My stupid Lt. - The Firearms Forum

talley · 05-01-2007, 11:30 PM

I was a jeep driver for a while in 1967 in the 588th Eng. in Tayninh I drove for this Lt. , a real jerk..........One day we had to make a late run to a small unit about 15 miles away......He got two other troops to ride along because he wanted them to sit in the back and watch for trouble. he would always do dumb stupid stuff like aim his weapon at kids as we would drive by or try to scare the coke girls. Well lets see we were driving along the road and it's getting late so he says give me your m79........he had a bad habit of always after loading his gun he would put the safetyon and pull the trigger.....???
Like I said he was stupid. So he puts a round in the m79 and switches the safety on ...........he thinks.........on an m79 when you put the round in and close it ,it goes the safety automaticly.........well he pulls the trigger and bang off goes the m79 thank god it was pointing almost straight up.......he looks at me and says go..............I floor it and we watch the round go up, and as we go it seems to be following us down the road.........when it comes down it went off about two hundred yards away in what looks like a small village, or farm ? He turns around and looks at all of us in the jeep and says don't ever tell anyone about this......Well today I tiold someone. What a stupid lt.

berto64 · 05-02-2007, 01:23 AM

What a MORON!

I had some not so sharp officers but none as bad as that guy.

That was one of the bad things about pulling 3 tours with the same platoon. I saw pltn ldrs come & go and the green ones were flat out dangerous at times.

The smart ones listened to the NCO's on how things were normally done. We liked those guys.

The others? Well some of'em couldn't pour pee out of a boot with the instructions on the heel.

Pistolenschutze · 05-02-2007, 07:59 AM

That lieutenant was an idiot studying to be a mornon . . . and failing the exam, Talley! Unfortunately, there were far too many of those in VN, especially toward the end of the conflict.

You're right, Berto, the ones who listened to their noncoms usually did OK, or at least managed to keep from stepping on their own kranks, after a few weeks in-contry.

AL MOUNT · 05-02-2007, 09:51 AM

Welcome home Barry.....

I carried a "thumper" for a while and hated it.

We had nothing but HE, no shotgun or flechette rounds.....

was glad to get my ole jammin Mattel back....

I'll bet Lt. Calley told his troops the same thing....

Translating fer you non-military types......

"HE" is an acronymn for High Explosives......

Flechette is French for dart .....

.....get it......

Bruce FLinch · 05-02-2007, 07:54 PM

I think you should go to Military.com. Find your old unit & leave this message under Memories & name Lt. Dipstick. I bet he did other dumb things that got people hurt or killed.

riverrat66 · 07-04-2007, 05:20 PM

Hi Boys,

I've been around for awhile but this is my first post. You're right when you say a good platoon sergeant can and should “suggest” the right way of doing things to those dumb ass lieutenants and that can usually result in saving many lives. I’ve seen it happen many times during my two tours (65-67) but I’ve also seen it not work and many young men die needlessly. That’s when the practice of “fragging” started but I was long gone by then.

You talk about stupid lieutenants. We took a squad of grunts upriver to a designated drop off point as they were going to “take a walk” to pick up a VC prisoner. I was given permission to go along and did so without any hesitation. About halfway there we came upon a road and the lieutenant told his point man to walk up the middle of the road. Not the side of the road but right up the middle. The platoon sergeant pleaded with the lieutenant but he refused to listen. The solider refused and said he would walk along the side but not up the middle of the road. It got pretty ugly but finally someone walked up the middle of that damn road without incident but someone could have been killed. Last I heard that GI had been arrested and was being court-martialed all because that dumb ass lieutenant insisted he walk up the middle of that road! I wonder how many died because of stupid decisions made by incompetent officers.

riverrat66

05-01-2007, 11:30 PM	#1
talley Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Illinois Posts: 44	My stupid Lt. I was a jeep driver for a while in 1967 in the 588th Eng. in Tayninh I drove for this Lt. , a real jerk..........One day we had to make a late run to a small unit about 15 miles away......He got two other troops to ride along because he wanted them to sit in the back and watch for trouble. he would always do dumb stupid stuff like aim his weapon at kids as we would drive by or try to scare the coke girls. Well lets see we were driving along the road and it's getting late so he says give me your m79........he had a bad habit of always after loading his gun he would put the safetyon and pull the trigger.....??? Like I said he was stupid. So he puts a round in the m79 and switches the safety on ...........he thinks.........on an m79 when you put the round in and close it ,it goes the safety automaticly.........well he pulls the trigger and bang off goes the m79 thank god it was pointing almost straight up.......he looks at me and says go..............I floor it and we watch the round go up, and as we go it seems to be following us down the road.........when it comes down it went off about two hundred yards away in what looks like a small village, or farm ? He turns around and looks at all of us in the jeep and says don't ever tell anyone about this......Well today I tiold someone. What a stupid lt. __________________ welcome home brothers and sisters Lets have a parade........ Barry --> Last edited by talley; 05-01-2007 at 11:33 PM..

05-02-2007, 01:23 AM	#2
berto64 VMBB Admin Staff Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Owyhee County, Idaho Contributor Posts: 7,394	Re: My stupid Lt. What a MORON! I had some not so sharp officers but none as bad as that guy. That was one of the bad things about pulling 3 tours with the same platoon. I saw pltn ldrs come & go and the green ones were flat out dangerous at times. The smart ones listened to the NCO's on how things were normally done. We liked those guys. The others? Well some of'em couldn't pour pee out of a boot with the instructions on the heel. __________________ Be who you are & say what you will, Those that matter won't mind and those that mind don't matter. I'm a bitter clinger, One Nation Under God.

05-02-2007, 07:59 AM	#3
Pistolenschutze Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 13,094	Re: My stupid Lt. That lieutenant was an idiot studying to be a mornon . . . and failing the exam, Talley! Unfortunately, there were far too many of those in VN, especially toward the end of the conflict. You're right, Berto, the ones who listened to their noncoms usually did OK, or at least managed to keep from stepping on their own kranks, after a few weeks in-contry. __________________ --Pistolenschutze (Pistol Shooter)

05-02-2007, 09:51 AM	#4
AL MOUNT Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Cleaning my Thompson in The Foothills of the Ozark Mountains Posts: 3,130	Re: My stupid Lt. Welcome home Barry..... I carried a "thumper" for a while and hated it. We had nothing but HE, no shotgun or flechette rounds..... was glad to get my ole jammin Mattel back.... I'll bet Lt. Calley told his troops the same thing.... Translating fer you non-military types...... "HE" is an acronymn for High Explosives...... Flechette is French for *dart* ..... .....get it...... __________________ 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment 101st Airborne Division Vietnam 67-68

05-02-2007, 07:54 PM	#5
Bruce FLinch Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bay Point, Kali..aka Gun Point Posts: 5,016	Re: My stupid Lt. I think you should go to Military.com. Find your old unit & leave this message under Memories & name Lt. Dipstick. I bet he did other dumb things that got people hurt or killed. __________________ A bad day @ the Range, is better than a good day @ work.

07-04-2007, 05:20 PM	#6
riverrat66 Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Western New York Posts: 2	Re: My stupid Lt. Hi Boys, I've been around for awhile but this is my first post. You're right when you say a good platoon sergeant can and should “suggest” the right way of doing things to those dumb ass lieutenants and that can usually result in saving many lives. I’ve seen it happen many times during my two tours (65-67) but I’ve also seen it not work and many young men die needlessly. That’s when the practice of “fragging” started but I was long gone by then. You talk about stupid lieutenants. We took a squad of grunts upriver to a designated drop off point as they were going to “take a walk” to pick up a VC prisoner. I was given permission to go along and did so without any hesitation. About halfway there we came upon a road and the lieutenant told his point man to walk up the middle of the road. Not the side of the road but right up the middle. The platoon sergeant pleaded with the lieutenant but he refused to listen. The solider refused and said he would walk along the side but not up the middle of the road. It got pretty ugly but finally someone walked up the middle of that damn road without incident but someone could have been killed. Last I heard that GI had been arrested and was being court-martialed all because that dumb ass lieutenant insisted he walk up the middle of that road! I wonder how many died because of stupid decisions made by incompetent officers. riverrat66