I was the only one in my family to serve.
I was in the U.S. Army and served in the 5th Infantry Division as an11b40 Infantryman. It was 1969 and I was near the DMZ in Vietnam. In the distance, we could see the red Communist flag in North Vietnam. We carried the M-16, M-79 or M-60 for 365 days while patrolling the DMZ. Mutters Ridge ran along the South side of the DMZ, which was the area in Vietnam, which saw the most deaths of Americans in any 30-mile area in the Vietnam War. It was bad, bad country. There were about 5,000 of the elite 27th NVA Regiment encamped just across the DMZ and they would come across it at will. The second picture is of me near the DMZ and resting for a few minutes, as the APCs and Tanks in the background organized for the next mission. The third image shows me lying down and a “newbie” who had just arrived and was KIA a few days later from an RPG. Sadly, I never even learned his name…
The 5th Infantry Division had 514 KIAs and over 3000 WIA from 1968 to 1972. There is no way to describe combat adequately. It is stark terror in the open face of death. No one can adequately understand it, that there are human beings hunting other humans, desperately trying to live through it.
God promised me that my life would be spared in the Vietnam War, and performed 365 Miracles to make sure that happened. There are two incidents that I remember with one on November 11, 1969, where Ruben walked in my place that morning and was killed before he walked 100 yards by an ambush. On November 13, 1969, our group of 300 men was being overrun at midnight by an estimated 5,000 NVA and Puff the Magic Dragon miraculously appeared above us and played a red curtain of bullets around us and saved most of our lives.
I was devastated and depressed for 10 years after the United States pulled out of Vietnam in 1975. We had won the war twice and each time our politicians gave it away. However in reality, we won, for this was the high water mark of communism in the world. My friends, who have since returned to Vietnam, tell me Vietnam is more capitalistic than America is today. The last picture was taken at the Vietnam Wall in DC to honor the 514 5th Infantry Division that were killed in action and whose names appear on the Wall.
Please visit my website @ www.z5in.com. Simply click onto “Videos” and then onto “Introduction” and this will give you a broad summary of my combat for the year in 1969.
I am 100% VA disabled with PTSD. I lost many friends both through being killed in action and wounded in action. I am actually now the National Chaplain for the 5th Infantry Division and try to help my men understand the PTSD they have suffered from for 45 years. I also try to prevent the 22 Veteran suicides per day by speaking in Churches to raise awareness at local levels. I am also working to locate the families of the 514 men who were killed in our unit and attempt to comfort them in their tremendous loss of over 40 years ago.
Psalm 118:17 – I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of The Lord.
I was only a scared soldier trying to do my job I am no Hero…but I fought beside some big ones. God deserves all the Glory. I just lived out of all of His Promises.
~ Chaplain Ron Vanbeek, Vietnam Veteran
STORY LINK: medium.com/@SoldiersWhisper/god-promised-me-i-would-not-die-3cba37694061#.la4eppt2d
Special thanks goes to Chaplain Vanbeek for his service and for sharing his story with us. We welcome you to share your family photos of those who served both past and present, so we may feature and honor them on our COMES A Soldier’s Whisper Veteran tribute page www.facebook.com/ComesASoldiersWhisper/
God Bless all who serve and keep us safe.
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