It was the year of the Tet Offensive, where U.S. troop numbers peaked at more than half a million. When it came time to weigh in, Flaherty barely tipped the scale of 100 pounds. A young German soldier, 1944. But he may have left me with more mysteries than Ill ever be able to solve.. On one side towered a 7ft 3in (2.21m) German man-mountain who quit his job with an American freak show to join the Wehrmacht. The healthy soldier/worker effect gradually subdued over time. Source of data: the Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File, as of April 29, 2008, of the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Files, part of Record Group 330: Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas) represents Texas' 3rd congressional . 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. During his first tour in Vietnam, Flaherty is placed in command of the Airborne's Delta Platoon. The bombs caused earthquakes that destroyed the tunnels and their ventilation shafts. Unless medical issues had something to do with it. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. All useful to the experiences of tunnel rats. He used to spend all day at a movie theater. His stint with the CIA came to an end when he was arrested for possessing silencers. The Tropic Lightning Tunnel Rat School at Cu Chi base camp provides an example of this. Some even fled to Canada to escape conscription. When it comes to headgear, some soldiers wore a helmet or a visored cap along with a microphone and/ or transistor radio attached. His friend, David Yuzuk, used his own money and launched a crowdfunding campaign to produce a documentary about his friends life. It was if he was hardening himself up for some special task.. Short Story / War and Military. But it wasnt easy. I didnt believe him at first, Yuzuk recalled. To avoid running into issues, tunnel rats remained very cautious of the number of shots they fired. Quite simply, many troops were deployed to Vietnam but few were actually in combat. 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. Flaherty enlisted late that year. 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. Photo credit: Funker530. Generally, while underground tunnel rat soldiers employed a shoot first, ask questions later method. Share with Us. Start Reading. One American man was trying anything to get in. The center offered classes designed to show the best techniques of searching, detecting, and destroying hiding places. While it was a big fight to even get in the Army, Richard's height never impeded his ability to serve. His friend decides to investigate and finds a passport that shows Flaherty was secretly traveling to dangerous locations like Jordan, Iraq, Thailand, Vietnam, and Venezuela while living as a homeless man. 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. They harnessed their newfound abilities to help them with survival because unlike their enemies, they lacked experience in these small dark tunnels. Postal Service. He would see Flaherty and talk with him every day; they would even eat lunch together. 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. In fact, on one occasion he was able to save several of his men who had been trapped by heavy enemy fire. 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 . 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. Current standards for men is 60-80 inches tall. Twenty-year-old Mike . The American Soldier in VietnamMore than 2.5 million American men served in Vietnam during the war. However, he was eventually arrested for possession of gun silencers and removed from the agency. He was expected to only grow to the height of 4 7 but Richard proved them wrong as he grew to 4 9.. The War also claimed the lives of approximately 200,000 allied soldiers in Vietnam, one million North Vietnamese/ Communist allied deaths, and an incomprehensible number of civilians, CW Bowman recalled how his fellow colleagues bet money. 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. Soldier in Vietnam War was the Army's Badass Combatant . The Giant Killer: Directed by David Yuzuk. Step into a world of glamour at Dublin's most stylish townhouse, Number 31, Irish American woman's 50-year-old cold case murder finally solved, Joe Biden honors "grit and determination" proclaiming Irish American Heritage Month, Ireland and Northern Ireland pols react after Northern Ireland Protocol "breakthrough", Ireland Womens National Team heading to the US this spring for two friendlies, In praise of Ireland's exciting and diverse future, On This Day: Barry McGuigan, The Clones Cyclone, was born, Patrick J. Kennedy to receive Sober St. Patrick's Day award, Irish Americans continue to maintain strong bond with Irish roots, survey finds. Some 385,000 American troops were sent to Vietnam in 1966, the year Richard Flaherty graduated from high school. This is a story about a real American military hero. The exact figure, however, remains unknown as there were no extensive records kept on this exact type of engagement with the enemy. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Amazingly, these tunnel rat soldiers were volunteers. The Viet Cong amassed around 250 kilometers of underground tunnels. Well anything under 4'10" is legally a disability under the law. He was discharged in October 1971 as a Captain. Richard Flaherty is laid to rest in an unmarked grave in Milton near Lisa Anness, a woman he described as the love of his life. The Viet Cong, with their lack of funding, was more skilled in this area given the necessity of their style of warfare. The oldest man killed was 62 years old. Captain Flaherty is the shortest man to have served in the Army's Special Forces Regiment. 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. Four-foot, nine-inch tall veteran Richard J. Flaherty claimed to be the shortest man ever to serve in the United States military. He was an American hero of great stature. 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. Flaherty dedicated himself to gaining weight. This page is to honor the memory of Green Beret Captain Vietnam veteran Richard Flaherty. But Flaherty spotted the bunker, rallied his soldiers and led a charge under heavy fire that cleared the area of enemy troops. So for a combat soldier, there was about a 10% chance of being killed in action. 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. One of the huge psychological issues for tunnel rats was the closeness of combat. His size also meant he worked as a tunnel rat during his tour of duty, crawling through enemy tunnels to destroy them. Maybe its because, as a high school student, I knew him, if only from a distance. Marine Corps: (Accession and Regular Standards) Male - 18%. . Approximately 2.7 million American men and women served in Vietnam. Special forces officer with a great deal of success. Flaherty and his men did not escape that violence. Photo credit: The Chive. That medically makes you a dwarf (little person). Americans often carpet bombed areas under suspicion to try flushing out the enemy. Flaherty served with the 101st Airborne & the 3rd Special Forces Group. One of the prerequisites for and provisions of the accords was the return of all U.S. prisoners of war (POWs). 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. A former TV Reporter. But first he had to fight simply to get into the Army. Again, tripwires would trigger the release of snakes hidden somehow inside bamboo sticks, known to soldiers as bamboo vipers. You can view the full DCAS record for an individual named in the list via the Access to Archival Databases resource, or AAD. Miami police officer David Yuzuk befriended a homeless man and, after 15 years of friendship, Richard J. Flaherty finally revealed who he really was. October 2001 to 2016. 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. Finding out about him and what he had done since graduating from high school has put me through a roller coaster of emotions. 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. Send the smallest soldier to clear the VC ratholes. Imagine being stuck in a tiny space, panicking, screaming, and trying to escape as a snake slowly wound itself around you. too light. korean war. 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. In 1980, recognizing the cruelty of such devices, the Geneva Convention banned them as weaponry. the shortest have one line. After all, it was a very stressful and dangerous job. 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. A small donation goes a long way. Still, his skills, tenacity, and leadership can tear down an entire enemys. She also worked as a teaching assistant in the History Department. Though this article will explore specific examples later, these traps were particularly brutal in the tunnels. A life warrior. When an American soldier tripped the wire, the grenade would detonate inside the tunnel. Lessons from History is a platform for writers who share ideas and inspirational stories from world history. Click Today's Obituaries to view all of the listings. Infantry Advanced Individual Training also helped them to deal more in-depth with other issues. The openings to these tunnels were very small and those tunnel rats who went into them did so armed only with a flashlight, a K-bar (knife), and a .45 pistol. Due to his small stature (he was just 4feet 9inches (1.45m) tall), he was known as "The Giant Killer". He appealed to his Connecticut Senator, Christopher Dodd, and was able to get a special waiver into the Army. Photo credit: Pinterest. You see, he was so light, everyone would watch to see which way the wind would take him, so that they would not lose him. Vietnam), evaded for two weeks with a banged up leg and his right arm broken in three places. An example of a classic punji booby trap. His unit in the 101st was ambushed as it passed a hidden North Vietnamese bunker. Active military action was carried out for almost 20 years, from 1 November 1955 to 30 April 1975.The Vietnam War is also referred to as the Second Indochina War, due to the involvement of all three countries previously constituting the French territory of Indochina. When the soldier tripped the wire, the ball would swing down the tunnel and strike into the face of anyone in the way. 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. Historians, for example, estimate that booby traps caused around 11 percent of US causalities in the Vietnam War. Friendships sometimes happen casually, the former policeman said. [5] Fifteen years before Flaherty's death, he was befriended by Miami Police officer David Yuzuk after Flaherty became homeless. He was later reassigned to the 10th Special Forces Group at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. What did we lose because we were unable to understand him, or to welcome him home? He agreed to cooperate, but said that once we got started, I had to promise to finish the project, Yuzuk said. Richard Flaherty was probably the most unique Green Beret to ever serve in the U.S. Army's Special Forces. Because of this, they often targeted their legs instead. When he graduated high school in 1966, the 4-foot-9-inch man was 3 inches under the Army's height requirement. Trni was severely wounded after he skied into a mine during 1942, but . . SS recruiters for the division accepted boys as young as 14 into the . In one interview, tunnel rat soldier CW Bowman recalled how his fellow colleagues bet money on the fact he would not live through his whole tour as the job was so dangerous. In many ways, Yuzuk became Flahertys friend. When he reached adolescence, Flaherty was small compared to his peers. Copyright 2023 Irish Studio LLC All rights reserved. That way, when a soldier fell into a pit and became trapped, he would call for a colleague who would rush to his aid and collapse into the trap next to it. Despite his size Richard Flaherty had all the heart in the world and it showed when he was platoon leader in Vietnam. Richard Flaherty was just a kid I knew briefly in high school. The NVA troops hit the soldiers with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. How can we help? Of course, the local Vietnamese population designed the tunnels with their own size in mind. By the time the American army arrived, there were over two hundred kilometers. An Army Infantryman (MOS 11B) currently has the shortest amount of time in AIT at four weeks. Like Liked by 1 person According to federal law, the United States' military involvement in the Vietnam War began in February 1961 and lasted until May 1975. Postal Service. They belong to us. 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. Capt. All rights reserved. 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. Published March 04, 2022 06:48:08. Flaherty then moved on to work as an informant in an undercover investigation with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to stop a smuggling ring from stealing explosives and a classified weapon from Fort Bragg. #1 New York Times bestselling author Doug Stanton- "You are holding in your hands an amazing journey into a world of puzzles, intrigue, and mystery. Initially, America used hunting dogs to locate the enemy. 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. March 28, 2022 Local Vietnam veterans showcase . He enlisted that same year, finishing basic training, qualifying for Officer Candidate School, and deploying to Vietnam as a second lieutenant. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. Soon after, Flaherty is killed by a hit-and-run driver. Again, those inside suffocated. Johns Hopkins University. During the war, more than 58,000 servicemen and women lost their lives. The Giant Killer is available on Amazon Prime and iTunes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. 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. Flaherty had an admiration for the Army Special Forces known as the Green Berets. It was only after a determined effort, which included the involvement of his local Congressman, that he managed to acquire a waiver. 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. 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. Flaherty, who had to obtain a waiver to join the Army during the Vietnam War because of his size, was a paratrooper and platoon leader with the 101st and received a Silver Star for leading his platoon on a flanking assault of an enemy bunker. They carried out tunnel rat duties as and when they needed in addition to any other duties they performed. Flaherty's Irish ancestry came from his grandfather Joseph Patrick Flaherty, born in Aran Islands and his grandmother Bridget Smythe, born in Feakle. One tunnel rat claimed that the booby traps and Viet Cong did not frighten them as much as encountering the local ants. However, he was initially turned down because of his size. I have been stewing over it for several months now. Commemoration of the war must account for these servicemen who underwent so much hardship for their nation. By 1990, he was homeless and living on the streets of Aventura, Florida. The complications caused a hormonal imbalance that stunted his growth. After being removed from the CIA, Flaherty helped catch a smuggling ring at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and worked undercover for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as an informant. [7] Flaherty was buried at Forest Memorial Park in Milton. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. Create a password that only you will remember. 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. short-timer's stick. Don't Threaten. During this deployment, he would be promoted to captain, earn two Bronze Stars and would be wounded in combat two times, receiving a Purple Heart for each time. * Born and raised in Brooklyn N.Y., David Yuzuk attended the University of Stony Brook on a football scholarship. Richard was involved in martial arts long before anyone else knew much about them, Yuzuk said. Over eight weeks, soldiers learned about tactical skills, squad and platoon offensive and defensive tactics, and how to use certain weapons. 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