By March 1968, the United States was already three years into the Vietnam War. George Lang was drafted into the Army and headed to boot camp.
Headed To Vietnam
After he graduated, Lang was sent to advanced infantry training. From there, Lang went to Vietnam.
About a year later, he was getting ready to head out on leave when they were alerted to the enemy moving in on their position. Lang did not even hesitate to put off his leave and geared up for the mission.
He and his fellow soldiers got into their boats and headed down the river. They went down the water canals to Kien Hoa Province, landing onshore.
Finding the Enemy
They walked in about 50- meters before hitting a set of bunkers connected via communication wires. Lang took point and saw five armed guards, who he quickly fired upon.
The enemy was not the only one who was attacking the squad. Red ants also went after the men. They tore off toward a pond to rinse off the ants while still taking on enemy fire.
Once they were free of their tiny attackers, the men went back to find the VC troops. But, just as they found the bodies of those they were fighting with before the ant incident, they came under additional fire from a bunker.
Devastating Blow
Several Americans died as bullets reigned down, but Lang ran toward the bunkers, rifle, and grenades in hand. He took out three weapon-filled bunkers.
As Lang headed back toward his squad, a rocket went off, launching shrapnel into his back, harming his spinal cord. Lang could no longer move his legs and was in an immense amount of pain.
However, Lang stayed in charge of his men and coordinated their movements and medical evacuations for hours. Eventually, Lang was transported to safety and treated. Richard Nixon awarded George Lang with the Medal of Honor on March 2, 1971.
Can any of us, 50 years or older understand just why so many of our men are pansies; worried about the hair on their legs, how big their muscles are, how much money they have, etc...reading a story like this one...well, to put it bluntly...where are the men of today that could or would fill this soldier's shoes? Bet there are not many...I know several, my age, that could but that is where it ends.
Probably because they are consumed with tryin to figure out what gender they are! Sad times.
hi
Back then he was the typical American (I'm a Vietnam Class of 68 guy who got drafted myself)
Today, after the commie school teachers get done indoctrinating the kids cowardice has become an art form. Fake diversity and safety at all costs is everything.now. Back in ''68 Individual responsibility and patriotism were the in thing.
i was in boot camp in 68, viet nam 69-72, fractured 5th lumbar vertebrae in chopter crash in my second tour. although i'm now 71 i would still fight to defend this country from these effin liberal commie mfers. i carry everywhere i go and when the civil war that is coming i will be in it. i stay locked and loaded
I'm a Vietnam Era USAF Captain, rocket engineer, and veteran in my 80th year and would still fight to defend our country against the "enemies within."
Freedom isn't Free. Someone paid a high price for Our/Your Freedom.
Bullets don't "reign" down, they "rain" down. Two totally different words. To reign means to rule, to rain means to fall down like rain does.
Sadly, people don't care about proper English which doesn't help our children learn English nor those learning English as a second, third or fourth language
My daughter taught me that many people are speaking into their phones and that is the way the words come out sometimes (misspelled). She demonstrated for me and it was true so I won't criticize anyone for spelling on their comments.
This man was a hell of a soldier. William Travers not so much. Try sticking to the subject William. This is not English Comp. Class.
Ignorance is bliss.
Right there is a big part of the problem. These young pukes need to get their mind out of the four walls & nothing but books schools. And try going to the REAL school. LIFE, where every breath could be your last. Look Mr. Travers. A bullet or a jungle or a desert, doesn't give a rat's ass if you speak with perfect grammar, or look perfect, or ARE POLITICIALY CORRECT.
I wonder how PERFECT your grammar would be, if a bullet came so close to your head that you FELT it go by. How politicialy correct would you be while cleaning up the load you just dumped in you're designer shorts ?
I hope I'm wrong, but I think LIFE, is ->fixin<- (oops bad grammar) to knock on a whole lot of people's door, whether they like it or not. So if you want to climb your panzy-ass behind me for protection. Come on. But I better not hear a F##king peep outa you.
HOO-RAH
I too am 68 now I was in the last to be drafted. I don't like sleeping in the dirt so I went into Naval Aviation . I also believe we need to be going in to the school's and telling our story's .He'll I don't like WAR but I have Love of Country . If We as Veteran of War don't let the kids of today know our Service .we are going to keep having these lily liver left-wing #@&*@ producing more and more I have a Son who is Proudly Serving in the US Navy he asks the same Question . Once More it up to Us. John
It would be nice to be allowed to tell our stories in a school classroom, it wold probably give a couple of those commie instructors a heart attack, so I doubt it would be allowed.
Today a Spec4 would not be allowed to lead a Combat team. My son was a spec4 in the 82nd and was told he had to be a "Hard stripe" Cpl. in order to lead. I was an E-5 in the US Navy from 68-75 and know that actions like this were a hardly news as they happened so often. Many who did wonderful things did not receive squat for valor. I was even told I was not going to get my Purple Heart because we were not (there)! Classified you know. did not matter that I suffered a scalp wound across the top on my noggin, I must have slipped while shaving or something like that. LOL Anyway, congrats on an Honor well deserved Spec4 Lang. At 71 I would love to go to Afghanistan and teach those Taliban that Cowardly President, we American Military are NOT to be messed with. Still being disabled that just isn't gonna happen. Our OATH DOES NOT EXPIRE!
Three are still hundreds and possibly thousands of American's still in Afghanistan left behind by Joey B. My questions are why did the Senior Officers & NCOs not go out & post soldiers at checkpoints to facilitate our American citizens entry into the airport? Why did we get rid of Bagram? Why didn't Joey B. know you don't pull out until the end of fighting season? Why didn't we keep a sizeable force at Bagram with Airpower for the strategic & tactical advantage that would give us, by being close to China & Iran? I believe Joey B. has provided aid & comfort to out enemies by leaving Billions of dollars of U.S.A equipment. Its a wonder we didn't give them training & maintenance packages for our equipment, but I am sure that is coming soon!!!
Thanks George, we honor you, I didn’t get there until 72’ but because of Soldiers like you, I had it much better. I respect your sacrifice highly. 3rd MARDIV. 3/9. We trained with Green Beret b4 we got to nam’. Keep your head, a few slaw dogs once in awhile won’t hurt either. Those sea rats were 1956 specials Lol.
I also am a Vietnam vet i was with the artillery unit in Vietnam I'm 100% disable but ready to fight for my Country. I'm lock and loaded and ready to go. 70 yrs. old.
I honor you for your bravely.
Must be told docustory for Nam era.
Has there ever been a movie on how Vietnam war began or ended? unlike WWII where there are hundreds of movies. Ho chi Minh had been a student in NY and Boston, washed dishes and other odd jobs, returned to Vietnam and rose the ladder of politics. He cabled Truman to help him get the French out of VN after hundreds of years. They left in 1953, the year we should have left instead our "advisors" went from 300 to 7,000 and up to 540,000 when I Ieft. LBJ bombed the heck out of North Vietnam based on false cables. The ships in the Gulf of Tonkin were not being torpedoed, no debris of bodies or ships. The last cable stated the sounds came from a faulty sonar. I never finished the 1987 Pultizer Prize book A Bright Shining Lie by Neil Sheehan or Secrets by Daniel Ellsburg a Marine who later went to the cable room at the Pentagon, they made me angry for the deaths of brave Americans and over 2 million Vietnamese.. Today we have Americans living in Vietnam, investing in Vietnam etc. .....If we don't demand truth we get another fiasco like Afghanistan
George Lang a brave and honorable man thank you for telling me his story.