An Khe

[frisco-kid]

I never went over Mang Yang Pass during the war, but did go over it with James in 2003 when going from Pleiku to Qui Nhon. You boys wouldn't recognize it now; nice paved road complete with center line. There's a picture of James beside the road in The Gallery.

I did go over Hai Van Pass during the war......a couple times. When I returned with the 82nd in '68 we convoyed from Chu Lai to Danang, and then from Danang to Phu Bai [Gia Le] going over Hai Van Pass. My unit, 1/17th Cav, and part of the 2/505th, spent two weeks on the pass running patrols to keep it open. A steep, narrow, winding, s.o.b. just made for ambushes. We got in quite a few shoot outs with Charlie.

[exlrrp]

One ofthe scariest places I ever was. we Patrolled around here many times, always making contact. This was the place the heavily armed hostile peasant weeweed on your humble correspondent quaking in the bushes.
There was so much of their commo wire stretched around it was hard to keep from tripping on it.
Its intersting to think that back in the Day we had a childlike faith that we could infliltrate using helicopters and they wouldn't see us--kind of like a toddler hiding from Mommy. This touching, childlike faith was exploded when I went back in '03. The hills and terrain are such that it would only take one or two guys on watch to watch the whole valley and Pass. They saw us every time we went in, knew where we were to a fraction of an inch.
And then they came to get us. Every team ran into something on everyr patrol.
The poor fuckers in the Green line, the system of bunkers linging the road, would get wiped out occasionally but the Cav put their doofus troops out here as punishment, what did they expect.
here's yr boy at the top

[exlrrp]

What yr looking at here is the scene of my last lrrp patrol, down in between those two hills at the right center.
This was also the shortest patrol I was ever on, they fired us up just as we were settling down in the slick.
When we came back to Anh Khe they told me it was my last patrol, to go back to Pleiku and start clearing, a little more than a wee before my Deros

[Packo]

James,

Now, maybe the new government got rid of them but weren't the French that got massacred there buried standing up facing France? (I bet if the French that did die there had their way they would have been buried Mooning France)

Also....where you been?

Pack

[exlrrp]

Originally posted by Paco James,

Now, maybe the new government got rid of them but weren't the French that got massacred there buried standing up facing France? (I bet if the French that did die there had their way they would have been buried Mooning France)

Also....where you been?

Pack

Tom
Been doing some traveling: Vancouver, BC and San Diego California. As these are at opposite ends of the West Coast, you can see this taken some driving.
Its good to get off the net for a while--been doing a lot of political blogging in another place and it gets stale after a while (see this at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/7/6/104541/4172 )

Didn't even know about the French at MangYang Pass, I had my own little war to worry about. Bury me with a Playboy magazine so I can one handedly keeep myself amused for all eternity

How'd the wedding turn out?? Did it go off as planned? or even uplanned?
Hope your as happy with yr new Mrs as I am with mine.
I'll be getting back here more to check up on things
Stay good
James

[Packo]

James,

Wedding was great. PM me your email address....send you a couple of pics.

My Scottish grandfather retired and lived out his life on Vancover Island, BC. What a gorgeous place. I loved visiting there the one time I did. Flew on a DC-3, (C-47) from SeaTac to Vancover Island. I remember it had little lamps with shades on the "bulkhead" at each seat.

Pack