Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans

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Gene Richardson

Vietnam | Multiple Units

Officer Candidate School was brutal but Gene Richardson had a plan. It was all a game and he was going to win it. They would not break him. He was fresh from basic and AIT but there were a lot of candidates who were NCOs, who were glad to share their knowledge. Part 1 of 2. (10:34)
It was like the Boy Scouts again. At OCS, Gene Richardson had to build a fire and cook a rabbit out in the woods, all without saying a word to his fellow candidates. Everyone in the class pitched in to help an older NCO who was overweight make it through the physical training. Pt 2 of 2. (11:07)
The first command as a newly minted Lieutenant for Gene Richardson was at 2nd Battalion, 41st Armored Regiment. One of the first things he did was call a meeting with all the NCOs in the platoon and ask for their help in becoming a good officer. (6:50)
The IG inspection was coming. Everything had to be inventoried. Every serial number had to be checked. Everything had to be accounted for. Gene Richardson's company was looking pretty good. The worst thing wasn't something missing but something extra. (4:44)
Gene Richardson did not want to go. He'd been told his unit was going to Detroit to possibly help quell the rioting and he wanted no part of shooting another American. It was at that moment that he got his orders for Vietnam. It was the Fall of 1967 and he flew into Tan Son Nhut and began his orientation. (8:48)
Gene Richardson's assignment was down in the Delta. His platoon participated in larger operations as well as running night ambushes on their own. They had good air support and the base was substantial with showers, a mess hall and a laundry. You could get a haircut and a shave in the adjacent town but he this made him nervous the first time. (9:14)
Gene Richardson describes what it was like to set up a night ambush in the Mekong Delta. One of the hardest things was just staying awake after it was all set. (6:46)
Long after the war, Gene Richardson found an article online written by a Chinook pilot who was sent to resupply a unit in trouble. He realized that the unit on the ground in the incident was his platoon. He contacted the author and filled in the missing parts of the story. (7:32)
After Tet, the action didn't let up for quite a while. Gene Richardson was taking part in a major sweep of an area known to have a lot of Viet Cong. As his platoon moved through a rice paddy, they suddenly came under fire from three reinforced bunkers. The company commander and his radio operator were hit almost immediately. Part 1 of 2. (10:18)
The decision was made to withdraw from the area and call in air support. After his company commander was wounded, platoon leader Gene Richardson took over and told the group that they were going to walk back the way they came and then there would be a strike. There was just one problem, the pilot jumped the gun. Part 2 of 2. (10:32)