Casualty of Peace

Phu Quoc Island Paradise I was nervous as a cat on the ride to the in-country air terminal. Only mid morning, already 100 degrees the asphalt was soft under my feet. The packed terminal was a steaming bedlam of humanity, but at least my flight was on schedule. I'd be flying with the Royal Australian Air Force, flight 007. They called themselves "Wallaby Airlines."  The twin engine C7a Caribou was built for short airstrips, like where I was going. Passenger seats folded down along the sides, and ran the length of the cabin.  I belted in as the back ramp shut closed. The engines revved up and we taxied to the end of the runway. After a smooth take off we climbed above sweltering Tan Son Nhut Air Base. Within minutes we got into into cooler air, my sweat soaked uniform gave a chill. We turned south west, but it wasn't long before we landed at the first stop. This was going to be a milk run, for passengers and mail. After two more landings at increasingly...

Welcome to Duong Dong "Island of Paradise" Guard post at the gate Smity must have noticed the astonished look on my face. On the bumpy jeep ride from the air terminal, he started talking, and I relaxed a little. "The Australians bring in the mail and passengers twice a week, great bunch of guys. We get a C130 landing almost weekly too, and they bring in mail too. But we're definitely off the beaten path." He threw his head back, with an insane laugh... "Your going to like it here." We arrived at the orderly room where I was issued a steel helmet, and a flack jacket. The first Sargent then explained the rules, as he handed me my M16. "This is your weapon, it must be at your side day and night. We are in a frontier area, here. If you are caught without your weapon, you will be punished. Are we clear on this?" I nodded and he continued. "If you go to the village you must have it with you at all times." Again I...

Pleasure Island Not so much Over the next several days I got my feet back on the ground, and even made a couple friends. One of the guys had a day off coming and wanted to take me downtown to show me the city. I wasn't sure what I was getting into exactly. But I'd been looking for adventure when I volunteered, and my new friend was excited to show me the sights. Once we passed through the main gate, the world on the other side of the guard posts and barbed wire was a circus of sound and color. We walked about a hundred feet from the gate and were surrounded with kids trying to sell everything and anything. These street urchins wore several watches on skinny arms, that were probably stolen or fakes. Several wanted to take me to meet their sister, only one dollar. Outside the gate the brothel spread into the street, for at least a half a mile. It had the feel of Pleasure Island from the story, Pinocchio. Where boys and girls were free to do anything they wan...

In Transient  The encounter with the caskets containing dead Americans left me shocked and then numb. That would be repeated many times during the next twelve months.  We continued, reaching the terminal and went through in-processing. It was even hotter inside than outside with the combined body heat of several hundred sweating men. Class A uniforms we'd lived in for over twenty-four hours that were once wrinkled, now were completely soaked. I was only twenty-one and holding up, but I noticed older soldiers starting to wilt. Three hours later, I reached the transit barracks, located right next to the flight line. But any hope of rest was an illusion. It was an open barracks, the kind I'd not seen since basic training.  I found an empty bunk near the center of the blockhouse. The cacophony of roaring industrial strength fans, and aircraft engines, overpowered the ears, it could even be felt. The first thing I wanted was a hot shower. I headed for the...

The Arrival May 1968 - May 2018 Plus Fifty Years Landing at Tan Son Nhut Air Base Saigon, Vietnam The blood red seashore was the set-up for the next shocker. After we touched down and rolled to a stop, the pilot taxied to the place we'd disembark. Everyone lined up and took the stairs single file, the long line of soldiers reached the tarmac and walked toward the terminal.  The entire twenty-four hour flight to Vietnam aboard the 707, was of course air conditioned. But as soon as we stepped outside, we immediately sweltered in 100% humidity, and 100 degree plus mid day heat. Before we got very far we all had to strop and wait for a flight line vehicle passing in front of us. The vehicle was towing several trailers, that were all neatly stacked with shiny new aluminum caskets. Each one contained the remains of a dead American soldier. That was our unofficial welcome to Vietnam. I don't know how that effected the other soldiers, but to me it was a sobering ...

Prequel to War In the winter of 1967/1968 my one year tour of duty in Alaska was winding down to the last few months. At the same time the war in Vietnam was intensifying. Up above the Arctic circle, our radar kept an eye on the USSR, and the winter dropped to 95 below zero.  Because of the remote duty, we were allowed to request where we'd like to next be assigned. Three years into my four year enlistment, I was disappointed that I'd not been sent to Vietnam. Like most airmen, I was very patriotic and we were proud to help any small country fighting to be free. It seemed like a great cause, and I didn't want to miss out on the war. When it was time to process out, in the orderly room I filled out my choice of my next assignment. On that form, I wrote in, Vietnam as my first choice. It didn't take long for my orders to arrive. The reassignment orders read, Detachment 1, 619th Tactical Control Squadron, Unknown existence, APO 96236, Republic of South Vietnam....