shortest soldier in vietnam
shortest soldier in vietnam
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. We just didnt know. Hed traveled a lot, read a lot and was interesting to talk with.. Flaherty left the Army in 1971 and attended the University of Miami in Florida. Flaherty was killed during a hit and run attack on May 9, 2015, in Miami. Yuzuk used his own funds and a crowdsourcing campaign to produce The Giant Killer, an 80-minute documentary available on Amazon Prime and iTunes, released late last year. However, only about 20 percent of those served in generally recognized 'combat' roles. Flaherty was 2 inches too short and 6 lb. Or were his missions something much darker? Flaherty was tasked with training the Royal Thai Army in counterinsurgency, in preparation for being sent to Vietnam. Yuzuk also found papers showing that Flaherty had paid a deposit for a burial plot in Miltons Forest Memorial Park, with a request to be buried near Lisa Davis Anness, whom the Vietnam vet described as the love of his life. [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. The stakes would then spear any soldier that fell into the pit. On March 26, 1964, the first U.S. service member imprisoned during the Vietnam War was captured near Qung Tr, South Vietnam when an L-19/O-1 Bird Dog observation plane flown by Captain Richard L. Whitesides and Captain Floyd James Thompson was brought down by small arms fire. By that time, Flaherty had been promoted to captain and awarded two Bronze Stars for bravery and two Purple Hearts for combat wounds, in addition to the Silver Star. Overall, the Vietnamese were very quick to restore damages and continue as if nothing happened. Some of these men were career military officers. As you may have guessed, life expectancy was low. Needless to say, sadly many of those Americans who did enter the tunnels ended up dying. Another method frequently used attempted to flood the area so badly that the enemy desperately sought to escape to avoid drowning. Flaherty returned to the U.S. later that year, and graduated from the Armys Special Warfare School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, becoming a member of the elite Green Berets. The Marines have adopted a new program as of January 2017. 11,465 of those killed were younger than 20 years old. They belong to us. Although the percent who died is similar to other wars, amputations or crippling wounds were 300 percent higher than in World War II. limit, but he could do nothing about the height part. It's an exclusive offer for our viewers! Anness, who died in 2005, was the daughter of an Army captain, and traveled the world with her military family before settling in Miami, where she earned an MBA at the University of Miami and worked as a consultant. Her research focused on military, environmental, and Canadian history with a specific focus on the Second World War. In the battle of Quang Tri, during the Tet Offensive in 1968 . After his service in Vietnam, Richard Flaherty applied for Special Forces training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Giant Killer: The incredible mysterious life of the shortest US soldier A dwarf, a Vietnam hero, a CIA operative, and a homeless man the almost unbelievable life of Richard James Flaherty. There are some interviews with the men that served under him and they talk about him ordering soldiers to kill civilians and surrendered VC. Yuzuk had started to look into his friends story well before his death and discovered that hed worked as an undercover agent for federal authorities during the 1980s. But it wasnt until 2015 that Flaherty first spoke of his time as a platoon leader and Green Beret in Vietnam. Finding out about him and what he had done since graduating from high school has put me through a roller coaster of emotions. Short Story / War and Military. Released in 1973. 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. John Zander in Chu Lai, Vietnam in 1965. While braving the intense hail of hostile fire, Lieutenant Flaherty displayed astute direction and leadership, leading to the enemy bunker being swiftly destroyed and allowing his platoon to advance and continue its devastating attack on the enemy, according to the citation for the Silver Star Flaherty was awarded for the action. 45 calibers with a seven-round magazine as they were readily available. He came home from Vietnam after his second tour and moved to Hallandale, Florida, where he worked for a time with the U.S. In the late 1970s, he was sent to supply the Contras in Central America with weapons and cash. After this, he refused to ever go into a tunnel again. This kit included a S&W .38-calibre special model 10 revolver with both a silencer and aiming light. Captain Flaherty is the shortest man to have served in the Army's Special Forces Regiment. Though Americans, Australians, and New Zealanders claim to know these hideouts existed, they overlooked their size and importance. Significant causalities ensued on both sides, but the combined Australian and American forces were unable to fully uncover the extensive tunnel network. Again, those inside suffocated. Its not slick but it is fascinating. Yet, both of these tactics were not as successful as they hoped. 20002023 The Veterans Site and GreaterGood. 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. He returned to Vietnam in 1969 and was stationed there until 1971. The two maintained a long friendship. Phases of captures. Standing at 4 feet, 11 inches, Popoca may be the shortest Soldier during missions, but she has a "tiny but mighty" mindset, she said. We owe them the dignity that they deserve. He was a Platoon Leader and Recon Platoon Leader with companies B, C, D, & E. Flaherty participated in some fierce combat outside of Hue City during the Tet Offensive which earned him a Silver Star, 2 Bronze Stars and 2 Purple Hearts.[4]. Sometimes, they would smear the tip of the stakes with urine, feces, poison, or other contaminants to infect the wound when it penetrated the skin. He was often mistaken as a freshman when he was a senior. If you are squeamish or hate thinking about claustrophobic conditions, take this as a warning: gruesome facts lie ahead! After a while, whenever Id see him, Id give him a little head nod and hed do the same. She received both her bachelor of arts degree in history, and her master of arts degree in history from Western University. *The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. Richard Flaherty returned to the U.S. and trained at the Army's Special Warfare School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, becoming a member of the Green Berets. Finally, this list will look at how successful these attempts were in the grand scheme of things. 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. Flaherty was unfazed by the criticism he continued to receive throughout his life. When Flaherty was born, hed been deprived of oxygen, due to a rare blood condition his mother had, which stunted his growth. What are we doing that causes the disease of homelessness? Network news was filled with the stories of young men dying in combat to stem the spread of Communism to South Vietnam. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. However, he was eventually arrested for possession of gun silencers and removed from the agency. Owing to the need for a flashlight, it was essential that soldiers could aim and fire their weapon with one hand. Saddest to me is that Flaherty was a man who had done much and who could have offered so much more, but he got lost in ways well never understand. ODAs are the tactical arm of the Special Forces Regiment. Flaherty was the shortest of these elite soldiers, standing at only four feet, nine inches tall. Photo credit: Peter Alan Lloyd Website. Capt. 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. Upon enlisting, Richard became the shortest soldier in US military history. When he reached adolescence, Flaherty was small compared to his peers. In her spare time, Rosemary enjoys spending time with her partner, her cats, and her horse, or sitting down to read a good book. It has a rating of 7.4 on IMDb. Choose wisely! 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. Not only was he the shortest Green Beret to serve in Vietnam, he was also the shortest US serviceman in history. 10,422 Vietnam War Soldiers Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images. accounts, the history behind an article. He was a tough, determined guy, said David Yuzuk, who befriended Flaherty more than two decades after the war ended, when both were living in Aventura, Florida, a planned community in the suburbs north of Miami. These story remain nothing more than bits and pieces of a life that seems to have become shrouded in anonymity. We won't share it with anyone else. His stint with the CIA came to an end when he was arrested for possessing silencers. He worked for a while as a confidential informant for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in the 80s but he was homeless in Aventura, just north of Miami, by 1990. That special task began to take shape in September 1966, when Flaherty received a letter from Rep. Donald J. Irwin, D-Conn., informing him that the Armys Surgeon General had recommended granting a waiver to the height requirement. It included an article about Flahertys tragic death in Aventura, Florida. Overcast. No offense intended, but most armies have minimal-height, like here in my country you can't go to the army or police when being less than 1.55m as a man (don't know if this is still accurate, but it was in the past. The complications caused a hormonal imbalance that stunted his growth. Approximately 2.7 million American men and women served in Vietnam. Marines who score 250 or higher on BOTH the PFT and CFT are given an additional 1 percent body fat. Similarly, one soldier recalls how an encounter with the biggest rat he had ever seen led him to continually fire his gun. Flaherty was killed on May 9, 2015 in a hit and run. Yuzuk said none of the relatives or companions of Flaherty or Anness he has spoken with was aware of a relationship between the two. He enlisted that same year, finishing basic training, qualifying for Officer Candidate School, and deploying to Vietnam as a second lieutenant. But he may have left me with more mysteries than Ill ever be able to solve.. Growing up, Flaherty was sensitive about his height (4'9"), therefore he tried to achieve the best physical fitness and learned martial arts. My three-year journey of discovery dragged me down the rabbit hole of CIA conspiracies and the hunt for stolen classified weaponsstretching from the bloody jungles of Vietnam to the dangerous streets of Iraq and Venezuela, all in search of the peripatetic Green Beret Captain Richard J. Flaherty, Yuzuk said. When he graduated from high school, Flaherty was 4 feet, 9 inches tall three inches too short to meet the Armys height requirement at the time. SS recruiters for the division accepted boys as young as 14 into the . 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. Shortest U.S. [1] Under Lieutenant Flahertys astute direction and leadership, the enemy bunker was swiftly destroyed, enabling his platoon to advance and continue its devastating attack against the enemy.. The US army now sought alternate measures. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. saigon 1975. army soldier. A young man emerging from his journey in a Viet Cong tunnel. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Yuzuk came to know Richard Flaherty, not just as a homeless man, but as a man of intelligence and goodness. Four-foot, nine-inch tall veteran Richard J. Flaherty claimed to be the shortest man ever to serve in the United States military. The Giant Killer (available to rent now on iTunes, Amazon and other VOD platforms) aims to unravel the truth of his post-service life and mysterious death. 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. 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. It has been well-documented in epidemiology studies . Rosemary Giles is a history content writer with Hive Media. Here are some of the most powerful pictures taken by Larry Burrows during his coverage of the Vietnam War. Looking for Irish book recommendations or to meet with others who share your love for Irish literature? Click #isupportlocal for more information on supporting our local journalists. After completing basic training, Richard Flaherty qualified for Infantry Officer Candidate School, earning the rank of second lieutenant. If they were feeling particularly cruel they may point the sticks downwards at an angle. Not until 1995 did Vietnam release its official estimate of war dead: as many as 2 million civilians on both sides and some 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. Copyright 2023 Irish Studio LLC All rights reserved. During the course of two tours in Vietnam, because of his size, Flaherty often did tunnel rat searches. The CIA? It was the year of the Tet Offensive, where U.S. troop numbers peaked at more than half a million. 4' 9" 97lb Vietnam War Vet Green Beret Captain Richard J. Flaherty was the smallest US soldier to ever serve in the military. But many of the soldiers who went were drafted into the service, ineligible for a student deferment because they had never been to college. Johns Hopkins University. . You have permission to edit this article. In riveting rifle, rucksack style author, David Yuzuk takes you deep into the jungles of Vietnam to walk in the combat boots of America's smallest soldier, Richard Flaherty. Captured U.S. pilot major Dewey Waddell is guarded by a militiawoman with a gun and a bayonet on a rice field. Still, his skills, tenacity, and leadership can tear down an entire enemys. His only problem was that he stood four feet, nine inches tall. 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 . How many other Richard Flahertys are there living among us as homeless veterans? Vietnam, 1967. by Tom Rosenbeck. For his leadership and heroism, he was awarded the Silver Star. Oct 15, 2015 Ian Harvey, Guest Author. He graduated the year before me from Stamford Catholic High School, now known as Trinity Catholic High school. Most helpful for tunnel rats, however, was the brief amount of training time spent detecting, removing, and laying booby traps. His ODA was tasked with training the Royal Thai Army in counterinsurgency operations and prepare them for a deployment to Vietnam. Funds are paid by Greater Good Charities to benefiting organizations as a grant. 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. If it did not force the enemy out, those inside the tunnels often suffocated to death instead. He says of Flaherty, I think that Vietnam tortured Richard.. By REP. SAM JOHNSON. Flaherty is buried in an unmarked grave in Milton, West Virginia. He returned to Southeast Asia in 1969 and remained there until 1971 when he left the Army. Despite the superior firepower of the American military, the determination of the Viet Cong was on another level entirely. By 1990, the US Army veterans was homeless and living in Aventura, Florida. 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. He eraned the Silver Star, 2 Bronze Stars, and 2 Purple Hearts -smallestsoldier.com . Since tunnel rats extensively used explosives to collapse tunnel entrances and destroy what they found inside, combat training was particularly valuable. Yuzuk said it was not long after he moved to Florida in 1999 and joined the Aventura Police Department that he noticed Flaherty. He met Flaherty as a homeless man in 2000. Shortest US soldier in Vietnam War was not short in courage. Richard J. Flaherty with two classmates at Officer Candidate School in 1967 (Photo: David Yuzuk / Laptrinhx.com ). The soldiers then camouflaged the pit using natural undergrowth, mud, or crops. Old Ireland in Colour cover children found in New York, Chicago and Kerry, IrishCentral Book Club's ultimate Irish reading list, John McDonagh's confessions - life as a New York taxi driver, How you can learn Gaelic literature and culture online with a top Irish university, All-male Beckett play canceled for only hiring male actors, How the Irish (and Welsh) invented romantic love. 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. 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. More from us: Phil Bucklew: The Father of US Naval Special Warfare. Tragically, he was killed in a hit and run during the early hours of May 9, 2015. I didnt believe him at first, Yuzuk recalled. He served as an A Detachment Commander and Liaison Officer. vietnam war memorial. March 28, 2022 Local Vietnam veterans showcase . 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. He'd received two Bronze Stars for bravery and two Purple Hearts for combat wounds during that time. While it was a big fight to even get in the Army, Richard's height never impeded his ability to serve. 7'3" Jakob Nacken (221 cm), the tallest German soldier of WW2, chatting with 5'7" (170 cm) Eddie Worth, AP photographer with the wartime still picture pool, after his surrender. The Veterans Site asks that you take a moment out of your day to consider donating to help house homeless veterans. Despite this, Yuzuk honored his friend by producing a documentary called The Giant Killer,which tells the full story of Richard Flahertys service in Vietnam and his life after he returned to the US. Flaherty enlisted late that year. The Viet Cong also made use of explosive booby traps and pressure detonated mines. Communications, public relations, and marketing professional, and content creator during free time. Larry Burrows / Getty Images. Snakes were also commonly used traps inside these tunnels. The documentary is supposed to come out sometime this year and I have included a trailer for it here. These guerrillas were fighting the colonial power of France. Naturally, their opponents were equally as skilled in this department and so tunnel rat soldiers were careful not to clean too much, or use certain products in case their enemies smelled them coming. Just sitting and waiting. But it wasnt easy. Use the 'Report' link on There is a story about a fiancee who died in a car accident, and another about Flaherty doing undercover work for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). He returned to Vietnam in 1969 and stayed there until 1971 when he left the Army. On November 28, 1945, doctors in Stamford Connecticut's Regional Hospital intensely worked to save newborn Richard James Flahertys life. In most cases, tunnel rats were engineers, infantrymen, cavalry scouts, or chemical specialists. Flaherty was the shortest of these elite soldiers, standing at only four feet, nine inches tall. 1968 the A Shau Valley of South Vietnam. After the military he got into some pretty dicey stuff like gun trafficking. At 4-foot-nine-inches tall and 97-pounds he was the. His height was no object, however, and he put . Read. Threats of harming another Miami Police officer David Yuzuk befriended Richard J. Flaherty when the former soldier was living on the streets as a homeless man. American soldiers were often prepared for traps that may be on the ground, but they had not prepared for those coming from above. He showed his fearsome warrior spirit during the Vietnam War, and later entered the roster of the Army's elite task . 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. 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