This Is What It Felt Like to Be the 'FNG' in Vietnam

Intense humidity, leeches, and snakes were just a few of the dangers our Vietnam Veterans faced while in the jungle — besides getting shot by bad guys. In all, 2.7 million Americans suited up for The Nam, and the average age of an infantryman was just 19-years-old.

And every single one of them at one time or another claimed the title of "f*cking new guy," or "FNG."

Patton, Schwarzkopf and Mattis didn't start out on day one of their military careers by making all the right decisions, they had to learn from their mistakes time and time again, adapting to them before ultimately succeeding.

Like every story, every man whose served has a beginning — a seed.

"I didn't know squat, I wasn't prepared for this," Larry "Doc" Speed, a Combat Medic from 173rd Delta Company, explains in an interview about his first few days in the bush.

Entering the grunt world as an "FNG" is a stressful time in every new infantryman's life.

Having to prove your worth from the moment you step onto the battlefield was just as difficult as shaking off those first dramatic moments of being pinned down by accurate enemy gunfire. Until you prove yourself, you're just another blood bag with a name stenciled on a uniform.

"It's a different world when you're brand new, you're just scared," Jesse Salcedo, an M60 machine gunner admits. "It took three or four firefights before I could function before I could see the enemy."

Watch Mark Joyner's video below to hear the direct words from Vietnam Veterans about their first days in "The Nam."

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