Vern Humphrey
Member
When discussing Viet Nam, it always helps to understand that most of the troops there did not see combat, other than an occasional stray shot or mortar shell. However, those who did see combat, saw a lot of it. James Dunnegan in Myths of the Vietnam War points out that the average infantryman in Viet Nam saw more combat in his year in country than the average infantryman in WWII. Casualties in the Marine Corps were actually higher in Viet Nam than in WWII -- although the ratio of killed to wounded was lower in Viet Nam, thanks to better evacuation and treatment (i.e., more Marines died in WWII, but the total of killed and wounded was higher in Viet Nam.)
The idea that troops will not fire in combat is simply a myth. It can be checked by looking at supply rates -- if no one is shooting, where is all that ammunition going?
The idea that troops will not fire in combat is simply a myth. It can be checked by looking at supply rates -- if no one is shooting, where is all that ammunition going?