Our last day in Saigon was pretty much a day of leisure and preparation for the long trip home across the Pacific. Some of our group elected to go with our guide Phai on a last shopping excursion to the Cholon section of Saigon. Cholon has traditionally been the section of Saigon that was largely inhabited by a large Chinese mini community. During the Tet Offensive in 1968, Cholon was the last area of Saigon to be retaken from a significant VC and NVA force that had taken sanctuary there. Many of us, who had done enough shopping, decided to stay around the hotel and begin packing. I had a later than usual Breakfast at the Rex Hotel Dining Room on the 5th Floor. Then took a few minutes to address and mail a few postcards to some of the men I served with in Vietnam and maintain contact with. I then took my camera and did some exploring in the area surrounding our hotel. This is a very affluent area that displays a distinct Western influence. If you didn't know you were in Saigon, you could easily imagine that you were in any number of large modern cities in other places in the world. The Hotel provided a final Farewell Lunch for us, in the Private Dining Room, at 1:00 PM. An attempt was made to give us something more akin to American food. We were served a Club Sandwich with French Fries and the usual assorted fresh fruit for dessert. We had all dressed in the personalized shirts provided to us by the VFW. We posed for a group picture on the steps of the Hotel, then returned to our rooms for final packing and to collect our luggage. After checking out, we departed for Tan San Nhut Airport and the first leg of our long trip home. Our flight to Hong Kong was a little late in departing, but in plenty of time to make our connection from Hong Kong to LA. Both of these legs, as when we traveled to and from the US, was on Cathay Pacific. My first time on this airline. I found it to be an excellent carrier. On the leg between Hong Kong and LA in both directions, the VFW made sure we got Economy Deluxe seating. This gave us larger seats and even more accommodating service. We were served both a full Dinner and Breakfast, and there were snacks provided on request. The trip back across the Pacific was shorter than when we went over. Going over, this leg was about 15 1/2 hours. It was at least 2 hours shorter on the return trip. Upon arrival in LA, at about 9:45 PM local time, we cleared the maze of Immigration, Customs, the TSA, and finally Baggage Claim. We then took an Airport Shuttle to the Sheraton Four Points for the night. Most of us had early flights home, so we pretty much scattered from that point. I had an 8:40 AM flight back to Boston, so I departed about 6:00 AM for LAX. Quickly cleared TSA and had Breakfast at the Airport. Arrived back in Boston, just after 4:30 PM local time, to be greeted by my Wife, Daughter, and two Grandsons.
   A few final reflections on the trip, now that I have had time to decompress back here in the good old USA. First of all, many thanks to the VFW for this once in a lifetime opportunity to return once again to Vietnam. The trip was strictly first class in all that was provided. Hard to believe that we could have had a better Guide than Nguyen Phai. His knowledge of the geography, history, and traditions of the Country was superior. At each stop, we had first class accomodations and the people there could not have been more accommodating. Roger Frye, the current Chief of Staff for the VFW National Commander, was chosen to accompany us on the tour. Roger is a US Marine Veteran of the Vietnam War. He did an excellent job of providing our link between the VFW and the tour operator, Global Spectrum. I found that I was more at ease when we moved South and got away from Hanoi. The people in Hanoi were very nice to us, but I couldn't help but still see them as the enemy. Unlike some, I do not choose to view them as an honorable former adversary, worthy of mutual respect. I believe they broke every agreement and truce that they made during the war. Culminating in their absolute disregard for the 1973 Paris Peace Accord negotiated by Henry Kissinger and the Nixon Administration. It is obvious that they never intended to live up to the agreement and planned to again invade the South at their first opportunity. Eventually, the North again invaded the South, utilizing about 11 fully equipped Divisions who had been trained and supported by China and the USSR. Bt this time the South was defended by only 3 Divisions. The Paris Peace Accord had called for the withdrawal of all US Troops from Vietnam. It did however have provisions for the US to provide air support and material resupply to the South, if the North broke the terms of the Accords. This commitment was honored by the US the first time the North broke the Accords and the  ARVN forces more than held their own in resisting this invasion. The North persisted, and in late 1974 and early 1975, with significant material and logistic support from China and the USSR, again invaded the South in force. Unfortunately, by this time a new Congress had taken control in Washington. They essentially pulled the plug on the funding that would have been required to support the South in defending against this further violation of the Paris Peace Accords. The result was that the North overran the South in April 1975 and forcefully "reunified" Vietnam as a Communist State. I consider the actions of this US Congress to be among the most disgraceful acts ever perpetrated by the Congress of the US. It is all history now. It appears to me that the South has done very well in adapting to coming under the heal of the North. It is apparent to this day that the national government certainly discriminates against the native born Southerners. Most foreign investors far prefer the South. The government forces these Countries to first invest in the North before allowing them to do what they want in the South. The government essentially owns all the land and is deeply involved in the everyday lives of all citizens. No private citizens are allowed to have guns - only the Police and Military. You get the feeling that all people are a little cautious about what they say when talking with foreigners. People are encouraged to inform on their friends, neighbors, and family for deviating from the "party line". The Southerners seem much more resistant to all the government control. The North decided that Hanoi would be the capital of the Country and insisted that all foreign governments locate their embassies in Hanoi. They punitively decided to rename Saigon as Ho Chi Minh City. This is essentially ignored in the South. Everyone in the South still calls it Saigon and appears to find it humorous that the North would believe they could change the centuries old name of a city at the stroke of a pen. The form of Communism being practiced in Vietnam is a noticeable hybrid version. It is obvious that capitalism is in full force. Religion, predominantly Buddhism and Catholicism, are tolerated by the Government, but not supported in any way. It is very dangerous to talk about any disagreements between the two dominating religions. This tells me it is still very much in evidence, as it was during the war. Support of religion comes from outside the Country. The government is ever present in all business and commercial transactions. There is a 10% "Value Added Tax imposed by the Government on all transactions and sales. Housing is also tightly controlled by the Government, as is ownership of land. They decide, based on Family size and circumstances, on where people can live and how big a home they can have. This is especially true in the cities that are growing exponentially. A private citizen, that accumulates enough money, can in fact purchase land from the government to build a home of their choosing. The government charges exorbitantly for this privilege. They have determined that the money people put into building a home is good for the overall economy. Since the war ended, many people have essentially voted with their feet and moved South. Very few chose to migrate in the other direction. The Government realized this and has provided many incentives for people to either stay in the North or migrate there from the South. Some Southerners seem to believe that they will be treated better if they move to the North. As I said Northerners generally get the best jobs and accomodations in the South. It is amazing to see how well most of the South has adapted and prospered, despite the favoritism displayed toward Northerners by the Government. I chose to spend as much time as I could talking with people. The people, especially in the South, seemed more open and candid than those in the Hanoi area. I can't help but wonder how much better things would be in the entire Country, if the reunification took place peacefully and the people where allowed to choose their own leaders and form of government. I would guess that this is exactly what the North did not want, because they knew that a government elected by the entire Country, would never have been a communist one. This in my opinion is why the North, supported by their Chinese and Soviet Union allies, decided to force the reunification by an invasion.
  My biggest disappointment on the trip was to see how most evidence of American presence in Vietnam has been wiped out. Some of this has occurred naturally by allowing nature to just reclaim some of these areas, but it appears that much of it was intentional by the Government. Some of the larger and more advanced American and ARVN bases have been refitted for use by the "People's Army", as they call it. Other base areas and battle sites have been preserved and in many cases rebuilt to the way they were when American forces fought there. However, this is generally done to memorialize what the Government calls their "heroic victories". Examples of this are the US Marine Combat Base at Khe Sanh and the infamous Hamburger Hill. Anyone who knows the battle history of these sites, knows without doubt that these were certainly not victories for the NVA and VC. The Government takes every opportunity to denigrate what Americans and the Southern Forces did during the war. They are especially harsh in their propaganda on the alleged "atrocities" propagated against their Country by the "American Devils". You would think that with this constant bombardment over the years since the war, that the Vietnamese people would not be very welcoming or supportive of American visitors. My experience there was just the opposite. The people generally couldn't have been more friendly or accommodating towards us! It seemed that many older people would go to great lengths to get pictures with us and their Children and Grandchildren. This tells me that the people are not as gullible or supportive of Government policies as the Government hopes and believes that they are. I personally am glad to see that the Vietnamese people have recovered so well from the nightmarish war years. I would strongly advise any Vietnam Veterans or other interested Americans to visit Vietnam if they can. My only advice would be to engage the services of an experienced guide that can get you around and help to filter fact from Government Propaganda. I may choose to make some additions over the coming weeks to this Blog. They will probably be in the way of adding additional pictures that those of us on the tour took on our own. Please do not hesitate to email any questions you might have. You can reach me at www.stevebird2@comcast.net . Hope you enjoyed my Blog!

Five Star plaque on the Rex Hotel. Our Saigon residence.

View of the park across the street from the Rex Hotel entrance.

View from the park. Note the ever present statue of Ho Chi Minh. Certainly not put there by the people in the South!

Another city vista from the park.

View from the far end of the park of a bus terminal.

A typical high rise building under construction near the Rex Hotel.

A commercial office building just down the street from the Rex Hotel.

The Rex Hotel Health Club connected to the Hotel. We were given full access there during our stay and also to the 5th Floor Executive Spa and Exercise Gym.

View of the Vertical Garden in the middle of the Rex Hotel, taken from the 5th Floor Bar and Pool area.

The Roof Top Pool at the Rex Hotel.

Vista of downtown Saigon from the pool at the Rex.

One of my fellow travelers, Ron D'Andre, enjoying a final drink at the Rex poolside bar. Ron was also a Combat Medic in Vietnam and served 3 tours there. His first was with the 1/7 Cavalry, at the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley, immortalized in the movie We Were Soldiers.



     

First of all, I need to correct a couple errors from previous posts. The city of Saigon is actually over 9,000,000 residents now. The Rex Hotel, that we are staying at here in Saigon, is actually a 5 Star Hotel and not 4 Stars as I previously stated. Today was another great day on our trip. After Breakfast here at the Hotel, we departed at just before 7:00 AM, for a trip out to Tay Ninh to visit the famous Black Virgin Mountain. This mountain could be seen by most all Americans who served in III Corps. We departed Saigon on Highway 22, heading northeast. We ran directly into the Monday morning Saigon rush hour traffic. It took us nearly an hour and fifteen minutes to clear the city and get on our way to Tay Ninh. Since we had WiFi on our bus, I had an opportunity to do a quick Facetime with my Daughter Allyson. The wonders of modern communications! On the way we stopped at a church and the home of Kim Phuk. She was the 9 year old Vietnamese girl that was caught in an ARVN napalm attack and had her clothes completely burned off her body. One of the most iconic photos of the war is of this young girl, fleeing in panic from Tay Ninh, on Highway 22. Our media in the US seized upon the picture to make points for its anti war bias and the photo was published worldwide. Fortunately, she was able to survive her injuries. Eventually, the North Vietnamese and VC used her as a poster girl to make the US and ARVN look bad. It was no more than an accident that is all to frequent in war, but the above decided to use the incident for propaganda. Even after the war ended, the new regime sent her all over the world to make speeches. Eventually, she was sent to live in Cuba, where she was naturally welcomed with open arms by Castro. She eventually graduated from Medical School there, but the Vietnamese Government continued to use her for their purposes. While she was attending an event in Canada on behalf of the Vietnamese Government, she escaped her handlers and was given political asylum in Canada. She married a Canadian citizen, and lives in Canada to this day. After a trip of a little over 3 hours, we finally arrived at the foot of the Black Virgin Mountain. Even though US and ARVN forces occupied the summit for most of the war, the VC and NVA were able to pretty much always hold some territory on the slopes. Nowadays, the government still views this as a site of another of their "heroic victories". There is a Cable Car system that goes about two thirds of the way to the summit. Their is a sacred shrine there to the Black Virgin that the mountain is named for. At that elevation, there is an amazing panorama of a large portion of III Corps. One of my former base areas in Quan Loi can be made out to the north, north west of our vantage point. Between the mountain and the general area of Quan Loi, there is now a large man made lake that has formed in a lowland area. The lake is a result of the construction of a hydro electric dam on the Dong Nai River. It appears that nearly all of Vietnam's electricity is generated from water power. I was disappointed to not actually get to visit Quan Loi, but even a two week trip has limitations on how many places you can go. Maybe next time! After our visit, we headed into Tay Ninh City for Lunch, in one of the city's best restaurants. Mostly Vietnamese cuisine, but very tasty and diverse. Then it was back to the bus for a trip to Cu Chi. This entire region, except for the cities, is mile upon mile of all types of agriculture. Although most work still seems as manual as when I was here long ago, there is some mechanization and occasional tractors and modern farm machinery to be seen now. The purpose of our visit to Cu Chi was to visit the renowned tunnel complex that is there. Construction began in the late 1940's there, as resistance to French colonization and occupation was gaining traction among the Viet Minh. They were an earlier predecessor of the Viet Cong, who we fought against. Work continued on the complex after the French were defeated and resistance gathered to the South Vietnamese Government that came into being when North and South Vietnam were split at the 17th parallel in 1954. The complex is really amazing. It has three distinct levels at 3, 8, and 30 feet. It was used as a major staging area by the VC and contained everything from workshops to kitchens, barracks, and hospital. The ARVN had know of the existence of the complex from the beginning, but were never able to fully expose and eliminate it. The same was true when the Americans arrived. In fact, parts of the US 25th Infantry Division had bases directly over this complex of well camouflaged tunnels. As with the ARVN before them, US Forces were able to at times expose parts of the complex and kill many VC soldiers, but never were able to fully eliminate it. When US Forces put pressure on the area, the VC that could get away, slipped away into their sanctuaries is nearby Cambodia. The soil in this area has a very high clay content that caused the tunnels to harden after they were excavated, making them very difficult to destroy - even with B52 strikes. Not unexpectedly the current government has made this another of the sites of their "heroic victories". As you enter the complex, as it has been maintained today, there is a below ground theater that shows an extremely anti American and ARVN propaganda video. It is far afield and mostly complete falsehood, even by the standards of the current government we have been subjected to during our visit. Our group walked out in unison after only a couple minutes of the video! After touring the rest of the complex, it was back to the bus for a near two and a half hour trip back to Saigon. The two cities are only about 25 miles apart, but again we hit rush hour traffic as we reached the outskirts of Saigon. We again had Dinner in the private Vertical Garden Club at our hotel. The meal was a five course traditional Vietnamese dinner. We also had entertainment during the meal from native Vietnamese Dancers and Musicians. We will be leaving for the airport in Saigon at 3:00 PM tomorrow, for our trip back to the US. I will not make my final entry until I arrive back home, late PM on April 18. We get into LA at 9:55 PM local time on April 17. Due to our late arrival in LA, we stay the night at a hotel at the Airport. My last entry should appear by April 20. I hope all who have taken the time to read my Blog have found it of interest.

Saigon Monday morning traffic.

More Saigon traffic, as seen from our bus.

Church and Shrine dedicated to Kim Phuk - the napalm victim.

Kim Phuk's home in Tay Ninh.

Cloud shrouded view, as we approached the Black Virgin Mountain.

This is the Vietnamese name for the Black Virgin Mountain.

View of the mountain from the parking lot at the base where we got tickets for the tram.

View to the north, northwest from the top of the tramway. The man made lake is barely visible, due to the haze. My former Base Camp at Quan Loi lies just beyond.

Panorama of III Corps as seen from cable car ascending Black Virgin.

Another view of III Corps from the mountain.

Map of the Cu Chi Tunnel Complex.

Our Guide Phai describing the map of the Cu Chi area. The blue area above his right shoulder is the actual complex. The area of tunnels was generally about 1.7 Km square. A really amazing engineering feat!

This is a picture of an underground hospital tunnel that has been partially excavated for demonstration purposes. Some of the original overhead cover and camouflage has been left intact. In many cases, air and ventilation was provided through naturally occuring ant hills that dotted the area and didn't seem out of the ordinary to American and ARVN Soldiers who were all over the area!

Another great day today. Flew out of Da Nang about 8:30 this morning and landed at Tan San Nhut Airport in Saigon, just after 10:00 AM. We then went on a bus tour of Saigon, which is now a metropolis of well over 8,000,000 people. We stopped at the old Post Office, that goes back to French Colonial times and also at Notre Dame Cathedral, that was built by the French after they had colonized all of Indochina. The Cathedral is currently under a major renovation, in an attempt to bring it back to its previous splendor. They are even importing the tiles that cover the roof, directly from France. I suspect the French are paying for most, if not all of this renovation. We then drove past the huge, walled American Consulate. It is in fact an Embassy, but the current regime insisted that our Embassy be in Hanoi, which they not surprisingly decided would be the capital of the reunified Country. So, they accommodate the  rulers from the north and call it a Consulate. Not the way I would have done it, but everyone knows I'm no diplomat! We then stopped for Lunch in a great restaurant in the downtown area. It was Rice Noodle place extraordinaire! We got a giant bowl of genuine Vietnamese Rice Noodles in a savory broth. We had a choice of either beef or chicken with the noodles and they were served, steaming hot in large bowls. Also served was fresh bean sprouts and a variety of other vegetables and condiment sauces to choose at will. The usual two drinks of beer, soda, or bottled water were also served. The vast majority of our party of ten, including our Vietnamese Guide Phai, were unable to finish their bowl. As you might guess, I was not one of them! Next, we were back on our Tour Bus for a stop at the old Presidential Palace, last inhabited by the last President of South Vietnam, Mr. Thieu. The ruling northerners have renamed the Palace Reunification Hall. Attempts have been made to restore and refurbish it back to how it was when President Thieu lived there as the last President of South Vietnam. As we have come to expect, Reunification Hall is another major opportunity for propaganda that we have been exposed to since we arrived. I also found out that the NVA Tank that I identified in an earlier post as the one that broke through the gates of the Presidential Palace in 1975, was in fact not the one that actually did it. It seems that for several years after the war, there were multiple claims of who and what tank actually broke through the front gate. The Government finally ended the controversy by reviewing all the original newsreel and battle field photographer film to make a final identification. That tank is now displayed on the grounds. We were not allowed to see the site of the former US Embassy that was partially overrun by the NVA during the Tet Offensive of early 1968. The government wanted the US to use that complex for the site of the new US Consulate in Saigon, when Diplomatic relations were reinstated. Our State Department declined, knowing that the government, the Russians, and Chinese had had several years to bug it and set up all types of surveillance. A smart move, I would say! Following our visit, we reboarded our bus for the trip to our hotel. We are staying in the four star Rex Hotel, in the heart of the downtown. We have Executive Premium Rooms, that come with a host of freebies and special privileges. We had Dinner this evening in a private dining room reserved only for Executive Guests. During Dinner, we were first entertained by three lovely Vietnamese Folk Dancers. They were all very attractive and were dressed in authentic Vietnamese costume. After they performed, a five piece band came in. They all had native Vietnamese instruments. After playing several native Vietnamese Folk tunes, they did a whole set of American style rock music, in our honor. An unbelievably great sound on those instruments! Another long day of travel and sightseeing tomorrow, all around what we knew in the war as III Corps. I spent the second half of my one year tour in Vietnam in this III Corps region. Our rear area was in a place called Quan Loi, that I spent significant time at, and operating off of what we called LZ Rita. It was very close to the border with Cambodia and to the Northwest  of Saigon. It was there that I received my second Purple Heart, on November 20, 1968. We will not be going to Quan Loi, but should be close enough for me to see the area from a distance. I'm sure it would be nothing like what I remember!

View of Freedom Hill area from the airport terminal in Da Nang. Still a little morning haze. Our plane to Saigon in the foreground.

View of the Old Post Office in Downtown Saigon. Classic French Colonial architecture.

Interior of the Old Post Office. As you can see from the picture in the background, the current government has added their "touch".

The Notre Dame Cathedral in downtown Saigon, currently under major renovations.

View of what is now called Reunification Hall, formerly the South Vietnam Presidential Palace, from just inside the front gate.

This is now believed to be the Tank 843 that actually broke through the front gate of the Presidential Palace in 1975. This event symbolized the formal end of the war.

View from the steps of what they now call Reunification Hall, looking back towards the main gate.

Vietnamese Women who danced for us at Dinner in the Executive Premium Dining Room.

The native instrument band that entertained us during Dinner. A fifth musician was added when they played a set of American Rock music. 

Another long but very nostalgic day. Five of us decided to add an optional trip to the infamous A Shau Valley. This is where I first saw combat with the 1st Cavalry Division. One other member of our group was in the 101st Airborne and participated in the battle for Hamburger Hill in May of 1969. We left our Hotel at shortly after 6:30 AM and headed north to pick up Highway 547, which heads west from southern Hue and goes west to the A Shau Valley. The valley is about 90 Km in length and runs north/south along the Laotian border in the northwest corner of the former South Vietnam. It was a sanctuary for the NVA coming off the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The NVA had been uncontested in this area since a Special Forces Camp had been over run there in 1965. After over 3 years, it was decided that the 1st Cavalry would reclaim this territory. In early April 1968, after about two weeks of intense aerial bombardment, the 1st Cavalry launched a Brigade size Air Assault into the Valley. The initial focus being the A Loi airstrip on the floor of the valley. Even after the intense bombardment, it was immediately obvious that the NVA would bitterly contest control of their long time sanctuary. About 30 Cavalry Helicopters were shot down in the first day of the assault. The NVA had the entire area zeroed in with artillery firing from sanctuaries across the Laotian border. US policy did not allow for counter fire across the border. Flying into the valley became extremely hazardous for any aircraft attempting to resupply the beleaguered Cavalry Troopers or to evacuate their wounded. Eventually, various air assets began parachute dropping needed supplies to the valley floor. During this phase of the battle, the NVA shot down a large C 130 aircraft. The Troopers on the ground quickly began the task of securing the Air Field in a large defensive perimeter. Artillery and more Troopers began arriving and the resulting operating base was labelled LZ Stallion. Several other forward LZ's were eventually opened in other areas of the valley. One on the eastern slope was named LZ Cecille. This is where I was delivered by helicopter on May 3. Two days later I was flown out to rendezvous with my unit, B Company, 2nd Bn, 8th Cavalry. I took the place of another Medic who had been KIA the day before. The 1st Cavalry Division continued operations in the valley and its surrounding areas until the entire Division was moved to the area Northwest of Saigon in the Fall of 1968, to face an expected large scale NVA attack on Saigon, from their sanctuaries in Cambodia. The area of operations was left to the 101st Airborne Division, which had been recently reorganized to become the US Army's second fully Airmobile Division. The two of us in the group who had served in the A Shau Valley were astounded to see what we encountered today when we exited Highway 547 and entered the valley once again! We visited the site of the former battle on Hamburger Hill. A hard fought battle was fought there between the 101st and a large enemy force that held the hill. It lasted nearly a month until the 101st finally took the hill and the remaining NVA troops who had not been killed had escaped to Laos. After a difficult trek up that hill early this afternoon, we were astonished to find a memorial to the "heroic victory" of NVA forces! Another example of how the current government allows access and preserves former American bases and battle sites, when it meets their propaganda purposes. The road to get to the base of the hill winds through the valley and the many small villages that have popped up in the valley since the war ended in 1975. The government has provided all types of incentives to get people to relocate to these areas, that were very sparsely populated during the war. The economy is largely agrarian and the Villagers subsist on all types of farming and cash crops like the ever present Acacia trees. We were surprised to find a part of the former site of the 101st Airborne's former base at FSB Birmingham, still somewhat recognizable. As I have previously noted, the present government has made it a point to make sure that all traces of the American presence have vanished. What remains is only a couple hundred yards off of the current Highway 547, now a paved road. Part of the old airfield is still visible and it appears several small houses have been added to the area. It appears that some large scale construction is about to take place there. Even more surprises were in store for us when we got to the floor of the valley. The A Loi airfield and our LZ Stallion has disappeared completely and has been replaced by a small city with many stores and other signs of commercialism. There now is a modern road that runs along much of the valley floor. In some places, it is a 4 lane divided highway. I'm sure this will be as shocking to my fellow Troopers who operated off of LZ's Stallion and Cecille, as it was to me. Not unexpectedly, this new road is called the Ho Chi Minh Highway. Parts of it follow the path of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, as it wound its way out of Laos. we made one more stop, before retracing our route and returning to Da Nang. We dropped the government provided local guide off at her home in one of the villages. All told, we covered 278 miles today, returning to our hotel in Da Nang at 6:00 PM. Just in time for a seafood and meat barbecue around the beachside pool. We will be flying to Saigon tomorrow, which is our last stop in Vietnam, before returning home.

Looking south along the new Ho Chi Minh Highway, very close to where the A Loi Airfield and LZ Stallion once stood. A very strange feeling for me to see this, as I'm sure it will be for my fellow Troopers who served there, nearly 50 years ago!

The government office building that is also very near where LZ Stallion once stood. We had to stop there to get a special permit and government sanctioned local guide, before venturing out on our own in the A Shau Valley.

The steps that lead to the trail up to the top of Hamburger Hill. Like the road that leads to this point, most of the roads in the valley are barely more than one lane trails that have been roughly paved.

An example of the type of thick jungle we had to move through when we operated in the A Shau Valley in 1968.

A typical jungle trail we encountered when patrolling the valley in 1968. It gave me a chill just looking down it and taking this picture.

Looking down the old airfield at FSB Birmingham. A member of our group spent considerable time in and around this base in 1969.

Another scene of what remains of FSB Birmingham. Evidence of obvious new construction activity can easily be seen.

Vietnamese kids playing around their houses that now occupy the former FSB Birmingham. They were too busy playing to get them to stand still for a better picture.

Our Guide Phai standing in front of the government constructed monument at the top of Hamburger Hill. It touts their fictionalized "heroic victory" at the battle for Hamburger Hill. I'm sure the 101st Airborne Troopers who fought so hard there in May 1969 to capture that hill, will find the Government version of events there as ludicrous as we who visited today did! 

 

After breakfast this morning, we left at 9:00 AM by bus for the quaint fishing village of Hoi An. It is about a half hour to the south of Da Nang. There is a relatively new road that essentially bipasses Highway 1 and connects Da Nang directly with Hoi An. It runs pretty much parallel to the ocean. The easterly side is lined with many ocean front hotels and open lots that are owned by the government. They are obviously waiting on foreign investors to buy them at top dollar. The two cities essentially mesh into one large megaplex. Needless to say, these areas, like most of what we have seen so far of Vietnam, are nothing like they were during the war. We even passed two seaside golf courses as we travelled between the two cities! Unless you are a member, it is very costly to play. About half of what the average Vietnamese person makes in a month, for one round. The city of Hoi An originally came into being in the early 1600's as a central stop on trade routes from China and India. There is still a pronounced Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, and Indian influence that is very noticeable. The architecture is a mix of monuments of various forms, living spaces, communal houses, pagodas, shrines, temples, a public well, the old market, bridges, and the wharf area. A very affluent trading class emerged there and others profited from all the ships stopping to resupply and fill their fresh water tanks. The main shopping district is known for its many, narrow merchant and restaurant lined, streets. Hoi An is typical of symbolic oriental cities of the Middle Ages. On December 4, 1999, Hoi An was inscribed on the World Heritage List. I doubt that there is anything that can be bought in Vietnam that isn't readily available in Hoi An. There are also many temples and shrines that dot the city and the river that comes in from the sea is very much of a central point of the city. After spending most of the morning on a walking tour of the sights, we had lunch on the upper level of the Cargo Club. The day was very hot and humid and our Guide gave us frequent stops to allow for a good pace. At each stop, our Guide Phai, shared his immense knowledge of Vietnamese history and traditions. It seems he has intimate knowledge of every temple and monument in the city. For some reason, the Hoi An area was largely spared of any full scale fighting during the war. Other than a few terrorist type bombings by the Vietcong (VC), the city was pretty much unscathed. This was certainly not the case in most other areas of the Country we have visited so far. We had some leisure time this afternoon and I used it to leave my beachfront bungalow to once again dip my feet into the South China Sea. Something I last did nearly 50 years ago! There is an oceanside bar just steps from my bungalow. Many of us met there before Dinner to reminisce and have a few drinks.  We had an excellent Dinner here at the Hotel that consisted of mainly Vietnamese cuisine.

One of the many bridges in Hoi An that span an extensive network of canals that link with the river.

This is typical of street wiring and utilities in not only Hoi An, but other cities we have visited. It appears that once a wire is put up, it is never removed. I don't think they would pass our electrical codes.

A newly married Vietnamese couple, out for a post ceremony stroll in the Hoi An Market District. Everywhere we have been, there seems to be lots of Weddings. Bridal Shops are everywhere!

A typical narrow street in the commercial area of the City. Seems like every area is commercial.

A typical Hoi An shop. This was one for Men's suits and Women's gowns and dresses. You can be measured on the spot for a suit, pick the style and material, and pick up the finished garment in a day. Final alterations are made on the spot. The choice of materials is impressive and comes from all over the world.

A view of the Da Nang skyline, looking north from the beach in front of my bungalow. Since we have been here, there seems to be a mid afternoon thermal layer that produces a foggy shroud. The obscured buildings are only about 1.5 miles away. Many Vietnamese seem to prefer this and go to the beach in the afternoon.

Standing in the South China Sea again, after nearly 50 years! The last time I did, my Company was providing base security at an ARVN Supply Base along the ocean, just east of Quang Tri City. It was almost like an In Country R&R for all of us.

The view back across the beach to my seaside bungalow at the Sandy Beach Resort Hotel and Spa on Non Nuoc Beach which was formerly known a China Beach. My place is on the right of the building and VFW National Chief of Staff, Roger Frye is in the adjoining unit.