A Confession...

[BaMuoiBa]

Ya know, when I look back at it (what I do remember...), we didn't have much time for relaxation or downtime.

Reading, other than an occasional Stars and Stripes I can't recall any serious reading matter available back then. In 65' the war was ramping up rapidly. There was too many Marines and supplies were very short. Ships would wait 10 to 14 days for a anchorage in the harbor in Danang. On the east coast there were 6 ships leaving for VN each day. We were a total of six - 5 man hatch teams and could only off-load 3 a week and with no place to store the cargo. Planning was not one of Saigon's strong points. Marines were wiping there ass with foliage in the bush but there was plenty of beer and scotch in the NCO club in Saigon.

Thus, the origin of SNAFU!

Except for a brief period early on we worked 14 hours a day with one day off every 3 weeks. Sleep was about the only thing, other than a letter or two a month, that allowed me to zone out of the present situation. I could sleep standing, kneeling or leaning against something. When I hear someone say their 'tired' they don't have a clue. I'm not sure if I would have read even if I was able. I was not a book worm at all. Even to this day I read very selectively and mostly current events.

If anyone is interested Vice Adm Edwin Hooper wrote of the part of the VN war that went almost forgotton. It had to do with what I he called the battle of logistics early on in the war. The title is Mobility, Support, Endurance (278pp - 1972) Here is a PDF link:

https://archive.org/details/mobilitysupporte00hoop (it's out of print for may years)

We did whatever worked and as much as we could get of it.

Sorry for the history lesson, I didn't mean to hijack your thread.Raven.

Ba

 

[Drgnner]

Hmm, the only thing I can remember reading are log books... then I look at a few pics from the past and see playboy pics on the wall of the hootch. I guess I did read some stories.

 

[bobbybob]

I remember watching Ross kemp in Afghanistan, while deployed to Afghanistan. Bit weird now that I think of it. We would also patrol all day then come back and play call of duty all night after debriefing.

 

[combatgoldfish]

I remember watching Ross kemp in Afghanistan, while deployed to Afghanistan. Bit weird now that I think of it. We would also patrol all day then come back and play call of duty all night after debriefing.

Kinda amusing that us OIF/OEF guys would do missions and unwind to COD

 

[Chin Strapped]

I remember watching Ross kemp in Afghanistan, while deployed to Afghanistan. Bit weird now that I think of it. We would also patrol all day then come back and play call of duty all night after debriefing.

We did exactly there same thing, watched all the Ross kemps. Used to annoy us because they were walking around without vallons (metal detector) lol

 

[Squip Mrbearsfriend]

/laugh
we had gameboys, scrounged for AA's and a choice of 12 gameboy games.

 

[jackrabbit]

I'm a big comic book nut, so when I could afford the space I'd always carry a couple of disposable graphic novels.

When loads were tight I'd usually re-read, in case I had to dump it (I dropped a new book half-way through deployment once and it bugged me for months, until I could buy another copy and finish).

Starship Troopers is one I've read a few hundred times. The Black Company is another.
Vampire$, Fight Club, Their Master's War. All good stuff.

I also used to carry a number of Edgar Allen Poe and Kipling compilations.

 

[Lee C]

I was on Ross Kemp (bad omen as I got shot afterwards)(The one with the Yorkshire rose on my shoulder)
all I can say is" CYA Later" :

 

[Deleted member 40387]

My job as Sergeant of the Guard. In The Triangle of Death 06-07 we were at a abandoned Russian geothermal powerplant that encompassed a massive area. My job was to check on all the guard positions , maintain comms , take them chow, during winter take them wood, and do change of people on guard. I drove alot to these positions and walked alot. There were Russian trailers full of books on engineering and physics as far as I could tell. Crates and crates full of unused supplies with Russian writing. There were buildings full of computers and paperwork, clothes, beds, generators, used dishes. Russian trucks were left to sit in place abandoned. There was an area called the container yard filled with packed conex containers never opened. I walked and walked and explored like I was 10 years old again. I even walked the water tunnels that ran from the main plant building to the Euphrates river. The place was like a post apocalyptic wasteland. I'll never forget that place. Good question.

 

[Ed B]

the hitch hikers guide to the galaxy was my go to. I read all of it.

 

[Nonvisi]

OHHHH!!!! Dan Brown novels totally transported me out of that shit hole. Great entertaining reads. Funny, now that I'm back home, I don't read anymore.

 

[Nonvisi]

the hitch hikers guide to the galaxy was my go to. I read all of it.

I've been meaning to pick up an audio copy.