What They Don't Tell You About Stepping on a Landmine in Vietnam

In this episode of Ask A Vet, we sit down with Dwight Moss, a Marine veteran who joined at 19, served in Vietnam in 1966, and survived what most men didn't. From watching his buddy get shot in a rice paddy, to nearly drowning on a river crossing, to stepping on a Bouncing Betty landmine that cut him from ankle to chest — Dwight's story is as raw and honest as they come. He also shares a remarkable out-of-body experience during a near-fatal bout of malaria, and what that moment meant for his faith, his life, and how he sees death itself.

Now 80 years old, VFW Chaplain, Ironman-distance athlete, and soon-to-be published author, Dwight reflects on survival, forgiveness, and what he believes he owes to the men who didn't come home.

EPISODE CHAPTERS

2:00 — Dwight's Background: Born in Murphy, NC / Joining the Marines at 19

7:00 — Leaving for Vietnam

9:00 — Arriving in Da Nang, 1966

11:00 — Life on Outpost: Sea Rations, Tony Vargas & Surviving Together

24:00 — Near-Death #1: Almost Drowning in a River

27:00 — The DMZ Mission: Every Man Dead

31:00 — Breaking Down with Malaria (106.2 Fever)

35:00 — Near-Death #2 & #3: Losing Vision + Leaving His Body

39:00 — Stepping on the Bouncing Betty Landmine

43:00 —Staying Calm While Bleeding Out

46:00 — Officers Sent to His Mom's House Before They Knew He'd Survive

48:00 — Helicoptered to Da Nang / The Flight Home Through the Philippines & Alaska

51:00 — Recovery: Botched Skin Grafts, Nerve Damage & Learning to Walk Again

54:00 — Swimming Back to Life: Ironman Distances After a Landmine

59:00 — Heart Issues at 80 / "Do What You Can Do Today"

1:02:00 — Dealing With the Trauma of What He Saw

1:04:00 — Becoming VFW Chaplain / Unconditional Forgiveness

1:07:00 — The Honor Flight to Washington D.C.

1:10:00 — Take Away From VietnamAsk A Vet is dedicated to documenting and preserving veterans' stories — in their own words, on their own terms, before their stories are gone forever.

#AskAVet #VietnamVeteran #MarineCorps #LandmineSurvivor #VeteranStories #PTSD #HonorFlight #MilitaryPodcast #VietnamWar #BountyBetty