Christmas in a Combat Zone

[Niner Delta]

Martin was there in "Sand Land" last Christmas, so he knows exactly how it feels to be in a combat zone at Christmas.
I spent Christmas in 1968 in RVN, but at least I got to see the Bob Hope Show.
Who else spent Christmas in a combat zone, where and when, let's hear it...............

Vern.

[Niner]

I didn't have Christmas in a combat zone. I got to have Christmas at home in 1969 and arrive in Vietnam on January 4, 1970 and got a drop of a few weeks at the end of my tour and got home a couple of weeks before Christmas of 1970.

A friend of mine who spent Christmas of 1968 in Vietnam sent me this printed message from the General Abrams at Christmas that year. It leaves me with mixed feelings 42 years later to say the least.

[Niner Delta]

If I got one of those, I don't remember it.
I would have worded it differently, maybe like:

"We're stuck here this Christmas, so let's make the best of it.
And hopefully a miracle will happen this year and the worthless ARVNs will learn to fight so we can be out of
this shit-hole by next Christmas.
So hang in there and we'll try to find more officers that won't get you killed this year."

What do you think Robert, too honest??



I do remember singing this song.......

Jingle bells, mortar shells,
V.C. in the grass,
You can live through Christmas if
you avoid the blast.

Ohhhhh, jingle bells, mortar shells,
V.C. in the grass,
Take your're Merry Christmas aaaaaaaand,
Shove it up your ass.


Vern.

[Niner]

The general said in senior officer speak, " On this Christmas day no finer gift may one provide than to give his own that his brother may share what he himself enjoys". What is his OWN what?..... that is given as a gift.......to a primative nation in revolution half way round the world? Why should any young American give anything, let alone his life, to a political outcome in a country he doesn't give a damn about? That general's sentence makes as about much sense as that Vietnam war did........... or the ones we are in now.

Vern...not too honest. Right on track.

[BobB1]

Christmas 1968 we were in the boonies just outside of a Michelin rubber plantation in III Corps in RVN. We stayed in the same place two nights so they could fly Christmas dinner out to us, and got mortared for our trouble. I guess not everyone got the memo about the Christmas "truce". Bob Hope didn't make it to anywhere near us. We didn't get the "Commander's Message" either. Not the best Christmas I can remember.

[Aughnanure]

I spent Christmas of 1953 at Haramura Training Centre (Japan) and had the traditional pleasure of being served at dinner by the Sergeants (they served us the rest of the time as well, but not in quite the same way ) then in the New Year to Korea (where I only got shot at illegally) then got shipped home (literally-- SS 'New Australia') in time for Christmas; for which I was not sorry.

[Sarge]

Yep! Been there done that.
I spent Christmas day 1969 flying door gunner on a Huey in central II Corp. Fortunately it was an uneventful day.
I did get New Years day off so partied hard New Years Eve!
Sarge

[rice paddy daddy]

My Christmas 1969 was spent at Camp Red Devil, on Highway One between Quang Tri City and Dong Ha, about 12 miles south of the DMZ.
I remember each man in the Company got two cans of Budwieser as a gift. Warm, of course, as we had no refrigeration.
To my Vietnam veteran brothers on this board, Welcome Home.

[Niner Delta]

Sarge,

I like your signature about illegal aliens, or as our Prez, Obama Bin Lyin, likes to call them, "unregistered Democrats".

Vern.

[BobB1]

Rice Paddy Daddy, we spent a couple of weeks on Highway One not far from Dong Ha in Mar '68. We were securing a little bridge and provided security for the morning mine sweeping detail clearing the highway. The bridge had an old French (I guess) pill box type bunker next to it and a little hamlet on the other side next to the river/creek. We lost three men (one killed , two wounded) the first day in the mine field around the bridge because their Lt hadn't told them it was there. There was a three room straw hut whore house set up in the field across the road from us. It was under a couple of trees, so they had the closest shade in the area outside of the hamlet. They also had a cooler with cold drinks.