46 min
Inside the Iron Triangle | Vietnam Combat in Pictures (from the time) | Kent Hillhouse Rd 2 Combat Story
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- History
Today we have a round two Combat Story with Kent Hillhouse where we recorded the episode with a screen available to look and talk through some more of his combat experiences with maps and photos from his time in service. Kent is a retired Major General who spent a year as a Platoon Leader and Tank Commander in Vietnam from August of 1967 to August of 1968.
👀 Don't miss out! Check out our Combat Check-In for exclusive updates, fascinating historical snippets, and much more! Visit www.combatstory.com/newsletter.
We wanted to do a Round 2 with Kent after I spent some time with him following our first interview looking over some of his photos from his year in ‘Nam and bringing some of the stories to life. In this episode, we dive into the Tet Offensive, which Kent was a part of as his platoon was sitting close to the Cambodian border when it kicked off in late January 1968.
We cover Kent’s months fighting in the Iron Triangle - an area notorious for being controlled by the enemy in dense vegetation and triple canopy jungles. We also hear a story of a fellow platoon leader who would go on to become a member of the storied SOG outfit following their initial rotation.
If you didn’t catch Round 1 with Kent, he grew up in California and Georgia and attended San Jose State while part of ROTC. He ended up in tanks (Armor) thinking he’d see little combat given how challenging the terrain in Vietnam was for tanks. Little did he know he’d be in a fight for his life, emerging on the other side with a purple heart and two Silver Stars. He would go on to become a two star general and continues to support the veteran community leading our local Veterans Memorial and Support Foundation of Los Gatos.
If you’re just listening to this episode and not watching on YouTube, you may want to take a peak at the video version on YouTube to see some of the images we talk through to get a better feel for what it was really like. With that, please enjoy this second round discussion with Kent Hillhouse.
You can support the Los Gatos Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation at https://honoravet.org/
Thanks to our sponsor - Mad Rabbit for taking care of your tattoos : For 25% off your order, head to MadRabbit.com/COMBATSTORY25 and use code COMBATSTORY25.
#vietnamwar #veterans #army #combat
🎙️ Connect with Ryan & Combat Story:
🔗 Ryan’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/combatstory 🛒 Merch Store: https://www.bonfire.com/store/combatstory/ 📸 Instagram: @combatstory https://www.instagram.com/combatstory 📘 Facebook: @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial 📖 Learn more about Ryan: https://www.combatstory.com/aboutus 🎵 Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle ⏰ Show Notes:
00:00 Intro 00:58 Guest Intro Round 2 w/ Kent Hillhouse: A Combat Story of Valor 03:13 The Tet Offensive: A Firsthand Account 05:29 The Journey to Saigon: Combat and Camaraderie 16:04 Inside the M48 Tank: A Detailed Look 21:50 Inside The Iron Triangle Encounter 26:35 Navigating the Dense Terrain: A Combat Story 27:29 Radio Station Assault: Strategy and Challenges 28:13 The Heat of Battle: Survival and Tactics 35:47 Aftermath and Reflections: Leadership in Combat 37:56 Reconnecting and Remembering: The Story of Lou 44:04 Closing Thoughts and Viewer Engagement
Vietnam,Vietnam War,SOG,Special Operations,Tanks,Silver Star,Purple Heart,Cavalry,M48,M109,Veteran,Stories,Action,Adventure,Images,combat story,Tet Offensive,Cambodian border,Iron Triangle,platoon leader,tank commander,Major General,veteran community,combat experiences,RPG,AK-47,screen available,maps and photos,Nam
Today we have a round two Combat Story with Kent Hillhouse where we recorded the episode with a screen available to look and talk through some more of his combat experiences with maps and photos from his time in service. Kent is a retired Major General who spent a year as a Platoon Leader and Tank Commander in Vietnam from August of 1967 to August of 1968.
👀 Don't miss out! Check out our Combat Check-In for exclusive updates, fascinating historical snippets, and much more! Visit www.combatstory.com/newsletter.
We wanted to do a Round 2 with Kent after I spent some time with him following our first interview looking over some of his photos from his year in ‘Nam and bringing some of the stories to life. In this episode, we dive into the Tet Offensive, which Kent was a part of as his platoon was sitting close to the Cambodian border when it kicked off in late January 1968.
We cover Kent’s months fighting in the Iron Triangle - an area notorious for being controlled by the enemy in dense vegetation and triple canopy jungles. We also hear a story of a fellow platoon leader who would go on to become a member of the storied SOG outfit following their initial rotation.
If you didn’t catch Round 1 with Kent, he grew up in California and Georgia and attended San Jose State while part of ROTC. He ended up in tanks (Armor) thinking he’d see little combat given how challenging the terrain in Vietnam was for tanks. Little did he know he’d be in a fight for his life, emerging on the other side with a purple heart and two Silver Stars. He would go on to become a two star general and continues to support the veteran community leading our local Veterans Memorial and Support Foundation of Los Gatos.
If you’re just listening to this episode and not watching on YouTube, you may want to take a peak at the video version on YouTube to see some of the images we talk through to get a better feel for what it was really like. With that, please enjoy this second round discussion with Kent Hillhouse.
You can support the Los Gatos Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation at https://honoravet.org/
Thanks to our sponsor - Mad Rabbit for taking care of your tattoos : For 25% off your order, head to MadRabbit.com/COMBATSTORY25 and use code COMBATSTORY25.
#vietnamwar #veterans #army #combat
🎙️ Connect with Ryan & Combat Story:
🔗 Ryan’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/combatstory 🛒 Merch Store: https://www.bonfire.com/store/combatstory/ 📸 Instagram: @combatstory https://www.instagram.com/combatstory 📘 Facebook: @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial 📖 Learn more about Ryan: https://www.combatstory.com/aboutus 🎵 Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle ⏰ Show Notes:
00:00 Intro 00:58 Guest Intro Round 2 w/ Kent Hillhouse: A Combat Story of Valor 03:13 The Tet Offensive: A Firsthand Account 05:29 The Journey to Saigon: Combat and Camaraderie 16:04 Inside the M48 Tank: A Detailed Look 21:50 Inside The Iron Triangle Encounter 26:35 Navigating the Dense Terrain: A Combat Story 27:29 Radio Station Assault: Strategy and Challenges 28:13 The Heat of Battle: Survival and Tactics 35:47 Aftermath and Reflections: Leadership in Combat 37:56 Reconnecting and Remembering: The Story of Lou 44:04 Closing Thoughts and Viewer Engagement
Vietnam,Vietnam War,SOG,Special Operations,Tanks,Silver Star,Purple Heart,Cavalry,M48,M109,Veteran,Stories,Action,Adventure,Images,combat story,Tet Offensive,Cambodian border,Iron Triangle,platoon leader,tank commander,Major General,veteran community,combat experiences,RPG,AK-47,screen available,maps and photos,Nam
46 min