Heavy Combat on the Mekong Delta | Green Beret Medic Receives the Silver Star

Ray Ketcham has lived an incredible life between his military service and his career in law enforcement. He received the Silver Star during his time in Vietnam, and had some interesting experiences throughout the deployment. The work that the early Special Forces units did training the South Vietnamese would lay the groundwork for the Green Berets of the future. Their ability to test weapons in combat, train the local populace, and embed with troops of a foreign nation is still a focus to this day.

Ray and his wife were nothing but kind to us during our time together. He is one of the only remaining SF guys to have served with Kyle's uncle Myron. Around half of our videos would not exist if it weren't for the relationships Myron left behind. We are beyond grateful for Ray's hospitality and his wife's cooking. We can not wait to be back on that side of the country to arrange another visit. Enjoy this look into the experiences of soldiers deployed before the war in Vietnam truly began, all told by someone as entertaining as Ray Ketcham. We hope you enjoy listening to him as much as we did.

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We appreciate your support as we continue to grow a platform dedicated to providing the public with first hand accounts of what our veterans experienced fighting for their country. Everything we do is funded out of our own pocket, and we want to be able to share as many of these stories as possible. If you enjoy what we do, drop us a like and subscribe to the channel. Every single one helps us fulfill our mission of providing people with incredible stories, showing our respect for our nation's heroes, and giving the younger generation real role models to look up to.

Thank you.

Kyle Hunter and Elijah Fleming

[kengrimsley]

Thank you for your service and sacrifice. All gave some. Some gave All.

[MarkDMason-fmlq]

Ray, your story resonates with the kind of quiet heroism that defines true service. Thank you for your remarkable dedication and sacrifice as a Green Beret Medic—it’s a profound gift to this nation. The backdrop in the video is striking, and Barbra's work truly enhances the beauty of the moment, capturing the essence of your experience with grace and care.

[matthewbyam]

Thank you for telling us your service story. God believes your going to heaven because you had so time in he!!. Wish you many more happy years. ❤❤

[kevinhuber]

I am so glad I found this channel. This was a very moving video for Me. Ray Ketcham is a special breed IMO, someone to look up to and use as an example to be a great "everyman" type of person. What a Man! Thank You for your Service not only in the military but as a Policeman as well. This is why the pay structure for police, fireman and teachers is so screwed up. Society needs quality people in these positions as the assumed responsibility is something the normal civilian can't fathom.

[keith]

Thank you for your service and welcome home

[the_roflcakes]

Great interview and a great storyteller. Thank you for your service!

[FrancisSullivan-jt]

ABSOLUTELY love this man, Thank you for Protecting we Americans, in this nation and New York state!!! From a retired new york city police man.

[garyhammond]

It's my understanding that the problem with the AR/M16 was due to the ammunition. The rifle/ammo combination was a complete package. Dupont could not keep up with the powder supply, so the government turned to Winchester ball powder. This powder produced more carbon which was jamming up the rifle. Originally, the rifles didn't come with cleaning rods because Stoner said they didn't need them. Well, that was with the correct powder loading. Think back to the Little Big Horn, similar problem. The original 45/70 cases were copper balloon heads, and the extractors were pulling off the case heads leaving the remainder of the cases stuck in the chamber.

[tnreprasentog]

Absolute blessing that ya'll got this mans testimony on record... ya know i would bet money this man knew my grandfather....he did 4 tours in Vietnam with special forces... i say he probably knew him just because he was part of those first couple waves of SF guys that went in country to Vietnam like Ray here... they are also both from New York... my gramps was a Intel SgT on 2 different A teams that i know of... i cant find any info on what my grandfather was doing those other 3 years he was in Vietnam (he passed in 2016 so i can't ask him smh and he was the hardest meanest mf you could ever meet)

[jediknight]

I was a part of "Operation Hot Sauce" 1st Armored Division back in the 90's. We lost a lot of good men to the latrine. German food was just fire back then.

[wydlmep]

Great story and video . Thank you for your service.

[waltercoutts]

Ray, Fisherman's Rest, '64 or'65. Sitting at the bar and you come in with a friend. I knew who you were . Went to CCD with your brother Joe. MHS of '64. You were talking about Nam and I'm thinking 'That ain't me". I was wrong Alpha Co. !st Bn. !8th Inf !st Div. 69-70.RTO. You look and sound good. Give my best to Joe and your sister. Brought back a lot of memories. Walter Coutts

[tnreprasentog]

Don't let this mans humbleness fool you....These SF medics were trained to be a doctor, nurse, and surgeon all in one... these guys could do anything a conventional doctor does except with half the supplies and practically no pay compared to a actual doctors salary lol these old SF dudes are bad as fuck fr

[davidclouse]

The VC "Owned the Night"/ Wearing Black Pajamas at Night/ Phantoms in the Jungle. Only the US Army Special Forces could Defeat the VC at their own Game.

[chrisbohanon]

He obviously ment to say m16 or car 15 no AR-15 were used in any war.

[rayscott]

Robert Walton received the silver star as a green beret medic in Vietnam. Yes the same that is a billionaire Walton to Walmart. He was a spec four at the time.

[gearoidable]

U sold out to adverts now disrepectfull