Click Today's Obituaries to view all of the listings. American soldiers were often prepared for traps that may be on the ground, but they had not prepared for those coming from above. Primary Source. Finding out about him and what he had done since graduating from high school has put me through a roller coaster of emotions. He actually had a pretty sad ending. Owned and operated by CharityUSA.com, LLC. too light. He was the smallest man on campus. At the end of him career he had such bad PTSD that he pretty much couldn't function in a normal way and spent for the most part the remainder of his life homeless. In the battle of Quang Tri, during the Tet Offensive in 1968 . The objective is to promote history on Medium and demonstrate the value of historical writing. The Vietnam War is also known as the Second Indochina War. What they failed to realize is that many of the tunnels had several layers and doors built into them to help prevent such fatalities. Palm trees swayed gently in the humid air while he waited for his friend . He appealed to his Connecticut Senator, Christopher Dodd, and was able to get a special waiver into the Army. Capt. But due to the Vietnam draft they would have likely taken him anyway if that was his only disqualifier from serving. When an American soldier tripped the wire, the grenade would detonate inside the tunnel. Just sitting and waiting. Richard J. Flaherty with two classmates at Officer Candidate School in 1967 (Photo: David Yuzuk / Laptrinhx.com ). The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. MILTON The shortest soldier to serve in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, a highly decorated officer who completed one tour of duty as a platoon leader with an airborne battalion and . person will not be tolerated. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Capt. That did not deter Flaherty. He ended up leading a reconnaissance platoon, showing great . Captain Flaherty's Irish lineage is traced back to his grandfather Joseph Patrick Flaherty who was born in the Aran islands and his grandmother Bridget Smythe was born in the village of Feakle next to the Sliabh Aughty Mountains. I just tell them Im 35 pounds of muscle, 14 pounds of dynamite and one pound of uranium-238, and it gets a lot of laughs.. 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. * Born and raised in Brooklyn N.Y., David Yuzuk attended the University of Stony Brook on a football scholarship. Short in size he might have been, but short in courage he wasnt. Giant Killer: The incredible mysterious life of the shortest US soldier A dwarf, a Vietnam hero, a CIA operative, and a homeless man the almost unbelievable life of Richard James Flaherty. By 1990, the US Army veterans was homeless and living in Aventura, Florida. When the Vietnam War heated up, Flaherty volunteered for the Army. Americans often carpet bombed areas under suspicion to try flushing out the enemy. An average Liberian woman is 155.66cm (5 feet 1.28 inches) tall. Yuzuk also found papers showing that Flaherty had paid a deposit for a burial plot in Miltons Forest Memorial Park, with a request to be buried near Lisa Davis Anness, whom the Vietnam vet described as the love of his life. After all, it was a very stressful and dangerous job. Join IrishCentrals Book Club on Facebook and enjoy our book-loving community. Even at those odds, you will lose and I will win. A particular Special Forces member, Capt. Yet, both of these tactics were not as successful as they hoped. You just backed out and told them up above the tunnel was cold.. 75,000 Vietnam veterans are severely disabled. Flaherty led his platoon in a flanking assault on the enemy position, during which an NVA bunker was spotted. She also worked as a teaching assistant in the History Department. Indirect Fire Infantrymen (MOS 11C), Combat Engineers (MOS 12B), and Bridge Crewmembers (MOS 12C) also have short . But then everything we know about him gets lost in a blur of fragmentary vignettes. [1], Flaherty was born on 28 November 1945 in Stamford, Connecticut. In riveting rifle, rucksack style author, David Yuzuk takes you deep into the jungles of Vietnam to walk in the combat boots of America's smallest soldier, Richard Flaherty. One of his men got stung and came out screaming, refusing to ever go into a tunnel again. Vietnam-era Radiomen life expectancy was 5 seconds. However, as the Viet Cong soldier highlighted, by throwing grenades into the void ahead, or shooting pistols, the noise was deafening and alerted them to their presence. To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. He stood three inches below the height cutoff for enlistment and was barely 100 pounds. During these ongoing operations, he gained a reputation for intelligence, and the CIA in the late 1970s recruited him to supply the Contras in Central America with weapons and cash. Richard Flaherty, was certainly a standout. 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. Consequently, given the average smaller size of Vietnamese men, tunnel rat soldiers, by necessity, were the shortest, skinniest, and most limber men in the army: a maximum height of 1.58 meters. The Viet Cong were simply experts at utilizing their surroundings to their advantage. Still, his skills, tenacity, and leadership can tear down an entire enemys. In 1970, Flaherty was reassigned to the 10th Special Forces Group, where he commanded another ODA and then an Operational Detachment Bravo (ODB), a headquarters element. 11,465 of those killed were younger than 20 years old. Tools of the trade metal tin sign. If the army located an entrance and needed it explored, the team lowered a tunnel rat into the area to scout out the surroundings. Communications, public relations, and marketing professional, and content creator during free time. He was later reassigned to the 10th Special Forces Group at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. He worked for a while as a confidential informant for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in the 80s but he was homeless in Aventura, just north of Miami, by 1990. On the other hand, combat troops had nearly an even chance of getting wounded, roughly 50%. Shortest U.S. Soldiers who are not fluent in another language will attend six to 18 months at the Defense Language Institute (DLI) prior to AIT. The complications caused a hormonal imbalance that stunted his growth. It was the result of his mothers rare blood type that left him vulnerable to oxygen deprivation as an infant. 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. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. A former TV Reporter. During the same tour of duty, Flaherty was also awarded two Bronze Stars for valor and two Purple Hearts. Or were his missions something much darker? His ODA was tasked with training the Royal Thai Army in counterinsurgency operations and prepare them for a deployment to Vietnam. Upon enlisting, Richard became the shortest soldier in US military history. You see, Richard Flaherty was only 410. Due to the blood type, his growth was stunted which resulted in him being diagnosed with dwarfism.[2]. Approximately 2.7 million American men and women served in Vietnam. Richard Flaherty of Stamford, Connecticut was not one of them. *The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. The US Army Special Forces, commonly referred to as the Green Berets, are one of the countrys most elite fighting forces. Richard James Flaherty was born on November 28, 1945. He knew he wanted to enlist, but was faced with a problem: he was too short. The unknown soldier from the Vietnam War who was buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns was authorized a Medal of Honor and in 1998 was identified as 1st Lieutenant Michael Blassie. (Petty Officer 2nd Class . He agreed to cooperate, but said that once we got started, I had to promise to finish the project, Yuzuk said. His stint with the CIA came to an end when he was arrested for possessing silencers. After a while, whenever Id see him, Id give him a little head nod and hed do the same. You can also learn about how these soldiers came about, who opted to become one, how they trained, and what equipment they used. This restoration was pivotal as it enabled some of the key successes enjoyed by the Viet Cong. 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. After Flahertys death, Yuzuk kept digging, researching, and confirming. This kit included a S&W .38-calibre special model 10 revolver with both a silencer and aiming light. He fought and distinquished himself in Vietnam. He met Flaherty as a homeless man in 2000. A marker has been ordered for his grave and is expected to be placed early next year. He said he hopes the movie makes people think twice before being dismissive or hateful toward the homeless, many of whom are veterans, and make politicians think carefully before sending American men and women to foreign places to kill people. [8], https://blog.theveteranssite.greatergood.com/smallest-beret-vet/, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, https://www.facebook.com/TheGiantKIllerDocumentary/, Special Forces Operations Detachment A (SFODA) Commander, "Giant Killer: Richard James Flaherty's life", "Height-waiver Green Beret: Captain James Flaherty was a Special Forces legend", "Vietnam Vet Richard Flaherty Was 'The Giant Killer', "Decorated Vietnam War veteran killed by hit-and-run driver", "Police Identify Aventura Hit-and-Run Victim as Decorated War Veteran", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_J._Flaherty&oldid=1142406371, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 05:58. Though this article will explore specific examples later, these traps were particularly brutal in the tunnels. pearl harbor. 45 calibers with a seven-round magazine as they were readily available. 58,169 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.59 million who served. I have been stewing over it for several months now. Putting people in that situation changes them. he said. Private contractors? He was awarded a Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts. But I went home, got on the computer and looked him up, and it checked out.. While it was a big fight to even get in the Army, Richard's height never impeded his ability to serve. One of the other problems soldiers faced is the deafening sound of gunshots echoing through the tunnels. Richard Flaherty had to get a waiver to join the Army during the Vietnam War. That special task began to take shape in September 1966, when Flaherty received a letter from Rep. Donald J. Irwin, D-Conn., informing him that the Armys Surgeon General had recommended granting a waiver to the height requirement. 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. Punji stake traps found in the tunnels highlight one of the most disgusting and feared examples of Vietnamese booby traps. Be Nice. Flaherty was tasked with training the Royal Thai Army in counterinsurgency, in preparation for being sent to Vietnam. . On occasion, they ended up having severe nervous breakdowns and their colleagues dragged them out of tunnels crying and screaming. 10,422 Vietnam War Soldiers Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images. His unit in the 101st was ambushed as it passed a hidden North Vietnamese bunker. So for a combat soldier, there was about a 10% chance of being killed in action. Millions of Americans and tens of thousands of veterans and soldiers opposed the war in Vietnam. They reported to Aventura police that they had seen what looked like a body in some bushes alongside the road. 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. In a contemporary interview, he had said that Ive taken a lot of kidding about my size. 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. That medically makes you a dwarf (little person). More from us: Phil Bucklew: The Father of US Naval Special Warfare. when a soldier had approximately two months remaining on his tour in Vietnam, he might take a long stick and notch it for each of his remaining days in-country. Soon after, Flaherty is killed by a hit-and-run driver. One American man was trying anything to get in. Here are some of the most powerful pictures taken by Larry Burrows during his coverage of the Vietnam War. Her research focused on military, environmental, and Canadian history with a specific focus on the Second World War. He eraned the Silver Star, 2 Bronze Stars, and 2 Purple Hearts -smallestsoldier.com . The openings to these tunnels were very small and those tunnel rats who went into them did so armed only with a flashlight, a K-bar (knife), and a .45 pistol. Pararescue. Another method frequently used attempted to flood the area so badly that the enemy desperately sought to escape to avoid drowning. Communist soldiers would attach one side of the string to a stake in the floor, and the other to the safety pin in the grenade. Some of us may have known Richard Flaherty only because of his small size. While braving the intense hail of hostile fire, Lieutenant Flaherty displayed astute direction and leadership, leading to the enemy bunker being swiftly destroyed and allowing his platoon to advance and continue its devastating attack on the enemy, according to the citation for the Silver Star Flaherty was awarded for the action. On January 27, 1973, the Paris Peace Accords were signed, officially bringing to an end the American war in Vietnam. Its not slick but it is fascinating. On November 28, 1945, doctors in Stamford Connecticut's Regional Hospital intensely worked to save newborn Richard James Flahertys life. Be Proactive. He would also earn two Bronze Stars, a Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross, and five Purple Hearts during his two tours in the Nam. The Marines have adopted a new program as of January 2017. Flaherty was the shortest of these elite soldiers, standing at only four feet, nine inches tall. He had a few run-ins with the law before becoming a confidential informant for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. After his service in Vietnam, Richard Flaherty applied for Special Forces training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died in the war. Today, the mistreatment of American POWs and the suffering they endured remains a powerful legacy of the Vietnam War. You see, he did not meet the minimum height and weight requirements. From this point, they were to seek out enemy soldiers or potential hiding spaces where they may have once been. Grenade traps were another form of booby trap placed along the base of tunnels. 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. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Capt. Even if they could deal with the claustrophobic conditions, air and artillery support had not prepared them for the type of old-fashioned combat that relied on savage behavior, individual strength, guts, and cunningness. Yuzuk had started to look into his friends story well before his death and discovered that hed worked as an undercover agent for federal authorities during the 1980s. Comprised of 12 Special Forces soldiers, an ODA can operate independently behind enemy lines for long periods of time without supervision. He also discovered that, while homeless, Flaherty was secretly traveling to places like Jordan, Iraq, Thailand, Vietnam and Venezuela. 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. Photo credit: Funker530. He was still denied entry into the Army. Amazingly, these tunnel rat soldiers were volunteers. vietnam war memorial. When he reached adolescence, Flaherty was small compared to his peers. The bombs caused earthquakes that destroyed the tunnels and their ventilation shafts. When it came time to weigh in, Flaherty barely tipped the scale of 100 pounds. During the Second World War, the Vietnamese first constructed underground tunnels to fight Japanese invasion. Answer (1 of 17): I didn't serve in Vietnam. Some of the basic combat training (BCT) soldiers undertook helped though. The healthy soldier/worker effect gradually subdued over time. Answer (1 of 27): Back in the days of siege wars, artillery would be used to blow a hole in the defence walls. The Viet Cong, with their lack of funding, was more skilled in this area given the necessity of their style of warfare. Some of these men were career military officers. Was small compared to his peers, commonly referred to as the World. Doctors in Stamford, Connecticut was not one of the most disgusting and feared of... 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