K-bar

[splummer]

Ron
I've been on both sides of the river. I remember seeing the high walls on the citidel. There was one bridge we crossed in the new city on our way north until they let the ARVIN's guard it. It got blown and the engineers constructed a long pontoon bridge father down and I think it was near the old city and citadel. Seems to me it was later on in 1968. I never saw the ARVIN's guarding any of our bridges after that. I think Hue was secure at the end of Feb during the day. I was freinds with a little boy who told me the policemen were afraid of the VC when they came around during the night.

[Jerry D]

Nice looking hotrod you got there Ron

[39mto39g]

Slum
There were two cannels and a railroad in the New city and several bridges.

JD
Thanks, I like it.

[frisco-kid]

I can only speak for the REMFs of the 101st back in Phan Rang [66/67]. Once in a G-R-R-E-A-A-T-T while we would get something different. We usually thought of these as mistakes more than gifts .

When I won the lottery and became a REMF in Cam Ranh Bay, I NEVER drank Black Label. Would drink Ba Moui Ba first. Acquired a taste for Ballantine and Hamm's. Pabst wasn't bad. Didn't like Bud back then, and don't care for it now. It was tough on us guys from the west; there was virtually no western beers in-country. That I found, anyway.

Today I enjoy mostly pale ales. This afternoon/evening I've had 2 HARPS [an Irish pale ale made by Guinness] and 1 PACIFICO [ a Mexican beer that I find MUCH better than CORONA]. Also enjoy India Pale Ale, SAM ADAMS, SIERRA NEVADA [local], and ANCHOR STEAM [a San Francisco beer dating back to the Gold Rush days].

[exlrrp]

Are you sure Ron? somehow I had you pictured in red--was the one before that red?


"Lordy we were young , James. Who would have thunk we would get to be this old. 2005 , there were many times I thought 1971 was going to be my last year here. I always carried a bayonett and actually could have used it one day ... but I had a bullet left and after I fired it there was no need to stick him"

You know, I actually knew lrrps who stuck steel into someone, causing the victim to expire, true fact. It really wasn't all that uncommon in the people I was with--it was actually why they issued us those big old pigstickers in the first place, in the hope that we'd do the dirty on someone with it (shocking, isn't it?) but more likely than not, they did get used on the C ration opening thing. didn't realize how rare a thing it was untill I came back and talked to other Vietnam Vets. One soldier sticking an enemy soldier with a knife must be as old as Nebuchadnezzar but I bet it still happens.
I used to mostly carry a .45 while not on duty AND the knife and maybe a grenade or 2 in my pockets but in that particular picture I showed I was wearing the knife (see the grnade launcher slung over shoulder?) because we were about to go on the Maguire rig and I didn't want to be lugging a bunch of hardware while flying over Vietnam while dangling 100' below a slick, just enugh to qualify as being "armed" Just another fun day in the NAm, no doubt youre thinking, but this time was only practice. Another true fact. No wonder I have PTSD!
Those were the days, eh John? That was SOME kind of living, everything else has been an anticlimax. Its hard to top that stuiff and keeps getting harder later in life, too.


If I'da known I wwas going to get to be this old I would have taken a whole lot better care of myself.
Did anybody but me have this sorta fatalistic attitude for a long time?? Like not making long range plans becouse you'd be dead by then??
I'm just getting over this one in my mid 50s. My parents are both along in their 80s and hale and hearty so I'm actually expecting to live that long, actually
My goal is to be the oldest living Vietnam Veteran--anybody want in on a tontine?
Stay good
James

[39mto39g]

The last one was Dark Blue. The one before that was Gray. Never owned a red one.

Ron

[exlrrp]

I guess i just had you pegged for red car, like the stereotype dog for you would be a Dalamatian. Yar! You'd probly EAT a Dalmatian and send the bones to Disneyland, we've pretty well established youre not all that sentimental and certainly not stereotypical. What a cheery face you must bring to disasters!
Speaking of throwing knives, I been staring at that picture of me I posted above for hours, same as I do every Sunday and thinking about that knife. Now I stop and think about it, i flang it at a sandbag or 2 but I don't remember it. I mean what else was there to do on a firebase after youve cleaned Mr. 30 Rounds for the 9th time today? (ans: smoke pot!2d choice: booze!)
Don't know if you can see it but in that picure you can see the little grindstone they gave us with it, , ah the many happy hours I spent sharpening that knife, no I woldn't hardly have throwed it much, I mean, you know, it was an every day tool, more or less. For opening C's and stuff.
I'm pretty sure I never got to where I could even stick it in consistently and I'm not sure I ever set out to do so.
But I kept the edge sharp! This was actually where I learned to sharpen an edge. See that huge old Toad stabber that big lunk on the right side is wearing?? A Dive Knife!! Now what, I would ask him, elephant do you think youre going to beat to death with that, Berserky, which is what I called him. His dad had been in the Waffen SS and his mom sent me the best poundcake I have ever eaten.
EDGES!!! EDGES!!! That, I told him, iswhat gets the meat cut in this world and when I say edges here I mean SHARP edges!! Yes, I'd say, its the keen sharp edge that cleaves the sinews the best, stabbing deepest to the vitals, not some big old machete that can't hold edge.
No wonder he carried the radio all the time! ( I had ducked that in favor of walking point) I got all that stuff about edges from the one member of the team 4-7, Easy Co lrrps who would know for sure, and all he would do is sharpen that knife and mumble about the importance of edges,although I suspicioned once or twice he was only doing that to fake being crazy. I knew lrrps who would do stuff l;ike that, they were trluy awful some of em, no respect for law and authority. You wouldn't want em throwing knives around you, no you wouldn't, it'd be disturbing, especially if they got hilarious
Hope you can make it out to the LAzy J Ron, we'll kill some things and eat em!

[39mto39g]

"What a cheery face you must bring to disasters"
Most of the time when I come face to face with the public its because they have done something stupid. I bring a salution to there problem (allways) . Sometimes I am a little short with the public and that is only because of the time, or lack off.
In a disastor I can have a frendly conversaion with 3 or 4 people or I can be short with people and save 10, The cheery face comes after the problem. Some people don't like that in police or firemen, I can't help that.
I remember a DR. getting mad at me because I told him to stand back. Then I told him to stand back again and then I told him to do it or I would have him arrested.
Ron

[reeb]

Back then in CRB you could have gotten 2 cases plus for 5 bucks. Had to use your ration card and beer was 2.40 a case and wine a buck a bottle. Drank alot of Blakc Label there along with Shlitz and Rolling Rock and of course PBR and all was in tin can with alot of perservatives on the cans to protect them from rusting.

enough.....