Saigon, I’m still only in Saigon

[lmcq11]

The famous phrase from Capt Willard at the start of Apocalypse Now. Even since I watch the movie in the early 80s, I wanted to come to Vietnam, there is a connection somewhere as I have been modeling Vietnam War stuff as long as I remember.

It’s the start of a 25day journey across Vietnam and Cambodia. Arrived today after 22 hours of flight. I will be catching a tour in a few days but I arrived early in order to have some time for myself. I have a Mekong cruise starting tomorrow, my own Apocalypse now experience, navigating canals between Cai Be, Vinh Long and Can tho, then up to Chau Doc and all the way to Phnom Penh where the tour starts.

I’ll be posting a few articles and pictures of interest here along the way, mainly Vietnam war stuff of general interest. One of them is the colonial Gia Long Palace below visited today. It has a long history. HQ of Leclerc during early Indochina, Diem stayed here, then the south Supreme Court, now the Ho Chi Minh city museum. It had a Huey, F-5, A-37 and a superb M-41A3 Walker Bulldog. The bigger War Remnant museum will be visited with the tour in about a week.

[lmcq11]

The CIA building rooftop escape

We’re all familiar with the iconic 1975 picture marking the end of the Vietnam war.

It’s still there, next to the huge Vincom shopping mall, selling mostly western brand clothing… Makes you wonder what that stupid war was all about.

[jarndice]

I should love to give a truthful answer but SOG would get me banned from the Forum if I did
I may be forced into more military memories if this newsletter goes on for long.

[lmcq11]

Nice city

The sky scrapers are rising.

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The city administrative building with the only statue of Ho Chi Minh seen today. Looks like two veterans who later saluted me.

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This communist signs in preparation for a communist festival on the main Blvd are sponsored by Vietcombank, a large Vietnamese bank publicly listed on the Ho Chi Minh stock exchange…

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The Rex hotel today, home of the US Army daily briefing on the rooftop terrasse during the war. Now an expensive hotel and bar, with luxury French brand shops on first floor.

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[ColemanCollector]

That Bulldog is a welder's delight! Thanks for the detail photos of it.
Beautiful looking city with green in every image.
The first image of the very elegant young woman amongst all of the geometric shapes and lines of the floor, windows, shutters and staircase railings is very striking!

Mike.

[Xiaoshan_Sailor]

Nice! Just got back a few weeks ago myself from a 10 day visit to HCMC & Phu Quoc during CNY. The War Remnants Museum is very powerful no matter what side you were on, filled with relics & photos of man's inhumanity from the early days of the French until the day we flew our Hueys off the American embassy roof. The Agent Orange exhibit will churn even the strongest stomach. If you do the Cu Chi Tunnels, I hope you're more limber than I was - my back wasn't right for a week afterwards crawling through those!

Visiting Vietnam took me back 15-20 years compared to living in China. The lack of hi-rises & the bazillion CCTV we see here was quite refreshing, to say the least. Even with its government, it's a much freer society than the PRC - hardly any police presence & best of all: UNFETTERED INTERNET!!!

Be sure you download the Grab app while in country - you'll find it most useful for those late night Banh Mi cravings. Enjoy the pho!

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[Ad Lav]

What a great trip!

Enjoy!

[jarndice]

I dont think I have seen a muddier river than the Mekong and that was in Laos leave alone what it looked like in Vietnam.
Anyone who has visited the Army Air Corp museum in Middle Wallop will have seen DHC2 Beaver XP821 in its overall UN white markings,
In 1968 130 flt RCT in Singapore was tasked by the MoD to operate c/o a request from the UN a DHC 2 Beaver out of Laos to aid Laotian and North Vietnamese civilian citizens with health care and resettlement,
Why us you ask,
Because this was in the middle of the Vietnam War and the only Aircraft that could fly with safety in the area was an aircraft familier to the US forces and so was less likely to be attacked and that was the U6, This was the designation the US Army gave to the DHC2 Beaver hence our selection.
The adventure started earlier,
821 was fitted with a ferry tank and the belly and wing tip tanks were filled to the brim,
The OC and our QFI, Captain (Red) Meaton (A Korean War veteran who flew Taylorcraft Austers to Korea from japan during that conflict)
We were told that first stop was Phuket Island in Thailand,
With a Blackie and a greenie (Reme aircraft engineers) (Green =Electrics and Black =engines) plus a low life loser were crew,
The carburettor failed over the Indian ocean, a Mayday call was made almost instantly answered by an American Airbase, We gave our position and as we glided on we saw not only land but a straight road free of traffic,
A flawless engine out landing was made by Captain Meaton and pretty much straght after a US Army Bell Huey Helicopter landed on the road in front of us and a couple of MPs positioned themselves to stop any traffic from using the road Our Reme fitters stripped the Carb and with the OC and Captain Meaton flew in the Huey to the base,
With the help of the MPs we turned the Beaver round and shortly after the Huey returned with a new Carb,
Captain Meaton flew the Beaver to the Base, we followed in the Huey,
With the usual generosity of the US armed forces we spent that night in Quarters that we had not expected but really apprieciated flying out the next day to Laos and the start of our mission.
You can wake up now.

[Son of a gun-ner]

Thank you very much for sharing your trip with us Louis, especially for those of us that won't ever make such a trip
.
.

I should love to give a truthful answer but SOG would get me banned from the Forum if I did

That's untrue, YOU would be the one getting yourself banned should you go against the terms and conditions that you clicked to agree to when joining this forum, so, ner ner nee ner ner
Besides, we have a whole team with the ability and permissions to administer a "this is Sparta" style booting

[Herr Dr. Professor]

lmcq11 and Xiaoshan_Sailor, I am grateful to see all the pictures, and I hope there are more. I was a bit taken aback by the top photo, wondering just what was going on. The rest of the photos are so urban, so busy, so modern. May one travel at will through the countryside in Vietnam?