It was the first week in February 1967, I was flying into Viet Nam on board a civilian 727. I remember being surprised that we were boarding a civilian plane, knowing where we were headed. I have since forgotten the name of the airlines, but I do remember that the service was outstanding, and the Stewardesses were more mature than you might see on an ordinary flight. I found out later that only the ones with the most seniority got these flights, mainly because they got paid really good for flying into a “Combat Zone”.
As we taxied to a stop on the on the runway at Ton Son Nhut Airbase at Saigon, we were told to stay in our seats until orders were given to deplane. I looked out the window and saw maybe four jeeps mounted with .50 caliber machine guns, racing down the runway. Around ten minutes later the plane moved off to the left, stopped, the engines shut down, and we were told to deplane. We were never told what the jeeps were up to, or why the ten minute wait, and as far as I know, nobody ever asked.
We were met immediately by a Chief Petty Officer in fatigues with a clipboard, who held a muster to make sure we were all there. He then called out four of us, and said we were being reassigned to the YFR889. Originally we had orders to the APL25. None of us had any idea at the time what either one of those things were.
The four of us were escorted by the officer to a bus, with no idea where we were going, and by this time it was beginning to get dark, and it was fully dark by the time we got to our destination, which turned out to be what we in the military call, a tent city. All the tents were connected together by trenches, not quite chest deep on me, and I was about six feet tall at that time.
He took us to a very large tent that had no lights at all inside. Once inside with the door shut he turned on a flashlight, and took us to the back of the tent where there was a large pile of folding bunks, stacks of mattresses, and folded blankets, (No pillows). He said “set up a bunk and get some sleep, someone will be here to get you up at 0600”. It couldn’t have been no later than 2100. Even at that I didn’t sleep very much.
Finally 0600 came and a young Army PFC in green fatigues came to the door and said you better get up if want any “chow”. Since we were sleeping in our uniforms, (I had only taken off my shoes) we were right behind the soldier heading along the trench to the Mess Tent. On the way, we saw soldiers from, what seemed like 5 or 6 different countries, coming and going, and also eating at the mess tent. The breakfast was not bad, scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast from what tasted like homemade bread.
After breakfast, we were herded along with a bunch of other men to another bus, or maybe the same one, a gray school bus type, and driven to downtown Saigon, to the Annapolis Hotel. (The above photo).
3 comments:
That's like a book, Larry, very interesting reading. I hope there will be another instalment...
Thanks Petra.
Yes, I plan to continue this, one page at a time. I was there for a year, so there is a lot to write, but some of it may be a little boring, but my daughter wants me to write it, so I will.
I'm sending it to her by email because she works at an Air Force Base in Qatar. :-))
Well, you may find some periods of your stay there boring but for me they certainly won't be boring. You were an American soldier staying in that country and your story has been real, no fiction. For me it is interesting to get to know what it was like.
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