| Da Nang had an NCO club for the men. Much like a local 'bar and grill' or a social club such as Elks or Eagles, the club featured hot sandwiches, a jukebox, mixed drinks, and a variety of beers. | |
The club featured a patio where live bands performed once in a while.
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<< Beach Boys...
with a Vietnamese accent.
Outnumbered 10-to-1 in a firefight? No problem. Dance in front of 30 'antlered' SF guys? No way! >>>>> |
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"Reserved for the
animals..." The opportunity to wear 'civies' (civilian clothing) was most welcomed. It helped you forget where you were and what you were doing there. In my opinion the young men represented a bigger threat to the VC than the older soldiers. Few of the young Green Berets had families of their own, so few had developed parent/child feelings and relationships. As such it made them more likely to pull the trigger against a 9-year-old than an older 'family man' with children of his own. (Image is 'clickable'. Allow time to download -- 174.75 Kb) |
Seated at the table (above) were a number of the young soldiers assigned to Company C. Can you help me identify them? Yours truly (seated on the far left) slurps on a Coke while his Polaroid 'Swinger' camera rests ready on the table. Anybody remember those cameras? (Image is 'clickable'.) Keith Parker provides... "I don't think that's Nathan Blalock next to you - sorry. But the guy on the far right, half-turned with his back to the camera is non other than Little Dickie Best. I've been looking hi and low for Best for many years. Any leads?"
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Conversation and camaraderie... On some nights it felt good just to sit and relax. Jerry Owens (far left) listens to the conversation. There is a good chance he just came off a 12-hour commo shift. What are the names of the other men at the table? (Image is 'clickable'.) |
It was this relaxed atmosphere that the men valued most.
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Ahhhhhhh, yes... One of MY favorites -- pinochle! When not playing, we would 'kibitz'. The rules were tough and the action was HOT! In this photo Sgt Zicaro (back to the camera) claims the remaining cards. Clockwise from Zicaro: Larry Rasmussen, Jerry Owens (standing), Unknown with cigar, and Gene Hill. Larry Rasmussen emailed to say... "That pinochle bit reminded me of him. Ziggy was awarded the Silver Star, for his bravery at Con Thien (Det A-101) during an action shortly before they relocated the camp to Lang Vei where it was overrun by NVA using Russian tanks." So what link could there be between this picture and Amateur Radio?? (Click the image to find out.) |