Cam Ranh had grown a lot since my first visit in '66 in search of Bread trucks. Beginning to look like a full fledge Air Force base.
*****
Vietnamization was in effect throughout the country. My shop was no exception. We had Vietnamese working for the purpose of training to take over Power Production duties. Unfortunately, there was not a lot of training taking place. Due to the heavy demand for generator support, rapid repairs and load testing was constantly in progress. A very bad situation developed almost every day. The Vietnamese consumed Betel Nuts throughout the day and by three in the afternoon most was stoned and had to be watched carefully. Electrocution was a major concern around the crude load banks being used.
*****
Approximately three am a sleeping Cam Ranh AB was rudely awakened by CHARLIE with rockets and mortars. The good news , all of the rounds was falling away from the hooches. The bad news , a number of hooches recently had ceiling fans installed above the bunks. In their haste ( especially top ) some of the folks jumped into turning fans. Cuts and lacerations was treated at sick call and to my knowledge no purple hearts awarded.
*****
Gamblers and hooch maids lost money on the day MPC was exchanged for revised currency. Only amount of paycheck could be exchanged. Maids was not suppose to be paid in MPC but they were. Read 'em and weep.
*****
At the departure end of runway early one morning, two F4 Phantom Jets started their roll for takeoff. One, for whatever reason, contacted the barrier sheave at edge of runway. The airplane started breaking up and dropping live ordinance as it continued its' forward momentum. Crash responded and extinguished the fire. A Fireman was standing on the wing when a heat seeking missile activated by the airplane exhaust slammed into the smoldering aircraft. The Fireman was critically injured and treated at the base hospital until MEDIVAC to Clark AB Hospital. That morning all fire fighting vehicles escorted the C141 to the departure end of runway.
*****
Paid a visit to Personnel to complete my DREAM sheet for returning to CONUS. I asked for Europe. Crossed fingers and wait.
*****
Got a little break when Navy Advisors from Binh Ba Island needed help with their generator. Early Sunday morning they picked me up in a Swift Boat for the trip to the island. I went to work on the generator. Preparing to start from an open top five gallon aux. fuel drum I heard water running. Looked on other side of unit and a little (very little) Vietnamese boy was taking a leak in my fuel tank. He smiled and I smiled back. War is Hell.
*****
Navy ship power failed and I installed a 150 KW generator for hooch power. The MB15 generator was screaming at about 90 percent load. The first night in operation an NCO came to his hooch after a visit to the NCO club. Apparently he couldn't sleep for the noise from the generator. Becoming totally irate he proceeded to the generator and relieved himself across the load terminals. Enough said about that.
*****
My assignment is in, Templehof AFS, West Berlin, Germany. The Sunday before leaving on Monday I was asked to go to the beach because of generator failure. Reluctantly I went. Upon arrival my entire shop was there and proceeded to throw me into the South China Sea. We partied. Played a little Beer Softball.
*****
The end is finally here. Monday afternoon I was at the Terminal waiting to board the Freedom bird. We lined up and as I was passing through the gate O'Brien, a co-worker, yelled at me. I turned to look and he had climbed on a table and giving me a BROWN EYE. My last view of Vietnam.
*****
Landing at McChord AFB in Washington state, I caught a ride to SEATAC (Seattle/Tacoma) Airport for a flight to Mobile, Alabama. Had five hour wait before flight. I fell asleep in a chair. Shortly I was awakened by someone kicking my feet. It was Airport Security informing me that loitering was not permitted in the airport. Because of wanting to get home as soon as possible I let it slide. Never been back to Seattle....never will.
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