What did you get for christmas in vietnam

[frisco-kid]

Christmas '66 was spent on a stand down just outside of Kontum City. I got a Care Package from home with some canned meats, cheeses, a piece of smoked salmon, kool-aid, socks, and 2 bottles of tobasco sauce that I had requested.

Christmas '68 I told everybody not to send me anything. My ETS date was 9JAN69, so was hoping to be home by Christmas. Well, me being such the important piece of military equipment that I was, the Army decided to keep me beyond that. I ETSd on 1JAN69.

[phuloi]

Phu Loi,RVN...Still lamenting and kicking my chin over the Bosox blowing the World Series,and wondering if there was any truth to the Christmas Cease Fire rumors.Lots of booze.A guy in my company named Benny Eyeres,from San Francisco got a care package with the BEST Italian hard salami...more booze,coupla joints.Did I mention all the booze?
Afraid that I`ve overdrawn my memory bank,but I know that I was out working on a bridge on hiway 13 so the Bob Hope enterage could get to their next show,which,of course,I missed.Did see piccies of Joey Heatherton,though.

[revwardoc]

This didn't happen in 'Nam and techically it was Dec. 26th, but...I was on a flight from LA to Boston, heading home on leave. The guy next to me was a Marine who was also going home for a week before being sent to VN. He must've been one frustrated SOB in training because the way he reacted to those stewardesses, it was downright embarrasing. The best part though, was the guy sitting in front of us. He literally bought a seat for his bag of goodies which turned out to be a couple of dozen bottles of booze. Being full of the "spirit" of Xmas, he decided that we all should be full of the same spirit so he opened several bottles and passed them around. What a flight! We were singing Xmas carols, swapping stories and photos, and a couple of high school girls really loved men in uniform (just kissy-face stuff, though). After a couple of hours, the booze took effect and we were roused from our slumber by the pilot informing us that there was an ice storm in Boston and the airport might be shut down. He said he'd leave it up to us, we could continue to Boston or land in NY. A very loud voice vote went for Boston. Landing was not the proper term for what we did. It was more like, "struck the tarmac". In order to avoid skidding on the icy runway, the pilot dropped it several feet but I could still feel the bird fishtail and seemed like it took forever to stop. In fact, we went so far we had to do a 180 turn because we went past the last turnoff for the terminal! While we turned I could see the wingtip go over the sea wall. I never sobered up so fast in my life. One more plane landed and the airport was closed. There are no atheists in foxholes or in planes landing on icy runways.

I hadn't told my parents I was arriving early so I figured I just take a bus home but they were shut down. The Marine's mom was there to pick him up and he asked her if she could drive me home. She looked me up and down, said, "Absolutely not!" and grabbed her son's hand and led him away (no wonder he joined the Marines; his DI was probably a wuss compared to her). I had to use the last of my cash to pay for a cab. When we arrived at my parent's house about midnightI told the cabbie to wait and I'd get him some money for a tip but he told me to forget it, he was a Korean war vet and didn't mind doing a favor for a GI.

The next morning at 6AM, my old man woke me up, handed me a shovel and an ice scraper and told me to clear off the car so he could go to work. It was good to be home.

[exlrrp]

Originally posted by Paco James,

Wish you would start a new thread with the other Christmas Story about you and Dan and the birth of a baby. That's a wonderful story that I think would be nice of you to share....if that's ok. The above one is good.....but I think everyone would also love the other.

Come on daddy....tell us the story!

Packo

Will do, as Christmas draws nigh. Let me point out that that Christmas story, while based on true incidents and real people is fiction.
The story of the lrps on the hill on Chriistmas Day is--let me assure you-- non fiction.

James

[PHO127]

Stands out in my mind, The others are a blur, I don't really remember getting christmas packages BUT. Christmas 1970 we were south of Xuan Loc about 8Ks below FSB Blackhorse. We had built a small FB near a bananna plantation. A cold front had moved in and we awoke christmas day to a bone chilling mid to lower 70s temperature. I mean we were freezing. I think that is the coldest that I can ever remember being. When the average low is in the 90s, 70 is damn cold.

[Beldan]

Christmas Day 1966. It was dang cold and pouring rain South of Quang Tri. Choppers could not get in and we were rooting through the c-rat pits for unopened ration cans. I got a can of cheese and crackers.

[usmcsgt65]

Christmas 1966 around Chu Lai, a big box (a big box) that contained powder milk, malt powder, ten pounds of Mary Janes (the bit six size peanutbutter candy), a mini Christmas tree, and a game of Monolopy. Never did figure out the powder milk, but made good use of the malt powder.

[39mto39g]

Nothin.

Ron

[DMZ-LT]

Nothing too. My mail was lost for two months

[b3196]

Xmas 1966, I know I received a package, but I cant remember....now thats sad!!!
Bob K