Memories Beaucoupe

The memory fades with time, but to me, when I ran across these photos, it was only yesterday. To my ear from far away, I can still hear the whoop whoop of those chopper blades and see some of the faces, of those gallant young men who flew them.

It was 1966 and my first assignment on a DOD contract in Vietnam was at Cam Ranh Bay. Our projects there were the largest military construction Endeavour in history, with 47 projects throughout the length and breadth of Vietnam, from Quang Tri in the north, to Bac Lieu in the south. It was the largest assembly of heavy equipment ever known. I lived in a construction camp of 600 men where we had 12 Vietnamese waitresses working in the American dinning hall. One was named Dang and we became fast friends. I was always super polite to her when she waited on me. One day she came to my living quarters and told me that she would have to go to Ba Loa, a small village in the Central Highlands. She had received a message that her Mother was sick and she must return home. She was worried that she may not be given the time off, but must go at the risk of losing her job. This trip would take more time than expected, because there was a curfew imposed by the military and you couldn't travel at night. Also the roads were dangerous and unsecure.

My DOD identity card gave me an officerʼs equivalent rating and
gave me access to both the Army and Air Force officer clubs in Cam
Ranh Bay. I took great pleasure in drinking with the Aviators and
often they would regale me with stories of their missions that day.
When I told a chopper pilot of Dang's plight, he advised me that he
flew out of an Army chopper base in Su Chin across the bay. He
went on to say that they made frequent flights to Da Lat, an old
French resort town in the Central Highlands. Da Lat was close to Ba
Loa and the pilot told me that if I filled out a set of travel orders, he
could give us both a ride there and back. This would greatly shorten
Dang's trip and require less time off. I expedited our travel orders and
also received approval from the Camp Manager for her
time off and signed her travel orders. I also was granted the time off
and we boarded the Huey Chopper the next morning.
I wish you could have seen her eye's as she looked over the chop-
per. She had never flown in an airplane, or any kind of aircraft. It was
a beautiful flight into the mountains and we landed near a lake, on a
chopper pad near the Continental Palace Hotel in Da Lat. I checked
into this old colonial hotel and she took off for her village. I was more
than a little worried as I watched her board the dilapidated bus (the
type you see in Mexico) and head out over the unsecured roads of
the Central Highlands, but thanks to the chopper ride, she was only
a few hours away.

After a couple of days she reunited with me at the Hotel and we
had dinner, sitting among the wealthy, French & Vietnamese in the
dinning room. She had never used silverware before and only ate
with chop sticks. I showed her excessive affection, as I doted over
her and gave her instructions on there use. I was her hero and we
were lovers,much to the chagrin of those staring at us. I don't think I
meant more to anyone in my life, as I did to her at that moment.

These are my Memories Beaucoupe......

This story, Memories Beaucoupe is only part of an
upcoming story of Vietnam. He has granted permission for the VHPA to run it under
the terms of our retaining the First North American Publishing Rights Only