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US Morale in Vietnam in Aspect to Squad Battles - Compass Rose - 05-06-2020 Realistic morale ratings in the Vietnam War By Frank Harmon *05/05/20 Original document could not be transferred in its entirety due to coding issues.  99% of article is found below. Every Marine is a Rifleman, says the Corps, but a cook is a cook in the Army. The Army of the United States is not less; the United States Marine Corps is simply... different. Micheal Rodriguez. An Army Vietnam Combat Officers' opinion on US Army morale in combat in SE Asia. Back on "Elite" troops in the Light, Paratroop and Mech Infantry roles.. Again these men were a different subject. Speaking outside bias ( and boy this hurts..lol ) Army Airborne Infantry-Air Cav-Marine Corps Infantry are equivalent. One needs remember that the Army is so large that a lot of variation exists. Variations exist in the Marine Corps as well, but not as drastically due to it's small size. Craig Deaton and myself got together and had a sit down on morale in Squad battles. We personally came to a couple conclusions. First off you have to separate the War into 2 Categories. 1965-mid 68' the feeling remained with many that the war was still winnable, Mid-68 to 75 was a different story all together. Why mid 68? Because all vets know that wind of what is going down in the real world takes about 6-8 Months to work it's way to Soldiers in the field, and 1968 was a was a traumatic year back here in the States. That said, and with the draft, drug use, etc.. morale suffered as troops who didn't believe in the War were drafted and assimilated into the ranks in multitude. We also had a very realistic discussion on the morale of Spec Ops units from the Battalion level up to Div-Corps and came up with the following conclusions, concerning morale. To correctly perceive morale one must also apply the situation and the unit's capacity for violence. Training can fail at the "moment of truth". Low Morale ( in the aspect of the game ) doesn't necessarily make a man a coward, in actuality it makes him a kinder human being. However, Soldiers and Marines don't get paid to be "kind" human beings, they get paid to kill without remorse. Nam Morale in aspect to a game like Squad Battles. Well, I guess it depends on just how realistic you like your games and ultimately how much of a grognard you really are. Playing a bunch of stoned Riflemen in 1971 with D morale would probably make it pretty hard to pull off a win as the Allies, but that was the reality of it all some times. Anyway, here is a researched opinion on morale in SE Asia. A+ Morale A leader with A+ Morale is a machine. A guy who walks upright in combat. He is usually a stone hearted SOB, a blind patriot, VERY convinced that what he is doing is right, or a very devout religious man. Only these personas can usually grant a man the moral justification for being such an efficient killer. If he doesn't die or win a Medal of Honor-Navy Cross ( or both ) the scenario or hasn't already won either or, or at least written up for them on numerous occasions, or achieve a spectacular feat, then he should not be given an A+ rating. A+ Morale is borderline to full blown insanity and a super healthy dose of luck. NO amount of training can give a Soldier A+ morale. He is born with it. A Morale This rating should be given only to Spec Ops, LRRP's, Div. Recon, or B rating troops in rare form that lives in infamy in the pages of history, Khe Sanh for example. A Morale is fanatical. B Morale This rating is for TOP OF THE LINE regular troops on any given day. Not fanatics, but highly trained "regular" units. Marine Infantry, 1st Air Cav, Army Airborne Inf. etc. C Morale C is actually above average when the ratings go to F. They wont hesitate to get into a scrap. However, like most Combat troops, they quickly become disillusioned if they start getting their asses kicked and may even become B Morale if they are kicking some themselves. I would say this level of morale is typical of regular army infantry. D Morale Realistically, D Morale is not as bad as one thinks. They'll fight if they have to, but they are in no big hurry to get into the mix. They just want to do what they have US Troops in Squad Battles Vietnam and Tour of Duty. An overview. Morale is a reflection of many things. Training, welfare, fatigue and the willingness to kill while accepting your own casualties and achieving the mission. Although basic training in certain branches of the US Armed Forces attempts to train you significantly, keep you well fed, rested and remove the threads of morality and fear, it only does so to an extent and to even a far, far lesser extent in combat. Many wargamers have this false perception; once a Marine or Soldier graduates Boot Camp and then enters combat, he then becomes a perfect example of how the program is supposed to work. This may be true prior to the first fire fight he ever sees. Let's check with him again after a few months, if he makes it that long. Of course men still did their jobs and they still marched on. Of all the conflicts in American Military History, the Vietnam war made a point very obvious: The conflict was extremely psychological given the nature of the mission and the enemies fighting style; a style which used terror tactics to their fullest and was very demoralizing for many. In previous wars of US involvement, Marines and Soldiers took geographical objectives and their enemy fought for them..In Southeast Asia, the mission was to find the enemy and kill him wherever he may be. Due to this nature of war and inadequate manpower to hold every position that was taken, ground was given back to the enemy regularly and the feeling of doing it " all for nothing " was felt very often. Again, morale suffered accordingly. The only way to combat this demoralizing effect was to "keep ones eyes in the boat" and focus on the mission. Troops of prestigious and special units, who are trained and disciplined more intensely, maintained the ability through various methods ( `Elan and Espirit de' Corps, etc ) to achieve this. Therefore the men who volunteered for certain Branches of the military and MOS' fields, ( Airborne, Marine Infantry, Air Cavalry, Spec Ops etc...) and thus believed in the mission and regularly maintained a higher morale than draftees and recruits involuntarily placed in "Regular" Infantry and combat units. I am not saying ALL Army Infantrymen were unmotivated. Yet I believe; given the standards of Army recruitment and the amount of draftees in the Reg. Army Infantry in Vietnam, the for mentioned were significantly below the quality of Air Cav, Airborne and Marines on average. Exceptions to the rule exist. An Observation by a Nam Veteran If the recent traffic on an Internet discussion list shows anything, it demonstrates that Marines are perceived as different from the rest of the combat arms of the United States armed forces. Detractors (none on the list in question) said that Marines are different only because they think they are. I say, the effect is the same. I take from no man the performance of individual rifle companies during the war in Vietnam. I do question, however, the dedication of the "higher-highers" to their people in that same war. But I digress... "Elite" is a term often thrown about, carelessly, and with little thought to its ultimate application. The term implies specialized training, esprit de corps, and the constant motivation that we are different. The United States Army builds huge divisions of men, then creates Special Forces, Airborne divisions, Ranger companies, LRRP companies, and Cavalry divisions and labels them all as elite. What then happens is that the regular divisions are seen as less than elite and at the same time that they send their people to perform their duties, who, of course, now see themselves as Grunts, less than noteworthy, less than spectacular, l to get through it all and get home. A D is still a passing grade. Just below average for expectations of one's command. I hate to break it to most but when life is the cost, most people are not in a big hurry to do anything and this rating may be a bit more common than one may enjoy believing. E Morale E troops have either suffered a serious butt kicking or they are just ill suited for combat and they know it. Things look pretty grim to troops with E Morale. F Morale These guys want the hell out of Dodge as quick as possible. Every unit has their slackers, or guys who squeeze through in the need for fresh bodies. REPEAT every unit, and this brings down the overall quality of a Squad as a whole. Also, a Soldier who might be an A quality type in a rifle battalion or a BLT in the standard grunt role, may only be a B if he ends up in Recon somewhere down the line. One man can seriously effect a squad's performance. His weight must be pulled by another and jobs don't get done to capacity. Units also have Troops that have started their tour optimistic only to become seriously jaded. These troops could bring the morale of a unit down significantly if they had gained enough Rank to be in leadership positions. These feelings effect ones' performance drastically, and spread like wildfire amongst newer troops who are subjected to it as well. Very common in the later war years. A boot or an FNG is a lot like an infant, wide open and carved by the upbringing of their "parents". In this instance their parents would be Squad Leaders and Platoon Sgt's. The US Army and the US Marine Corps organized their Rifle Battalions-Companies a bit differently. In 1966, the Marine Corps altered the formation of it's Rifle Battalions, straying away from the old school WWII-Korea type to a newer org. with the loss of the M14 and M14E2's firepower.  This formation stood until the 70's when it gave way to the type that exists today with the Weapons Company being a separate formation from H&S Company ( HQ and Services ).     Battalion               Company                    Platoon            Squad                H&S CompanyHQ SectionHQ Section ( 5 )Squad Leader Line Company  1st Platoon 1st Squad  ( 13 )1st Fire Team ( 4 )Line Company2nd Platoon 2nd Squad  ( 13 )2nd Fire Team ( 4 )Line Company3rd Platoon  3rd Squad   ( 13 )3rd Fire Team  ( 4 )Line CompanyWpns. PlatoonAttachments ( ? )Attachments ( ? ) General Composition- In Vietnam a Marine Rifle Battalion consisted of 4 Line Companies (One was technically a "Reserve Company" ) and an H&S (Weapons Company). Respectively, the Line Companies in 1st Battalion of a Regt. would be lettered like an Army infantry battalion. 1st -A ,B, C, D. 2nd Battalion E, F, G, H. 3rd Battalion I, K, L, M. Headquarters and Services Company- H&S Company for the Marine rifle battalion in Vietnam was a combination HQ and support formation as no separate Weapons company existed as does in the contemporary Marine Corps. (Although H&S Company was called "Weapons Company" by many. This probably stems from HW Infantrymen being "put out" by people teasing them about being in an HQ unit, and saying "no, I'm not in HQ, I'm in weapons"). In Vietnam, H&S Companies were rather large formations. The non Combat support elements existed as the following. S-1 Section ( Administration ) S-2 section (Intelligence ) S-3 section ( Training ) S-4 section ( Supply ) Communications Platoon Field Wiremen, etc.  Battalion Aid Station ( BAS ) US Navy Medical, and overall parent formation for all Corpsmen in the Battalion. Motor Transport Platoon ( Truckers ) Cooks Platoon ( Marines' gotta eat.. ;-) H&S COMBAT FORMATIONS 81mm Mortar Platoon-HQ Section consisted of the Platoon CO, an RTO  ( Radio Telephone Operator ) Section, and a Forward Observer Section. The Mortar Platoon consisted of  4 sections ( squads ) with ( 2 ) 81mm M29 Mortars each ( 8 ). An 81mm Mortar Section consisted of  6-10 men. A Gun Leader, Gunner, A Gunner, and 3 Ammo men was by the book per gun and rarely represented. The Section Leader, The Gunner and Asst. Gunner were armed with M1911A1 ( .45 pistol  ) and will be assigned no weapons in the game (However they were known to "stash " rifles ). Each Ammo man did carry a rifle. An FO team ( 2 ) was detached with each section. One Mortar Section was traditionally attached to each Line Company, However was basically up to the Battalion Commander where he placed his "Hip Pocket Artillery".  In SbV a historical 81mm Section could appear as follows,  7 Men, 3 M14 ( 16 ), 2 M19 81mm Mortar.  A two man FO Squad would also be present for each section detached and appear as follows. 2 Men, 2 M14 ( 16 ), PRC 25 Radio. 106 Platoon- 106mm Recoilless Rifle Platoon. HQ Section. Platoon Leader ( Rifle ) ( Sgt-SSgt ) + RTO ( PRC 25= Rifle ). 6 Guns, 4 Man Crews. Gunner-A Gunner ( Pistols ) 2 Ammo Men ( Rifles ). Marine 106's on average were not mounted on jeeps. They were usually mounted on Mechanical Mules and were detached where needed. 106 Squad  4 Men, 106mm Recoilless, 2 M14 ( 16 ) Flame Section- HQ Section as 106 Platoon. 3 Flame Sections. 4 Men each. 1 team Leader ( Rifle ) 1 Flame Man ( Flame thrower ) 2 Assistants ( Rifles ). Detached as needed. Flame Unit 4 Men, Flame thrower, 3 M14 ( 16 ) MARINE RIFLE COMPANIES ( 3x Rifle Platoons + Weapons Platoon + HQ Section = Rifle Company ) * It is critical to remember that formations were VERY rarely at TOE at any time. Rifle Platoons - 3 Squads Infantry- 1965-66  early war squads still used the old school 3 Fire team setup-ala Korean War. 13 Man Squads. Squad Leader ( M14 ) Fire team Leaders 3 ( M14 ) 1 Grenadier ( M79 ) 6 Rifleman ( M14 ) 3 Auto Riflemen ( M14E2 ). 10 Men, M14 ( 7 ) M14E2 ( 2 ) M79 ( 1 ) + LAWs. In 1967 Squads were reorganized with the loss of the M14E2. To Increase Firepower, 1 more Grenade Launcher ( 2 Per squad ). 13 Men M14 ( 11 ) M79GL ( 2 ) + LAWs.  In 68' The Marines finally had to give their Battle proven M14's. Squads were organized like the fore mentioned with M16's. 1968-1975- 13 Men M16 ( 11 ) M79GL ( 2 ) + LAW's. Marine Rifle Squads had no M60's. M60 Machine gun teams were detached from Weapons Platoon at the Squad Level. A Marine Machine gun Team if correctly done at the Platoon level should be a separate counter ( one team supporting each squad ) and represented as follows. MG Team 3 Men M60mg ( 1 ) M14-16 ( 2 ). Weapons Platoons  3 Sections support weapons .60mm Mortar Section - Section Leader- RTO. ( Pistol, Rifle, PRC 25 ). Each Gun had 3 Crew. Gunner, A Gunner, ( Pistols ) and an Ammo Man ( Rifle ). 60mm Mortar Section- 11 Men 3 M19 60mm, 4 M14 ( 16 ). 60mm Mortars were very rarely detached to platoons, the majority of the time they were present with Company CP, as a single entity. 60mm Mortars had an attached FO unit like 81mm Mortars which consisted of 1 FO ( Rifle ) and 1 RTO ( Rifle ) FO Section 2 Men 2 M14 ( 16 ) PRC-25 radio . The Machine gun Section has been dealt with. Assault Section - 3 Sections. Led by a SNCO ( Rifle ). Assault Sections were usually detached at the Platoon Level. Later in the War when the bazooka was phased out; many units switched to 90mm Recoilless Rifles. They followed the same .org minus the M20, add a 90mm. Assault Section 6 Men 2 M20 Bazookas, 2 M14 ( 16 ). Conclusion- If one wants to game historically with a formation at TOE strength, then a 10 man squad is fiction. A understrengthed Marine Rifle squad with only 2 active fire teams + a detached MG team would still put it's strength at 12. Squad Leader, 2 ( 4  ) man Fire teams and a 3 man MG crew.