Jack of All Trades by Ronald L. Beckett

Author:Ronald L. Beckett
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780811764933
Publisher: Stackpole Books
Published: 2016-07-21T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 22

Going to Saigon

Despite the war raging around it, Saigon was a beautiful and exciting city. Evidence of French influence was everywhere, from the wide boulevards, traffic circles, and architecture, to the restaurants and language. It was the Paris of the Orient. It was therefore no surprise that soldiers in the field relished any opportunity to visit for a few days, and Advisory Team 49 was certainly no exception.

About every four weeks it would be necessary for the team to mount an expedition into Saigon to acquire essential goods and provisions. Selection for this “perilous” journey was highly coveted among the team members. The trip amounted to our own little version of R&R—thirty-six hours to get the goods, see the sights, and indulge in whatever form of relaxation suited your particular desires. It was all there—from the most elegant French restaurants to the seediest whorehouses. The most celebrated of the latter were the “steam bath and massage parlors,” affectionately known to the troops as “blowbath and steamjob parlors” or “steam and creams.”

Saigon’s notorious black market, which operated openly in the streets, was the source of almost anything you wanted and could always guarantee you an exchange rate for piasters several times better than the official exchange rate. It was therefore not difficult to secure volunteers each month for the trip.

There was no particular process for selecting who would go, although there would always be at least two members of the team. This not only provided security on the trip, but also ensured that the team members didn’t forget that they were due back in Dinh Quan the following day. No roster was kept, but it seemed to work out pretty equitably, with all team members going from time to time. I could always count on SFC King and SFC Kraft to point out that we were running low on some essential staple and suggest that perhaps we needed to send some folks into town. They also were the first to volunteer each and every time. No matter which team members went to Saigon, there were always incredible adventures that got replayed over and over to team members and other visitors. I wish I had kept a journal.

Once a date had been set for the next trip, elaborate “want lists” were produced by each of the team members and money was collected. Lists included food items from the commissary, cleaning and household supplies, individual toiletries, and personal shopping needs. We each contributed to the food fund each month, and from that we would purchase necessary foodstuffs. Lists and money in hand, and briefed personally by each member regarding his personal wishes, the designated shoppers headed off in the morning as soon as word was received that the highway from Dinh Quan to the La Nga River bridge was open.

The trip to Saigon was by jeep, southwest down Highway 20 to Highway 1 and then due west to Bien Hoa and Saigon, approximately seventy-five miles. Barring any unusual delays along the way, a jeep pulling a trailer could make it in slightly less than three hours.

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