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Just returned from a month in Thailand/Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia. Flew into Phu Bai which is the runway for Hue. Spent a couple of days in Hue. Perfume river has no dead cows, sewage etc anymore. People actually fishing on the river. Heartbreaking to see the communist flag flying over the Citadel. Much has been restored but still a lot of bullet holes. Did not drive up to Dong Ha area because the locals say there is nothing to see. Drove to Danang over the Hai Van Pass. On the way the driver showed the turnoff to the new highway to Ashau Valley and apparently you can drive all the way to Laos. Hai Van looks the same. Actually most people now take the new tunnel bypassing the pass since it is much quicker. Danang is really cleaned up. Shopping, good places to eat and the economy seems to be booming. From Danang to Marble is a new suspension bridge. From Red Beach all the way to Hoi An there is a new highway and on the ocean side there are lots of 5 star resorts. On the non ocean side there are two championship golf courses. One by Greg Norman and the other by Nick Faldo. Nothing really left of Marble. Only saw a couple of concrete bunkers which I believe were ammo bunkers. They are building a cable car so you will be able to ride to the top of Marble. Did not go inside, but they have a tour. Lots of marble shops selling stuff all around the area. Spent several days at Hoi An. World Heritage City and lots of tourists. Great restaurants and shopping. Wife even took a cooking class there. Had a driver take me all the way to An Hoa. Beautiful drive and in the country side it looks the same - rice fields but they are using tractors now and not so many water buffalos. Drive takes you through the Arizona territory. Part of the runway at An Hoa is still visable but they have some kind of quarry site occupying most of it. Liberty bridge is gone.
All and all I really enjoyed the trip even though not much is left. People are all young and they don't remember the "American War." Everyone super friendly. Flew out of Danang and a lot of the covered revetments and uncover revetments are still there. Migs and Russian Helos parked in some of them.
Flew to Saigon and drove out to Bien Hoa where I did a tour flying A-4's but thats a story for another forum.
Posted : 2011-03-22 15:41
Re: Vietnam today -- MMAF current pics
Here are two pics of MMAF taken Feb 3, 2010 for GoogleEarth.
In the larger pic (2nd one), there is a white rectangular building.
It is in the upper portion of the pic in the upper development.
It sits about where my hooch was in '67 & '68.
The "beach area" certainly looks different.
Posted : 2011-03-22 17:15
Re: Vietnam today
Don't ya wish you were back there now?!!
Posted : 2011-03-23 06:21
Re: Vietnam today
In looking at these pics yesterday, I was recalling body surfing off the beach
in front of those resorts.
Accommodations weren't quite as plush in our day.
Posted : 2011-03-23 06:38
Re: Vietnam today
The only R&R I took while in country was a three day stint at China Beach. Body Surfed for hours 'til I couldn't move!! Back to the Transient Hootch at Night, no club then.... Still, it was a welcome break from our 7 day work week and non-stop flying and wrenching.
Posted : 2011-03-23 13:13
Re: Vietnam today
I made it to the beach once at the end of May69 on my way home from Quang Tri I stopped at MMAF and enjoyed the hospitality of HMM-165. I'm on the left, center is 165 crew chief Russ Francis who I served with at HMX-1 and one of his buddies?? You can tell they had access to the beach and sun - I'm as pale as a vampire. BUT I was the one "going home:cool:"
Posted : 2011-03-23 14:27
Re: Vietnam today
Not to be a harda$$ but, with 26 names on "The Wall" including my brother I don't want to spend a dime of my money in, on, or for Vietnam. Just my feelings, what anyone else does with their money is none of my business. Semper Fi !!!
Posted : 2011-03-23 15:44
Re: Vietnam today
Great trip report, but.......
For me no desire to re-visit on multiple levels
Posted : 2011-03-23 19:02
Re: Vietnam today
I decided to go with a Great Group in '98, when you could still see a bit of damage we had done while there. They were just planning the tunnel under the Hia-Van pass, and all the resort Hotels thats there now. We went from Chu-Lai, to the DMZ, and on out to the border of Laos, then on to Hanoi. Hardly nothing left of Vandergriff, or KHE-SANH then. We were able to even go into the Marble Mountain that was a vc Hospital then. Climed up through it to the top, and walked down the east side. We could see what was left of Marble. They have built it up since then. The Group of 14, we spent 14 days there, getting to see almost everything. I don't care to go now, as there is nothing there except to spend your money on. The northern most hangar ,(VMF(AW)235's in '68), was still in good shape. Semper Fi, and READY-APP.
Posted : 2011-03-23 20:27
Re: Vietnam today
enjoyed the hospitality of HMM-165
Dale,
We passed along our great reputation for being hospitable to those "newer" guys when we left HMM-165 and we got it from a great group before us! LOL! Glad you enjoyed MMAF. It was my favorite RVN duty station. Beat the hell out of Phu Bai, Quang Tri or Khe Sanh!!
Slick,
I'm with you... Don't care to go back or spend any MORE money there. Hope all the ones that do enjoy themselves.
Posted : 2011-03-24 06:07
Re: Vietnam today
Joe, your pic brought back some more pleasant memories.
The pics below may well be in that self same sail boat you
are perched on.
In the first pic is l/r John Adkins, Lonnie Darr, Bill (?) and moi.
The second pic is myself and Lonnie. Lonnie & Bill were the two
Khe Sanh tower controllers that were shown in my earlier pic in
my hootch at Marble on the other thread.
Bill was the one who wore the bottom half of the tower door from
Khe Sanh to the hospital in Japan.
You'll also notice that I did not have a surplus amount of flesh on my frame.
I was all of 155# and 6 feet tall.
Posted : 2011-03-24 06:46
Re: Vietnam today
The VFW has a drawing the past couple years to take like ten guys back, all expenses paid, each year. I'll keep sending in the form they have in the magazine and who knows:rolleyes: I wonder if any of my favorite four holers have held up to the test of time as well as me;)
Posted : 2011-03-24 06:48
Re: Vietnam today
Mike,
That was Dale Riley and others on the sailboat, not me.I was a svelt 235# in RVN at 6'2" I still had a 34/36 waist in those days....It's grown some since then and I'm now 6'1"!! Can't seem to post the photo of me on the way to the shower....but I WAS lighter!
Posted : 2011-03-25 06:03
Re: Vietnam today
Sho 'nuf Joe ..... I got out of sync on the posters.
Posted : 2011-03-25 06:26
Re: Vietnam today
Stepped on to a CH-46 a few years ago, stood up straight and hit my head. Back in the day, I could stand up and just barely feel the overhead in my hair. One of two things must have happened.
Wayne Stafford
Posted : 2011-03-25 12:35
Re: Vietnam today
Too many hard landings ???
Posted : 2011-03-25 15:20
Re: Vietnam today
a-ha! Good analysis Paul.
Obviously Wayne hasn't grown anymore and we all know that gravity works. :D:D:D
Therefore: the hard landings have made the fuselage more oval shaped. 😉 😉 😉
Posted : 2011-03-26 05:06
