Manuel Silva

Manuel “Sonny” Silva served in the US Army from 1969 to 1970 and deployed to Vietnam with the 1st Cavalry Division. He is the recipient of numerous honors, including the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Purple Heart Medal.

After being drafted into the military, Silva went to Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Dix in New Jersey. After graduating top of his class in training, he was sent to Ranger School to be trained for Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols (LRRPs). However, Silva was thrown out of the program after reporting to Fort Benning a day late. After spending a month there in a holding company, he deployed to Vietnam and landed at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, near the capital city of Saigon.

From Tan Son Nhut Air Base, his unit was sent to the rear area of the 1st Cavalry Division in Phuoc Vinh. From there, his unit went to Tay Ninh Province, where Silva experienced combat for the first time. Near one of the Ho Chi Minh Trail routes along the Cambodian border, his unit was ambushed at around ten o’clock in the morning. Silva explained that most firefights lasted no more than ten to fifteen minutes, as the enemy knew that American soldiers would call in air support as soon as they were attacked.

As the new guy, Silva became the Radio Telephone Operator (RTO). He explained that RTOs, along with carrying the additional weight of the radio, were usually targeted by the enemy in order to cripple the ability of American forces to call in air support. In fact, Silva recalled that during an ambush, an enemy fighter fired a grenade launcher at him, causing shrapnel to hit his leg. One of his battle buddies shot the enemy fighter, saving Silva’s life. Despite the additional dangers of being an RTO, he liked the responsibility, stating, “I liked to know what was going on and being the first to know what was going on.”

Along with conducting search and destroy missions, Silva recalled that his unit walked into numerous bunker complexes that housed caches of weapons, ammunition, supplies, and other equipment. He explained they typically found the bunkers by following “trotters,” or trails, used by the North Vietnamese to transport said supplies and equipment into and around South Vietnam. Silva noted that they would never walk on the trails themselves, as they were usually booby trapped by the enemy. His unit also uncovered a massive cache during its incursion into Cambodia in the summer of 1970 which was dubbed “The City.”

Additionally, Silva recalled that his unit was excited to go into Cambodia, explaining that North Vietnamese soldiers would ambush American forces in South Vietnam and then retreat into Cambodia, where American forces couldn’t follow. If they did, they wouldn’t have air support. Thus, going into Cambodia was “payback time.”

Sadly, during his deployment, Silva lost two close friends: John Albert Hancock and Francis “Frank” Ware. Silva and Hancock went through training together, and Hancock would often attend Sunday dinners with Silva’s family. Silva explained that he was like another son to Silva’s mother. Unfortunately, John Hancock died during a friendly fire incident in December of 1969 while deployed to Vietnam.

Silva met Ware in Vietnam where they served in the same Company, and the two quickly became close friends. Ware even postponed his wedding so Silva could be his Best Man after they both finished their time in Vietnam. Sadly, Frank Ware was killed in an ambush in March of 1970 in Tay Ninh Province. After his death, Silva sent his family a comforting letter, stating, “I felt that I owed it to [Frank’s fiancé] and to Frank’s parents to say that ‘I knew him well. He was a great person. He did not suffer.’” 

While in Vietnam, Silva recalled hearing about the anti-war protests from friends and family at home. He was even told by other soldiers to change out of his uniform before leaving the airport. Unfortunately, after departing from Vietnam and arriving at San Francisco International Airport, Silva was spit on and called a “baby killer” by an elderly woman. He recalled that he was “very disappointed” with the US government and politicians.

Later in his life, Silva became involved in film production and was a consultant for the documentary series Vietnam in HD, which embraces the mantra, “It’s not the war you know, it’s the war they fought.” He also continues to help other veterans receive the benefits they are entitled to through the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

In his concluding remarks, Silva emphasized, “Nobody wins in a military conflict…Do all you can to see that people have conversations instead of conflicts.”

Additional Resources:

• Warrior Stories: Sonny Silva
• coLAB Arts: Sonny Silva
• Lou Reda Productions brings Vietnam War to life with ‘Vietnam in HD’
• Local veterans to appear in nationwide TV spot for Applebee’s, History
• The War is Still With Us: Sonny Silva
• A ‘cathartic’ experience for vet advisers in “Vietnam in HD”
• IMDb: Sonny Silva
• IMDb: Vietnam in HD
• IMDb: Brothers in War
• The Wall of Faces: Francis Louis Ware III
• The Wall of Faces: John Albert Hancock