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Notes About The Poem

Lately, I've been looking back on my time in Cam Ranh Bay and Vietnam. I wrote the following to record my memories of that time and place in my life. It is a memory of brotherhood that I have found nowhwere else in my life. My plan is for multiple chapters to cover this year in my life. I hope it brings back mostly good memories of the times.

It Was January '68

It was January '68
Chapter 1 - arrival
by Franklin Price
2/13/2019

It was January '68
The place was Cam Ranh Bay
The embattled country, Vietnam
Home's half a world away

Had not a clue what to expect
As I left the freedom plane
Return was one long year away
Quite an adjustment for my brain

The Air Force was my service branch
Nav-Aids my specialty
Was in since 1965
Pounding the ground was not to be

Processing in was just a blur
This place was new to me
The sun was blinding off white sand
That was everywhere to see

Somehow got to the squadron
To the place I'd lay my head
To a hooch with canvas roof
Where a cot would be my bed

Of course no air conditioning
Had to contend with tropic clime
Was glad was raised in Florida
Had no AC any time

Soon found there were cold showers
No hot water to be found
A six seater for a ter
No flushing toilets were around

No hole, as with an outhouse,
Half drums caught the downward bound
When full, burned with jet fuel
And spread the ashes on the ground

485th GEEIA was my squadron
Could not wait for TDY
Nothing to do when home at Cam Ranh
But rake the sand and wonder why

militarywarrhyme

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