"The Hill Fights - A Marine in VN" Topic

This is an absolutely heart wrenching, human and realistic account of an individuals combat experience in Vietnam and the sacrifices your brothers will make for you even if you are dead. Amazing.

Remember his account of being in firefight when you hear some war gamer that has never been in combat talk about how "ineffective" small arms fire was because it took 60,000 rounds for a KIA.

Imagine, rounds coming from all directions, Situational Awareness almost zero, no idea of the big picture, everyone afraid to raise their head up, running low on ammo and thinking you have only seconds to live as your buddies around you bleed out.

YouTube link

Be sure to listen to the end.

Hill 881 was the Marine's Hamburger Hill.

Enjoy,
Wolfhag

'Matterhorn' former Marine Karl Marlantes

link

Thank you Steve for finding and posting that link. I hope everyone here will take the time to watch and listen to
that program. The first part will bring smiles to any
old Marine, but the rest is hard to watch, particularly
if you served in Vietnam. That is probably the best narrative
I have heard.

Semper Fi,

Sam

Sam,
It's the best account that I've come across. I think it gives a good picture of the "Marine Culture" at the time.

These first person accounts of firefights bring out an aspect of war gaming that I feel is pretty much overlooked. Many times you can't wait for a Corpsman to come to the aid of a buddy next to you.

The WWII Pacific rules that I use (Fire Team level) the causality result can be an immediate KIA, WIA or WW (Walking Wounded). A WIA is out of action and needs to be evacuated or can become a KIA. You either wait for stretcher bearers or have someone for the unit take them to the rear further decreasing your strength. WW can defend but not attack. They can go the the rear at the Company Causality Collection Point and a % can return at full strength in the morning.

I'll check out "Matterhorn"

Wolfhag

That's pretty close to what we do Wolfhag.

uglyfatbloke,
Hows does that effect game play and player decisions in your game?

Wolfhag