'03 Springfield Picture of the Day

[CapnJohn]

Nah Jim! No snake blood!!!

Did some A Team work in 2 Corp, Cheo Reo south east of Pleiku, in the spring of '64. Took the village chief for a ride to Tuy Hoa at 5-50 feet. He like it so much I got invited down to be initiated into the tribe, Rhades. Well, that in this case entails drinking a pint of homebrew rice wine out of 3 urns, thru a straw. Needless to say 3 pints and a followup 3 pints at the interpreters hooch was more than adequate!!

Did eat some snake though! Tastes just like chicken!!

[Jim Tarleton]

The Rattlesnake Roundup in Freer, Texas should be winding down as we speak. I used to go every year and eat rattlesnake until I could eat no more. It didn't taste like chicken, but just as good!

Someday I would like to return to RVN, or whatever it is now named, to see how it has changed. I understand they have erased every sign of any US installation. In WWI, the Vietnamese drove the trucks that transported my Grandfather to and from the battlefields. The Doughboys had another name for them, "Anemites" if I am not mistaken. My Grandfather liked them.

Jim

PS
I never made it out of I Corps, nor did I ever take R&R. I spent a lot of my time in a freefire zone, so we had no contact with natives, nor did any live nearby that I knew of. In my initial contact with the enemy (night), I never actually saw one of them.

[CapnJohn]

A number of guys have gone back, said you can't believe the difference. Our unit was out of Nha Trang, but based all over the country, now a stop on a cruise ship. Vung Tau, Soviets built up the beach area with hotels, same for Quin Nhon, 2 Corp.
At the time 15,000 American, so I got everywhere. Spent 5 months in 4 Corp, Can Tho, hot at that time, Special Forces B & A teams. Balance all over, Pleiku, Danang, Hue Citadel, Ban Me Thout, Di Linh, Quin Nhon, Nha Trang, Saigon, Can Tho. Mostly SF B & A teams.
I haven't made it back but hope to. Number of Vietnamese that I worked with in the '90's went back, glad to be in America. Couldn't believe the contrast!
We 've got the greatest here!!

By the way, Texas rattlers aren't nearly as tasty as the Florida variety!!!
Also,gators & crocs, small suckers, 28 foot over at the Tampa Airport reconstruction area, makes for a tasty sandwich!!

[Bruce Koligian]

You guys are a treasure trove of information. Thanks for the info and your service! B