Richard Flaherty, was certainly a standout. His life may have ended tragically, but it was also a life that included real heroism and self-sacrifice. Richard was involved in martial arts long before anyone else knew much about them, Yuzuk said. top . She also worked as a teaching assistant in the History Department. You see, he did not meet the minimum height and weight requirements. He was struck and killed in a hit and run in 2015. If the army located an entrance and needed it explored, the team lowered a tunnel rat into the area to scout out the surroundings. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. 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]. by Tom Rosenbeck. Thankfully, Richard Flahertys story lives on, as he shared it with David Yuzuk, a local police officer, before his death. (Petty Officer 2nd Class . The US army now sought alternate measures. Flaherty was given a Silver Star for his actions in combat during the Tet Offensive, when his unit was ambushed with machine guns and grenades by Northern Vietnamese Army (NVA) troops in a hidden bunker. In a way, he was like a mentor. He fought and distinquished himself in Vietnam. 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. It was if he was hardening himself up for some special task.. Like Liked by 1 person The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. This restoration was pivotal as it enabled some of the key successes enjoyed by the Viet Cong. 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. My three-year journey of discovery dragged me down the rabbit hole of CIA conspiracies and the hunt for stolen classified weaponsstretching from the bloody jungles of Vietnam to the dangerous streets of Iraq and Venezuela, all in search of the peripatetic Green Beret Captain Richard J. Flaherty, Yuzuk said. As a result of their lunchtime talks, Yuzuk had decided to make a documentary about Flaherty. In his death, however, he found his home next to the woman he had loved, Lisa Anness Davis. But due to the Vietnam draft they would have likely taken him anyway if that was his only disqualifier from serving. After this, he refused to ever go into a tunnel again. Yet, both of these tactics were not as successful as they hoped. Some volunteered to go to Vietnam. Click Today's Obituaries to view all of the listings. Growing up, Flaherty was sensitive about his height (4'9"), therefore he tried to achieve the best physical fitness and learned martial arts. During these ongoing operations, he gained a reputation for intelligence, and the CIA in the late 1970s recruited him to supply the Contras in Central America with weapons and cash. Indirect Fire Infantrymen (MOS 11C), Combat Engineers (MOS 12B), and Bridge Crewmembers (MOS 12C) also have short . Already well-adapted to subterranean life, many insects and animals of the Vietnamese jungle found the underground tunnels to be a worthy living environment. Tweets from https://twitter.com/heralddispatch/lists/hd-news-4. Doctors from Stamford Connecticut's Regional Hospital worked intensely to save the newborn as his mother wasn't aware of her blood group of Rh-negative. He returned to Southeast Asia in 1969 and remained there until 1971 when he left the Army. He had spent his last years alive homeless. Soldier in Vietnam War was the Army's Badass Combatant . Invalid password or account does not exist. As a student, she worked in a variety of research positions, including as an archivist. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc. is the nonprofit organization authorized by Congress in 1980 to fund and build the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. . Phil Bucklew: The Father of US Naval Special Warfare. One of the prerequisites for and provisions of the accords was the return of all U.S. prisoners of war (POWs). The link to . He served as both an A and B detachment Commander. When he finally got past the 100-pound mark, he petitioned his Congressman to obtain a waiver for the Armys height restrictions. His height was no object, however, and he put together an impressive record, with the honors to match. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy. The stakes would then spear any soldier that fell into the pit. These story remain nothing more than bits and pieces of a life that seems to have become shrouded in anonymity. Both known as the shortest soldiers in their units, each would serve in numerous battles as soldiers. Captain Flaherty is the shortest man to have served in the Army's Special Forces Regiment. Next, the Viet Cong would dig a pit and jam the punji stakes upright in it. However, he was eventually arrested for possession of gun silencers and removed from the agency. He returned to Vietnam in 1969 and was stationed there until 1971. 4' 9" 97lb Vietnam War Vet Green Beret Captain Richard J. Flaherty was the smallest US soldier to ever serve in the military. 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. February 24, 2023. 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. Again, those inside suffocated. But many others were poor or working-class teenagers who enlisted or were drafted into the military right out of high school. March 28, 2022 Local Vietnam veterans showcase . Be Proactive. Amazingly, these tunnel rat soldiers were volunteers. In her spare time, Rosemary enjoys spending time with her partner, her cats, and her horse, or sitting down to read a good book. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. A former TV Reporter. 58,169 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.59 million who served. Owing to the need for a flashlight, it was essential that soldiers could aim and fire their weapon with one hand. Flaherty led his platoon in a flanking assault on the enemy position, during which an NVA bunker was spotted. A life warrior. In the end, his life has as much mystery in it as it does accounts of real grit and heroism. Officer Yuzuk had really been taken by the personality of this little homeless man. Due to the blood type, his growth was stunted which resulted in him being diagnosed with dwarfism.[2]. It helped give them the experience and confidence to cope with gas, should they encounter it in combat. 11,465 of those killed were younger than 20 years old. 1968 the A Shau Valley of South Vietnam. 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. Yuzuk also found papers showing that Flaherty had paid a deposit for a burial plot in Miltons Forest Memorial Park, with a request to be buried near Lisa Davis Anness, whom the Vietnam vet described as the love of his life. Flaherty would be considered a dwarf in medical terms, meaning that his height was less than 4 10.. Primary Source. You were a mighty man. Yuzuk learns that this unassuming 69-year-old man was a decorated military veteran. The documentary is supposed to come out sometime this year and I have included a trailer for it here. On parachute operations he was always the first out of the plane. [5] Fifteen years before Flaherty's death, he was befriended by Miami Police officer David Yuzuk after Flaherty became homeless. He says of Flaherty, I think that Vietnam tortured Richard.. The Vietnam War is also known as the Second Indochina War. 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. An Army Infantryman (MOS 11B) currently has the shortest amount of time in AIT at four weeks. This meant naturally handguns were most commonly chosen. Under Lieutenant Flahertys astute direction and leadership, the enemy bunker was swiftly destroyed, enabling his platoon to advance and continue its devastating attack against the enemy.. He returned to Vietnam in 1969 and stayed there until 1971 when he left the Army. He was the smallest man on campus. In particularly horrendous circumstances, enemy soldiers would dig another pit directly beside it. One of the huge psychological issues for tunnel rats was the closeness of combat. Reads: 47 Comments: 1. . 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. Richard Flaherty was probably the most unique Green Beret to ever serve in the U.S. Army's Special Forces. or anything. You just backed out and told them up above the tunnel was cold.. Though there are . He ended up leading a reconnaissance platoon, showing great . franklin roosevelt. A young German soldier, 1944. Flaherty had an admiration for the Army Special Forces known as the Green Berets. Postal Service. Start Reading. Vietnam), evaded for two weeks with a banged up leg and his right arm broken in three places. Tragically, he was killed in a hit and run during the early hours of May 9, 2015. It has a rating of 7.4 on IMDb. I Spent Seven Years as a Vietnam POW. It was the result of his mothers rare blood type that left him vulnerable to oxygen deprivation as an infant. Giant Killers are among us-- author David Yuzuk walked with one and returned with this tale." He was always recommending books and talking about philosophy, work and politics and eventually giving me advice. Owned and operated by CharityUSA.com, LLC. Provide food and supplies to veterans at The Veterans Site for free! For his leadership and heroism, he was awarded the Silver Star. Team Mighty. How many men and women have we lost to the anonymity of our city streets? He led a charge, which succeeded in pushing out the enemy. In a contemporary interview, he had said that Ive taken a lot of kidding about my size. Most useful for tunnel rats, however, was the experience gained in the dreaded gas chambers. Similarly, Operation Ceder Falls attempts to uncover and destroy the tunnel system. We here at the Veterans Site offer our sincerest thanks to Richard Flaherty for his service to the nation. 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. Flaherty's Irish ancestry came from his grandfather Joseph Patrick Flaherty, born in Aran Islands and his grandmother Bridget Smythe, born in Feakle. In 1970, Flaherty was reassigned to the 10th Special Forces Group, where he commanded another ODA and then an Operational Detachment Bravo (ODB), a headquarters element. When he graduated high school in 1966, the 4-foot-9-inch man . Wounded Marine Gunnery Sgt. 66F. 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. One American man was trying anything to get in. 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. He returned to the US at the end of his tour and attended Special Forces Officer Course at Fort Bragg. His only problem was that he stood four feet, nine inches tall. 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