Your handyman ate the cat?
I would have been pissed.
I would have been pissed.
Snubby in Vietnam
- Thread starter SF VET
- Start date
Sistema1927
US Veteran
It was very un-officer like of you to share your booty from home (the car models) with mere NCO's, but as a former NCO I salute you.
Llew Taranau
Member
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2021
- Messages
- 59
- Reaction score
- 145
This is early in my first six months, based out of Cau Lanh, in the middle of the Delta, up against the Cambodian Border. At the edge of the Plain of Reeds, a vast area of flat, featureless, wet reeds, with water maybe a few feet to ten feet or more. One couldn't see how deep it was just by looking down from a boat or 'chopper. I was there in the Rainy Season, so I don't know what it was like in the "dry" season.
this is the SGT who was a pistol guy, always wearing about 5 or more handguns all over him. He had the great eagle tattoo on his chest, and every evening would take off his top and the local troops would come and admire his art. Many of the local troops had crude self-tattoos, a popular one was to have "kill VC" on their left hand, in the web between the thumb and index finger. I thought about it, but never did any tattoos, besides, if worse comes to worse, how does one explain that to a captor.
He was the body builder, with about 60 pounds of barbells in his ruck, and would toss it to the local troops catching our gear when we hopped off our chopper. Note his M16 has a 30 round mag, I never had had any, only 20 round mags. We always traveled "locked and loaded."
We would stay out about a week or so, trying to teach how to call in and direct air strikes, but it was a peaceful area, and the troops there had no interest in warfighting, just napping and drinking.
I suspect this is shot with my early simple Ricoh camera, but still has pretty good resolution. I have my ruck and our PRC 77 radio but don't see my own rifle, so was just carrying my issue 1911.
A tiny hamlet, along a canal of sorts, this is where the Jesuit priest lived, the one I gave a M3 .45 Grease Gun to when he showed me his revolver. After wondering what happened to him, I found out about a decade ago he returned and went on to a long and very productive life of missionary work.
This is the hamlet where I first had to come to an acceptance of the terrible things that happen to people, especially children. The place where the little girl had been shot in the chest, and no one would help her.
All the best, and stay safe. SF VET.
this is the SGT who was a pistol guy, always wearing about 5 or more handguns all over him. He had the great eagle tattoo on his chest, and every evening would take off his top and the local troops would come and admire his art. Many of the local troops had crude self-tattoos, a popular one was to have "kill VC" on their left hand, in the web between the thumb and index finger. I thought about it, but never did any tattoos, besides, if worse comes to worse, how does one explain that to a captor.
He was the body builder, with about 60 pounds of barbells in his ruck, and would toss it to the local troops catching our gear when we hopped off our chopper. Note his M16 has a 30 round mag, I never had had any, only 20 round mags. We always traveled "locked and loaded."
We would stay out about a week or so, trying to teach how to call in and direct air strikes, but it was a peaceful area, and the troops there had no interest in warfighting, just napping and drinking.
I suspect this is shot with my early simple Ricoh camera, but still has pretty good resolution. I have my ruck and our PRC 77 radio but don't see my own rifle, so was just carrying my issue 1911.
A tiny hamlet, along a canal of sorts, this is where the Jesuit priest lived, the one I gave a M3 .45 Grease Gun to when he showed me his revolver. After wondering what happened to him, I found out about a decade ago he returned and went on to a long and very productive life of missionary work.
This is the hamlet where I first had to come to an acceptance of the terrible things that happen to people, especially children. The place where the little girl had been shot in the chest, and no one would help her.
All the best, and stay safe. SF VET.
Perhaps like most kids, when I was growing up, for as far back as I could remember, I wanted to be like my dad, a career Naval Aviator since the late '30's. I took the Naval ROTC physical when I finished HS in '65, and found out that I am color-blind, and was thus never eligible to even be a "line" officer in the navy, much less an Aviator. I was pretty down about it, but talked with the father of one of my HS friends, whose dad had just returned from Vietnam as commander of all SF in Vietnam. He told me that I should become army Special Forces, and when I replied that being in the Special Services sounded like a great alternative, he chided me with "...Special Services rents canoes, Special Forces actually fight."
As I have mentioned previously, I called my wife and mother of our 3 year old son from Travis AFB just before boarding a jet to Vietnam, and she informed of her affair with an Army doctor, and would be now living with him. Totally, totally surprising me.
Ever since graduating from HS, my career plans had exclusively focused on an Army career. Putting my wife out of my mind, I think in retrospect something important for me to come home from my first war, as I saw the terrible things that happen to non-combatents, the first vague idea that some sort of medical career was in my future began to percolate in my mind. But I had been an English major in college, and an absolutely miserable student of the required chemistry and math courses.
The military had several programs for service members in Vietnam, one, the "Big Ten" was a savings program with 10% interest, a good deal at the time. Sending an allotment and my Hostile Fire pay to my "wife" did not leave me anything left over for my participation in the "Big Ten" program.
But the Army had a program of free college courses, out of all places, Nebraska. I felt I somehow had to learn science courses, esp chemistry, if I was ever going to be some sort of medical person. So I started a chem course, and my remote instructor was non other than the one back in Lincoln who had generously passed me with a D in his class. I carried my chem text in a plastic bag, and used my 6 inch metal slide rule to learn how to do the problems.
When I had some down time, I would get out my text and my slide rule, and the local troops, never having seen such a tool, would ask me what it was for. I told them it foretold the future, and they would ask questions like how many sons they would have and how long they would live.
I made up some number of sons, and would manipulate my little Pickett and reply to their inquiry as to their life span, with "... not good, not much life left."
My long path to eventually becoming Flash Qualified SF and an Army Flight surgeon and service in Desert Storm is for another time.
Was out to a SC State rifle range yesterday, shooting my 105 grain hand loads in my Belgium Browning 243. Accurate.
So stay safe, and all the best..... SF VET
As I have mentioned previously, I called my wife and mother of our 3 year old son from Travis AFB just before boarding a jet to Vietnam, and she informed of her affair with an Army doctor, and would be now living with him. Totally, totally surprising me.
Ever since graduating from HS, my career plans had exclusively focused on an Army career. Putting my wife out of my mind, I think in retrospect something important for me to come home from my first war, as I saw the terrible things that happen to non-combatents, the first vague idea that some sort of medical career was in my future began to percolate in my mind. But I had been an English major in college, and an absolutely miserable student of the required chemistry and math courses.
The military had several programs for service members in Vietnam, one, the "Big Ten" was a savings program with 10% interest, a good deal at the time. Sending an allotment and my Hostile Fire pay to my "wife" did not leave me anything left over for my participation in the "Big Ten" program.
But the Army had a program of free college courses, out of all places, Nebraska. I felt I somehow had to learn science courses, esp chemistry, if I was ever going to be some sort of medical person. So I started a chem course, and my remote instructor was non other than the one back in Lincoln who had generously passed me with a D in his class. I carried my chem text in a plastic bag, and used my 6 inch metal slide rule to learn how to do the problems.
When I had some down time, I would get out my text and my slide rule, and the local troops, never having seen such a tool, would ask me what it was for. I told them it foretold the future, and they would ask questions like how many sons they would have and how long they would live.
I made up some number of sons, and would manipulate my little Pickett and reply to their inquiry as to their life span, with "... not good, not much life left."
My long path to eventually becoming Flash Qualified SF and an Army Flight surgeon and service in Desert Storm is for another time.
Was out to a SC State rifle range yesterday, shooting my 105 grain hand loads in my Belgium Browning 243. Accurate.
So stay safe, and all the best..... SF VET
LoboGunLeather
US Veteran
Perhaps like most kids, when I was growing up, for as far back as I could remember, I wanted to be like my dad, a career Naval Aviator since the late '30's. I took the Naval ROTC physical when I finished HS in '65, and found out that I am color-blind, and was thus never eligible to even be a "line" officer in the navy, much less an Aviator. I was pretty down about it, but talked with the father of one of my HS friends, whose dad had just returned from Vietnam as commander of all SF in Vietnam. He told me that I should become army Special Forces, and when I replied that being in the Special Services sounded like a great alternative, he chided me with "...Special Services rents canoes, Special Forces actually fight."
As I have mentioned previously, I called my wife and mother of our 3 year old son from Travis AFB just before boarding a jet to Vietnam, and she informed of her affair with an Army doctor, and would be now living with him. Totally, totally surprising me.
Ever since graduating from HS, my career plans had exclusively focused on an Army career. Putting my wife out of my mind, I think in retrospect something important for me to come home from my first war, as I saw the terrible things that happen to non-combatents, the first vague idea that some sort of medical career was in my future began to percolate in my mind. But I had been an English major in college, and an absolutely miserable student of the required chemistry and math courses.
The military had several programs for service members in Vietnam, one, the "Big Ten" was a savings program with 10% interest, a good deal at the time. Sending an allotment and my Hostile Fire pay to my "wife" did not leave me anything left over for my participation in the "Big Ten" program.
But the Army had a program of free college courses, out of all places, Nebraska. I felt I somehow had to learn science courses, esp chemistry, if I was ever going to be some sort of medical person. So I started a chem course, and my remote instructor was non other than the one back in Lincoln who had generously passed me with a D in his class. I carried my chem text in a plastic bag, and used my 6 inch metal slide rule to learn how to do the problems.
When I had some down time, I would get out my text and my slide rule, and the local troops, never having seen such a tool, would ask me what it was for. I told them it foretold the future, and they would ask questions like how many sons they would have and how long they would live.
I made up some number of sons, and would manipulate my little Pickett and reply to their inquiry as to their life span, with "... not good, not much life left."
My long path to eventually becoming Flash Qualified SF and an Army Flight surgeon and service in Desert Storm is for another time.
Was out to a SC State rifle range yesterday, shooting my 105 grain hand loads in my Belgium Browning 243. Accurate.
So stay safe, and all the best..... SF VET
While I was in the Army I found a lot of educational opportunities available at little or no expense. At that time the overall program was under the United States Armed Forces Institute (USAFI) with undergraduate and graduate level courses available through several colleges and universities, as well as many disciplines and fields of study. USAFI also had arrangements for college credits to be granted by accredited universities for many of the Army's training schools.
Most of the coursework was by independent study, textbooks and necessary materials sent to the student, testing done at post Education Centers with proctors monitoring the exams. Specific issues might require mail correspondence with a faculty member, which was a bit cumbersome but some of us made it work.
By a combination of correspondence, independent study, and challenge (testing out of individual courses) I was able to complete almost 3 full years of college coursework in a couple of years spare time work. Another advantage of working through USAFI was that completed coursework was reported to the personnel records offices so the individual's service records quickly reflected achievements (quite helpful at promotion boards).
I knew several guys in aircraft maintenance positions that completed FAA certifications as Airframe & Power Plant mechanics, a very good career field. Transportation maintenance guys had a quick route to several certification programs (diesel, heavy equipment, etc). Trained and experienced heavy truck drivers could walk out of the Army and right into some good driving jobs. Trained firefighters also transitioned easily to civilian departments. Communications and electronics technicians were usually very well trained, so in big demand. Military Police personnel had little difficulty finding civilian employment. Engineering specialties offered lots of great opportunities, as did Supply and logistics personnel.
Rough times, but also lots of opportunities for those working to get ahead in life. Especially valuable to many of us who entered the Army at 17 or 18 years of age with relatively little employment history or job skills.
I just saw today is RVn vets day? Would have slipped right past if it had not be posted. Must not amount to much or the major news networks would have made a big deal of it. My little village has the distinction of suffering the biggest loss percentage wise to the Vietnam War. They even brought the traveling Wall here once and set it up on the football field.
I haven’t been watching TV the last couple months, think I’ll turn it on tonight and see if it’s mentioned on network news. Maybe not since the military is now on short list of problems.
I haven’t been watching TV the last couple months, think I’ll turn it on tonight and see if it’s mentioned on network news. Maybe not since the military is now on short list of problems.
My first six months were about in the center of the Delta, with assignments with one SGT to chopper out to this or that location. Often to some remote Vietnamese outpost and other times to a US District team, where a Major would be assigned with one or two US enlisted and several Vietnamese interpreters. The middle of the Delta was filled with roads, but often the only way around was by water. Lots of small "rivers" or more accurately canals with hamlets and villages lining the banks. The local's, usually women, would fill up some 20 or so foot long sampan, and have some motor man in the stern either poling or paddling or sometimes motoring up or downstream. It was amazing how these small narrow sampans would be packed with women and cargo, sitting with the gunnels literally at the water's height. Maybe an inch of freeboard. If we powered by in our Whalers, WE would slow down as much as we could to make our wake as small as possible, but sometimes the sampan would make for the canal's bank trying to avoid being swamped. Didn't always make it.
This is the US Major at I think Me An, as usual trying to get one of the 40 hp Johnson's running again. This is the Major who was from West VA, and who played John Denver's song "Almost home, West Va..." endlessly, over and over.
When I went much further south after six months, and had my own Whaler with twin Johnson's, I too got pretty good at fiddling with them trying to get both to run. Sometimes I too had dead engines, and had to beg a tow from some passing sampan.
I grew up mowing yards, so had a pretty good understanding of carbs and needle jets and filters. But the Vietnamese mechanics up in Province would use metric fasteners on SAE fittings, so parts were always vibrating off. Or strip the threads on this and that.
Here, a typical mid Delta canal.
All the best, and stay safe.... SF VEWT
This is the US Major at I think Me An, as usual trying to get one of the 40 hp Johnson's running again. This is the Major who was from West VA, and who played John Denver's song "Almost home, West Va..." endlessly, over and over.
When I went much further south after six months, and had my own Whaler with twin Johnson's, I too got pretty good at fiddling with them trying to get both to run. Sometimes I too had dead engines, and had to beg a tow from some passing sampan.
I grew up mowing yards, so had a pretty good understanding of carbs and needle jets and filters. But the Vietnamese mechanics up in Province would use metric fasteners on SAE fittings, so parts were always vibrating off. Or strip the threads on this and that.
Here, a typical mid Delta canal.
All the best, and stay safe.... SF VEWT
like I said, sometimes both of my motors would just die, and I would wave some passing sampan over to tow me. They sure weren't going to refuse, after all, I had weapons leaning against the gunnels. Of course, I had lots of supplied Vietnamese Dong to pay them. This pic in my own much more rural district, with no hamlets or farms along the banks. Much flatter, and few trees on the banks. My map case on the front seat. I still have it with the grease pencil markings from the day I DEROS'ed . Kinda sketchy...
I am noting as I look back on my pictures, that it seems just about always when I am at my own compound or hootch, or just our somewhere, I have my top off. I don't recall being overheated or sweltering, but I guess it was just more comfortable.
Kinda vulnerable drifting with the river current, just waiting and waiting and waiting.
All the best, and stay safe. SF VET
I am noting as I look back on my pictures, that it seems just about always when I am at my own compound or hootch, or just our somewhere, I have my top off. I don't recall being overheated or sweltering, but I guess it was just more comfortable.
Kinda vulnerable drifting with the river current, just waiting and waiting and waiting.
All the best, and stay safe. SF VET
Not a Wuss
the operations of the Vietnamese troops tended to be "blocking" sorts of rather ponderous operations. They often stopped for lunch, usually at some poor very rural farmer just trying to make a living between two warring factions. The local VC were an onerous force to contend with, confiscating the farmers rice and livestock, and making threats of this or that. When the local troops would search their hootches it wasn't uncommon to find small homemade flags of both the VC and the "official" government. I had some VC flags, but lost them along with my TR8 and other relics from my first war in a garage fire at my Quarters at Bragg when I was back as a staff physician in '84.
I know it looks like I am afraid of getting some mud on my hands, but those who travel in such muck know that holding one's hands and arms up and out helps with balance. At least, that is my story, and I'm sticking to it. I have my water and PRC77, and am wearing my issue 1911. Hot tropical mud really smells bad. Sometimes it was too muddy even for the leeches.
Stay safe, and all the best. "Two Vaccination" SF VET!
the operations of the Vietnamese troops tended to be "blocking" sorts of rather ponderous operations. They often stopped for lunch, usually at some poor very rural farmer just trying to make a living between two warring factions. The local VC were an onerous force to contend with, confiscating the farmers rice and livestock, and making threats of this or that. When the local troops would search their hootches it wasn't uncommon to find small homemade flags of both the VC and the "official" government. I had some VC flags, but lost them along with my TR8 and other relics from my first war in a garage fire at my Quarters at Bragg when I was back as a staff physician in '84.
I know it looks like I am afraid of getting some mud on my hands, but those who travel in such muck know that holding one's hands and arms up and out helps with balance. At least, that is my story, and I'm sticking to it. I have my water and PRC77, and am wearing my issue 1911. Hot tropical mud really smells bad. Sometimes it was too muddy even for the leeches.
Stay safe, and all the best. "Two Vaccination" SF VET!
I think we're lost, it all looks the same to me
Just out and about, wandering this way and that. But will soon stop for lunch, and be sure to be back in our compound by nite fall. The really little trooper is the Cambodian chap who always had his girls in perfectly white clothes, no matter how much mud and rain there was for them to play in.
One of the intelligence offices is standing to the left with his map case.
I always stayed with the command group. No need for me wander off in some direction.
All the best, and stay safe. And He is Risen! SF VET
Just out and about, wandering this way and that. But will soon stop for lunch, and be sure to be back in our compound by nite fall. The really little trooper is the Cambodian chap who always had his girls in perfectly white clothes, no matter how much mud and rain there was for them to play in.
One of the intelligence offices is standing to the left with his map case.
I always stayed with the command group. No need for me wander off in some direction.
All the best, and stay safe. And He is Risen! SF VET
VC lake
This lake is just a few clicks from my compound, but we never went there. It was referred to as VC Lake. Some time before I got to my district team, Team 84 as I recall, five US choppers where shot down in an insertion there. I don't recall when, or if they were ferrying US or Vietnamese troops. All I know is that it was hostile land, and we knew enough to stay away. In the haze in the distance is the South China Sea. It looks in this Kodachrome like there is a lot of rice cultivation there, but I am pretty sure these are fallow rice fields. There were very few Vietnamese willing to live in No Man's Land away from the river's edge.
All the best, and stay safe. SF VET
This lake is just a few clicks from my compound, but we never went there. It was referred to as VC Lake. Some time before I got to my district team, Team 84 as I recall, five US choppers where shot down in an insertion there. I don't recall when, or if they were ferrying US or Vietnamese troops. All I know is that it was hostile land, and we knew enough to stay away. In the haze in the distance is the South China Sea. It looks in this Kodachrome like there is a lot of rice cultivation there, but I am pretty sure these are fallow rice fields. There were very few Vietnamese willing to live in No Man's Land away from the river's edge.
All the best, and stay safe. SF VET
Sistema1927
US Veteran
Speaking of educational opportunities, I picked up 168 hours of college credit and my BS during 14 months in the Republic of Korea. Since my post-Vietnam service didn't include any GI Bill benefits I wanted to take advantage of the opportunities afforded me while on active duty. Off duty time didn't have a lot to offer except drinking in the 'ville, and since I don't drink I decided to spend a lot of time at the education center.
It paid off since I was able to jump right into grad school after I discharged.
It paid off since I was able to jump right into grad school after I discharged.
YkcorCal
US Veteran
It is good you got to use such benefits on active duty. I had a Bachelor of Science degree when I went into the Army. When I came out I went back to school got to two checks from the Veteran's Administration on the the GI Bill but the third month I received a letter saying the VA had over paid me for three months pay. Interesting since I had only received two checks. I called in and I was assured it was all a big mistake, that the problem was corrected, and I would receive my missing pay with the next month's check. If you guessed there was no next check you win the grand prize! So, I called in and went through the same procedure each and every month for just short of a year with the SAME GUARANTEES PROMISED yet NOT DELIVERD! I finally was hired by AMOCO Oil Corporation and dropped out of Scholl due to lack of funds. So much for the GI Bill and the VA!!! I gave up as I figured someone was running a SCAM inside the VA and I was NEVER going to see my pay and I never did!
Last edited:
When I was in RVN there were two R&R's available, one In-Country, Vung Tau up in the mountains, or China Beach. And one to one of about ten other countries, the married guyS meeting up with their wives in Hawaii, the single guys heading to Bangkok, or Australia. The guys who went to Australia told when they got off the plane, they would be introduced to a Round Eye local girl, and spend their five days with her. The guys that went to Bangkok came back with a social disease and gold dog tags.
I was by then pretty focused on an after army medical career in some field, and did not take any R&R. Didn't need anything out of Bangkok and was not interested in any female realtionships after the phone call from Travis AFB with my wife.
After four+ years of my first army time, I resigned my RA Commission, and went back to Nebraska for 18 months of pre-med, then medical school at Nebraska, located in Omaha. My GI Bill was 45 months of something like $475 a month, tax free. I was by then in the Nebraska National Guard, and was paid for that and the state paid half of my tuition as a NG member.
It was working out pretty well for me by then, met my wife of 45 years on a blind date, she being an RN. It still works out well for me. A troublesome CA issue from my Agent Orange exposure.
One of these days I'll start my pics with my reliable Pentax of my six months in the desert in Desert Storm.
And just for fun, a pic of some target shooting way out in the Plain of Reeds.
I still shoot 1911's a lot.
All the best, and stay safe..... SF VET
I was by then pretty focused on an after army medical career in some field, and did not take any R&R. Didn't need anything out of Bangkok and was not interested in any female realtionships after the phone call from Travis AFB with my wife.
After four+ years of my first army time, I resigned my RA Commission, and went back to Nebraska for 18 months of pre-med, then medical school at Nebraska, located in Omaha. My GI Bill was 45 months of something like $475 a month, tax free. I was by then in the Nebraska National Guard, and was paid for that and the state paid half of my tuition as a NG member.
It was working out pretty well for me by then, met my wife of 45 years on a blind date, she being an RN. It still works out well for me. A troublesome CA issue from my Agent Orange exposure.
One of these days I'll start my pics with my reliable Pentax of my six months in the desert in Desert Storm.
And just for fun, a pic of some target shooting way out in the Plain of Reeds.
I still shoot 1911's a lot.
All the best, and stay safe..... SF VET
there was only one way into our compound, thru several lines of wire, then across a small moat, which was only a few feet deep, then across this PSP walkway alongside a corner bunker. With the training NVA and sometimes VC sappers had before any infiltration, it would have been a walk in the park for them to breach the compound's defenses.
This moat had no water flow from the nearby river, so it was putrid and stagnant with dead rats and sewage and all sorts of trash. But being right under the "hootches" it was a convenient place for bathing, washing, and water for cooking, and sometimes had small fish in it for netting. Privacy is a relative thing, for instance, the compound's "latrine" was a short walk outside the compound. Was just metal wire stakes laid down over a small waterway, which did have at least some river wash to rinse it out. So no one would leave the compound at nite for a trip to the compound "toilet." For us two or three US, we would just walk over to "do our duty" and squat next to whomever was there too, old toothless women, teens, soldiers, or young women. Just necessary, and no one thought about it. Just be sure you didn't slip off the steel bars.
Here, one of the local troops coming back from shopping at the next door hamlet market, with one of his kids running behind him. Note how spotless the child is, despite the mud and filth. The "hootch" next to him was the home of a tiny Cambodian solder and his family. Once, one of his children had a bad case of skin infection, impetigo, so I washed her up with my Physohex soap, and in a few days she was all healed.
My own "home" in the compound was vastly better than these soldiers' homes. I was quite happy and content with my situation, and to this day, when my wife mentions it is time to replace a carpet, or re-do a bathroom, or new windows, my usual reply is something along the lines of "...but it works fine, it looks good to me..."
Having lived in 4th world countries I am quite tolerant of my living conditions. But I keep my garage and tools and cars and power products in tip-top shape. But I would be content to sleep on the floor.
Time for more morning coffee and breakfast. Later today going to shoot my new to me 4 inch 28-2 with my reloads. This pic with my Pentax on Kodachrome 25, 55 mm lens.
So all the best, and stay safe my friends. SF VET
This moat had no water flow from the nearby river, so it was putrid and stagnant with dead rats and sewage and all sorts of trash. But being right under the "hootches" it was a convenient place for bathing, washing, and water for cooking, and sometimes had small fish in it for netting. Privacy is a relative thing, for instance, the compound's "latrine" was a short walk outside the compound. Was just metal wire stakes laid down over a small waterway, which did have at least some river wash to rinse it out. So no one would leave the compound at nite for a trip to the compound "toilet." For us two or three US, we would just walk over to "do our duty" and squat next to whomever was there too, old toothless women, teens, soldiers, or young women. Just necessary, and no one thought about it. Just be sure you didn't slip off the steel bars.
Here, one of the local troops coming back from shopping at the next door hamlet market, with one of his kids running behind him. Note how spotless the child is, despite the mud and filth. The "hootch" next to him was the home of a tiny Cambodian solder and his family. Once, one of his children had a bad case of skin infection, impetigo, so I washed her up with my Physohex soap, and in a few days she was all healed.
My own "home" in the compound was vastly better than these soldiers' homes. I was quite happy and content with my situation, and to this day, when my wife mentions it is time to replace a carpet, or re-do a bathroom, or new windows, my usual reply is something along the lines of "...but it works fine, it looks good to me..."
Having lived in 4th world countries I am quite tolerant of my living conditions. But I keep my garage and tools and cars and power products in tip-top shape. But I would be content to sleep on the floor.
Time for more morning coffee and breakfast. Later today going to shoot my new to me 4 inch 28-2 with my reloads. This pic with my Pentax on Kodachrome 25, 55 mm lens.
So all the best, and stay safe my friends. SF VET
The Vietnamese District Chief was a LTC, as fluent in English as you and I. He lived in the other half of our corrugated metal building, with interior walls of sewn sand bags. He often had his wife and two daughters down, and us two US were often invited to step across into his home. Here, just us officers, the LTC on the left, to his left, in uniform is I think the S3 (operations officer), and then serving in civi's is the Lt intelligence officer. Me, in my custom sewn black PJ's, sewn for my by one of the lady tailors in the nearby hamlet. I had stood for her to measure me for her sewing. I had these for many years, along with other momentous of my tour, but lost all of it in a garage fire at our post quarters in '82, when a fuel leak from my Triumph TR8 ignited from the gas pilot light on the hot water heater. Lost a lot of things, not just my Huffaker racing modified TR, but all my tools, and only by the grace of God was not myself burned to death. One of the four times in my life I have reached out and touched my death.
I did not drink "hard" liquor, other than ceremonial Rice Wine, a potent clear high alcohol brew. But the Vietnamese especially liked booze as you can see. I look pretty "sleepy eyed" in this pic, shot with my Pentax and Kako Elite flash, but must have just been in the middle of an eye blink. At least, that is my story, and I am.....
Vietnamese food is very different from what we consider Chinese here in the states. I liked it a lot, and it was my usual meal in some concoction daily. I was and am very good with chopsticks, too, Little bottles of Maggi sauce was always around as was cheap rot-gut soy sauce and of course Nuc Mam.
I had NO non-military clothing during my year "in-country." None, just my issue OD stuff, underwear (which I never wore, due to the heat and humidity), and T shirts and jungle fatigues. Just my single pair of dinner formal attire, my black PJ's.
This is right at 50 years ago. How the time flies by...
Going out to a state range to see how my 40 grain loads of 223 in my Browning X bolt rifle perform. I shot my chronograph last time, so had to get new sensors. Eventually, everyone shoots their chrono....
So all the best, and stay safe... SF VET
I did not drink "hard" liquor, other than ceremonial Rice Wine, a potent clear high alcohol brew. But the Vietnamese especially liked booze as you can see. I look pretty "sleepy eyed" in this pic, shot with my Pentax and Kako Elite flash, but must have just been in the middle of an eye blink. At least, that is my story, and I am.....
Vietnamese food is very different from what we consider Chinese here in the states. I liked it a lot, and it was my usual meal in some concoction daily. I was and am very good with chopsticks, too, Little bottles of Maggi sauce was always around as was cheap rot-gut soy sauce and of course Nuc Mam.
I had NO non-military clothing during my year "in-country." None, just my issue OD stuff, underwear (which I never wore, due to the heat and humidity), and T shirts and jungle fatigues. Just my single pair of dinner formal attire, my black PJ's.
This is right at 50 years ago. How the time flies by...
Going out to a state range to see how my 40 grain loads of 223 in my Browning X bolt rifle perform. I shot my chronograph last time, so had to get new sensors. Eventually, everyone shoots their chrono....
So all the best, and stay safe... SF VET
SF VET ...
So just curious, do you know/remember what the two cylindrical items that appear to be suspended in the top portion of the photo in post # 257 are?
As always, enjoy your photos are your memories. Your sharing touches more than you may realize.
So just curious, do you know/remember what the two cylindrical items that appear to be suspended in the top portion of the photo in post # 257 are?
As always, enjoy your photos are your memories. Your sharing touches more than you may realize.
