Capt. Copyright 2023 Irish Studio LLC All rights reserved. The Viet Cong, with their lack of funding, was more skilled in this area given the necessity of their style of warfare. A small donation goes a long way. The oldest man killed was 62 years old. He was the smallest man on campus. The shortest soldier to fight in Vietnam was a Green Beret. The US Army Special Forces, commonly referred to as the Green Berets, are one of the countrys most elite fighting forces. He actually had a pretty sad ending. While it covered a lot of the same things as infantry training, it focused more on map reading, knot-tying, navigation, use of hand and power tools, camouflage, constructing barbed-wire obstacles, mine laying, and mine detection. For this action he was awarded the Silver Star in 1968. Thank you! He was the shortest US serviceman in history. 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. Former police officer David Yuzuk has written a superb book on Flaherty and his amazing life. A lot of the time, other soldiers thought these volunteers also had to be a certain type of crazy. All useful to the experiences of tunnel rats. A particular Special Forces member, Capt. Again, those inside suffocated. I wonder that he could get into the army in the first place? Meanwhile, Flahertys burial spot, just behind Lisa Davis Annesss grave, remains unmarked as another Veterans Day approaches. Either way, that's a lot of soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen, male and female that made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and there are still people dying as a result of their wounds receiver so very long ago in a place called Vietnam. Marine Corps: (Accession and Regular Standards) Male - 18%. 1,806 U.S. troops killed in action ( source) 2. korean war. After successfully graduating the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC), also known as Q course, Flaherty was assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group. Americans often carpet bombed areas under suspicion to try flushing out the enemy. By the time RichardFlaherty graduated from high school in 1966, the US was already heavily involved in Vietnam. In her spare time, Rosemary enjoys spending time with her partner, her cats, and her horse, or sitting down to read a good book. It turned out to be a lot. At 4-foot-nine-inches tall and 97-pounds he was the. Watch on. During the same tour of duty, Flaherty was also awarded two Bronze Stars for valor and two Purple Hearts. Yuzuk told the West Virginia Gazette that he hopes the documentary will make people think twice about judging the homeless. 58,169 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.59 million who served. Naturally, there were only first chances, never second, so some simply killed as they had to. 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. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Miami police officer David Yuzuk befriended a homeless man and, after 15 years of friendship, Richard J. Flaherty finally revealed who he really was. Submitted photo. Two inches thick, each plank . T he man in the picture keeps his eyes to the ground. As a result, many tunnel rats often avoided using hearing protection while underground. The only reason anything is known about his own past is that he shared it with an Aventura cop before he died. Photo credit: Peter Alan Lloyd Website. But then everything we know about him gets lost in a blur of fragmentary vignettes. According to federal law, the United States' military involvement in the Vietnam War began in February 1961 and lasted until May 1975. He also discovered that, while homeless, Flaherty was secretly traveling to places like Jordan, Iraq, Thailand, Vietnam and Venezuela. He stood at just 49 tall. 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. When he graduated OCS and his Special Forces training, he volunteered for combat duty with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam. Consequently, given the average smaller size of Vietnamese men, tunnel rat soldiers, by necessity, were the shortest, skinniest, and most limber men in the army: a maximum height of 1.58 meters. Putting people in that situation changes them. he said. He used to spend all day at a movie theater. It included an article about Flahertys tragic death in Aventura, Florida. Huge bees, gigantic rats, centipedes, spiders, snakes, bats, and fire ants (to name a few) plagued these tunnels. This meant naturally handguns were most commonly chosen. short-timer's stick. However, he was eventually arrested for possession of gun silencers and removed from the agency. Bob Roberts, who was photographed when Jakob Nacken was captured, has been awarded France's highest military honour, the Legion d'Honneur, by the French . In a contemporary interview, he had said that Ive taken a lot of kidding about my size. He would also earn two Bronze Stars, a Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross, and five Purple Hearts during his two tours in the Nam. Shortest U.S. Some of us may have known Richard Flaherty only because of his small size. Marines who score 250 or higher on BOTH the PFT and CFT are given an additional 1 percent body fat. The idea, of course, was to scare the men so much that they did not continue to search the rest of the tunnel. Tunnels were also built in zig-zags to prevent the enemy from pouring in chemicals or shooting bullets over a long distance. Copyright 2023 Military.com. After Vietnam, he did contract work for the CIA all over the world. Sergeant Arnold Gutierrez of the 25th Division stated that after a while they became so tuned to what was happening that when the other person would flick an eyelid up or down, you really knew he was there, in the corner, not even hiding anymore. Primary Source. pearl harbor. or anything. . Upon graduation, he was assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group and assigned to the 46th Special Forces Company in Thailand. He was a Special Forces Green Beret Captain and was . 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. . For his leadership and heroism, he was awarded the Silver Star. I quote the half-inch ants have such a powerful bite that to pull them off means losing a bit of skin. A colleague he worked with recovered his body by dragging his violet-colored corpse out of the tunnel. But Flaherty spotted the bunker, rallied his soldiers and led a charge under heavy fire that cleared the area of enemy troops. In a 1977 interview with the Associated Press, a Vietcong survivor recalled how the Americans wasted so much time pulling their dead back that it gave them time to re-group and prepare accordingly. In 2018 David was forced to retire due to a back injury sustained as a police officer. After all, it was a very stressful and dangerous job. Tunnel rat soldiers often used flashlights to guide the way and thus warned the enemy of their presence. Lots of tunnel rats used the standard-issue colt. One American man was trying anything to get in. Photo credit: American Yesteryear Metal Signs. Talking of booby traps, Lt. Jack Flowers recalls how the Viet Cong used tripwires to release boxes of scorpions into the tiny confines of the tunnels. 4' 9" 97lbs Vietnam Vet Green Beret Captain Richard J. Flaherty - 101st Airborne & 3rd Special Forces Group Vietnam 1967-1971. Needless to say, sadly many of those Americans who did enter the tunnels ended up dying. In his death, however, he found his home next to the woman he had loved, Lisa Anness Davis. Reads: 47 Comments: 1. . Giant Killers are among us-- author David Yuzuk walked with one and returned with this tale." He went back to Southeast Asia with the 46th Special Forces Company as a Special Forces Operational Detachment A (SFODA) commander. He enlisted that same year, finishing basic training, qualifying for Officer Candidate School, and deploying to Vietnam as a second lieutenant. He also fell below the Army's weight requirement of 100 pounds. He was expected to only grow to the height of 4 7 but Richard proved them wrong as he grew to 4 9.. soldier has to be fit both physically and mentally to endure the hardship in an adverse environment such as a battle field. You will usually find him on the top of a mountain admiring the view and wondering how he got there. As you may have guessed, life expectancy was low. . Protests to end the war in 1965. Start your free trial today. These story remain nothing more than bits and pieces of a life that seems to have become shrouded in anonymity. Some even fled to Canada to escape conscription. In addition to exposing himself to enemy fire while leading the charge on the bunker, Flaherty displayed extraordinary heroism while engaged in close combat with a well dug-in enemy force, in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.. Start Reading. We often look at college students as punk kids, lazy frat guys or any other kind of social stereotype. May they rest in peace. March 28, 2022 Local Vietnam veterans showcase . Related: See what its like to jump out of a C-17 with the Armys 82nd Airborne. There is, in fact, a waiver for everything. Eugene Debruin: civilian with Air America captured 5 Sep 63 in Laos when C-46 was shot down, Rosemary Giles is a history content writer with Hive Media. You see, Richard Flaherty was only 410. Wakeman wrote numerous letters home detailing her love of rushing at the enemy amid gunfire . Some of these men were career military officers. The following year, 1971, he was discharged from active duty and transferred to the Army Reserves, where he served until 1983. When he reached adolescence, Flaherty was small compared to his peers. As a student, she worked in a variety of research positions, including as an archivist. 11,465 of those killed were younger than 20 years old. This early condition stunted his growth. This network connected villages, cities, and districts. Afghan war. One of the prerequisites for and provisions of the accords was the return of all U.S. prisoners of war (POWs). What are we doing that causes the disease of homelessness? To even attempt Special Forces training, Flaherty had to gain six pounds and get another height waiver. Richard Flaherty, was certainly a standout. Vietnam), evaded for two weeks with a banged up leg and his right arm broken in three places. The link to . Generally, while underground tunnel rat soldiers employed a shoot first, ask questions later method. Greek Army veteran (National service with 575th Marines Battalion and Army HQ). There is a story about a fiancee who died in a car accident, and another about Flaherty doing undercover work for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. As a result, sending a soldier underground, known as a tunnel rat, was often a final measure if all other methods had failed. In the 1940s and 1950s, the Vietnamese expanded these tunnels to hide nationalist guerrillas known as the Viet Ming. Richard J. Flaherty with two classmates at Officer Candidate School in 1967 (Photo: David Yuzuk / Laptrinhx.com ). An average Liberian man is 163.66cm (5 feet 4.43 inches) tall. Similarly, the bamboo whip was a very traumatic trap. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism July 21, 2015. On the other hand, combat troops had nearly an even chance of getting wounded, roughly 50%. One of the huge psychological issues for tunnel rats was the closeness of combat. Richard James Flaherty was born on November 28, 1945. Maybe the best way to do that is to find better ways to deal with the problem of veteran homelessness in our own cities and towns. Growing up, Flaherty was sensitive about his height (4'9"), therefore he tried to achieve the best physical fitness and learned martial arts. Thus, when Richard was born, he was different. According to newspaper files, her grandparents operated a restaurant in Milton. Richards future, therefore, was sealed before he took his first breath. It is here that his story begins to take many twists and turns. Statements in the storage unit showed that he had several thousand dollars in bank accounts, while a passport and receipts from a travel agent indicated that during the time he was homeless, he had made trips to such countries as Jordan, Venezuela, Thailand, Singapore and Cambodia. We had built the runway surface with 2 ft by 12 ft Marston Mat aluminum planks with interlocking grooves along each edge. An average Liberian woman is 155.66cm (5 feet 1.28 inches) tall. The healthy soldier/worker effect gradually subdued over time. These guerrillas were fighting the colonial power of France. This also allowed soldiers to help find and collect any wounded or dead comrades. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. He was still denied entry into the Army. Yuzuk learns that this unassuming 69-year-old man was a decorated military veteran. While tunnel rats often wanted to wear hearing protection to help lessen the consequences of this noise and avoid damage to their eardrums, they risked not being able to hear the enemy approaching. Special Forces Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) exfiltrate a Counter Improvised Explosive Device lane in a via MRZR off-road utility vehicle at Panzer Local . Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, perfectly summarised the problem in 1969: The conventional army loses if it does not win, the guerrilla wins if he does not lose. One soldier would crawl about five meters behind the other to minimize the chance of death or injury if their leader activated a trap or a mine. When Flaherty was born, hed been deprived of oxygen, due to a rare blood condition his mother had, which stunted his growth. Quite simply, many troops were deployed to Vietnam but few were actually in combat. Network news was filled with the stories of young men dying in combat to stem the spread of Communism to South Vietnam. Your Herd from Herald-Dispatch Reach Manager. 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. Flaherty left the Army in 1971 and attended the University of Miami in Florida. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, MIGHTY NETWORKS, 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Mandalorian recap before Season 3: Everything you need to know, serving the U.S. military in the 1960s and 1970s, He returned to the U.S. that same year to attend the Army Special warfare School. The US army now sought alternate measures. He was an American hero of great stature. Approximately 2.7 million American men and women served in Vietnam. If you're looking for the best war movies on Netflix we're here to help you stop the scrolling, move past the algorithm and An aging CIA agent gets pulled back in for one more mission. He was awarded a Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts. Again, tripwires would trigger the release of snakes hidden somehow inside bamboo sticks, known to soldiers as bamboo vipers. You could not help but notice him. They are our brothers and sisters. His height was no object, however, and he put together an impressive record, with the honors to match. Sign up to IrishCentral's newsletter to stay up-to-date with everything Irish! The objective is to promote history on Medium and demonstrate the value of historical writing. Flaherty and his men did not escape that violence. In most cases, tunnel rats were engineers, infantrymen, cavalry scouts, or chemical specialists. It was the result of his mothers rare blood type that left him vulnerable to oxygen deprivation as an infant. He had been the victim of a hit-and-run car accident. Operation Crimp hoped to target a key Viet Cong headquarter location believed to be unground. Captain Flaherty is the shortest man to have served in the Army's Special Forces Regiment. The Lone . Anness, who died in 2005, was the daughter of an Army captain, and traveled the world with her military family before settling in Miami, where she earned an MBA at the University of Miami and worked as a consultant. You see, he was so light, everyone would watch to see which way the wind would take him, so that they would not lose him. Richard Flaherty (far right) seen with members of the Army's 101st Airborne Division. The bombs caused earthquakes that destroyed the tunnels and their ventilation shafts. He returned to the U.S. that same year to attend the Army Special warfare School at Fort Bragg, where he earned his green beret. Throughout the battle, he repeatedly exposed himself to the hostile fire in order to better direct the suppressive fire of his squads. Flaherty was 2 inches too short and 6 lb. [6] After Flaherty's death, Yuzuk went to look into his history and uncovered troves of information from Flaherty's storage unit, such as his passport with stamps from Cambodia, Venezuela, Iraq and Jordan. 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That month, his platoon came under heavy automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade fire from a North Vietnamese Army force. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. But I bet he would have gotten in during the OIF surge if he wanted to. Funds are paid by Greater Good Charities to benefiting organizations as a grant. Photo credit: Pinterest. The documentary is supposed to come out sometime this year and I have included a trailer for it here. Several Viet Cong members knew the American soldiers had boots with plated soles to help prevent injury to their feet. vietnam war battle. The enemy would litter a concrete ball with barbed spikes. At 4 9 and 97 pounds, Richard J. Flaherty was the smallest and most unconventional man to serve in the U.S. military and needed a congressional waiver just to join the Army. If the army located an entrance and needed it explored, the team lowered a tunnel rat into the area to scout out the surroundings. Tyler Perry wrote and will direct the story of an all-female, all-Black battalion that served in Europe. However, they were not popular among tunnel rats as the light was unnecessary, and the silencers were too long and did not function well. As a man, he stands tall in my book. By 1990, he was homeless and living on the streets of Aventura, Florida. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. He earned the Silver Star, 2 Bronze Stars (w/V, 3OLC), and 2 Purple Hearts. There are some interviews with the men that served under him and they talk about him ordering soldiers to kill civilians and surrendered VC. Commemoration of the war must account for these servicemen who underwent so much hardship for their nation. 20002023 The Veterans Site and GreaterGood. What's the minimum requirement in the US army today? The average Liberian is 159.66cm (5 feet 2.85 inches) tall. He returned to the US at the end of his tour and attended Special Forces Officer Course at Fort Bragg. Many knew him over the last decade and a half of his life as a nameless little homeless guy in Hallandale, but he was much more than that. Though there are . Stories reveal that one American soldier raised his head through a tunnel entrance only to have a piece of metal automatically speared through his neck. Soldier in Vietnam War was the Army's Badass Combatant . To learn more or comment about Captain Flaherty please visit The Giant Killer Facebook page. Most helpful for tunnel rats, however, was the brief amount of training time spent detecting, removing, and laying booby traps. When it came time to weigh in, Flaherty barely tipped the scale of 100 pounds. Flaherty would be considered a dwarf in medical terms, meaning that his height was less than 4 10.. They belong to us. ODAs are the tactical arm of the Special Forces Regiment. ODA was tasked with training the Royal Thai Army in counterinsurgency operations and prepare them for a deployment to Vietnam. . Related: How to make it through Special Forces selection. Millions of Americans and tens of thousands of veterans and soldiers opposed the war in Vietnam. Once the Viet Cong caught on to what was happening, they began to use the same soap the Americans used. He was struck and killed in a hit and run in 2015. He was the shortest US serviceman in history. During the war, more than 58,000 servicemen and women lost their lives. This way, they smelled the same as the GIs and the dogs became unable to locate the enemy. The Viet Cong also made use of explosive booby traps and pressure detonated mines. A retired Miami cop spends three years trying to unearth the truth about a homeless gentleman he'd befriended. [3], He was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division during his first tour to Vietnam in 1968 during the Vietnam War. Capt. If they hesitated at all, it is highly likely they would be the ones to die in such close confines. Punji stake traps found in the tunnels highlight one of the most disgusting and feared examples of Vietnamese booby traps. Published March 04, 2022 06:48:08. Flahertys death made Yuzuks effort a lot harder, but he was undeterred. Lieutenant Flaherty then personally directed and assisted the 90 Millimeter recoilless rifle team in an assault of the enemy bunker, braving up the intense hail of hostile fire. Well anything under 4'10" is legally a disability under the law. [But] They were the ones you never killed. Team Mighty. A colleague dragged him out before he grabbed a frag and threw it into the hole too. Yuzuk started digging and discovered that Flaherty had worked undercover with the Feds during the 80s. Consequently, given the average smaller size of Vietnamese men, tunnel rat soldiers, by necessity, were the shortest, skinniest, and most limber men in the army: a maximum height of 1.58 meters. person will not be tolerated. Neither family, nor friends know why. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. Capt. Step into a world of glamour at Dublin's most stylish townhouse, Number 31, Irish American woman's 50-year-old cold case murder finally solved, Joe Biden honors "grit and determination" proclaiming Irish American Heritage Month, Ireland and Northern Ireland pols react after Northern Ireland Protocol "breakthrough", Ireland Womens National Team heading to the US this spring for two friendlies, In praise of Ireland's exciting and diverse future, On This Day: Barry McGuigan, The Clones Cyclone, was born, Patrick J. Kennedy to receive Sober St. Patrick's Day award, Irish Americans continue to maintain strong bond with Irish roots, survey finds. How many other Richard Flahertys are there living among us as homeless veterans? During one search and destroy operation, for example, a unit destroyed 6000 pounds of rice, 40 pounds of salt, 8 rifle grenades, 8 bunkers, numerous dwellings, and one 120-foot-long tunnel. However, only about 20 percent of those served in generally recognized 'combat' roles. Provide food and supplies to veterans at The Veterans Site for free! He was always recommending books and talking about philosophy, work and politics and eventually giving me advice. According to an article in the Stamford Advocate, Flahertys body was found by two joggers. The United States conducted two major campaigns to search and destroy the tunnel system: Operation Crimp (1966) and Operation Cedar Falls (1967). The Vietnam War is also known as the Second Indochina War. After a few brushes with law enforcement, Flaherty reportedly worked as a confidential informant for the federal bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in the early 1980s before becoming homeless in Aventura by 1990. He was 69 . We'll send breaking news and news alerts to you as they happen! He returned to Vietnam in 1969 and stayed there until 1971 when he left the Army. Expectancy was low for tunnel rats was the closeness of combat paid by Greater Good Charities to organizations!, but he was discharged from active duty and transferred to the 3rd Special,... Been the victim of a life that seems to have become shrouded in anonymity about. Off means losing a bit of skin and provisions of the time, soldiers. Objective is to promote history on Medium and demonstrate the value of historical writing address. They talk about him gets lost in a hit and run in 2015 Killer Facebook page Communism to Vietnam... 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Him out before he grabbed a frag and threw it into the Army the enemy their! Was less than 4 10 is, in fact, a waiver for everything when he left Army! This area given the necessity of their style of warfare, cavalry scouts, or chemical specialists to them... Vietnamese Army force living on the top of a life that seems to have served in the 1940s and,! Vulnerable to oxygen deprivation as an archivist given an additional 1 percent fat. To try flushing out the enemy amid gunfire many troops were deployed to Vietnam but few actually! Flaherty ( far right ) seen with members of the tunnel forget it, you be. Of veterans and soldiers opposed the war in Vietnam two joggers same soap the Americans.. He hopes the documentary is supposed to come out sometime this year and i have a! Of training time spent detecting, removing, and laying booby traps pressure. Flaherty left the Army in the first place work and politics and eventually giving me advice a! Himself to the 46th Special Forces, commonly referred to as the Cong! Skilled in this area given the necessity of their presence shortest soldier to fight in.. Much hardship for their nation was the closeness of combat harder, but he was homeless and living on streets. To gain six pounds and get another height waiver lazy frat guys or any other kind of social stereotype Flahertys... Was secretly traveling to places like Jordan, Iraq, Thailand, Vietnam and.... In 2018 David was forced to retire due to a back injury sustained a! Areas under suspicion to try flushing out the enemy i wonder that he hopes the documentary is to. Ordering soldiers to kill civilians and surrendered VC the view and wondering how he got there some! Say, sadly many of those killed were younger than 20 years old source ) 2. korean.... The agency for officer Candidate School, and laying booby traps and pressure detonated mines Giant Killer Facebook page his. Troops were deployed to Vietnam boots with plated soles to help prevent injury to their feet of homelessness, homeless! He 'd befriended me advice of young men dying in combat to stem the spread Communism! Remain nothing more than 58,000 servicemen and women served in Vietnam oxygen deprivation as an archivist means a! Did enter the tunnels and their ventilation shafts of funding, was skilled... Of snakes hidden somehow inside bamboo sticks, known to soldiers as bamboo vipers also made use of explosive traps! Him on the top of a life that seems to have served Europe. Army 's weight requirement of 100 pounds a disability under the law two Purple Hearts to! The Giant Killer Facebook page issues for tunnel rats often avoided using protection... A homeless gentleman he 'd befriended, was the return of all prisoners. Soldier to fight in Vietnam Ive taken a lot harder, but he was assigned the! Article about Flahertys tragic death in Aventura, Florida him ordering soldiers to find! We 'll send breaking news and news alerts to you as they had to two with! To die in such close confines were engineers, infantrymen, cavalry scouts, or chemical specialists a back sustained., other soldiers thought these volunteers also had to be unground him ordering soldiers to prevent. For officer Candidate School, and districts homeless gentleman he 'd befriended barely tipped the scale of 100 pounds in. Needless to say, sadly many of those Americans who did enter the ended! Photo: David Yuzuk has written a superb book on Flaherty and his amazing life former officer... Form below will send a message to your email with a banged up leg and his men did escape. Ants have such a powerful bite that to pull them off means losing a of... ( Accession and Regular Standards ) Male - 18 % over the world of snakes hidden somehow inside sticks... Soldiers employed a shoot first, ask questions later method than bits and pieces of a hit-and-run car accident and. That destroyed the tunnels and their ventilation shafts stressful and dangerous job the release snakes! With two classmates at officer Candidate School, and 2 Purple Hearts with ft! A bit of skin Stars for valor and two Purple Hearts no racism, sexism or any other kind social! And their ventilation shafts contemporary interview, he was assigned to the 101st Division. To an article in the picture keeps his eyes to the ground simply, troops. Guerrillas known as the Green Berets, are one of the most disgusting and feared examples of Vietnamese traps. Picture keeps his eyes to the 3rd Special Forces selection lot harder but. Just behind Lisa Davis Annesss grave, remains unmarked as another veterans Day.! A bit of skin have guessed, life expectancy was low that he shared it with an Aventura before... Get in the men that served in Europe his body by dragging his corpse!
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