Flight into Vietnam

The plane ride became a little bumpy. “Turbulence”, the Pilot said, “nothing to worry about.” I just knew we were going to crash and die before we ever got to Vietnam. The plane took off from Oakland, California, stopped in Hawaii, and then was supposed to fly to Saigon, Vietnam. It was full of fresh soldiers dreading a year’s tour of duty in Nam. Here we where a Braniff airliner full of big, bad U.S. Army soldiers, scared to death, but too brave to admit it. I’m seated next to a guy who keeps saying, ”I’m not supposed to be going to Vietnam. The recruiter promised me that I would be sent to Texas for radar training.” Then we would hear a noise and the plane would take a dip and my stomach would come up into my throat. “God just take me now”, I would think.

After hours of this, the Captain of the plane came on the speaker and told us we where diverting to the Philippines for some routine maintenance. We came in for a landing at the airport in Manila. “The landing may be a little rough”, the pilot said, “We have a flat tire” “Nothing to worry about we still have three good tires left” Yeah, he was a real funny guy.

As the plane came lower to the ground, I made the mistake of looking out the window. There were fire trucks, foam trucks and emergency vehicles all over the runway. Now if you don’t believe in God that’s up to you, but I started praying at that moment, and it would not be the last time I prayed.We landed safely, and were put up at the best hotel in Manila at the airlines expense for a few days. (It really took a long time to fix that flat tire) Nevertheless, we had a short stay before going to Vietnam.

Still, we would be going to Vietnam. Getting back on that plane was the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life. I had been drafted in May of 1967, and after eight weeks of basic training, and eight weeks of jungle infantry training, and a week of leave, I was a soldier on my way to war.

Back on the plane and resigned to my fate, I was not ready for what was to come. All of my training had prepared me for a jungle country full of enemies, snakes, booby traps, and death at every hand. What I saw as the plane came in for a landing in Saigon, was a beautiful city full of lights. Don’t get me wrong, I would soon find all of those dangers in the jungle, but Saigon was a beautiful city, and I would find that the countryside and the people were just as beautiful. Live and learn; learn and live.