton (killed fitty men and got his shins blowed off), Brooklyn, Stinky, and Fatty. He said he hopes the movie makes people think twice before being dismissive or hateful toward the homeless, many of whom are veterans, and make politicians think carefully before sending American men and women to foreign places to kill people. A Soldier's Thoughts. One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. Primary Source. Throughout the battle, he repeatedly exposed himself to the hostile fire in order to better direct the suppressive fire of his squads. He had a few run-ins with the law before becoming a confidential informant for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. At the end of him career he had such bad PTSD that he pretty much couldn't function in a normal way and spent for the most part the remainder of his life homeless. Finally, some of the unique training centers would provide tunnel system replicas. 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. 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. A colleague dragged him out before he grabbed a frag and threw it into the hole too. There are some interviews with the men that served under him and they talk about him ordering soldiers to kill civilians and surrendered VC. Again, tripwires would trigger the release of snakes hidden somehow inside bamboo sticks, known to soldiers as bamboo vipers. In 2018 David was forced to retire due to a back injury sustained as a police officer. How does he get kicked out due to reduction of force? As mentioned previously, tunnel rat soldiers were a last-ditch attempt and not the usual go-to solution. In the end, his life has as much mystery in it as it does accounts of real grit and heroism. Her research focused on military, environmental, and Canadian history with a specific focus on the Second World War. 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! A friend of his from high school told me he had fond memories of watching Richard breaking boards with his hands when he walked past the Flahertys garage. Richard J. Flaherty with two classmates at Officer Candidate School in 1967 (Photo: David Yuzuk / Laptrinhx.com ). Soon after, Flaherty is killed by a hit-and-run driver. This offensive is commonly seen by historians as a turning point for American involvement in the Vietnam war. Remote-controlled explosive charges and small smoke grenades kits were primarily to signal exit locations to fellow comrades. Your Herd from Herald-Dispatch Reach Manager. An average Liberian man is 163.66cm (5 feet 4.43 inches) tall. Somewhere along his path, Flaherty became homeless. Capt. 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. Doctors from Stamford Connecticut's Regional Hospital worked intensely to save the newborn as his mother wasn't aware of her blood group of Rh-negative. This article was originally published 1/7/2021. How many men and women have we lost to the anonymity of our city streets? 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 . Even if they could deal with the claustrophobic conditions, air and artillery support had not prepared them for the type of old-fashioned combat that relied on savage behavior, individual strength, guts, and cunningness. Tweets from https://twitter.com/heralddispatch/lists/hd-news-4. Watch on. Well anything under 4'10" is legally a disability under the law. He was working on finding a way to join. The bombs caused earthquakes that destroyed the tunnels and their ventilation shafts. Choose wisely! SS recruiters for the division accepted boys as young as 14 into the . If you include the near-nine years of fighting that took place during the First Indochina War, add that tally to the 20-year war in Vietnam, you understand why the conflict is sometimes referred to as the Ten Thousand Day War, that number more or less equating to 30 years. Equally, these countries failed to understand how difficult it would be to detect and neutralize such networks. And, is this general or do several different troop branches have different requirements? 11 talking about this. After his tour in Vietnam, he returned to the U.S. and attended the Special Forces Officer Course at Fort Bragg. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Flaherty was unfazed by the criticism he continued to receive throughout his life. Richard J. Flaherty may never be known. 11,465 of those killed were younger than 20 years old. Richard Flaherty, was certainly a standout. The two maintained a long friendship. Due to the blood type, his growth was stunted which resulted in him being diagnosed with dwarfism.[2]. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. He was a Special Forces Green Beret Captain and was . Photo credit: The New York Times. limit, but he could do nothing about the height part. Commemoration of the war must account for these servicemen who underwent so much hardship for their nation. Retired, David enjoys writing, walking on hikes, and spending time with his dog Simon. everyone would watch to see which way the wind would take him. By the time RichardFlaherty graduated from high school in 1966, the US was already heavily involved in Vietnam. Significant causalities ensued on both sides, but the combined Australian and American forces were unable to fully uncover the extensive tunnel network. He agreed to cooperate, but said that once we got started, I had to promise to finish the project, Yuzuk said. Photo credit: Rare Historical Photos websites. I didnt know.. He showed his fearsome warrior spirit during the Vietnam War, and later entered the roster of the Army's elite task . Nguyen Van Vuong started as a soldier in the North Vietnamese Army in 1966 and ended his service in 1971 after contracting malaria. Miami Police officer David Yuzuk befriended Richard J. Flaherty when the former soldier was living on the streets as a homeless man. Richard Flaherty was probably the most unique Green Beret to ever serve in the U.S. Army's Special Forces. He enlisted that same year, finishing basic training, qualifying for Officer Candidate School, and deploying to Vietnam as a second lieutenant. Some even fled to Canada to escape conscription. On occasion, they ended up having severe nervous breakdowns and their colleagues dragged them out of tunnels crying and screaming. All rights reserved. In his death, however, he found his home next to the woman he had loved, Lisa Anness Davis. As a 2nd Lieutenant and a platoon leader, he proved to be a fierce defender of his men. The Viet Cong amassed around 250 kilometers of underground tunnels. Some of these men were career military officers. The Central Intelligence Agency recruited him in the late 1970s due to his knowledge of Intelligence. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism You can also learn about how these soldiers came about, who opted to become one, how they trained, and what equipment they used. The Giant Killer: Directed by David Yuzuk. 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. We here at the Veterans Site offer our sincerest thanks to Richard Flaherty for his service to the nation. 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