The Giant Killer
Jesse L. "Bud Alley Jr.
Alley was twenty-three years old when he arrived in S. Vietnam in 1965 aboard a troop ship, many considered Second Lieutenant Alley to be an “old man.” Jesse “Bud” Alley earned a U.S. Army commission via the Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (ROTC) at Furman University in his hometown of Greenville, South Carolina.
He was selected as one of 1,000 ROTC graduates in 1964 to participate in the Army’s experimental “U2” program, whereby he was assigned as a platoon leader without attending an Officer Basic Course. Mr. Alley describes how the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry was created ad hoc by pulling personnel from other units because the 7th Cavalry Division needed an additional battalion to deploy with in 1965.
With his unit, he arrived in South Vietnam on September 14, 1965 aboard the USNS General Maurice Rose (T-AP-126) after sailing through the Panama Canal and surviving both a fire at sea and a typhoon. His first flight on a helicopter was aboard a Chinook (CH-47) from Qui Nhon to An Khe. Alley describes the organization and responsibilities of his battalion’s Headquarters & Headquarters Company (HHC).
He fondly reminisces about the battalion’s alcoholic cook who kept trying to desert, and a telephone call to Wheeling, WV he helped a friend make to talk to a wife who had just given birth. The highlight of this oral history is Alley’s detailed conversation with Joe Galloway about his participation in the battle at LZ Albany, 16-19 November 1965.
They then discuss the multi-national Operation MASHER/WHITEWING. His advice for future generations is to “Be damn careful who you elect. You gotta be informed.”
The Giant Killer book & page honors these war heroes the book details the incredible life of the smallest soldier, Green Beret Captain Richard Flaherty along with the harrowing stories from the men of the 101st Airborne in Vietnam. The Giant Killer FB page honors these incredible war heroes making sure their stories of valor and sacrifice are never forgotten. God Bless our Vets! Available now on Amazon & Walmart.
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