BY RON SLEEIS
Here I am, 28 years later, aching to go back. Am I out of my mind, I ask myself as I nervously pace the airport. I try to think positive.
BINGO!!....I'm told I have a seat......I check my bag and I board the plane with the rest of the BRAVO guys and settle in for the 12 hour leg to SEOUL and then another 5 hour flight to SAIGON, now called HO CHI MINH CITY.
APRIL 29: When we arrived at TAN SON NHUT airport, we are greeted by two lovely Vietnamese ladies wearing traditional AO DAIS, those sleek, flowing pant gowns. We clear Immigration, get our bags, pass through Customs and get into cabs for the hotel.
On the way our taxi breaks down on a DARK STREET somewhere in the middle of SAIGON...... J.J. and I thought that we might have to get out and push, but the driver gets it started.
We finally arrive at the RANG DONG HOTEL and settle in for the night...we have a two-day trip ahead of us to tour the IRON TRIANGLE, TAY NINH PROVINCE, and then visit the TUNNELS OF CU CHI.
APRIL 30: I awake to the sounds of traffic in the street. Today is the 19th anniversary of the REUNIFICATION of Vietnam....The street outside of the hotel is alive and bustling with Hondas, bicycles, pedicabs (cyclos) and Saigon's version of an RTD bus over-loaded with chickens, pigs in bamboo baskets, vegetables, and passengers obviously going to the CENTRAL MARKET to sell their wares.
I go down to the restaurant and have breakfast. David Christian is having a bowl of PHO, a traditional Vietnamese breakfast of noodle soup with meat and a variety of herbs. I pass on the PHO and have coffee, bread and jam.
When we leave the hotel to board the bus for TAY NINH, the HOT HUMID AIR carries the familiar smells of Vietnam to my nostrils.........I realize I am really BACK IN THE NAM.
As our air conditioned bus rolls through the streets of SAIGON amidst a sea of two- and three-wheeled vehicles, I am in awe of the people and the activity on the streets; it seems Saigon stood still in time except for the modern Hondas which replaced the thousands of bicycles and mopeds that filled the streets when I was here for R & R back in '66..........
As we reach the outskirts of the city, I notice that the countryside begins to take on various shades of green as we move further away from SAIGON. I guess "J.J.", the BRAVO videographer, was getting excited about the scenery, too, because he's hanging out the window shooting video of the passing COUNTRYSIDE.
Our first stop is in the village of LAI KHE; this area was a hotbed of V.C. and N.V.A. activity throughout the VIETNAM WAR. As we strolled through the village toward a field which was once an airstrip for the FIRST INFANTRY DIVISION, the villagers were curious; but they seemed to be friendly and welcomed us with warm smiles as we passed through.
At a HOOTCH, there were several men and women having tea; one of the men shouted HELLO and waved at us to join them .....
I walked out on the field and wandered over to a clearing near some rubber trees. On the ground I noticed a rotting sandbag near an oblong shaped hole, overgrown with vegetation, that looked like an old POSITION. The clearing ahead must have provided some GRUNTS a good field of fire years ago, I thought to myself, as I looked down on what was the first sign of U.S. PRESENCE I'd seen in Vietnam.
I started back to the bus when I met an OLD MAMA-SAN who tells me in PIGEON English "Long time I no see AmeLicans." I want to stay and talk with her, but I'm being rushed back to the waiting bus......
We stop for lunch at a local roadside restaurant along the NOTORIOUS HIGHWAY 13 in BINH LONG PROVINCE where, in June 1966, units of the 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION clashed with the 272nd N.V.A. REGIMENT and the 9th VIET CONG DIVISION in a test of strength.
In the restaurant, a waitress hands us refreshing, cold, wet towels as some women prepare our lunch of BEEF, CHICKEN, PORK, RICE, and sauces including NUOC MAM, a spicy fish sauce.....tasty meal; it was filling and satisfying. I'm beginning to think the TUNA FISH and DEVILED HAM SPREAD I brought with me will go to waste, but I remember that the trip has just begun........
We finish lunch and mount up for LOC XI EM, a MONTANARD VILLAGE near BINH LONG, where we will spend the night. Along the road we pass through miles and miles of RUBBER TREES. I think back to the 60s and 70s and the NIGHTLY T.V. NEWSCASTS, back in THE STATES, showing our guys fighting amidst these very same RUBBER PLANTATIONS........
When we arrived at the MONTANARD VILLAGE, some WOMEN AND CHILDREN were returning from the fields. When I entered the VILLAGE, I hesitated, somehow feeling like I was intruding; but our guide told me that we were very WELCOME to VISIT so I continued to walk through......
As I walked by a group of men and women, I noticed that the women WEREN'T BARE BREASTED; and the men WEREN'T wearing LOIN CLOTH as MONTANARDS did in 1966 when we were on OPERATIONS in and around PLEIKU. But the women still wore SARONGS and still carried their BABIES on their backs, CRADLED in a wrap.
The village was QUIET except for a CROWING ROOSTER and INSECTS BUZZING in the trees. Two POTBELLY PIGS were fighting for some rotting vegetation, while the rooster took the opportunity to help himself to the spoils unbothered. I passed through a row of THATCH-ROOFED HOUSES ON STILTS (always thought they were built that way because of FLOODS or TIGERS, but I've been told that it allowed the SPIRITS to flow all around them)...........
Suddenly, the silence of the village is broken by the PUTT-PUTT-PUTT of a HONDA as two SAIGON COWBOYS arrive and upset the serenity of the village. They must have seen our bus parked here and decided to see what was going on. Nevertheless, the tranquility was broken by these two intruders; and the villagers seemed to be disturbed by their presence.........
The children in the village were beautiful but very shy. I managed to bring a smile to some of them when I offered them some sweets. As we leave, more villagers are returning from the fields and flash a friendly farewell wave as the bus takes us to a hotel for the night............
We gave the villagers some money before we left, and I thought that those two COWBOYS might shake them down for some or all of it. I didn't get good vibes from those guys at all.
After dinner, we all go for a stroll through the village with COLONEL CANG, A FORMER ENEMY SOLDIER, who is our GUIDE; and MR. MINH, our INTERPRETER. It was dark as we walked toward the center of the village, but there was lots of activity throughout the village with HOOTCHES blaring KARAOKE MUSIC and the VILLAGE VIDEO STORE busy with HONDAS coming and going.
Although it seems that this country hasn't changed over the years, it certainly has kept up with modern home entertainment. Earlier in the day, I saw a little girl playing with a hand-held computer game near some remote village.
COL. CANG briefs us on the V.C. and N.V.A. activity in the BINH LONG area during the war. About 99% of the population were V.C. or V.C. SYMPATHIZERS. It was something we knew back then; I'm beginning to think we made some bad decisions back then. Those decisions cost AMERICAN FAMILIES more than 58,000 lives...and there are still P.O.W.s and M.I.A.s unaccounted for. This trip has me reexamining my views on THE WAR.
Back at the hotel, the RUSSIAN AIR CONDITIONER SUCKS; it barely blows out warm air. TONY, VAUGHN, and I decide to open the windows and doors to get a cross ventilation breeze at the risk of getting bit by MOSQUITOES; I have been taking my MALARIA PILLS faithfully; I'm not worried........It turns out that the breeze keeps the mosquitoes on the move; we all get a few hours of restless sleep, as the GECKO'S on the walls watch over us.
MAY 1st: Up early, do my daily TRIPLES, and go down to the hotel cafe for coffee. I see COL. CANG is up early and having his coffee already. We exchange greetings, and CANG hands me a picture of himself in his uniform and smiles.
At the beginning of this trip, I didn't talk much with any of the guides; I was sort of leery about having a FORMER ENEMY acting as our guide. Now I find myself warming up to Col. Cang, and I ask him about what he did during THE WAR. He tells me that he was with the ANTIAIRCRAFT ARTILLERY in HANOI and in KONTUM PROVINCE. I told him that I served with the 1st CAV when we deployed from FORT BENNING, GA, in AUGUST 1965 and set up BASE CAMP in the CENTRAL HIGHLANDS at AN KHE.......
I asked him how they knew when our BOMBERS were about to bomb HANOI. He told me that they had at least an hour to prepare for the arrival of the B-52's; it seems that all it took was a phone call from one of their agents stationed near our AIR BASES ...... So much for the security at CLARK AIR BASE and the other points of origin of our B-52's...
Today, we are on the way to the GREAT TEMPLE at the HOLY SEE of the CAU DAI BUDDHIST at TAY NINH and then off to see the famous TUNNELS OF CU CHI before returning to SAIGON..........
When we arrived at the parking area near the GREAT TEMPLE, we were mobbed by little girls carrying rattan baskets loaded with COKES and other soft drinks, each targeting one or more of us and saying "you buy, you buy?" It reminded me of AN KHE when the 1st CAV first arrived IN COUNTRY, and I wondered if we would get the same reception when we get to AN KHE within the next few days.
The GREAT TEMPLE is a striking, colorful structure. As I walked past a side door, a MONK gestured me toward him and seemed to invite me in. I removed my shoes and went in. A ceremony was about to begin, and the MONK gently took my elbow and guided me toward some musicians and encouraged me to take pictures by pointing to the camera hanging on my neck and then pointing to the musicians and the other participants in the TEMPLE.
As the rite began, the musicians played; and the TEMPLE began to fill with the CAU DAI WORSHIPPERS, most dressed in white and some dressed in red , yellow, or orange robes; they all began to CHANT. I found myself becoming enchanted by the music and felt a surge of SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTENMENT.
While I am watching and listening to the ceremony in progress, I realize that THE GROUP must be waiting for me...AGAIN!!. I bow to my host and guide, thank him for inviting me into the TEMPLE, and offer him a donation. He declines. I search around for an ALMS BOX and leave a few thousand DONG near the door, where some followers are praying. I pick up my shoes and run to the bus, where the others are waiting for me, tailed by a little COCA-COLA GIRL, from whom I had promised to buy a COKE..........she managed to talk me into buying two drinks......
I am really feeling ELATED; I'm feeling good.....I decide not to feel guilty for making the others wait for me. I feel peaceful...Did I have a RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE in the GREAT TEMPLE??
On the way to the CU CHI TUNNELS we stop for lunch. I'm surprised when I see the local diner filled with WESTERNERS. It seems that this is the TOURIST WAY STATION before CU CHI. The place was HOT and DIRTY, and the FOOD was TERRIBLE; so, I left the table and went outside to wait in the air conditioned bus.
Before entering the tunnel complex at CU CHI, we pass by some old, torn up ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIERS. Inside, there is a UH-IB "HUEY" HELICOPTER displayed between a SHOOTING RANGE, where one can get to FIRE an M-16 or an AK-47 for A DOLLAR A ROUND, and a cluster of concessions selling FABRICATED "ZIPPOS," ENGRAVED with dates and places such as 'BONG SONG - 1968 - 1969' and 'DANANG - 1969 - 1970,' KEY CHAINS made with AK-47 and M-16 ROUNDS, and other fabricated WAR MEMENTOS.
We were met at the entrance to the tunnel area by an N.V.A. soldier who guided us into various tunnels with WELLS, MEETING ROOMS, KITCHENS, AND SLEEPING AREAS.....Walking at a stoop in those tunnels caused my back to ache, and I realize how small the V.C. were; they had no problem navigating these tunnels. I also gain A LOT OF RESPECT FOR OUR TUNNEL RATS; those guys really had their job CUT OUT for them...no pun intended.....
I go topside, and one of our guides hands me a cold coconut drink ...very REFRESHING. As I walked around the area, I noticed lots and lots of CRATERS obviously from the CARPET BOMBING we conducted in this area.... And we still DIDN'T DESTROY this complex....I wondered how many guys died in these underground TOMBS.....
I came upon some people, dressed in BLACK PAJAMAS, sitting around or lounging in hammocks strung between trees, AND CRADLING AK-47s...a Vietnamese version of a "FLASH-BACK CITY." With the sound of the M-16s and the AK-47s FIRING at the range, this could put a VIETNAM VET with PTSD into a straitjacket.
After visiting an outdoor, thatched-roof amphitheater with MAPS OF THE TUNNELS and a VIDEO MACHINE showing and describing ATROCITIES committed by "THE AMERICAN IMPERIALISTS," I decide I have had enough of this S...t and go back to the bus to wait for the others to complete the tour. This place has ruined the high I got back at the CAU DAI TEMPLE.....I promise myself that I'm not going to visit any of the WAR MUSEUMS or take any PROPAGANDA TOURS. In the bus, I MEDITATE and try to recapture the feeling I had earlier.
We are going to meet with FORMER ENEMY VETERANS for dinner this evening....COL. CANG and I have been hanging out together lately; I'm beginning to like the guy....It's hard to believe...28 years ago, I wouldn't have hesitated to kill him; and I'm sure he wouldn't of thought twice about killing me. I am feeling a little less apprehensive about dinner tonight; my new friend CANG will be there.
At the dinner, hosted by the VIETNAM VETERANS OF HO CHI MINH CITY, I was surprised by the WARM and FRIENDLY welcome we received by our FORMER FOES. Except for one little REMF who bragged about shooting down every U.S. AIRCRAFT he fired at, all others were friendly; and we talked about our jobs during the war. Most were artillery officers operating in and around HANOI; I would have liked to have met some of their GRUNTS. It was an interesting evening.
After dinner, we return to the hotel and pack for the flight to PLEIKU in the morning, where we will visit the CATECKA TEA PLANTATION where the 3rd BRIGADE C.P. was located during the IA DRANG VALLEY CAMPAIGN in NOVEMBER 1965. And then we will travel by bus across THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, via HIGHWAY 19, passing through the MANG YANG PASS, AN KHE, and on to QUE NHON, where I will leave the group and head to NHA TRANG to begin some R & R as I did in DECEMBER '65.
MAY 2nd: Bus to TAN SON NHUT for a one-and-a-half hour flight to PLEIKU VIA VIETNAM AIRLINES. We arrive at 11:00 a.m. I look around and instantly recognize the surrounding terrain in the distance. As I looked around the badly groomed airfield, I FLASH BACK to JUNE 5, 1966...... I'm standing within 100 meters from where I was standing while waiting for the FREEDOM BIRD to take me back to THE WORLD 28 years ago. I'm mesmerized by the view.....
We get to the MOVIE STAR HOTEL in downtown PLEIKU and hurry to unpack and prepare for a drive to the TEA PLANTATION, where I received my BAPTISM UNDER FIRE around midnight on NOVEMBER 12, 1965, during a mortar attack. As we head out on HIGHWAY 14 toward CATECKA, we pass by "HAM RONG" DRAGON MOUNTAIN, better known as TITTY MOUNTAIN to the soldiers who were stationed in and around PLEIKU. This hill mass could pass for a mesa in NEW MEXICO, save for the lush vegetation growing on it.
Anxiety begins to build as we get nearer to CATECKA......I gaze out of the window, and I begin to recognize familiar terrain as we pass by fields of tea bushes......
We continue down the road and pull into the PLANTATION GATE.........I immediately notice that the arched sign, "CATECKA," was gone; it was here in 1965 and as recently as last October, when several of my brothers of the IA DRANG ALUMNI visited here during their visit to the IA DRANG VALLEY....I later found out that the name has been changed to the BAU CAN TEA FARM.......
Col. CANG goes off to find the director of the plantation for permission to wander through the tea bushes to where our BRIGADE C.P. was set up. After we were given permission, we began to walk toward the area; and, suddenly, we were stormed by dozens of SCHOOL CHILDREN, who were just let out of school. We were all overwhelmed by the bright and smiling faces of these kids who were probably wondering why these strange people keep coming to visit this plantation in this remote area of VIETNAM...........
I scanned the surrounding terrain to get my bearing so that I could pinpoint the location of the area where we had our C.P. set up....standing amidst the sea of tea bushes where once there had been a fleet of HUEYS, FUEL BLADDERS FILLED WITH JP-4, EQUIPMENT, AND MEN supporting the 1st CAV'S 3RD "GARRY OWEN" BRIGADE OPERATIONS during the battles in the IA DRANG VALLEY in NOVEMBER 1965. This is where I was on NOVEMBER 14, 1965, when one of our battalions, the 1/7 CAV AIR, ASSAULTED into LZ X-RAY .........I think back to that Sunday morning, listening to radio transmissions of units under heavy attack...........
It was here on NOVEMBER 12th where we came under a heavy mortar attack around midnight....it was a warm night, and I was sleeping in my shorts......when the first rounds hit, I grabbed my M-16 and pistol belt with AMMO POUCHES and dove into the nearby bushes for cover.........suddenly I realize that I'm only wearing my FT. BENNING GREEN UNDERWEAR, and I'm praying that I don't die like this................
While walking through the bushes, I'm overcome with some unexplained emotions....my eyes begin to flood with tears as I pass by the spot where our SECURITY PLATOON was OVERRUN, and I think back to the morning after the attack......We have seven K.I.A.s, and we are only able to confirm one ENEMY DEAD....not by BODY COUNT...........his brains were scattered near some bushes; I figure the brain spilled from his skull as his comrades dragged him away after the attack..........
Scattered all around us were unexploded crude HOMEMADE GRENADES, wrapped and tied with strips of bamboo. Some of these duds were lying just inches from the fuel bladders. I shuddered as I thought of what might have happened if one of those bladders exploded.......
But TODAY, this field is a PEACEFUL PLACE.....More emotion overcomes me, and I avoid the others as I wander through this place.....I walk back to the spot where we loaded out our K.I.A.s, and I say a silent prayer for my friend Spec-4 DAVE MAYES and the others who died that night.
On the way back to the bus, I pass through a small cluster of thatched, mud houses surrounded by gardens........a rooster is crowing and leading the way....I pass by a school with a class in progress; the kids notice me, and I realize that I interrupted the class...I apologize to the teacher.....she speaks a little English, and I get an invite to visit the class.
Again, I am elated by these happy faces......SPIRIT elevates....these kids are beautiful; I make a mental note ..............Try to get some beginner textbooks and send them back to the schools here on the plantation..........I say good-bye to the teacher and the kids and rush back to the rest of the group who are buying bags of tea. I also get a bag and wonder what Customs will say when they see the bag of GREEN TEA in our baggage at LAX. We leave the plantation for trip back to PLEIKU and dinner.
After dinner, we all go for a walk through town; I fall behind to check out the shops. After browsing, I noticed that the others had walked far ahead of me. So, I commandeer a PLEIKU COWBOY on a Honda, hopped on behind him, and rode by TONY, VAUGHN AND JOHN waving as we passed..........
It's my daughter's birthday today. It's ironic...I was around here in MAY 1966 on her first birthday. I see a POST OFFICE AND COMMO CENTER, and I go in to inquire about making a phone call STATESIDE........When the operator connects me, I ask TONY, VAUGHN, AND J.J. to join me in a chorus of HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TERESA...........From VIETNAAAM!!!
VAUGHN BINZER was stationed in PLEIKU in '65 and '66 as an ADVISOR; we walked over to where his unit was quartered. When we arrived at the street where his HOUSE was, he's DISAPPOINTED. We find that it's been TORN DOWN, and the district WATER COMPANY now stands in it's place.
After the walk, TONY is too tired to walk back to the hotel and jokingly tells me to get him a HONDA. This time, I commandeer not one, but four COWBOYS for a ride back to the hotel.....We all hopped on for a ride back to the Hotel. We paid them about $1.00 each for the ride........I'm sure we overpaid, but it was a FUN RIDE......
Back at the hotel, J.J. and I crash for the night.......Tomorrow we are going to Que Nhon via Route 19.
MAY 3: After breakfast, we depart PLEIKU for a day-long ride down HWY 19. At the MANG YANG PASS, we get off the bus and walk along the road. I go over to a familiar spot, A BRIDGE which the V.C. blew up regularly. After our engineers repaired the damage, it would get blown up again........ My wire team had strung COMMO WIRE up and down the highway to our UNITS securing ROUTE 19, and we were constantly coming to this bridge to REPAIR or re-lay the WIRE.......
It was in this spot that the FRENCH GROUPE MOBILE 100 were AMBUSHED by the VIET MINH IN 1954. I remembered that there were a few graves and a MONUMENT on top a hill on the NORTH SIDE of the pass which could be seen from the road.....I looked up to that spot and didn't see any sign of it. It probably was removed when the HANOI GOVERNMENT took over in 1975. It's my guess that the new government removed any and all traces of the FRENCH AND AMERICAN presence except for the 2-1/2 TON TRUCKS, and other vehicles that we left behind when we withdrew, and the remnants of the DECAYING FRENCH ARCHITECTURE found in the cities.
On the SOUTH SIDE of the pass, the hills are BARE with scattered, DEAD, TREE TRUNKS dotting the landscape......Evidently the result of AGENT ORANGE, which was SPRAYED HERE to defoliate the area in order to deprive the ENEMY of COVER and avoid a repeat of the 1954 AMBUSH against the FRENCH....
We walked to the TOP OF THE PASS and looked EAST toward AN KHE. I stared out in the distance looking for a familiar form in the mountains ahead.....I was looking for HON KONG MOUNTAIN........the hill that marked the spot where we carved out the BASE CAMP when we arrived in SEPTEMBER 1965. As we moved further East on ROUTE 19, I noticed VILLAGES that weren't there in '65......I wondered if I would recognize AN KHE..........
When we moved in, it was a very SMALL VILLAGE.....as the weeks and months went by, the village mushroomed into A BOOM TOWN.....like DODGE CITY of the OLD WEST, and there were REAL LIVE GUNFIGHTS on the streets of AN KHE. Mostly DRUNK ARVN SOLDIERS, occasionally some CAV TROOPERS, would get into a brawl over his place.....in line at the local BOOM-BOOM PARLOR....in SIN CITY, a cluster of BARS outside the base camp.
As we approach AN KHE, I notice that the VILLAGE has stretched out at least 4 KLICKS WEST......I look for some familiar terrain to the south, but the view is blocked by rows of HOOTCHES. When we stop, I get a glimpse of HON KONG MOUNTAIN on the NORTH SIDE of the road..... Excitement builds...........It's like coming home again.........
I asked Col. CANG if we were going out to where our BASE CAMP was.....He said that the ARMY has RESTRICTED THE AREA.................He must have seen the DISAPPOINTMENT on my face........He said to me "do you really want to go there," pointing to the direction of BASE CAMP...........I replied "yes, it does mean a lot to me; after all, this was my HOME AWAY FROM HOME IN '65 AND "66" .....He asked the interpreter to tell me he would have us wait here and that he would drive up the road to the ARMY HQs and see what he can do about getting our group permission to go into the area.
We are mobbed by curious children and villagers as we dismount the bus to take pictures.....Across the road there is a HOOTCH with a display of COKES...We decide to visit this local SEVEN-ELEVEN in AN KHE....Inside, the woman, who seems to be the proprietor, tells our interpreter that she REMEMBERS when "THE SOLDIERS WHO WORE A HORSE ON THEIR SHIRTS" FIRST ARRIVED IN 1965.....She was 16 YEARS OLD back then........
Mr. Minh, our interpreter, tells us that there is an AMERASIAN outside; we tell MINH to ask him to join us for a COKE.......When he entered, we immediately could tell he had AMERICAN BLOOD by his BUILD and LARGE HANDS compared to the VIETNAMESE, who had gathered around. .....He told us that he is supposed to go to AMERICA soon via the ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAM, but he must wait for his WIFE and TWO CHILDREN to get their PASSPORTS..........I couldn't help but wonder whether this young man is THE SON of A FIRST CAV OR 173rd AIRBORNE TROOPER...........Both used AN KHE as a BASE CAMP.................
Col. CANG returns with a VIETNAMESE LIEUTENANT; he tells us that we have permission to walk onto the area near HON KONG MOUNTAIN...........We get back on the bus and cross the road to enter the area. We came to a break in the road, and we had to get out and walk toward the mountain....SUDDENLY, I'm looking out across RICE PADDIES AND PLOTS OF VEGETABLES AND SUGAR CANE stretched beneath the BASE OF HON KONG............... "NO HELICOPTERS, NO TENTS, OR HOOTCHES IN SIGHT......NO G.I.s..................WHERE DID EVERYBODY GO ??? Am I in THE TWILIGHT ZONE????.." ..........
I am standing on the "GOLF COURSE," a name given to the HELIPORT by the 1ST CAV'S ADVANCE PARTY, because the entire area was cleared by hand in preparation of THE DIVISION'S ARRIVAL AT AN KHE. It was hard to believe that I am actually standing inside the perimeter of the OUR BASE CAMP, THE FIRST HOME OF THE 1ST CAVALRY DIVISION IN VIETNAM, 28 years after I had left.
As we walked through the dry rice paddies, TONY DIAMOND picks up an old SANDBAG and gives it to me; I find a piece of BARBED WIRE and wrap it in the sandbag to take back to the STATES with me.........Yesterday, I found a NOSE PLUG from a 155 ROUND, which I will add to this collection of WAR JUNK. I looked up at the TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN to see if there was any trace of the 1ST CAV PATCH that was PAINTED on the mountain below a RADIO RELAY STATION we had up there..........NOTHING.....really didn't expect anything.
Before we leave I take some SNAPSHOTS of OLD HON KONG and the PEACEFUL GARDENS below it................I stand there and try to imagine this place as it was in '65....the sound of the rotor blades, the H&I ARTILLERY booming from a nearby FIREBASE, the SMELLS of JP-4 and the unforgetable ODOR of LATRINES BURNING..................But the SERENITY and PEACEFULNESS wins over my imagination.............VIETNAM IS AT PEACE NOW....... This is the way I want to remember it................I begin to feel the HIGH or ENLIGHTENMENT I felt a few days ago.....It's a good feeling.
Before we leave, I take one last look at the place that was once MY HOME AWAY FROM HOME...........On the way toward the AN KHE PASS, we come to the SONG BE RIVER, another familiar landmark........I remember bringing my dirty laundry down here to find a MAMA-SAN to wash them ........when we crossed the BRIDGE, I looked down; and, sure enough, there were women on the river SCRUBBING their WASH on the ROCKS below just like they were doing back in '65.
On the way out of AN KHE, Col. CANG tells us we are invited to his brother's house for FRUIT and TEA. After tea, we leave and head out toward the AN KHE PASS; we pass by the old CATHOLIC CHURCH still standing there.............Our driver is speeding down the PASS at 40+ MPH, coming to a HAIRPIN TURN; I tell him to slow down several times, and he still doesn't slow down......Then it dawns on me THIS GUY DOESN'T UNDERSTAND ENGLISH, and the INTERPRETER IS SLEEPING IN THE BACK.........We get around the HAIRPIN without turning the bus over. Down below I see the glistening ribbons of RIVERS in the BINH DINH VALLEY on the EAST SIDE of the PASS..........
NEXT STOP, QUE NHON........We stopped at a restaurant near the BEACH while lunch was being prepared. I walked out onto the very same beach we landed on when the doors opened on the AMPHIBIOUS LANDING CRAFT that brought us ashore after a 30-DAY VOYAGE on the TROOPSHIP MAURICE ROSE.........
I remembered the night when we arrived off the COAST OF QUE NHON; there were TRACERS coming up out of the HILLS while a U.S. GUNSHIP was returning the fire......Standing on the deck that night, I realized that there was really a WAR going on out there.
When I got back to the restaurant, one of our guides told me that a van would take me to NHA TRANG after lunch.......I had planned to go NORTH with the group and then backtrack SOUTH the next day, but I jumped at the opportunity to go to NHA TRANG today and begin my R. & R...early..........
I am on my own now ........On the way down HWY #1, MR. GIA, my DRIVER, raced along the road passing through villages and towns with names like TUY AN and TUY HOA. I kicked back in the air conditioned van and enjoyed the passing scenery along the COAST of the SOUTH CHINA SEA..........
We arrive at the HAI YEN HOTEL at 8:30 p.m......I check in, go to my room, shower, and go down to the hotel restaurant for dinner.....My eye quickly catches "STEAK AND FRIED POTATOES" on the MENU, and I give the waiter my order.....STEAK & POTATOES!!!!........A welcome change from the local food we were eating the past few days.
After dinner, I take a short stroll on the BOULEVARD along the BEACH; then I go back to the hotel for the night, contemplating the next few days ahead.
MAY 4: I awake and go to the hotel CAFE ON THE BEACH for breakfast. A young man selling POSTCARDS approaches me, and I decide to buy a package of cards from him ..........While I'm having my coffee here under the PALM TREES, I look out at the ISLANDS off the coast and RELAX, wondering what the BRAVO guys are doing now.....When I left them yesterday, they were heading north to DANANG; and they were planning to stop at MY LAI.......A GUILT TRIP that I didn't need.
I wrote out some post cards and went out for a swim. I was amazed at the clarity of the WARM TURQUOISE BLUE WATER......I went back to the hotel, and then I sought out a RELIABLE CYCLO DRIVER to take me through the city and see the sights. Several drivers scramble toward me; one guy says, "I show you NHA TRANG??"....He spoke some English; that was good enough for me, so I get into his cyclo and I'm off to take in the CULTURE OF VIETNAM.
My driver's name is VINH.....As he pedals through the streets of the city, I am being very much a TOURIST; I am shooting everything before me with my VIDEO CAMERA. We cross a RIVER and begin to head toward the PO NAGAR CHAM TOWERS, a site used for HINDU WORSHIP since the 2nd century AD..... a bit of information I got from my LONELY PLANET GUIDE TO VIETNAM. Before I left the states, a 1st CAV buddy of mine, who had been here twice before recently, suggested that I get the book before I came here. I'm glad I took his advice. It is a very informing book.
The Towers are built on a hill with a fantastic 360 degree view of NHA TRANG and it's surrounding countryside. Down below, I see the bridge we crossed earlier; and, on the RIVER, there were hundreds of FISHING BOATS spread out toward the South China Sea. When I was here on R & R in '65, I went to a CATHEDRAL; I asked VINH to take me there.......Afterwards, we stopped at LONG SON PAGODA; at the top of the hill, behind the pagoda, is a huge WHITE BUDDHA, which can be seen from all over the city. I was told that the VC used this site during Tet 1968..........
VINH must have pedaled me for hours. When we got back to the hotel, I asked how much the Fare was; and he said 30,000 DONG...about $3. I gave him 40,000 DONG; he gave me a big smile and a "THANK YOU, THANK YOU."
Tonight I met STEVE, a guy from NEW YORK; he is working for a brokerage company in HONG KONG and is here for vacation. Steve tells me there is a boat trip tomorrow morning. I decide to go; the price seems right...only $6......for the day. After dinner, I go out for a walk along the beach. Beautiful evening.......I get to bed early for the boat trip in the morning.
MAY 5: I get up early, have breakfast, and go out to get a CYCLO for a ride to Mama Hanhs GREEN HAT CAFE; and, standing at the hotel gate is VINH, my loyal driver, smiling and pointing to his cyclo. I hopped in and directed him toward my destination.
At the cafe, there are others waiting. I was surprised to see that all were Westerners from FRANCE, SWEDEN, ENGLAND, IRELAND, AUSTRALIA, and STEVE and I.....AMERICANS...... MAMA HANH, the enterprising woman who is running this trip, welcomes us and promises a wonderful day visiting the islands and a delicious SEAFOOD LUNCH. She also tells us that, if we are not satisfied, we don't have to pay.....
A LAMBRETTA minibus arrives, and we load up for a short ride to the dock. After we boarded the BOAT and began to move toward the OFFSHORE ISLANDS, I remarked to Steve that it reminded me of the SS MINNOW.
We stopped near BIRD NEST ISLAND and were told that we could jump into the water and swim for a while; she even provided some snorkels and dive masks. The water was warm, the depth about 25 feet; and, with the masks, you could see fish and corral below.
We are told that lunch is ready. When we went into the galley, dishes of SHRIMP, CRAB, FISH, RICE, NOODLES, and SALADS spread before us on the table. We sat down and FEASTED.........After lunch, I went topside and lay out for some sun and a nap. After we stopped near several islands for more snorkeling and swimming, we headed back to NHA TRANG. We paid MAMA HANH THE $6 for the trip and lunch and extra for our drinks. My tab for the entire trip $10. It was a GREAT DAY........
Back to the hotel to shower and then go for a walk along the beach.........then to bed..........Leaving for SAIGON at 3 p.m. tomorrow....
MAY 6: Awake at 5 a.m. and go to the beach to video the SUNRISE........There are many people out on the beach; some were swimming, and there were children playing. I hadn't noticed them the past few days. I guess they leave during the day.....It seems that some of these people live here on the beach.......I decide to spend the few hours relaxing here on the beach until it's time to leave................
Back at the hotel, I pack, check out, and go out to VINH, who is waiting to take me to the AIRPORT for my flight back to SAIGON. When I arrived at Tan Son Nhut, I was met by Hoang Thi Lan, one of the ladies who were at the airport to greet us when we arrived in Vietnam. She told me that she would show me around SAIGON over the weekend......... Monday, Tony Diamond and the Bravo crew are arriving from HANOI........
Lan took me to see the SAIGON ZOO, the old building which was the AMERICAN EMBASSY, and other LANDMARKS including the REX and CARAVEL HOTELS which housed WAR CORRESPONDENTS and some of our SENIOR MILITARY OFFICERS during the war. I ate my breakfasts and lunches at a FRENCH CAFE near the center of Saigon and dinners at Maxim's, a French restaurant where the food was delicious and inexpensive and included a FLOOR SHOW that featured Vietnamese and American music.....
The BRAVO crew arrived back in Saigon Sunday afternoon; that evening, Vaughn and J.J. went for a DINNER CRUISE on the SAIGON RIVER while Tony and I had dinner with some EX-ARVN SOLDIERS. It was an interesting last evening in Saigon with terrific Vietnamese food and good company. Tomorrow we will leave for the flight back to THE USA ...........
In the days ahead, I will sort out my experiences in VIETNAM, PAST and PRESENT, and reflect on all the EMOTIONS that I felt here......... and hopefully PUT THE VIETNAM WAR BEHIND ME ..................AND REMEMBER VIETNAM IN PEACE!!!
I had gone back to Nam with the war still raging in my head. I was looking for the world I had known then.
But the men I had known...fought beside and too often lost, the vast bases, the free-fire zones, everything I remembered from the war...had all vanished into the past. The war is only a memory now............
I discovered that I had more in common with my old enemies than anyone, except the men who had fought at my side. My enemies and I had shared something beyond words. We had been through war; and, by accepting our memories of it honestly, we were able to greet each other in trust and friendship, hoping that we would never have to face each other on a battlefield again..........
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