What it also doesn't mention in the video is how absolutely ruthless this dude was. He had spent his last years alive homeless. Remote-controlled explosive charges and small smoke grenades kits were primarily to signal exit locations to fellow comrades. Get your SPECIAL OFFER for MagellanTV here: https://try.magellantv.com/simplehistory. He had a few run-ins with the law before becoming a confidential informant for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Create a password that only you will remember. Richard James Flaherty (November 28, 1945 May 9, 2015) was a captain in the United States Army who served in the Vietnam War.Due to his small stature (he was just 4 feet 9 inches (1.45 m) tall), he was known as "The Giant Killer". When the Vietnam War heated up, Flaherty volunteered for the Army. 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. lkunl/Shutterstock. Not until 1995 did Vietnam release its official estimate of war dead: as many as 2 million civilians on both sides and some 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. Between February and March 1973, 591 American servicemen were released by the North Vietnamese. Growing up, Flaherty was sensitive about his height (4'9"), therefore he tried to achieve the best physical fitness and learned martial arts. . But many of the soldiers who went were drafted into the service, ineligible for a student deferment because they had never been to college. Putting people in that situation changes them. he said. Phil Bucklew: The Father of US Naval Special Warfare. Flaherty was tasked with training the Royal Thai Army in counterinsurgency, in preparation for being sent to Vietnam. Although the driver fled the scene, they were eventually caught. Using this tactic, they added yellow dye to the water to enable aerial observers to spot any entrances that ground troops had missed. 1,806 U.S. troops killed in action ( source) 2. And there was more; he was homeless. On the other hand, combat troops had nearly an even chance of getting wounded, roughly 50%. Several Viet Cong members knew the American soldiers had boots with plated soles to help prevent injury to their feet. It is here that his story begins to take many twists and turns. 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. How many other Richard Flahertys are there living among us as homeless veterans? 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 enemy used this to their advantage. Pararescue. 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. Captain Flaherty's incredible life story was captured in the Amazon #1 Best Selling book, "The Giant Killer" available on Amazon as a Paperback, eBook, & Audiobook, and the award-winning documentary, "The Giant Killer Finding Flaherty" available worldwide on Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, iTunes, and Tubi. A lot of the time it really depended on the size of the soldiers in the infantry division. Retired, David enjoys writing, walking on hikes, and spending time with his dog Simon. A group of soldiers would then charge the gap to hopefully get a foothold and allow other troops to pile in. High 64F. Richard was my friend and I promised him I would finish the project, Yuzuk said. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism 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 . The United States conducted two major campaigns to search and destroy the tunnel system: Operation Crimp (1966) and Operation Cedar Falls (1967). After this, he refused to ever go into a tunnel again. A few years later, we started talking. Over eight weeks, soldiers learned about tactical skills, squad and platoon offensive and defensive tactics, and how to use certain weapons. The Viet Cong used this to their advantage to scare, and even kill, American soldiers. Another method frequently used attempted to flood the area so badly that the enemy desperately sought to escape to avoid drowning. He also weighed less than 100 pounds, further disqualifying him from serving in the Army. He increased the amount he ate and gained muscle through sports. The primary focus of his time in the CIA was supplying the Nicaraguan Contras in Nicaragua. . He knew he wanted to enlist, but was faced with a problem: he was too short. The War also claimed the lives of approximately 200,000 allied soldiers in Vietnam, nearly one million North Vietnamese/ Communist allied deaths, and an incomprehensible number of civilians. Standing at 4 feet, 11 inches, Popoca may be the shortest Soldier during missions, but she has a "tiny but mighty" mindset, she said. Marines who score 285 or higher on BOTH the PFT and CFT are exempt from height/weight standards. U.S. Air Force pararescuemen and a simulated 'survivor' watch as an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter comes in for a landing. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. 45 calibers with a seven-round magazine as they were readily available. American soldiers were often prepared for traps that may be on the ground, but they had not prepared for those coming from above. This picture is taken probably by the end of the war when really young and old citizens were enlisted for soldiers. Richard was involved in martial arts long before anyone else knew much about them, Yuzuk said. And, is this general or do several different troop branches have different requirements? Flaherty and his men did not escape that violence. (Petty Officer 2nd Class . Holy shit even disregarding the adversity overcome about his height, this dude seriously fucked. Next, the Viet Cong would dig a pit and jam the punji stakes upright in it. He returned to Vietnam in 1969 and stayed there until 1971 when he left the Army. 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. That medically makes you a dwarf (little person). A particular Special Forces member, Capt. Despite his size Richard Flaherty had all the heart in the world and it showed when he was platoon leader in Vietnam. She received both her bachelor of arts degree in history, and her master of arts degree in history from Western University. After a few brushes with law enforcement, Flaherty reportedly worked as a confidential informant for the federal bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in the early 1980s before becoming homeless in Aventura by 1990. 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. SS recruiters for the division accepted boys as young as 14 into the . [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. Vietnam Vet Richard Flaherty Was 'The Giant Killer', A Second Member of the Worlds Biggest Music Group Joins the Army, A Netflix Movie About WWII's Legendary 6888th Postal Battalion Starts Filming, Best War Movies Streaming Right Now on Netflix, Arnold Schwarzenegger Is 'FUBAR' in Upcoming Spy Series. 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. In Britain, during the Nap. The CIA? Indirect Fire Infantrymen (MOS 11C), Combat Engineers (MOS 12B), and Bridge Crewmembers (MOS 12C) also have short . Id known him for 15 years, and this was the first time he ever mentioned the military. There is an average of five names per line. One of the other problems soldiers faced is the deafening sound of gunshots echoing through the tunnels. 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. In a contemporary interview, he had said that Ive taken a lot of kidding about my size. The objective is to promote history on Medium and demonstrate the value of historical writing. No offense intended, but most armies have minimal-height, like here in my country you can't go to the army or police when being less than 1.55m as a man (don't know if this is still accurate, but it was in the past. [But] They were the ones you never killed. Either way, that's a lot of soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen, male and female that made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and there are still people dying as a result of their wounds receiver so very long ago in a place called Vietnam. An average Liberian man is 163.66cm (5 feet 4.43 inches) tall. On January 27, 1973, the Paris Peace Accords were signed, officially bringing to an end the American war in Vietnam. A young German soldier, 1944. You have permission to edit this article. By the time the American army arrived, there were over two hundred kilometers. Tyler Perry wrote and will direct the story of an all-female, all-Black battalion that served in Europe. Equally, these countries failed to understand how difficult it would be to detect and neutralize such networks. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Invalid password or account does not exist. He was expected to only grow to the height of 4 7 but Richard proved them wrong as he grew to 4 9.. This article was originally published 1/7/2021. Flaherty led his platoon in a flanking assault on the enemy position, during which an NVA bunker was spotted. His only problem was that he stood four feet, nine inches tall. Reach Rick Steelhammer at [email protected], 304-348-5169 or follow. Start Reading. Flaherty served with the 101st Airborne during Vietnam. Americans often carpet bombed areas under suspicion to try flushing out the enemy. everyone would watch to see which way the wind would take him. Marines who score 250 or higher on BOTH the PFT and CFT are given an additional 1 percent body fat. 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