Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
4:39 | David Harrington describes the harrowing experience that flying in & out of Vietnam via chopper was every time. Facing enemy artillery fire and, at times, total darkness called for precision and focus from every member of the platoon.
Keywords : aircraft helicopter chopper airlift darkness focus precision perimeter VC (Viet Cong) artillery Mekong River Claymore mine
David Harrington recounts his upbringing in a military family which led him to enlist and attend basic training at Fort Dix in New Jersey.
David Harrington speaks on his time in Dong Tam and what it felt like to finally be able to enjoy some rest & relaxation under mortar fire.
David Harrington recounts his time as a platoon leader leading a mission to wipe out enemy combatants. After taking control over a small village, David Harrington called for artillery but an error with the maps led to some rounds coming too close for comfort.
David Harrington recounts a particularly harrowing experience fighting Viet Cong while his platoon was under heavy fire from RPGs at their company basecamp Camp Rowe. Harrington recounts one of his injuries and a member of his company that came to their rescue in that moment.
David Harrington talks about his shrapnel injury that led to his airlift and hasty surgery. For his time on the scouting mission that led to his injury, he received the Purple Heart and was amazed by one of the fellow recipients of the medal.
David Harrington remembers being sent home on leave only to return to combat in rural Vietnam. One particular experience left him without an escape route in the mountains, hoping for some friendly assistance.
Photos of MACV advisors and their South Korean counterparts provided by David Harrington. He fought as a MACV adviser to the South Vietnamese regional forces in 1968-69 after being rotated out of the 9th Infantry Division.
These photos of Mobile Riverine Force troops were provided by David Harrington. Mr. Harrington fought with the 47th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division in the Mekong Delta to destroy the Viet Cong presence in the Mekong.
David Harrington provided these photos, taken in mid 1971, of aerial views of the A Shau Valley. Mr. Harrington was an operations officer with the 101st Airborne Division and participated in the division's A Shau Valley operation.
Photos of David Harrington and his unit at Camp Eagle, a major combat base garrisoned by the 101st Airborne Division. Mr. Harrington was stationed at Camp Eagle as a operations officer for the division.
Photos of Dong Ha in 1971 provided by David Harrington. Mr. Harrington was at Dong Ha as an operations officer while determining if the NVA was preparing to launch a large scale offensive. That imminent offensive was the 1972 Easter Offensive.
Photos of Fire Base Tomahawk provided by David Harrington. FB Tomahawk was base near Hue that was garrisoned by the 101st Airborne Division. Mr. Harrington was stationed at FB Tomahawk while an operations officer for the 101st.
These photos of the ill-fated Operation Lam Son 719 were provided by David Harrington who was an operations officer with the 101st Airborne Division, which provided assistance to the ARVN forces invading Laos as part of Lam Son 719.
Photos of Hue in 1971 provided by David Harrington. Mr. Harrington was stationed near Hue at Fire Base Tomahawk while an operations officer for the 101st Airborne Division.
Photos of Quang Tri in 1971 provided by David Harrington. Mr. Harrington was an operations officer with the 101st Airborne Division and was sent to Quang Tri to determine if incoming ordnance was artillery, which would signal that an NVA offensive.
