Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans

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Richard Delle Rose

WWII | C Company, 67th Armored Infantry Battalion, 13th Armored Division

Richard Delle Rose recalls how the actions of a platoon sergeant made the men in the company uneasy. He was advancing across Germany and into Austria when the war ended. The men in his unit became responsible for a camp full of displaced persons and they made good friends among them. (This interview made possible with the support of DOUGLAS & PHYLLIS SEIBERT In Memory of Victor L. Seibert, 8th Air Force, KIA December 29, 1945.) (4:03)
After the war ended in Europe, Richard Delle Rose was scheduled to go the Pacific and returned home for a 30 day leave. During that leave, the atomic bomb was used on Japan and the war was truly over. He still had some time to serve, but trips into Los Angeles made it an easy hitch. (This interview made possible with the support of DOUGLAS & PHYLLIS SEIBERT In Memory of Victor L. Seibert, 8th Air Force, KIA December 29, 1945.) (1:58)
Richard Dorsey

Vietnam | 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Division

He was raised by his mother and sisters, so the Army was quite a change for Rich Dorsey. He had a good drill instructor who tried to help mold his men after breaking them down. (5:47)
Advanced infantry training was tough, but Rich Dorsey had adapted well to Army life so he got through it fine. He was well versed in following orders so, after a brief leave at home, it was no problem for him to be at the right place in the right state to leave for Vietnam. (3:30)
Cam Ranh Bay was quiet. Rich Dorsey arrived there and went up near the DMZ where there was very little enemy activity at the time. He thought that this war might not be so bad. (5:58)
He didn't know what a monsoon was, but once it started, he sure did. Rich Dorsey describes what life in the field was like in constant rain. (1:36)
There was little activity up by the DMZ, so Rich Dorsey's unit was moved further south, near the Cambodian border. This area was hot, as he found out on his first patrol which also turned out to be his first big firefight. Part 1 of 3. (5:54)
They were lost when the point man got shot. Rich Dorsey and the rest of the men in the platoon had never really been in a firefight, but necessity and the lack of a good leader made them focus and respond. They got the machine guns into a position where they could fire back and then he saw it. A grenade coming right towards them. Part 2 of 3. (5:21)
Rich Dorsey's platoon was written off back at battalion. A relief force had been stalled and there wasn't much chance of reaching the pinned down unit. In a helicopter overhead was Captain Barry McCaffrey, who was on his way to take command of another company. Hearing their plight on the radio, he instructed his pilot to land. He was going to get them out of this. Part 3 of 3. (5:49)
Rich Dorsey was wounded three times in Vietnam. The first two were minor injuries from friendly fire but the third involved a brave assault on a bunker. A small group led by Captain Barry McCaffrey were tying to relieve a platoon which was under heavy fire. Part 1 of 2. (8:30)