I remember

nighthawk
V.I.P. Member
Posts: 311
(9/5/01 5:14:10 pm)
| Del All I remember
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This is the memories forum, so:

I remember;
Watching the flares light up the sky, tracers from aircraft,

Smelling Nhuc-mam being cooked, diesel fumes, garbage, sewage, cordite, marijuana, stale beer, piss in the alleys, masses of people.

Hearing the distant pounding from Arc Light, GI's cussing in the dark, bar girls calling out, children crying, motorcycles and scooters, duece & a halfs roaring down a narrow street, helicopters,,always helicopters!!!

Soaked to the skin in about 1 minute from the monsoon rains, from sweat,

Listening to wave after wave of jet fighters leaving the air base, returning, leaving again, an occasional passenger jet taking off or landing

Feeling the vibrations of rockets hitting across the fields between us and the air base

Sensing the tension of the people on the streets

Reading detailed morning reports of some incident that took American lives, some action of a American hero.

Drinking that stale beer, pissing in an alley

Knowing that someday I would be leaving this place

What do you remember?

Stan H ,, nighthawk

btw
I wrote this as I was just letting my memory flow,,not bearing on any one thing.


high2fly
*Senior Chief Moderator*
Posts: 162
(9/5/01 5:38:50 pm)
| Del Re: I remember
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The scrotum twisting sensation of hearing the distinct sounds of 81 Mike-Mike's being dropped down the tube in the middle of the night--searching your reflexes if it were an HE or an Illulm. round. The smell of the **** barrels being burned---the grind-up of a distant siren sounding for incoming---hearing the flop of the 122 rockets as they passed overhead---seeing the vaporous smoke of small arms fire in a tree line---every nerve that involved the sense of listening, tuned to hear the rounds cutting thru the air near where you were trying to burrow down into the dirt. The smell of a gutt-shot---the odor of dead left too long unattended.
Wilborn

dap22
Senior Chief Moderator II
Posts: 1134
(9/5/01 7:36:07 pm)
| Del
ezSupporter
Re: I remember
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Well, besides the memories from the last two posts, of which I've heard most, although I don't think I ever got close to an alley in VN...................I remember distinctly the sound of the hustle bustle of the little putt putt's, the car's, the motorcycles with horns continually blaring since everyone wanted to be on the road going the same place at the same time. I think they might have been ahead of us in the "road rage" category.

Something that haunts me to this day is the memory of the screams and yells of pain and suffering that I could hear even with my flight helmet on aboard a very noisy helicopter. Along with that would be the medic or crewchief asking if we could go a little faster to get to the hospital or aid station.

And of course the memory of the sound that is so very distinctive.......the sound of schrapnel and or rounds hitting and penetrating the skin and structure of the aircraft. It had a sound of its own.......a very eerie sound that I'll surely never forget.

And then, sometimes at dawn, there would be virtually no sounds.......pure quiet.....no birds.....no putt putts......no noise.......and then it would start all over again.

BARTAL
Moderator
Posts: 182
(9/5/01 8:58:11 pm)
| Del
ezSupporter
Re: I remember
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All of the above......by the way they were very well put.
I remember those cute little Coke girls. I don't know if I will ever forget them. They were so funny and smart. They could talk me out of money every-day. Like I cared. So to all those cute little girls I lift up my Coke tonight and say thank you for those good memories. They called me Duyong (spl.) Never knew why.
Peace....Barry

Misterstan
Moderator
Posts: 581
(9/6/01 9:20:37 am)
| Del Re: I remember
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I remember watching mile after mile of shoreline along the rivers of the Mekong Delta.

The vibration of the Ship's engines as we got underway.

The beautiful sight of the Ocean as we traveled out of the mouth of a large river and headed up and down the coast of Vietnam to enter yet another river to deliver our supplies before nightfall.

The excitement when called to General Quarters as we entered a Free-Fire zone and hearing most of the Ship's guns going off as we slipped through the water sometimes only five or six feet deep.

Watching the tracers as I manned the double barreled 20mm anti-aircraft gun while shooting in the general direction ordered by the Ship's Captain along the river bank.

The tossing and turning of the ship as we loaded and unloaded huge pallets of supplies when tied up at port in Saigon or at an Army or Navy base in the Mekong Delta.

Seeing and hearing the tremendous firepower of the gunboats that escorted us into treacherous waters.

Always stopping and looking when one or more helicopters flew overhead any time of day or night.

Seeing the look of gratitude on their faces when a team of Navy SEALs came on board our ship to use the cold water fountain just outside the Ship's Office.

Watching the Vietnamese people cross the street holding hands while small motorcycles raced to and fro in the larger cities like Saigon.

Seeing the large groups of Vietnamese children wearing beautiful white uniforms as they walked to school along the side of the road.

Sitting with a Vietnamese family as they cooked their daily meal over charcoal in a hole dug in the ground just outside their home. Sharing what little they had with us.

Feeling the awesome responsibility of being looked up to as the protectors of these close-knit Vietnamese families.

And today, missing their companionship dearly!

Stan Lambert
St. Clair Shores, Michigan

dreamcatcher27371
V.I.P. Member
Posts: 189
(9/6/01 11:11:19 am)
| Del Re: I remember
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Let's see....first: a lot of those that have already been mentioned.

..buying a soda and receiving it in a plastic bag with ice and a straw. Wrapped tightly with a rubber band at the neck.

..having the kids feel the hair on your arms

..the smell of "magic green gook juice"...the "green oil" that was used for so many purposes (I still use it to this day along with Tiger Balm)

..hearing the rattle of the dry rice field rations that the VNs carried as we trudged along a jungle trail..

..watching the smallest VN troop struggling with an old BAR while trying to keep up

..seeing the fish flopping in the trays at the local market.

..looking for punji pits in the darkness of early morning.

..taking a dump from the side of a yabuta junk underway.

..the excitement of mail call.

..buying rice cakes and cha gio (spring rolls) from street vendors.

..the smell of strong french coffee in the morning.

..bar girls

..the smell of nuoc mam and garlic cooking....

..the warmth of urine running down your leg while standing in the mud of a narrow canal

..the look of sheer terror on the face of captured VC

..the little NVA creeps inspecting the planeload as we departed for the last time

..ICCS (I Can't Control ****) helicopters floating over the delta...

..the initial shock displayed by a lot of Vietnamese when I spoke to them in their language....

Lots more......

Gunship
Member
Posts: 49
(9/6/01 11:49:02 am)
| Del > I remember
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You remind me all.
You make me " very home-sick".
You make me "love my poor country more"...... torn by wars for hundred, hundred years.. and tears and war..
Thanks
GS.

homer4
Moderator
Posts: 1523
(9/6/01 6:07:36 pm)
| Del Re: > I remember
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The lovely Ao Dai's...the markets...all the colors...ribbons and banners...cyclos...ghe's and sampans

...men and women balancing can's of water on a pole...fish and rice...nuoic mam...smiling and laughing Chieftains an Soldiers as we tasted foods and rough home rice brew...dried rat...rice and more rice and even more rice...

...craters from an Arc-Lite...slicks...whop-whop...KRUMP from 26's and .223 and 7.62...walking and walking and walking...dikes and paddies...bitin ants and mosquitoes...boots and pale scorpions...Oscar Bravo Oscar! this is Lima Five Foxtrot!...Go!

kids and Cokes...Yu Numba Wun GI!...Yu buy GI!...beetle nut...red teeth and squatting Ba's...bamboo...palm thatch huts...monkey bridges...kids and Wrigly's gum...men arm and arm, holding hands...intimate!...no shame but anouncing to all...this is my friend...

...the lovely Ao Dai's...the color that was allowed before the slick's prop wash kicked up the duat and reminded us all it was a lousy war zone.

...and thousands of more stuff.
...and two hard boiled eggs.

donbrails
V.I.P. Member
Posts: 63
(9/9/01 8:28:49 pm)
| Del I remember
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Just a few random thoughts.
I remember receiving canned peaches in my c-rations and saving them in the hope that I would get pound cake the next day. (A couple of times I did!)
The rain coming in sheets and being able to estimate how long it would take to get to us.
The beautiful temple in TayNinh.
The French Fort overlooking the river, on the green hill, with the road extending into the jungle on the other side.
News Years Eve, when the top of NuiBaDen errupted in celebration.
The leeches.
The short rounds falling in the company area at 2 o"clock in the morning.
Thanks,
Don