Vietnam War draftee to US Army Rangers (216)

Jan 8, 2022

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Bob Wallace joined the US Army in 1968 as a reluctant conscript. He describes the draft process, and his attempts to avoid conscription.

After basic training, Bob is assigned to a long range reconnaissance unit and ambush unit in five or six man teams in the Mekong delta.

We hear of the reconnaissance and ambush tactics as well as some poignant memories of those that didn’t make it back.

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I am delighted to welcome Bob Wallace to our Cold War conversation…

There’s further information on this episode here. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode216/

0:00 Introduction and request for donations

1:03 Introduction to guest, Bob Wallace, Vietnam War Veteran

3:21 Bob Wallace's early life and journey to the US Army

13:25 Bob's arrival in Vietnam and military training experiences

21:21 Bob's leadership experiences and decision to turn down promotions

24:54 Discussion on Bob's deployment to Vietnam and role in a Ranger reconnaissance team

35:43 Bob's experiences in identifying hostile targets and ambush operations

40:51 Bob's first time under fire and personal reflections on combat

42:38 Bob's visit to the Vietnam War Memorial and remembering fallen comrades

46:02 Introduction of Bob's book, "9 from the 9th", and discussion on shared experiences

49:18 Acknowledgment of patrons and call to donate

50:54 Closing remarks and promotion of the Cold War Conversations store

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