The Daily Grind...Final Days at Tan Son Nhut{my Air Force Years 68-72 part 14}

First thing this morning I made my Breakfast{the usual I eat about 5 days a week} a Engligh Muffin with one of Patricia's home made preserves, a Banana, and massive amounts of coffee...the second thing I did was accidently knock the plate of Muffins into the sink, which happend to be filled with warm soapy water...Epic Fail!  I pulled the muffins out, rinsed them, and tossed the soggy remains out to the backyard Squirrels and Birds, which had been fed their ration of seed about a half hour earlier...back to square one, I poured a second cup of coffee and did the muffin thing a second time.

The Political Bully.....

I was called that again last night...

After a quick night of Dartball, where we went 1 win with 2 loses, and my below average season continued, going just 4 for 12 with many RBI opportunities missed{now batting a partisan .292 with 17 rbi for the season, which the regular portion ends next week}, with one week to go before tournaments, it appears I will bat below .300 for only the second time, and the first in over 20 years.  Age and Basketball Officiating are my excuses for the downward slide....anyway after Dartball, I showered and with no interesting games on the tube, I made a trip to Facebook, and got into a pissing match on the Glenn Beck Page...seems Glenn always draws Liberals and Ron Paul supporters...go figure?  That would be like me heading to Huffinton Post or msnbc.com to converse with the idiots that hang on those sites.  Really why hang with people you hate, or at least strongly disagree with?

Well Hell, being a couple of Weyerbacher Winter Ales into the late evening, I managed to strike up a WWE type political bashing with a few people, Paulbots...they were.  Finally after a few minutes, the "conversation" moved to my inbox/message center, and one guy named Frank decided he would continue to "disagree" with me...of course he had to make the point that my Vietnam "Service" was fake, and that I was faggot, and a bully?  Fair enough, I wasn't exactly "kind" to him either. 

After we got our slashing in...it turns out we agree on about 80% of the issues...his respect for Jimmy Carter, and his dislike for Israel, not withstanding...we will never agree on those points, Carter is a Wimp and an Islamic Terrorist ass kisser, no amount of good can ever erase that from the Peanut Farmer's Bio...and given the fact he was pitiful as a President, makes it a non starter on my side.  As far as Israel?  That is where the Paulbots and the Conservatives part ways...I choose the Bible's side, and it's not with the Islamic Goat Fornicators.  However, it turns out "Frank" is a baseball umpire as well...not sure what level, but it gives us a starting point...so we ended up "friending" each other on FB, and at least that is something...me being the "Bully" and him being the Anti Semite...maybe the 80% of so we agree on, is more important than the 20 we don't.

Vietnam and Tan Son Nhut, winding down.....part 14

After returning from Hawaii in early April 1970, I faced another 11 weeks or so in Vietnam.  I had just been moved to "Blue Patrol" on the Resource Protection Division of the 377th SPS.  The final 2 months plus would be easy duty, no towers, no perimeter duty, or walking back and forth behind blast shields on the flight line.   I would either be driving the snack/water wagon Jeep, or sitting at a desk in some remote inter workings of Tan Son Nhut that needed "Protected" from the enemies within.

The only real  excitement I remember is from one night while protecting a supply depot...some pitiful Tech Sgt. tried to call the MARS line home, and if my memory is correct, the kids answered the phone and informed "Dad" that "Mom" was out and about with her personal escort, who it seems was servicing her, while dad was serving in Vietnam.  The poor bastard lost it, and started to trash anything and everything in sight...not wishing for this clown to hurt himself, I ordered one of his underlings to help me gain control...I finally shoved him face down on the floor, stuck my knee in his back and put my night stick on the back of his neck.  The Airman who was helping me, called base hospital, while I called Central Control....the "paddy wagon" showed up and took the Sarge away...not sure what happened to him, but I knew he wasn't coming back to duty anytime soon.

The rest of my final weeks was/is pretty much a blur...me and Aceavedo went to downtown Saigon a few times, to the bars and brothels...on one occasion we were slipped "Mickeys"{? my best guess anyway}...both passed out for a few hours, while they went through out wallets and clothes...lucky for us, they missed a $5 MPC{Military Pay Currency} stuck in my shirt pocket...giving us enough money to get back to TSN and the Main Gate..it could have been worse, they could have slit our throats, but GIs were usually pretty safe downtown, after all, we were their best customers.

Back on base I filled out my "Dream Sheet"...where did I want to go upon my return to the states.?  After all I would have nearly 2 years left.  So I picked Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, might as well remain in a warm climate?  Hell it would be close, well at least I was "east"...Griffiss AFB, upstate New York was the location....sure no 70 degree January days...but I would be treated to 300 inches of Lake effect snow my first winter back in the states. I learned how to snow ski, and even tried my hand at cliff diving in the mountains that first Summer and Fall....

I should have stayed in Vietnam....I had my chance, they would have kept me, and let me go home for 30 free days of leave to boot....but I had mom and dad to think about, they wouldn't want me to head back to Vietnam.  Too much worry for parents, I understood that...but looking back, I should have stayed at Tan Son Nhut.....

Next:  On the Upstate New York..

back later>>>>

photos-Leaving Hawaii, heading back to Tan Son Nhut, check out the pants!  Glenn Beck, love him or hate him, always brings out the loons....and yes Jimmy, you are no longer the worst Prez in History...you still rank behind LBJ, but Barry Soetoro has taken over the #1 spot...and anybody that was ever stationed at Tan Son Nhut, unless they hid in their barracks, knew where to find the Majic Fingers Parlor and Feed Lot.