During that 13-month tour to Vietnam, Flaherty received the Silver Star and two Bronze Stars for valor, respectively, the third and second-highest award for bravery under fire, and was wounded three times. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group and assigned to the 46th Special Forces Company in Thailand. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Reports state the soldier in question had no time to scream or to unsheathe his knife, the snake had already knotted tighter around his neck and badly bit his face. Every group would do things differently. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy. He becomes a mystery to family and friends alike. Flaherty and his men did not escape that violence. Funds are paid by Greater Good Charities to benefiting organizations as a grant. He was awarded a Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts during his service. 22 Feb 2018. During the course of two tours in Vietnam, because of his size, Flaherty often did tunnel rat searches. Richard Flaherty returned from war and studied at the University of Miami in Florida. Soon after, Flaherty is killed by a hit-and-run driver. We owe them the dignity that they deserve. Using this tactic, they added yellow dye to the water to enable aerial observers to spot any entrances that ground troops had missed. Tragically, he was killed in a hit and run during the early hours of May 9, 2015. According to studies conducted during the war, after one year of service, the hearing and smell of a typical tunnel rat became sixty percent better than that of an average man. This would-be Captain America was just 49, three inches too short for Army service. A small donation goes a long way. By the time RichardFlaherty graduated from high school in 1966, the US was already heavily involved in Vietnam. Photo credit: Peter Alan Lloyd Website. However, he was eventually arrested for possession of gun silencers and removed from the agency. He wasnt flat-footed, he had no debilitating conditions, and he was an otherwise perfectly healthy young man. Share with Us. This was devastating news to Yuzuk. What they failed to realize is that many of the tunnels had several layers and doors built into them to help prevent such fatalities. The Viet Cong were simply experts at utilizing their surroundings to their advantage. The Vietnam War is also known as the Second Indochina War. One soldier would crawl about five meters behind the other to minimize the chance of death or injury if their leader activated a trap or a mine. If you are squeamish or hate thinking about claustrophobic conditions, take this as a warning: gruesome facts lie ahead! In his new life as a civilian, Flaherty studied at the University of Miami in Florida, but entered a period of despondency after a girlfriend died in a car wreck in 1975. Flaherty then moved on to work as an informant in an undercover investigation with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to stop a smuggling ring from stealing explosives and a classified weapon from Fort Bragg. In a 1977 interview with the Associated Press, a Vietcong survivor recalled how the Americans wasted so much time pulling their dead back that it gave them time to re-group and prepare accordingly. The oldest man killed was 62 years old. [3], He was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division during his first tour to Vietnam in 1968 during the Vietnam War. Saddest to me is that Flaherty was a man who had done much and who could have offered so much more, but he got lost in ways well never understand. With the draft in full swing, many American males of a certain age did what they could to avoid being drafted or otherwise qualifying for military service. If it did not force the enemy out, those inside the tunnels often suffocated to death instead. In the late 1970s, he was sent to supply the Contras in Central America with weapons and cash. You can view the full DCAS record for an individual named in the list via the Access to Archival Databases resource, or AAD. Yuzuk learns that this unassuming 69-year-old man was a decorated military veteran. This also allowed soldiers to help find and collect any wounded or dead comrades. Photo credit: Funker530. Photo credit: Pinterest. Overcast. Vietnam-era Radiomen life expectancy was 5 seconds. Start Reading. He also fell below the Army's weight requirement of 100 pounds. As a Vietnam veteran he is my brother. soldier has to be fit both physically and mentally to endure the hardship in an adverse environment such as a battle field. He first deployed to Southeast Asia in 1968 as a member of the 101st Airborne Division. I didnt believe him at first, Yuzuk recalled. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. If you include the near-nine years of fighting that took place during the First Indochina War, add that tally to the 20-year war in Vietnam, you understand why the conflict is sometimes referred to as the Ten Thousand Day War, that number more or less equating to 30 years. This offensive is commonly seen by historians as a turning point for American involvement in the Vietnam war. He agreed to cooperate, but said that once we got started, I had to promise to finish the project, Yuzuk said. Reach Rick Steelhammer at rsteelhammer@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5169 or follow. Watch on. Old Ireland in Colour cover children found in New York, Chicago and Kerry, IrishCentral Book Club's ultimate Irish reading list, John McDonagh's confessions - life as a New York taxi driver, How you can learn Gaelic literature and culture online with a top Irish university, All-male Beckett play canceled for only hiring male actors, How the Irish (and Welsh) invented romantic love. Another particularly horrific tactic became known as the spike ball or the mace. Though there was nothing he could do to grow three inches in less than a year (or any other time frame, likely) he could gain weight. Richard Flaherty, was certainly a standout. Some 385,000 American troops were sent to Vietnam in 1966, the year Richard Flaherty graduated from high school. He was struck and killed in a hit and run in 2015. Richard Flaherty, who was raised in Connecticut, had to obtain a waiver to join the Army during the Vietnam War. The United States conducted two major campaigns to search and destroy the tunnel system: Operation Crimp (1966) and Operation Cedar Falls (1967). He also discovered that, while homeless, Flaherty was secretly traveling to places like Jordan, Iraq, Thailand, Vietnam and Venezuela. April 12, 2021. For this action he was awarded the Silver Star in 1968. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. U.S. Air Force pararescuemen and a simulated 'survivor' watch as an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter comes in for a landing. However, Bowman said that he was never that scared of the tunnels; he was so young he believed he was invincible. Get your SPECIAL OFFER for MagellanTV here: https://try.magellantv.com/simplehistory. Afghan war. Start Reading. The objective is to promote history on Medium and demonstrate the value of historical writing. But due to the Vietnam draft they would have likely taken him anyway if that was his only disqualifier from serving. The War also claimed the lives of approximately 200,000 allied soldiers in Vietnam, nearly one million North Vietnamese/ Communist allied deaths, and an incomprehensible number of civilians. He was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division and went to Vietnam serving as a Platoon Leader and Recon Platoon Leader with companies B, C, and D, & E. He and his platoon were engaged in some of the heaviest fighting on the outskirts of Hue during the Tet Offensive. You can check it out here. After graduating from the Special Forces Qualification Course, Flaherty was assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) as a detachment commander and sent to southeast Asia with the 46th Special Forces Company. He would see Flaherty and talk with him every day; they would even eat lunch together. What did we lose because we were unable to understand him, or to welcome him home? As a result, many tunnel rats often avoided using hearing protection while underground. High 64F. The Lone . We offer our condolences to his family and to his friends. (Petty Officer 2nd Class . If the army located an entrance and needed it explored, the team lowered a tunnel rat into the area to scout out the surroundings. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Grenade traps were another form of booby trap placed along the base of tunnels. In the war's moral outrages, crimes and betrayals, many saw the US empire for the first time. The World War Two story of David and Goliath - an Allied 5ft 3in soldier who captured Germany's tallest soldier at 7ft 6in has been uncovered. He returned to Vietnam in 1969 and stayed there until 1971 when he left the Army. He eraned the Silver Star, 2 Bronze Stars, and 2 Purple Hearts -smallestsoldier.com . Soldiers learned to carefully probe the sides, roof, and floor of the tunnels attentively listening and trying to smell the enemy or look for trap doors. The War also claimed the lives of approximately 200,000 allied soldiers in Vietnam, nearly one million North Vietnamese/ Communist allied deaths . Richards future, therefore, was sealed before he took his first breath. She also worked as a teaching assistant in the History Department. Tiger traps were also particularly violent. Thus, when Richard was born, he was different. These guerrillas were fighting the colonial power of France. Be Nice. For his leadership and heroism, he was awarded the Silver Star. The complications caused a hormonal imbalance that stunted his growth. If possible they also used gas to disorient, scare, and suffocate tunnel rat soldiers. The life expectancy of a radio operator in the Vietnam War ranged between five to six seconds all the way up to a slightly-more-optimistic thirty seconds, depending on your source. In fact, volunteers boasted of their ability to change flashlights in pitch black without realizing the damaging consequences of this. We'd love to hear eyewitness Richard was my friend and I promised him I would finish the project, Yuzuk said. In 1967, Flaherty attended Army Officer Candidate School (OCS) and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the infantry and assigned to the 101st Airborne Division. Flaherty was the shortest of these elite soldiers, standing at only four feet, nine inches tall. From this point, they were to seek out enemy soldiers or potential hiding spaces where they may have once been. He served as an SFODA Commander in companies A and B. It is our duty to remember him for his noble service to the nation. Millions of Americans and tens of thousands of veterans and soldiers opposed the war in Vietnam. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Flaherty would be considered a dwarf in medical terms, meaning that his height was less than 4 10.. During the Second World War, the Vietnamese first constructed underground tunnels to fight Japanese invasion. Wounded Marine Gunnery Sgt. The stakes would then spear any soldier that fell into the pit. See what its like to jump out of a C-17 with the Armys 82nd Airborne, How to make it through Special Forces selection, How one unusual vehicle helped create Americas Special Forces, Special Forces officer slated to lead NATO special operations, This new Special Forces video mixes history and heroism in the best ways, 8 Green Berets on what it means to be Army Special Forces, ST Idaho: The Special Forces team that vanished in the jungle, Putin has a Problem: Russia can barely build any tanks to fight in Ukraine, Controlling killer swarms of swarms: Inside DARPAs AMASS, The Marine Corps is closing down its Scout Sniper platoons, Get Out: Making The Most of a Duty Station. Former police officer David Yuzuk has written a superb book on Flaherty and his amazing life. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. I wonder that he could get into the army in the first place? The Viet Cong built drain pipe ventilation shafts every 20 to 30 meters at an oblique angle to prevent flooding. After a while, whenever Id see him, Id give him a little head nod and hed do the same. No offense intended, but most armies have minimal-height, like here in my country you can't go to the army or police when being less than 1.55m as a man (don't know if this is still accurate, but it was in the past. Later he's assigned to command Recon's Echo Platoon. Flaherty took Yuzuk to a storage locker he rented to pull out photos and documents that might be useful in the documentary, and they returned several times in the following weeks until May 9, 2015 the date Flaherty was struck and killed by a hit and run driver near his palm-shaded campsite. Initially, America used hunting dogs to locate the enemy. Not only was he the shortest Green Beret to serve in Vietnam, he was also the shortest US serviceman in history. During his first tour in Vietnam, Flaherty is placed in command of the Airborne's Delta Platoon. However, they were not popular among tunnel rats as the light was unnecessary, and the silencers were too long and did not function well. That way, when a soldier fell into a pit and became trapped, he would call for a colleague who would rush to his aid and collapse into the trap next to it. Myanmar 159.52cm (5 feet 2.80 inches) The Temples of Bagan in Mandalay, Myanmar. After this, he refused to ever go into a tunnel again. When the Vietnam War heated up, Flaherty volunteered for the Army. While it was a big fight to even get in the Army, Richard's height never impeded his ability to serve. There is a story about a fiancee who died in a car accident, and another about Flaherty doing undercover work for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). While many draft-age males of that era sought ways to avoid being among the 385,000 troops sent to the beleaguered Southeast Asian nation that year, Flaherty was working the angles to find a way in. BCT included lessons on hand-to-hand combat, chemical-warfare defense, map reading, first aid, bayonet fighting, guard duty, and the use of hand grenades. As a result of their lunchtime talks, Yuzuk had decided to make a documentary about Flaherty. After his tour in Vietnam, he returned to the U.S. and attended the Special Forces Officer Course at Fort Bragg. You see, he did not meet the minimum height and weight requirements. Please support The Veterans Site by adding us to your ad blockers whitelist ads help us to provide food and supplies to veterans. The healthy soldier/worker effect gradually subdued over time. Or were his missions something much darker? There is, in fact, a waiver for everything. Flaherty led his platoon in a flanking assault on the enemy position, during which an NVA bunker was spotted. Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas) represents Texas' 3rd congressional . His only problem was that he stood four feet, nine inches tall. TIMES STAFF WRITER. It included an article about Flahertys tragic death in Aventura, Florida. Capt. He knew he wanted to enlist, but was faced with a problem: he was too short. Published March 04, 2022 06:48:08. I Spent Seven Years as a Vietnam POW. One of the prerequisites for and provisions of the accords was the return of all U.S. prisoners of war (POWs). In fact, on one occasion he was able to save several of his men who had been trapped by heavy enemy fire. Palm trees swayed gently in the humid air while he waited for his friend . 11 talking about this. At 4 9 and 97 pounds, Richard J. Flaherty was the smallest and most unconventional man to serve in the U.S. military and needed a congressional waiver just to join the Army. Your Herd from Herald-Dispatch Reach Manager. Owned and operated by CharityUSA.com, LLC. He came home from Vietnam after his second tour and moved to Hallandale, Florida, where he worked for a time with the U.S. As a result, sending a soldier underground, known as a tunnel rat, was often a final measure if all other methods had failed. At the time, Yuzuk was a police officer and Flaherty was a member of Aventuras homeless community, camping under a palm tree off one of the citys main boulevards. Flaherty began to open up and talk to Yuzuk about his life only a few weeks before his tragic and lonely death as a hit-and-run victim last May. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died in the war. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. He also weighed less than 100 pounds, further disqualifying him from serving in the Army. I have been stewing over it for several months now. Lots of tunnel rats used the standard-issue colt. We can imagine that it may have had something to do with his Vietnam combat experiences. After completing basic training, Richard Flaherty qualified for Infantry Officer Candidate School, earning the rank of second lieutenant. We here at the Veterans Site offer our sincerest thanks to Richard Flaherty for his service to the nation. BTS will be on hiatus until all seven members complete their mandatory military service in South Korea. Don't Threaten. Owing to the need for a flashlight, it was essential that soldiers could aim and fire their weapon with one hand. [But] They were the ones you never killed. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Lieutenant Flaherty then personally directed and assisted the 90 Millimeter recoilless rifle team in an assault of the enemy bunker, braving up the intense hail of hostile fire. He left the Army in 1971 at the rank of captain due to a reduction in force. Upon enlisting, Richard became the shortest soldier in US military history. Tho claims the Viet Cong prepared both the necessary troops and assembled the supplies needed in these tunnels to conduct the Tet Offensive of 1968. Read on to learn about the crazy booby traps soldiers faced, the creepy crawlies they encountered, and the damaging psychological consequences of such close combat. To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. A large proportion of the U.S. troops consisted of African American men from the inner cities, the sons of immigrants . This article was originally published 1/7/2021. Richard Flaherty was just a kid I knew briefly in high school. One of his men got stung and came out screaming, refusing to ever go into a tunnel again. He was 69 . You had to be a minimum of 5 feet tall and weigh at least 100 lb. A retired Miami cop spends three years trying to unearth the truth about a homeless gentleman he'd befriended. Indirect Fire Infantrymen (MOS 11C), Combat Engineers (MOS 12B), and Bridge Crewmembers (MOS 12C) also have short . The idea, of course, was to scare the men so much that they did not continue to search the rest of the tunnel. Richard J. Flaherty may never be known. I didnt know.. Its not slick but it is fascinating. Meanwhile, Flahertys burial spot, just behind Lisa Davis Annesss grave, remains unmarked as another Veterans Day approaches. He had crossed the DMZ back into South Vietnam where he was shot as he was recaptured. Active military action was carried out for almost 20 years, from 1 November 1955 to 30 April 1975.The Vietnam War is also referred to as the Second Indochina War, due to the involvement of all three countries previously constituting the French territory of Indochina. He was a Platoon Leader and Recon Platoon Leader with companies B, C, D, & E. Flaherty participated in some fierce combat outside of Hue City during the Tet Offensive which earned him a Silver Star, 2 Bronze Stars and 2 Purple Hearts.[4]. Be Truthful. That did not deter Flaherty. Maybe the best way to do that is to find better ways to deal with the problem of veteran homelessness in our own cities and towns. The enemy would litter a concrete ball with barbed spikes. This restoration was pivotal as it enabled some of the key successes enjoyed by the Viet Cong. Because of this, they often targeted their legs instead. Hed traveled a lot, read a lot and was interesting to talk with.. Most helpful for tunnel rats, however, was the brief amount of training time spent detecting, removing, and laying booby traps. Click #isupportlocal for more information on supporting our local journalists. After shooting a maximum of three bullets, soldiers would typically reload to avoid letting the enemy know when they were out of ammo. Overall, the Vietnamese were very quick to restore damages and continue as if nothing happened. John Zander in Chu Lai, Vietnam in 1965. A particular Special Forces member, Capt. Finally, some of the unique training centers would provide tunnel system replicas. . Threats of harming another Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Since completing her degrees, she has decided to take a step back from academia to focus her career on writing and sharing history in a more accessible way. Huge bees, gigantic rats, centipedes, spiders, snakes, bats, and fire ants (to name a few) plagued these tunnels. Bob Roberts, who was photographed when Jakob Nacken was captured, has been awarded France's highest military honour, the Legion d'Honneur, by the French . This is similar to the selection effect of underwriting requirement provision in the insurance industries. Whitesides was killed, and Thompson was taken prisoner; he would ultimately spend just short . 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