40 Years Ago Nha Trang September 1969

So here it is..09-09-09, nothing special so far...maybe by the time 10-10-10 strikes next year we will be closer to knowing just exactly what Barack Obama and his Marxist henchmen have done to the long term survival of the Republic. With the mid term elections being only 3 weeks or so away, at that time, what the voters will do to the Democrats and complicit Republicans in charge of this coming disaster.

Sam and I headed to Spencerville yesterday and officiated a 36-0 freshman win by the home squad over Columbus Grove...we dodged the rain showers in the second half, by speeding up the game, i.e. continuous clock, no penalties...etc. No game, just a meeting at Van Wert tonight, double header{Junior High followed by a Freshman game} at Convoy tomorrow. Sam heads for Columbus Saturday, and working for the OSU Athletic Department, gets into the USC vs Ohio State game and will man the camera for the Post Game Press Conference....I didn't like what I saw out of coach Jim Tressel or The Savior, Terrelle Pryor, on Saturday against Navy....my prediction Southern Cal 23 Ohio State 14. Pryor, while a great athlete, is a poor Quarterback, can't think on his feet, and no accuracy in the arm. Tressel is overrated as a coach, the 7-1 record over Michigan being the exception, but we know what Michigan has become...a shadow of it's former glory years.

Nha Trang AB, Republic of Vietnam, September 1969____

By the time Labor Day 1969 had rolled around, I had settled in at my duties on "A" Flight(Day Shift) Law Enforcement...Have I mentioned, even though the job of a Security Policeman was one of the more dangerous Air Force jobs{except for the fly jockeys who actually faced death on a daily basis}, at Nha Trang things were pretty sweet? Despite the dangers of being a Sky Cop in Vietnam, unlike the guys out in the boonies, in 1969 most of the Air Bases had pretty sweet digs, not the tents and out house facilities of the early years. At Nha Trang, we SPs had it as good as any enlisted folks around.

We also had pretty sweet amenities...a base theater right across the street from our barracks, a small movie house called Bailey's Speakeasy, for cops only, and the BX and small "shopping mall" was pretty nice...get your film developed, get a real haircut, buy your booze{if you couldn't Shanghai it from the Beer and Soda Compound, which we were in charge of "guarding"}...and if we wanted to rub elbows with the common Airman, we could always head off to the NCO Club on base, where you could play the slots, or get into a fight if you desired.

Yep, I had been in country for 2 months, not a single danger faced, unless you count me almost rolling my Jeep on patrol one afternoon, any homesickness was gone, a good boss, TSgt Phil Lange, I was frankly enjoying myself, war zone be dammed.

The Photos are from the Phil Lange and Bill Monroe Collections are shown as follows: Top to Bottom:

Top Left-Our Home Sweet Home, the Security Police Barracks...I live on the bottom floor somewhere towards the other end. TSgt Phil Lange, NCOIC of Law Enforcement, enjoying a Cigar in our private movie and bar house, 'Bailey's Speakeasy", The outdoor movie theater, located right across the street for our barracks, as was the {next photo}..most of the movies shown there and at Bailey's were pretty first run stuff. The Barber Shop within the BX a early day "Mini Mall". Me{left} and Harry Bevan on Patrol....The locals tooling down Beach Road, always amazed me how many locals could fit on a mini scooter...count em' 4 on this one. And finally, it wasn't all fun and games...The Security Police did actually carry and use weapons, and we had a pretty good arsenal. And me in August of 69 in one of the Patrol Jeeps...the one I almost rolled that summer.

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