This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. But knowing a little bit more about his story now makes me wish I had known him better. As a result of their lunchtime talks, Yuzuk had decided to make a documentary about Flaherty. Overall, the Vietnamese were very quick to restore damages and continue as if nothing happened. Flaherty was on his way. He was discharged in October 1971 as a Captain. Eugene Debruin: civilian with Air America captured 5 Sep 63 in Laos when C-46 was shot down, Published March 04, 2022 06:48:08. Looking for Irish book recommendations or to meet with others who share your love for Irish literature? Start your free trial today. As each day passed he would cut the stick off another notch until on his rotation day he was left with only a small stub. Like Liked by 1 person I Spent Seven Years as a Vietnam POW. The two maintained a long friendship. After completing basic training, he qualified for Officer Candidate School, from which he graduated as a second lieutenant, before receiving orders sending him to Vietnam. He increased the amount he ate and gained muscle through sports. 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. However, they were not popular among tunnel rats as the light was unnecessary, and the silencers were too long and did not function well. He wasnt flat-footed, he had no debilitating conditions, and he was an otherwise perfectly healthy young man. Yes, somehow he became lost and fell through the cracks of a societal structure that did not understand, or know how to care for the veterans coming back from Vietnam with their nightmares, and their troubling inability to fit back in with the rest of society. Just sitting and waiting. A lot of the time it really depended on the size of the soldiers in the infantry division. After college David moved to Miami and became a 19-year veteran of the Aventura Police Department working as a uniformed road patrolman, undercover officer, and detective. Yet, both of these tactics were not as successful as they hoped. Similarly, Operation Ceder Falls attempts to uncover and destroy the tunnel system. He was still denied entry into the Army. This meant naturally handguns were most commonly chosen. We often look at college students as punk kids, lazy frat guys or any other kind of social stereotype. 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. Standard weapons carried by most infantrymen were unsuitable for use in such tight confines. Infantry Advanced Individual Training also helped them to deal more in-depth with other issues. Richard was involved in martial arts long before anyone else knew much about them, Yuzuk said. 11,465 of those killed were younger than 20 years old. The soldiers then camouflaged the pit using natural undergrowth, mud, or crops. This attempt enjoyed more success than Crimp but was short-lived as the tunnels were in working order again within weeks. David Yuzuk directed, co-produced and co-wrote a biographical documentary film about the life of Flaherty, The Giant Killer, which was released in 2017. 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. Marines who score 250 or higher on BOTH the PFT and CFT are given an additional 1 percent body fat. It included an article about Flahertys tragic death in Aventura, Florida. They became known as some special forces who skied into battle against enemy forces. Send the smallest soldier to clear the VC ratholes. Richard Flaherty (far right) seen with members of the Army's 101st Airborne Division. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. The Viet Cong also made use of explosive booby traps and pressure detonated mines. The Lone . As a 2nd Lieutenant and a platoon leader, he proved to be a fierce defender of his men. 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. Flaherty, who had to obtain a waiver to join the Army during the Vietnam War because of his size, was a paratrooper and platoon leader with the 101st and received a Silver Star for leading his platoon on a flanking assault of an enemy bunker. The Giant Killer is one of those stranger-than-fiction tales that would never make it as a movie pitch because its just so unbelievable. But due to the Vietnam draft they would have likely taken him anyway if that was his only disqualifier from serving. It was also the most expensive and deadliest year of the war. The average Liberian is 159.66cm (5 feet 2.85 inches) tall. Richard Flaherty, who was raised in Connecticut, had to obtain a waiver to join the Army during the Vietnam War. We offer our condolences to his family and to his friends. He would see Flaherty and talk with him every day; they would even eat lunch together. 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. Stories reveal that one American soldier raised his head through a tunnel entrance only to have a piece of metal automatically speared through his neck. The center offered classes designed to show the best techniques of searching, detecting, and destroying hiding places. Owned and operated by CharityUSA.com, LLC. One of the huge psychological issues for tunnel rats was the closeness of combat. A Soldier's Thoughts. Bullied and ridiculed through basic training, Flaherty nonetheless achieved the kind of stature thats only dreamed of: He became a Green Beret Captain, earning the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts for his actions in Vietnam. How can we help? Theyre known for their specialization in counterinsurgency, a skill that was heavily used during the Vietnam War. This required him to put on even more weight and get another waiver signed to excuse him from the height requirements. He was expected to only grow to the height of 4 7 but Richard proved them wrong as he grew to 4 9.. 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. She also worked as a teaching assistant in the History Department. Twenty-year-old Mike . A lot of the time, other soldiers thought these volunteers also had to be a certain type of crazy. lkunl/Shutterstock. I quote the half-inch ants have such a powerful bite that to pull them off means losing a bit of skin. The US army now sought alternate measures. A few years later, we started talking. #1 New York Times bestselling author Doug Stanton- "You are holding in your hands an amazing journey into a world of puzzles, intrigue, and mystery. 7'3" Jakob Nacken (221 cm), the tallest German soldier of WW2, chatting with 5'7" (170 cm) Eddie Worth, AP photographer with the wartime still picture pool, after his surrender. The tunnels also hosted armament workshops, training depots, headquarters, and a variety of other facilities. 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. The link to . In the late 1970s, he was sent to supply the Contras in Central America with weapons and cash. What it also doesn't mention in the video is how absolutely ruthless this dude was. Vietnam), evaded for two weeks with a banged up leg and his right arm broken in three places. Of course, the local Vietnamese population designed the tunnels with their own size in mind. Myanmar 159.52cm (5 feet 2.80 inches) The Temples of Bagan in Mandalay, Myanmar. After shooting a maximum of three bullets, soldiers would typically reload to avoid letting the enemy know when they were out of ammo. 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. You have permission to edit this article. Statements in the storage unit showed that he had several thousand dollars in bank accounts, while a passport and receipts from a travel agent indicated that during the time he was homeless, he had made trips to such countries as Jordan, Venezuela, Thailand, Singapore and Cambodia. Many American men were trying to avoid serving the U.S. military in the 1960s and 1970s. When it comes to headgear, some soldiers wore a helmet or a visored cap along with a microphone and/ or transistor radio attached. Flaherty was unfazed by the criticism he continued to receive throughout his life. Some of the basic combat training (BCT) soldiers undertook helped though. Richard Flaherty returned to the U.S. and trained at the Army's Special Warfare School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, becoming a member of the Green Berets. The Attachment rails, officially known as the rail integration A few thousand years ago, our ancestors wore Sign up for our newsletter and receive the mighty updates! Men most often explored these tunnels in pairs. He took to eating six meals a day and was able to bulk up to the 100 lb. His investigation raised more questions than it answered. Richard James Flaherty was born on November 28, 1945. 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. Network news was filled with the stories of young men dying in combat to stem the spread of Communism to South Vietnam. U.S. involvement in the Southeast Asian country had more than doubled from 1965. They carried out tunnel rat duties as and when they needed in addition to any other duties they performed. If you are squeamish or hate thinking about claustrophobic conditions, take this as a warning: gruesome facts lie ahead! With Harvey Arango, Ernie Bourcier, Jeff Burns, Carl Cain. He came home from Vietnam after his second tour and moved to Hallandale, Florida, where he worked for a time with the U.S. That medically makes you a dwarf (little person). I mean really small. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism 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. Pictured left to right: Topsy, Fatty, Cotton (killed fitty men and got his shins blowed off), Brooklyn, Stinky, and Fatty. In a contemporary interview, he had said that Ive taken a lot of kidding about my size. . Still, his skills, tenacity, and leadership can tear down an entire enemys. In general, volunteers had to have common sense, be exceptionally brave, have an inquisitive mind, and have an even temperament. Flaherty served with the 101st Airborne & the 3rd Special Forces Group. Since tunnel rats extensively used explosives to collapse tunnel entrances and destroy what they found inside, combat training was particularly valuable. Short in size he might have been, but short in courage he wasnt. Some of us may have known Richard Flaherty only because of his small size. He is believed to have worked as a military contractor throughout Africa and most notably in Rhodesia and Angola. Huge bees, gigantic rats, centipedes, spiders, snakes, bats, and fire ants (to name a few) plagued these tunnels. He would also earn two Bronze Stars, a Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross, and five Purple Hearts during his two tours in the Nam. It was a horrendous ordeal to face and brought even the toughest of men to tears. Although the driver fled the scene, they were eventually caught. Richard Flaherty was just a kid I knew briefly in high school. Awarded Medal of Honor for escape and resistance as a POW. ODA was tasked with training the Royal Thai Army in counterinsurgency operations and prepare them for a deployment to Vietnam. He did time in prison for drugs but was that a cover or a real conviction? Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. He was a Special Forces Green Beret Captain and was awarded the Silver Star, 2 Bronze Stars, and 2 Purple Hearts for his actions in Vietnam. Larry Burrows / Getty Images. Flaherty was the shortest of these elite soldiers, standing at only four feet, nine inches tall. Click Today's Obituaries to view all of the listings. Marines who score 285 or higher on BOTH the PFT and CFT are exempt from height/weight standards. Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas) represents Texas' 3rd congressional . He was always recommending books and talking about philosophy, work and politics and eventually giving me advice. On January 27, 1973, the Paris Peace Accords were signed, officially bringing to an end the American war in Vietnam. Here are 10 of the most dangerous: 1. He was later reassigned to the 10th Special Forces Group at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. Anness, who died in 2005, was the daughter of an Army captain, and traveled the world with her military family before settling in Miami, where she earned an MBA at the University of Miami and worked as a consultant. Palm trees swayed gently in the humid air while he waited for his friend . Friendships sometimes happen casually, the former policeman said. From this point, they were to seek out enemy soldiers or potential hiding spaces where they may have once been. The US Army Special Forces, commonly referred to as the Green Berets, are one of the countrys most elite fighting forces. Since last May I have thought about him off and on and finally felt that I needed to tell his story, or as much of it as I could find out. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group and assigned to the 46th Special Forces Company in Thailand. An example of a classic punji booby trap. However, other than being underground, they were actually very different from the real Viet Cong tunnels. Lots of tunnel rats used the standard-issue colt. Thus, when Richard was born, he was different. He also weighed less than 100 pounds, further disqualifying him from serving in the Army. Vietnam Veterans represent the largest cohort of American Veterans in . accounts, the history behind an article. In most cases, tunnel rats were engineers, infantrymen, cavalry scouts, or chemical specialists. Richard Flaherty, who was raised in Connecticut, had to obtain a waiver to join the Army during the Vietnam War. Be Proactive. He left the Army in 1971 at the rank of captain due to a reduction in force. Related: See what its like to jump out of a C-17 with the Armys 82nd Airborne. Imagine being stuck in a tiny space, panicking, screaming, and trying to escape as a snake slowly wound itself around you. Private contractors? 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. His mother didnt know at the time of his birth that her blood type was Rh-negative which may lead to serious health problemsand deathin a second-born fetus. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. In 2018 David was forced to retire due to a back injury sustained as a police officer. They are our brothers and sisters. Approximately 2.7 million American men and women served in Vietnam. He was often mistaken as a freshman when he was a senior. If possible they also used gas to disorient, scare, and suffocate tunnel rat soldiers. Though Americans, Australians, and New Zealanders claim to know these hideouts existed, they overlooked their size and importance. Create a password that only you will remember. The Veterans Site is dedicated to helping to provide awareness to the problem of homelessness among our veterans. Special Forces Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) exfiltrate a Counter Improvised Explosive Device lane in a via MRZR off-road utility vehicle at Panzer Local . In hindsight, listening to the Viet Cong talk about their experiences in these tunnels, it appears more training certainly would have benefitted the American cause. 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. 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 . Read. That month, his platoon came under heavy automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade fire from a North Vietnamese Army force. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Reach Rick Steelhammer at [email protected], 304-348-5169 or follow. On the other stood a 5ft 7in (170 . Capt. Here are some of the most powerful pictures taken by Larry Burrows during his coverage of the Vietnam War. Using this tactic, they added yellow dye to the water to enable aerial observers to spot any entrances that ground troops had missed. Richard James Flaherty (November 28, 1945 May 9, 2015) was a captain in the United States Army who served in the Vietnam War. Provide food and supplies to veterans at The Veterans Site for free! Phil Bucklew: The Father of US Naval Special Warfare. He was 69 . An average Liberian woman is 155.66cm (5 feet 1.28 inches) tall. 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. He returned to Vietnam in 1969 and was stationed there until 1971. The only reason anything is known about his own past is that he shared it with an Aventura cop before he died. One American man was trying anything to get in. Similarly, the bamboo whip was a very traumatic trap. The primary focus of his time in the CIA was supplying the Nicaraguan Contras in Nicaragua. The Giant Killer is available on Amazon Prime and iTunes. Major Nguyen Quot, an officer that spent ten years in these tunnels, notes that by 1948 they already dug a tunnel system: each family, each hamlet, had a tunnel communicating it with others. His ODA was tasked with training the Royal Thai Army in counterinsurgency operations and prepare them for a deployment to Vietnam. Flaherty and his men did not escape that violence. But many of the soldiers who went were drafted into the service, ineligible for a student deferment because they had never been to college. He returned to Vietnam in 1969 and stayed there until 1971 when he left the Army. He enlisted that same year, finishing basic training, qualifying for Officer Candidate School, and deploying to Vietnam as a second lieutenant. Tragically, he was killed in a hit and run during the early hours of May 9, 2015. American soldiers were often prepared for traps that may be on the ground, but they had not prepared for those coming from above. One of his men got stung and came out screaming, refusing to ever go into a tunnel again. March 28, 2022 Local Vietnam veterans showcase . 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]. 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. All useful to the experiences of tunnel rats. The Vietnam War was the longest military battle in the history of the United States. After his discharge from active service, Richard Flaherty worked as a mercenary in Rhodesia and Angola, before being recruited by the CIA for his impressive intelligence knowledge. He deployed with the Screaming Eagles to Vietnam and served as a platoon and recon platoon leader. It was the result of his mothers rare blood type that left him vulnerable to oxygen deprivation as an infant. ", People dont know about Cotton and it shows. You can check it out here. Capt. Theres a documentary on his life/death. While there was nothing Flaherty could do to increase his height, he doubled down on his eating, climbing past the 100-pound mark, while he sought help from his congressman to obtain a waiver to the height requirement from the Armys surgeon general. Flaherty would be considered a dwarf in medical terms, meaning that his height was less than 4 10.. soldier has to be fit both physically and mentally to endure the hardship in an adverse environment such as a battle field. It changed Richard, he said, adding that he had found letters in his locker explaining why he needed help to treat his post-traumatic stress disorder. The Viet Cong built drain pipe ventilation shafts every 20 to 30 meters at an oblique angle to prevent flooding. 22. person will not be tolerated. Naturally, their opponents were equally as skilled in this department and so tunnel rat soldiers were careful not to clean too much, or use certain products in case their enemies smelled them coming. He appealed to his Connecticut Senator, Christopher Dodd, and was able to get a special waiver into the Army. Flaherty was killed on May 9, 2015 in a hit and run. The Vietnam War is also known as the Second Indochina War. Despite this, Yuzuk honored his friend by producing a documentary called The Giant Killer,which tells the full story of Richard Flahertys service in Vietnam and his life after he returned to the US. However, Bowman said that he was never that scared of the tunnels; he was so young he believed he was invincible. 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. A light tunnel exploration kit may also include items such as powdered CS, colored-smoke grenades, insect repellent, protective masks, a field telephone, a compass to plot the route, a telephone wire spool, probing rods, bayonets, a flashlight, entrenching tools to reveal and widen entrances, and a .22-calibre HD or MK I pistol. Archives held in Texas revealed this happened to one unfortunate soldier. Though there are . The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. But due to the Vietnam draft they would have likely taken him anyway if that was his only disqualifier from serving. When he reached adolescence, Flaherty was small compared to his peers. 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