I am sincerely enjoying this thread. Keep them coming!
Snubby in Vietnam
- Thread starter SF VET
- Start date
Leon, Thank you for posting. I read it several times. You said so eloquently in so very few words what I feel in my heart. I never could find the words to say it for myself. They are indeed our sons and daughters.
7shooter
Member
A Viet Nam veteran gave me a statue of the Three Soldiers which is near the Viet Nam Memorial in D C. It is inscribed “ Our Sons, Our Brothers , Our Friends “. It is in a glass container and is beside a beautiful wood replica of a Huey that another Viet Nam vet gave me.
They are on my fireplace mantel
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7shooter
Member
That is it. It can bring tears to me.
Chief Wiggums
Member
This thread (IMO) , is clearly the best on this board.
At the moment , I have nothing else to say , after reading the attached article....
At the moment , I have nothing else to say , after reading the attached article....
Richard Simmons
Member
Thanks for posting the photos and stories. I enjoy them a great deal. My cousin, now deceased, served with MACV SOG RT North Carolina.
Several times I was able to hop a ride up to the big outdoor theater at Saigon, and once to a hanger show at Can Tho, the capital of the Delta region, IV Corps to the military. At the Saigon military theater, I was right alongside the entrance, and Jim Neighbors waved at us when he rode by, and Bob Hope was there with his Gold Digger Girls, I think Joey Heatherton was one of them. Bob had been doing USO shows in WWII and on. He was a real patriot to me.
Once, saw Sammy Davis Jr up close with his all girl troupe. I really respected him for taking time from his shows in Vegas to provide some stateside humor to us. These and others were all heroes to me.
From time to time, I would be up at our Province HQ, in Camau, a small US compound, where they had AC and a great club, movies every night, and wore civies. I was in their club one night, for a show with a group from somewhere. Their troupe manager had three shows they would provide, one, start with their clothes on, the next, take them off at the end of their show, and then one where the girls started their show with no clothing on at all.
If the stateside girlfriends and wives had any idea of all this....
Here is one of the Rat Pack himself, Sammy Davis Jr himself.
All the best, and stay safe... SF VET
Once, saw Sammy Davis Jr up close with his all girl troupe. I really respected him for taking time from his shows in Vegas to provide some stateside humor to us. These and others were all heroes to me.
From time to time, I would be up at our Province HQ, in Camau, a small US compound, where they had AC and a great club, movies every night, and wore civies. I was in their club one night, for a show with a group from somewhere. Their troupe manager had three shows they would provide, one, start with their clothes on, the next, take them off at the end of their show, and then one where the girls started their show with no clothing on at all.
If the stateside girlfriends and wives had any idea of all this....
Here is one of the Rat Pack himself, Sammy Davis Jr himself.
All the best, and stay safe... SF VET
SF VET, Sir you have an extraordinary string going here as mentioned by others. I have been looking forward to your entries each day with appreciation but no comments. Today you got me with "REMFS". Even I as a USAF guy knew that one. I was an airplane mechanic at Tan Son Nhut in 69-70. The other night brought back a memory from 69 with the picture of thhe C-119 Shadow gunship. I was on the flight line and witnessed the whole take off run, crash, and horrific fireball of "Shadow 76". I thought for sure all must have perished. I did some research and there were a couple of survivors. One of them wrote about the event. Amazing story and so many amazing Americans, as stated with the statue, "Our Sons, Our Bothers, Our Friends". God Bless them all!
Well, the moderators haven't yet shut me down, so more:
I was actually quite content to spend six months on this compound. I was living in a far higher standard than everyone else, excepting the Vietnamese District LTC, a superb officer, spoke fluent English, had done training in the US. He lived in the other haft of our metal building, occasionally his wife and kids would come down for a visit. Partly, I think, I was almost happy was because no one was telling me anything I had to do, I could do what and how I wanted. SFC Tom C and I made a good pair.
We had a young Vietnamese war widow as our cook and housekeeper. One day, I came back from an op, and she was washing our dinner, a big fish in the polluted water of our moat. So I told her to give the fish to someone else, and we would eat issue rations for dinner. This is the only entrance into the compound, thru multiple wire lines, across a small PSP bridge into the compound. A sweet and loyal Cambodian solder and his family lived in the mud hovel to the right. Once, one of his children had miserable skin infections, so I washed her in some Issue Antibacterial soap, and in a few days she was well again.
One day, way out, a young child was introduced to me, he was named John. I inquire why he had such a Western name, and was told an American medic had delivered him at a very difficult birth, and the medic's name was John.
All the best, and stay safe, SF VET
I was actually quite content to spend six months on this compound. I was living in a far higher standard than everyone else, excepting the Vietnamese District LTC, a superb officer, spoke fluent English, had done training in the US. He lived in the other haft of our metal building, occasionally his wife and kids would come down for a visit. Partly, I think, I was almost happy was because no one was telling me anything I had to do, I could do what and how I wanted. SFC Tom C and I made a good pair.
We had a young Vietnamese war widow as our cook and housekeeper. One day, I came back from an op, and she was washing our dinner, a big fish in the polluted water of our moat. So I told her to give the fish to someone else, and we would eat issue rations for dinner. This is the only entrance into the compound, thru multiple wire lines, across a small PSP bridge into the compound. A sweet and loyal Cambodian solder and his family lived in the mud hovel to the right. Once, one of his children had miserable skin infections, so I washed her in some Issue Antibacterial soap, and in a few days she was well again.
One day, way out, a young child was introduced to me, he was named John. I inquire why he had such a Western name, and was told an American medic had delivered him at a very difficult birth, and the medic's name was John.
All the best, and stay safe, SF VET
REM 3200
US Veteran
One of my best friends in the Army served in the Delta at Dong Tam.
He was with the 3rd Surgical Hospital. I later worked for him in Germany
while he was The IG of 7th MEDCOM, I served as one of the Asst. IGs on the Inspection Team.
We still e-mail each other every day. Just one heck of a good guy and close friend.
He was with the 3rd Surgical Hospital. I later worked for him in Germany
while he was The IG of 7th MEDCOM, I served as one of the Asst. IGs on the Inspection Team.
We still e-mail each other every day. Just one heck of a good guy and close friend.
As I recall, I once visited Dong Tam, and a lot of PBR's were based there. I don't have any digitalized pics though to post for your memories, REM.
PBR's ie, the Brown Water Navy, were really cool jet boats. Lots of firepower too. I will try to look up a pic of one. One of my college fraternity brothers was awarded a CMH for his actions aboard a PBR one night. Lost a foot in the encounter. Later Gov of Nebraska and dated Debra Winger, a worthy encounter too in my opinion.
Let me see what I have about them.
All the best, and stay safe.. SF VET
PBR's ie, the Brown Water Navy, were really cool jet boats. Lots of firepower too. I will try to look up a pic of one. One of my college fraternity brothers was awarded a CMH for his actions aboard a PBR one night. Lost a foot in the encounter. Later Gov of Nebraska and dated Debra Winger, a worthy encounter too in my opinion.
Let me see what I have about them.
All the best, and stay safe.. SF VET
a few minutes before I boarded a plane at Travis AFB fly to Vietnam, I called my wife, and she told me she had been in an affair with an Army Doctor, unknown to me, and would now be living with him. I hung up and completely put all thoughts of her totally, totally out of my mind, something I must have thought necessary for my upcoming Infantry year in Vietnam. I did not confront that 'till years later.
But when I was living among the Vietnamese, I really liked their children. I have been all over the world, in some pretty troubled and conflicted places, and yet children seem to find happiness and playfulness no matter what. Maybe they just don't know any better.
Anyway, I sorely missed my 3 year old son, and transferred some of that love and affection to the children all around me. Here is the wait staff at the small compound cafe, where I would have a Ramen lunch daily, often with a beer 33, with debris filled ice, or just warm beer. The girls would pour boiling water over the noodles, and stir in some pork and spices and it was really good. Plus some Nuc Mam sauce to heat it up a bit.
The children had nothing to play with, so I had my parents send me a bag of plastic rings and toy necklaces and I gave them to the girls, and they must have thought they finally actually had jewelry. It was the first inkling that after this experience, I wanted to somehow devote my life to helping children, and began to try to find a way to do that. I ended up practicing pediatrics all over the world for nearly 40 years, in addition to being an army physician, and flight surgeon.
The girl on the far left is My, an orphan, who still played and smiled as she had no idea of her circumstances. Sweet children. No matter the mud, their parents somehow managed to keep them in spotless white clothing.
All the best, and stay safe. SF VET
But when I was living among the Vietnamese, I really liked their children. I have been all over the world, in some pretty troubled and conflicted places, and yet children seem to find happiness and playfulness no matter what. Maybe they just don't know any better.
Anyway, I sorely missed my 3 year old son, and transferred some of that love and affection to the children all around me. Here is the wait staff at the small compound cafe, where I would have a Ramen lunch daily, often with a beer 33, with debris filled ice, or just warm beer. The girls would pour boiling water over the noodles, and stir in some pork and spices and it was really good. Plus some Nuc Mam sauce to heat it up a bit.
The children had nothing to play with, so I had my parents send me a bag of plastic rings and toy necklaces and I gave them to the girls, and they must have thought they finally actually had jewelry. It was the first inkling that after this experience, I wanted to somehow devote my life to helping children, and began to try to find a way to do that. I ended up practicing pediatrics all over the world for nearly 40 years, in addition to being an army physician, and flight surgeon.
The girl on the far left is My, an orphan, who still played and smiled as she had no idea of her circumstances. Sweet children. No matter the mud, their parents somehow managed to keep them in spotless white clothing.
All the best, and stay safe. SF VET
This is a pic of the Cambodian soldier's family, all lining up for my match-needle Pentax. The wall of his family abode is used 105 howitzer cases, made out of some sort of worthless cardboard or the like. Dad was a very small man, no more than just over 5 feet tall I guess. But obviously loved his kids, and doted on them. I had cured one of them of skin empetigo with my special soap. Again, how they kept their kids so spotless in all that mud still amazes me.
Once, the battery of 105's in the compound received a barge load of ammunition for the incoming gun crews, and found that the shells were cases of real brass, worth a lot of money on the scrap market. So that night, they fired off the whole barge load, just blasting away to use it up, and in the morning, loaded the spent valuable brass cases back onto the barge, and headed back up to Camau, up the river a few hours.
Since the gun was just outside our own hootch, its may be part of the reason I have a VA hearing disability, and wear issue hearing aids.
Such cute and happy kids.
All the best, and stay safe... SF VET
Once, the battery of 105's in the compound received a barge load of ammunition for the incoming gun crews, and found that the shells were cases of real brass, worth a lot of money on the scrap market. So that night, they fired off the whole barge load, just blasting away to use it up, and in the morning, loaded the spent valuable brass cases back onto the barge, and headed back up to Camau, up the river a few hours.
Since the gun was just outside our own hootch, its may be part of the reason I have a VA hearing disability, and wear issue hearing aids.
Such cute and happy kids.
All the best, and stay safe... SF VET
A I previously mentioned, I sent my slide film back to a stateside Kodak lab in those little mailers, and never saw any of my pics until I returned, and bought a projector. I just hoped that they were properly exposed and not blurry. Glad I shot Kodachrome, as the Ectachrome 160 I sometimes had have faded a bit. K'chrome if not exposed to sustained light, stays perfect "forever." I was trying to learn about photography shutter speeds and aperture and such. But had no idea how it was all working out.
Here, My and her best friend. Smiles always.
All the best, and stay safe. SF VET
Here, My and her best friend. Smiles always.
All the best, and stay safe. SF VET
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Great pictures and stories - keep posting!
The Three Legged Dog
well, the compound dog really did have four legs, but he gimped around on three of them. Nobody claimed the dog, he was just there, lazing around the compound, snatching whatever food he could grab. He was the only dog I saw in the Delta, too much water for them I guess.
I hated that dog. I think whatever repressed anger or hurt I was subconsciously feeling was focused on that miserable, mangy beast. No one in the compound seemed to feed him, or take care of him.
I don't think that dog ever wandered out of the compound, either.
One day, I was walking around the compound, and some soldiers were squatting by a ammo case, hacking some duck apart for their dinner. They ate every part of a duck, excepting the feathers. Feet, head, guts, all of the duck would be set to boil.
As I was casually gazing that way, the dog went to grab some of the duck, and one of the soldiers whacked the dog with his cleaver, and in a moment, he just hacked the dog apart, and they brought out a bigger pot, and the dog went into it, as soon as his hide was off.
I never saw any other dog eaten, and I sure didn't want any of that hatred dog. Here, the dog in his happier days. Note the girl trying to spear a small fish in the polluted moat water, and now spotless the kids are. Note also the RPG wire around the bunker, hopefully it would catch the fins of an RPG.
When I got back to the Land Of The Big PX, I just couldn't eat American food, just couldn't bring myself to swallow it, after mostly rice and fish and duck.
all the best, and stay safe.... SF VET
well, the compound dog really did have four legs, but he gimped around on three of them. Nobody claimed the dog, he was just there, lazing around the compound, snatching whatever food he could grab. He was the only dog I saw in the Delta, too much water for them I guess.
I hated that dog. I think whatever repressed anger or hurt I was subconsciously feeling was focused on that miserable, mangy beast. No one in the compound seemed to feed him, or take care of him.
I don't think that dog ever wandered out of the compound, either.
One day, I was walking around the compound, and some soldiers were squatting by a ammo case, hacking some duck apart for their dinner. They ate every part of a duck, excepting the feathers. Feet, head, guts, all of the duck would be set to boil.
As I was casually gazing that way, the dog went to grab some of the duck, and one of the soldiers whacked the dog with his cleaver, and in a moment, he just hacked the dog apart, and they brought out a bigger pot, and the dog went into it, as soon as his hide was off.
I never saw any other dog eaten, and I sure didn't want any of that hatred dog. Here, the dog in his happier days. Note the girl trying to spear a small fish in the polluted moat water, and now spotless the kids are. Note also the RPG wire around the bunker, hopefully it would catch the fins of an RPG.
When I got back to the Land Of The Big PX, I just couldn't eat American food, just couldn't bring myself to swallow it, after mostly rice and fish and duck.
all the best, and stay safe.... SF VET
Ziggy2525
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Sort of a tropical medicine question. Always been curious about guys in Vietnam that were living semi-native. While you were there and when you got back to the states, did you have any issues with things like giardia or other types of intestinal parasites from eating local village food. Seems like the conditions would be ripe for that type of infection.
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Thanks for the trip down memory lane...It never ceased to amaze me how the Vietnamese mothers would maintain the sense of family no matter how rough it was. I remember being brought to tears one morning watching a young mother give her young children a morning bath, followed by washing her lovely long black hair, wringing it out. I also remember how tough the "slicky boys" were, one little guy selling me a fistful of cocoanut popsickles, getting beaten up for the money by another boy who then got beat by another older kid...tough. Came home and watched local "tough guys" that must have been sixteen and told one of them that a twelve year old Vietnamese kid could eat his lunch and send him home crying to his mommy.
