Mop

LarryJK
Senior Chief Moderator III
Posts: 432
(7/24/01 5:08:46 pm)
| Del All Mop
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We ran convoy from Long Binh to Tay Ninh post.
When we stopped at Cu Chi for break, we always knew that "Mop" would be waiting
for us. I dont know if Mop was actually a VN name, but that is the name this one
boy had. The best I recall, Mop was about 5-6 yrs old. Before any of the other
kids got anything from the MP's...Mop got his hugs or a pat on the head and his
choice of C's and candy from most of the MP's. And there were pictures to be
taken with Mop. I guess he would best be described as the mascot of B/720 MP Bn.
I recall being told that Mop at one time was a skinny, malnourished kid (as most
were) until they started showing up when the convoy stopped. The C-rats got Mop
and all the other kids healthy and the last time I saw them[May68] , all were
healthy looking.
There have been times during the course of my 8 hr shift that I see a kid that brings
back the memory of Mop. I wish I could at least see a picture of him now.






Edited by: LarryJK at: 7/24/01 6:12:00 pm

nighthawk
V.I.P. Member
Posts: 133
(7/24/01 10:15:01 pm)
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Only one comment,,,the kids just yanked your heart right out of you!!!


LarryJK
Senior Chief Moderator III
Posts: 434
(7/25/01 6:55:51 am)
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Nighthawk...most all of the kids yanked at my heart strings! I am over there...I got two kids back home... boy 2.5 yrs old and a baby girl 1.5 yrs old. I missed my babies. While on convoy we passed by a dump...would see kids going thru it looking for something to eat. I would think about my kids...tore me up.

dreamcatcher27371
V.I.P. Member
Posts: 129
(7/25/01 8:18:12 am)
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Hawk,
Could be that "Mop" was a nickname tagged on to the kid when he gained weight. "Map" (pronounced mop) was a nickname for people who were a little plump. I still miss those kids. I remember when we'd go into a village all the kids would gather round and were just fascinated that the Americans had hair on their arms...seems each one just had to rub your arms. Also, the "Con Buoi Doi" (Children of the dust) in the larger cities. These were mostly kids who were fathered by Americans and were ostracized by ethnic Vietnamese. All innocent victims.

LarryJK
Senior Chief Moderator III
Posts: 436
(7/25/01 11:54:57 am)
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DCatcher...thanks for the translation. That would explain why the name. When I first saw him...he was chubby. Wow! All these yrs and now I find that out about the name "Mop". That really means something to me to know that now.

homer4
Moderator
Posts: 1264
(7/27/01 11:33:04 am)
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I bet your smiling all over the place there Larry with finding out just now from Catch what's behind the little boys name after all these years. Remarkable Map pronounced Mop...a chubby little Vietnamee child.

I think this is one of the best posts I have read her. The telling of a simple little story of a boy...a mascot! How often have Us Forsces taken on a waif or an ole stay dog or some symbol that they will adobt as there "mascot". I believe it was Mike H awhile back posted of a dog in his unit. Americans like to do this stuff guys...ain't nothin like a GI, a kid and a Hershey Bar!

Out in the villes they would rush to get my Wrigley's.

I like this stuff. Always blood and guts and mayhem...it's good for me to hear things of this nature.

Excellent post!
...and two hard boiled eggs.

dirty423
Member
Posts: 22
(7/27/01 2:49:34 pm)
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Then there's 'Tropical Chocolate'. When the company rolled through a village we always tossed food to the kids. Tropical chocolate they threw back. I only knew one GI that ate the stuff and he liked ham and chokers too.
The point of the spear

dirty423
Member
Posts: 23
(7/27/01 2:52:23 pm)
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Larry, remember Trang Bang, we used to laager next to the graveyard there. We had a whole gang of kids that hung out with us.
The point of the spear

LarryJK
Senior Chief Moderator III
Posts: 445
(7/27/01 5:14:58 pm)
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Homer...yeah! Finding out something little like a translation is like putting a piece of the puzzle in the right place. Good feeling!!

Dirty...Trang Bang, I don't really recall, nor a graveyard. This was Hwy 1 in/around Cu Chi. I don't know if I ever heard the name Trang Bang while over there. To many years. I was just a gunner(M-60) on the MP jeep.

Speaking of highways...for years I have recalled an alternate route that we used sometimes. I recall it as Hwy 1A...not sure if that is fact or not. I know there was a couple of small villes on this alternate route but I dont recall the names.

dirty423
Member
Posts: 24
(7/27/01 6:59:20 pm)
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Highway One from Saigon to Tay Ninh was our kingdom in the mech. We hauled ass up and down that highway constantly. Trang Bang was maybe 25 klicks toward Tay Ninh from Cu Chi. Remember Ap Cho,about 10 klicks toward Saigon. On 13-14 Feb 68 my company put 119 people in that ville, we left with 25. Bad day at the office. We were lucky in that only about a dozen were KIA.
The point of the spear

LarryJK
Senior Chief Moderator III
Posts: 448
(7/27/01 7:11:13 pm)
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Dirty...we ran to Tay Ninh post...not to Tay Ninh city. I'm not sure as far as what a map might look like between the two. Also, I recall many times we would be ordered to check our gas mask prior to arriving in Tay Ninh Post. But, we never were gassed. Once we got to Tay Ninh we assembled in/near a bldg at the fuel depot(can't think of the correct name) and some would nap or sit around and bs. I never could take a nap...to damn scared!! This would be around 12:30-2 pm. At this time of the day, we were into the convoy duty for 12 hrs already. We wouldn't get back to Long Binh till around midnight.

Edited by: LarryJK at: 7/27/01 8:43:44 pm

nighthawk
V.I.P. Member
Posts: 189
(8/4/01 11:35:55 pm)
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Just wanted to add,,the kids were the same in all wars


Thanks to Bill Mauldin

Edited by: nighthawk at: 8/5/01 12:37:02 am

LarryJK
Senior Chief Moderator III
Posts: 478
(8/5/01 8:04:36 am)
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Mauldins' work is much like Norman Rockwell (or vice versa)!
So much is said in a picture.

homer4
Moderator
Posts: 1357
(8/5/01 12:39:23 pm)
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Yep!
...and two hard boiled eggs.