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January '68 Chapter 2

It was January '68
Chapter 2 – Phan Rang - 1st TDY
by Franklin Price
3/5/2019

Raking sand got old real soon
Was not why I came to war
My job was not for combat
The reason why I thought was more

Before the month was over
Went to do a site survey
Traveled down to Phan Rang town
About 60 clicks away

We drove down on the roadway
I think highway number one
Traveled in an open jeep
Each of us had a gun

Through Coconut groves and other things
Had been warned to be concerned
My M-16 at ready
Tried to remember what I'd learned

Training I got at Hamilton
I hoped would do me well
But we made it without incident
Did not have to load a shell

Spent a few days on the survey
For an on base VOR
Every night a drink or two
At the non-commissioned bar

Daily on the flight line
Saw many fighters come to land
Saw an F-100 lead-sled
That was old but still was grand

One day went out to Thap Cham
The closest local town
Went to a Budhist temple
Had been a thousand years around

Burned a little incense
Beside the small front door
No room to enter through it
A shrine took up all the floor

Was also a monkey dwelling
We could hear them howl and call
The locals left food gifts for them
At night they came and ate it all

There I first rode in a cyclo
They were the three wheeled local hack
Had a scooter on the front end
And two bench seats in the back

Seated four quite easily
Entered from the rear of it
When not used as a taxi
Carried anything that fit

Once I saw a full grown cow
In the rear where I had been
There was strap around its ass
Don't know how they got it in

That was much later in the year
Not on this first time out
When everything amazed me
Gave me this trip to write about

The returning trip to Cam Ranh
When this TDY was done
Came off without an incident
Was a non-combatant run

Copyright © Franklin Price | Year Posted 2019

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