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. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The 'Hanoi Hilton' Is No Trump Hotel. 75,000 Vietnam veterans are severely disabled. Most likely a member of the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend" which sustained 43% casualties during the Normandy campaign. After being discharged, Flaherty did private and military contract work in Rhodesia and Angola in Africa. According to archives held by the US government, there were 58,220 US military deaths overall as a result of the Vietnam War. But then everything we know about him gets lost in a blur of fragmentary vignettes. Yuzuk told the West Virginia Gazette that he hopes the documentary will make people think twice about judging the homeless. However, he was initially turned down because of his size. So for a combat soldier, there was about a 10% chance of being killed in action. the shortest have one line. During the Second World War, the Vietnamese first constructed underground tunnels to fight Japanese invasion. Flaherty would be considered a dwarf in medical terms, meaning that his height was less than 4 10.. Soon after, Flaherty is killed by a hit-and-run driver. He returned to Vietnam in 1969 and was stationed there until 1971. Team Mighty. Flaherty was tasked with training the Royal Thai Army in counterinsurgency, in preparation for being sent to Vietnam. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Twenty-year-old Mike . Click #isupportlocal for more information on supporting our local journalists. These guerrillas were fighting the colonial power of France. Yuzuk used his own funds and a crowdsourcing campaign to produce The Giant Killer, an 80-minute documentary available on Amazon Prime and iTunes, released late last year. that is degrading to another person. Keep it Clean. Richard Flaherty returned from war and studied at the University of Miami in Florida. So began a wild adventure involving guns, cash, and High Altitude Low Opening parachute jumps into the Florida Everglades swamps. Holy shit even disregarding the adversity overcome about his height, this dude seriously fucked. Be Truthful. I never thought of him after that until I received an email last May from one of my old high school friends. 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. 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. Why they volunteered varied person to person, but one American soldier speculated volunteers were trying sometimes to make up for problematic lives back home or to prove their manhood in truly testing conditions. The same soldier noted that once rats conquered their fear, assuming they survived, some even came to like their work for the rats, the light at the end of the tunnel was usually a VC with a candle.. The two maintained a long friendship. Capt. Photo credit: The Chive. Shortest US soldier in Vietnam War was not short in courage. Upon graduation he was assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) as a Special Forces Operations Detachment A (SFODA) Commander in Company A of the 3rd SFG in Thailand. More from us: Phil Bucklew: The Father of US Naval Special Warfare. 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. That medically makes you a dwarf (little person). 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. It is our duty to remember him for his noble service to the nation. When he reached adolescence, Flaherty was small compared to his peers. Mai Chi Tho, brother of Le Duc Tho (a prominent Hanoi Politburo member) highlights how they used the tunnels to infiltrate Saigon. The Giant Killer: Directed by David Yuzuk. Still, his skills, tenacity, and leadership can tear down an entire enemys. pearl harbor. Again, those inside suffocated. Not only was he the shortest Green Beret to serve in Vietnam, he was also the shortest US serviceman in history. Needless to say, sadly many of those Americans who did enter the tunnels ended up dying. His unit in the 101st was ambushed as it passed a hidden North Vietnamese bunker. When he graduated OCS and his Special Forces training, he volunteered for combat duty with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy. . Some of us may have known Richard Flaherty only because of his small size. He was still denied entry into the Army. Some even fled to Canada to escape conscription. Marine Corps: (Accession and Regular Standards) Male - 18%. Generally, while underground tunnel rat soldiers employed a shoot first, ask questions later method. 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. The tunnels also hosted armament workshops, training depots, headquarters, and a variety of other facilities. These tunnels hugely impacted American morale as it was difficult to comprehend that the enemy could be hiding just feet away yet were undetectable and unreachable. He would also earn two Bronze Stars, a Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross, and five Purple Hearts during his two tours in the Nam. Photo credit: American Yesteryear Metal Signs. They have given so much and suffered so much. Private contractors? Flaherty left the Army in 1971 and attended the University of Miami in Florida. Current standards for men is 60-80 inches tall. Indirect Fire Infantrymen (MOS 11C), Combat Engineers (MOS 12B), and Bridge Crewmembers (MOS 12C) also have short . His friend decides to investigate and finds a passport that shows Flaherty was secretly traveling to dangerous locations like Jordan, Iraq, Thailand, Vietnam, and Venezuela while living as a homeless man. By REP. SAM JOHNSON. 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. He wasnt flat-footed, he had no debilitating conditions, and he was an otherwise perfectly healthy young man. The Marines have adopted a new program as of January 2017. When interviewed he stated: We often wondered how things happened in the night and we never saw what was going on, guys getting their throat cut. Imagine being stuck in a tiny space, panicking, screaming, and trying to escape as a snake slowly wound itself around you. Friendships sometimes happen casually, the former policeman said. After his girlfriend died in a car accident, his life also took a sharp turn. The Giant Killer (available to rent now on iTunes, Amazon and other VOD platforms) aims to unravel the truth of his post-service life and mysterious death. As a student, she worked in a variety of research positions, including as an archivist. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Weve got a clip from the movie that details Richards ruthlessness in combat. According to an article in the Stamford Advocate, Flahertys body was found by two joggers. Again, tripwires would trigger the release of snakes hidden somehow inside bamboo sticks, known to soldiers as bamboo vipers. Once his weight had increased enough, he petitioned his Congressman, Rep. Donald J. Irwin (D-CT), to fill out a waiver to allow him to enlist, despite his short stature. When the Vietnam War heated up, Flaherty volunteered for the Army. She also worked as a teaching assistant in the History Department. During the course of two tours in Vietnam, because of his size, Flaherty often did tunnel rat searches. *Warning: Some people may find these pictures disturbing.*. 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. 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. As a result, sending a soldier underground, known as a tunnel rat, was often a final measure if all other methods had failed. These homeless veterans deserve more from us. The stakes would then spear any soldier that fell into the pit. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. T he man in the picture keeps his eyes to the ground. He is believed to have worked as a military contractor throughout Africa and most notably in Rhodesia and Angola. Yuzuk said none of the relatives or companions of Flaherty or Anness he has spoken with was aware of a relationship between the two. I Spent Seven Years as a Vietnam POW. War is hell. Huge bees, gigantic rats, centipedes, spiders, snakes, bats, and fire ants (to name a few) plagued these tunnels. He would see Flaherty and talk with him every day; they would even eat lunch together. His ODA was tasked with training the Royal Thai Army in counterinsurgency operations and prepare them for a deployment to Vietnam. An average Liberian man is 163.66cm (5 feet 4.43 inches) tall. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Tools of the trade metal tin sign. * Born and raised in Brooklyn N.Y., David Yuzuk attended the University of Stony Brook on a football scholarship. He was struck and killed in a hit and run in 2015. He stood at just 49 tall. Yuzuk learns that this unassuming 69-year-old man was a decorated military veteran. In 1970 he was reassigned to the 10th Special Forces Group at Fort Devens. Be Proactive. 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. We won't share it with anyone else. Flaherty enlisted late that year. 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 another as a Green Beret captain, lies at rest in an as-yet unmarked grave in a Milton cemetery. 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. This way, they smelled the same as the GIs and the dogs became unable to locate the enemy. Lots of tunnel rats used the standard-issue colt. Meanwhile, Flahertys burial spot, just behind Lisa Davis Annesss grave, remains unmarked as another Veterans Day approaches. In particularly horrendous circumstances, enemy soldiers would dig another pit directly beside it. This is similar to the selection effect of underwriting requirement provision in the insurance industries. Published March 04, 2022 06:48:08. A cemetery employee said the appropriate relatives have been contacted and a marker has been ordered and is expected to be set in place early next year. Abandoned by the CIA, Flaherty locates a smuggling ring stealing tons of explosives including a classified weapon from inside a U.S. Army base, and signs on to work the investigation undercover with the Federal law enforcement agency the ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Flahertys death made Yuzuks effort a lot harder, but he was undeterred. A Soldier's Thoughts. It was if he was hardening himself up for some special task.. Wounded Marine Gunnery Sgt. What we do know comes to us from a Hallandale police officer, David Yuzuk. A few years later, we started talking. Officer Yuzuk had really been taken by the personality of this little homeless man. The enemy would litter a concrete ball with barbed spikes. 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. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Many American men were trying to avoid serving the U.S. military in the 1960s and 1970s. As mentioned previously, tunnel rat soldiers were a last-ditch attempt and not the usual go-to solution. Use the 'Report' link on He had been the victim of a hit-and-run car accident. While tunnel rats often wanted to wear hearing protection to help lessen the consequences of this noise and avoid damage to their eardrums, they risked not being able to hear the enemy approaching. He was successful and joined the US Army. Not only was he the shortest Green Beret to serve in Vietnam, he was also the shortest US serviceman in history. In the 1940s Ho Chi Minh, one of the founders of the Viet Cong, stated You can kill ten of my men for every one I kill of yours. The shortest soldier to fight in Vietnam was a Green Beret. Once the Viet Cong caught on to what was happening, they began to use the same soap the Americans used. Please support The Veterans Site by adding us to your ad blockers whitelist ads help us to provide food and supplies to veterans. By the time the American army arrived, there were over two hundred kilometers. We just didnt know. Images of firefights, bloodied U.S. soldiers and body bags were seen nightly on network television, along with scorecard-like tallies of the number of American and enemy soldiers killed in action. He eraned the Silver Star, 2 Bronze Stars, and 2 Purple Hearts -smallestsoldier.com . Commemoration of the war must account for these servicemen who underwent so much hardship for their nation. . As a Green Beret, he served from 1969-71, before being honorably discharged. Sometimes these snakes were even poisonous and so became known as three-step snakes because a soldier was only granted three more steps before the venom killed him. Similarly, one American soldier highlighted how they liked to soften things up by throwing in one or more hand grenades before sending in tunnel rats. In fact, volunteers boasted of their ability to change flashlights in pitch black without realizing the damaging consequences of this. TIMES STAFF WRITER. Each panel is numbered from "1" to "70" at the base, with West Panel 1 and East Panel 1 . Another method frequently used attempted to flood the area so badly that the enemy desperately sought to escape to avoid drowning. They carried out tunnel rat duties as and when they needed in addition to any other duties they performed. Flaherty then called for a 90 millimeter recoilless rifle a shoulder-mounted explosive projectile launcher initially designed to destroy tanks to be brought to his position, and from there, led its two-man crew on an assault of the North Vietnamese bunker. Though this article will explore specific examples later, these traps were particularly brutal in the tunnels. During the war, more than 58,000 servicemen and women lost their lives. The US Army Special Forces, commonly referred to as the Green Berets, are one of the countrys most elite fighting forces. Sometimes, they would smear the tip of the stakes with urine, feces, poison, or other contaminants to infect the wound when it penetrated the skin. The healthy soldier/worker effect gradually subdued over time. Clothing-wise, it was a good idea to wear tight waterproof items to stop clothing from snagging on obstructions, leather gloves, and, if possible as mentioned knee pads to assist with crawling around. This required him to put on even more weight and get another waiver signed to excuse him from the height requirements. The Viet Cong built drain pipe ventilation shafts every 20 to 30 meters at an oblique angle to prevent flooding. Well anything under 4'10" is legally a disability under the law. [7] Flaherty was buried at Forest Memorial Park in Milton. Most helpful for tunnel rats, however, was the brief amount of training time spent detecting, removing, and laying booby traps. Tiger traps were also particularly violent. Retired, David enjoys writing, walking on hikes, and spending time with his dog Simon. 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. He had crossed the DMZ back into South Vietnam where he was shot as he was recaptured. Communications, public relations, and marketing professional, and content creator during free time. The NVA troops hit the soldiers with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died in the war. In the end, his life has as much mystery in it as it does accounts of real grit and heroism. Capt. After all, it was a very stressful and dangerous job. Four-foot, nine-inch tall veteran Richard J. Flaherty claimed to be the shortest man ever to serve in the United States military. Unless medical issues had something to do with it. Shortest US soldier in Vietnam War was not short in courage. ", People dont know about Cotton and it shows. For this action he was awarded the Silver Star in 1968. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. 1968 was a tumultuous year for service members in Vietnam. Start Reading. With a passion for historical learning and historical education, her writing interests include social history, and war history, especially researching obscure facts about the Second World War. Finding out about him and what he had done since graduating from high school has put me through a roller coaster of emotions. God only knows what that experience and so many other combat experiences did to Flahertys mind. He used to spend all day at a movie theater. Network news was filled with the stories of young men dying in combat to stem the spread of Communism to South Vietnam. Some of these men were career military officers. Throughout the battle, he repeatedly exposed himself to the hostile fire in order to better direct the suppressive fire of his squads. Phases of captures. This kit included a S&W .38-calibre special model 10 revolver with both a silencer and aiming light. The only reason anything is known about his own past is that he shared it with an Aventura cop before he died. 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