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From: Bob Gouveia
Date: 6/16/2004
Time: 3:52:19 PM
Remote Name: 159.214.124.1
John,its been 35 years since I smelled the foul air of Vietnam.The intense heat I felt when I got to the door of the plane-that took me from what ever Air Force base is next to Ft. Lewis Washington where I went for two weeks ARVN training,In the month of January 1969, with snow on the ground, and us in jungle fatigues(2Pair)on. I was at Long Binh for a short time, which was good, it had 65,000 men and still not enough security-we got attacked by the VC and they left 200 or so dead in the concertina wire. We were always on details filling sand bags in the hot of the day, and one late day fixing a tent, when a G.I. shot him self-when they took him out, and put him in a 3/4 ton truck -I just walked away from there and said"SO THIS IS NAM".I was on an Arvn base called Trai Le Loi' out side of Ben xe Moi Or Can tho I dont relly know, I do know is it had no security-the seven at night to seven in the morning was torture.Never had my M-16 out of my hands, only to eat, drink, and send on the teletype ha ha. SO THIS IS NAM.I do remember the song "In The Year 25 25 if man is still alive, and women can survive" that song I heard in the Cantho commcenter when I was sent their to help out. the 52nd sig Bn.Mr. Tucker was in charge.I think a sgt Beatty, and a guy name Morgan.They did twelve hour shifts also in that comm center. Yes time goes by and we grew up fast.. But I got home 7th Jan 1970 just in time to see the Boston Bruins Hockey team Espo,Don Awrey,Bobby Orr,Gerry Cheevers,Rick Smith,Dallas Smith,Wayne Cashman,Ken Hodge,Fread Stanfield,Derek Sanderson,Eddie Johnston,pie face Mckenzie,and some great other hockey players win that Stanley Cup. Take Care fellow Veterans.