Party Life

Whether I lived in the Security Police Compound or at the firing range we escaped the reality of war by partying. Remember the very nice Enlisted Men's Club the Security Police built? It was located in the officer's compound. I believe the 377th SP unit originally occupied that compound and later moved, but kept up operation and ownership of the club.  After I left I understand the officers did ultimately win out.

The photos on this page exemplify cookouts our units held on the covered patio just outside of the doorway to our club. Did you ever get initiated by getting dunked in the ice cold "beer well", brrrr! As the pictures show, Burke did. I DID! Cold? You bet!

I remember trips to the Red Cross recreation facility downtown Saigon.  One return trip back to TSN resulted in at least two hop tacs being stopped and fined by the traffic cops for speeding.  We intentionally had urged them to race to see which one would first reach the main gate of Tan Son Nhut. You know, our fare for the taxis did not even approach the amount of the fine they had to pay for speeding.

Remember “To Do” Street? Remember the massage parlors and steam baths? Remember the "Yellow House"? Those were places where most GI's could go. But, our connections with the Philippine Embassy took us to parties both inside, outside and atop the compound.