My First Day

[frisco-kid]

After a non-stop flight [17hrs.] from Travis AFB, California, to Tan Son Nhut Air Base, on the outskirts of Saigon, Vietnam, we finally touch down. It's been real quiet on the plane for the last 20min. or so, as everyone's been looking out of the windows ever since land came into view, each with their own expectations and fears. When we finally come to a stop out on the tarmac and start to descend the stairs from the air conditioned plane, the heat hits me in the face like I'm standing too close to a forest fire. Jaysus! Can I endure a year of this? We're taken in through the terminal [no air conditioning], pick up our duffle bags from baggage, and are put on buses on the streetside. The first thing I notice about the bus is that the windows have wire mesh on them. The driver tells someone that asked that this is to keep someone on a motorbike from tossing a grenade or satchel charge through them. I wonder if this was learned the hard way. I'm guessing "Yes."

We're headed for the 90th Replacement Bn. in Bien Hoa. As we go through the populated areas, the first thing I'm impressed with is the congestion of people [I later learn that all of the towns and cities are choked with refugees from the countryside fleeing the war], the visible poverty, and the bustle and chatter of the place. Next is the stench. It's a mix of dirt and dust, rotting vegetation, sewage, burning wood or charcoal, stagnant water, and cooking smells of some exotic foods that I can only imagine.

When we get to the 90th, we're processed in and issued bedding and directed to a barracks and cot. Since we're all still wearing the khaki uniforms that we flew over in, we're told to change into fatigues. That's fine with me, since mine has been saturated with sweat since about 3min. after we landed. We meet some of the guys that are already bunked in the barracks. Some of them have been there for several days, with stories of guard duty and shit burning details. We just kind of hang out until we're told to fall out for the first of several formations that we have to make that day. At each formation some guys have their names called. They fall out, never to be seen again. I make it through the rest of the day without my name being called, or being assigned to any details. As I had the free time to think about things, my mind would wander; will I make it through my tour; was my training good enough to keep me alive? The worst fear that I have though, isn't the fear of dying. When you're a 19yr. old paratrooper, you think you're bulletproof. No, it isn't of dying,.....it's the fear of possibly finding out that you're a coward. Or worse, being a coward and getting someone killed because of it. Letting your buddies down. This, COMBAT, was going to be the litmus test of all that I had been taught, and all that I had been built up to believe of myself. "Do you think you can cut it?" I ask myself. "I believe I can," I answer.


The next morning, in the first formation of the day, my name is called. I'm told to turn in my bedding, get my duffle bag, and fall in at a designated area. We're told that we've been assigned to a unit and handed our records and orders. I read mine and see that I'm going to the 101st Airborne Division. COOL! I'm going to be a Screaming Eagle. A few guys that I know from AIT and Jump School are also going there. It's comforting to know somebody. Some of the other Airborne guys are going to the 173rd or 1st Cav.. We're bussed back to Tan Son Nhut. We're put on various C-130s or choppers, depending on where we're going. The next stop for me is Phan Rang, the main basecamp for the 101st Airborne Division.

LET TOM'S BIG ADVENTURE BEGIN!

[Packo]

Deja Vu all over again. How similar.......even down to the thoughts. I was so hoping to be a Screaming Eagle and was a little upset when I was told I was going to the Cav. I later was very happy to have been a Jumpin' Mustang and thankful I went to the 1st Cav Division after talking with Dan, you, and James. I still believe, that as a Division, the Cav took better care of it's men then the 101st. I could be mistaken though but do not regret being a Sky Trooper for a moment. I think being a coward was on all our lists of frets as number 1. Letting down the other men was a real fear you could almost taste. Great post Kid!


Pack

[formergrunt70]

Sounds familiar to Me too.

[39mto39g]

Left Ft Leiwis in the morning, flew and flew some more. Landed in Japan for about 5 hours, Flew some more. Landed in cam Rhan at night, The pilot says look out the left window, you can see shelling, I didn't look or care, I thought I would be seeing it soon enough. We went to this building and there they told me to get on >that C-130, I did, it went to Pleiku, My orders was for the 25th inf div, We landed in Pleiku way past midnight, all was quiet.
I was tired, it was hot (June) I went to sleep in some tent they assigned me, The only thing I was thinking was that I had 363 days left.

Ron

[phuloi]

Must be ESP-N or something! Kati asked me just yesterday to tell the story about how I dug a BIG hole with a LITTLE shovel.
Unlike alot of you,I went over in battalion strength aboard a troop carrier that took the better part of a month at sea.In retrospect,that was way too long of a time to think about the final destination.We shared the ship with one of the light infantry brigades(196th?) who disembarked first up north somewhere,then a signal outfit got put to shore further south.Next and finally,we were loaded into landing craft in full combat gear and motored to the beach.The big beach assault landing turned out to be a joke,as there were all kinds of VN Nationals waiting for us with various and sundry goods for sale.WHAT!?
Got loaded into duece-and-a-halves and taken to an airstrip where we were loaded onto awaiting C-130s for a short hop to Bien Hoa.Put us up on a little hill out on what they called the 'Green Line'.Raining like a sumbitch.They told us to buddy up and pitch our pup-tents ASAP so we could get out a perimeter guard before it got too dark.......Sure.You Betcha.Stuff was floating away just as fast as you put it down.Did I mention that it was raining?
Of course,I was selected for guard duty-Probably cause I was one of the few who still had a weapon and ammo still intact.The guy says "OK,This is you...Dig in!" Yeah right!,I`m thinking.This whole day has been a complete cluster-fuck and now I`m supposed to DIG IN?I proceeded to sit on my steel pot and smoke a Lucky.Peering out into the darkness,I replayed the past 12-15 hours in my mind and was sure that these idiots were trying to get me killed.About that time THUMP....THUMP.....followed by whistling noises getting closer and closer and....WHAM!!Shit was exploding all around me and guys to either side were screaming.Where in hell did that damn entrenching tool-one each-go?I unassed that little shovel and....Well,you never saw one 200#,6' 19 year old young sojer dig straight down so fast in all your life!Steel pot and flack jacket where they belonged,I put my poncho over top of me and waited for them to come.And waited ....Waited for 1968 to come so I could go home.

[SEATJERKER]

..."Welcome home",...

...have been sidetracked for a while, same same, moma son doesn't 'love me anymore', big "d" still in process, lines in sand are drawn, still love her, but she wants to see "if their is life out there",...

...life here is still about those that served, and those that made it home, and those that did not, God holds them in the palm of his hand,... though I never made it to the bush, you are, and always will be my hero's, and I would have served beside any, and all of you, anytime,...

...hearing is slipping, aids make a big difference, but wind sends them whistling, don't like wearing them in this weather, don't work well near the phones also,...

...Sis, miss your conversations, will try to call,...

...switched dealerships as I had a brief run in with a "manager" as he ""grabbed" me by the arm, quit rather then lay him out, fight, or flight, chooose flight, rather then silver braclelets,...

...not much time to yak as I would like to as my world has been blown away from what it was,...

...tryin' baby steps, one in front of the other, but it's tough loosin' the one who you love,...

...

[DMZ-LT]

Great post Tom. Scared most all day. Guy going home , with that stare , asked who was going to a line unit . I said me and he gave me a strobe light from a avaitors survival vest Said drop it down a thumper and you could signal in choppers with out gooks seeing it. A few days later I used it but there was to much fire for them to come in. Bad day , a very bad night . Keep movin Curtis , ain't no one shooting at you , your doing good !

[Robert Ryan]

I remember the first day first tour, left Fort Lewis, in Sept 1967, stopped over in Japan. Then landed in Cam Ranh Bay. Two things I remember the heat, and the smell. When I got my orders and they weren't for an Infantry Division, I had delsuions of grandure because my order were for the 525th Militray Intelligence Group. Man thought I would be doing snoop and creep in the bush gathering intel. Ended up in security platoon made up 11B's who provided tower guards, perimiter guards, and roving guards. We also guarded the detainess ( weren't allowed to call them POW's yet) that were brought in for questioning. Didn't fire a shot in anger until Tet 68. My second tour with the 4th Infantary Divison made up for my first tour.