Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Diary Entry 56: Saigon, Thursday Night, 9 September 1965

                                                  Saigon
                                                                                                  Thursday Night, 9 September 1965



Yesterday Harry the Horse came by and had dinner with me at the Rex where we ran into Colonel Umpleby, the Chief Western Transportation Officer from CINCPAC.  He reiterated his offer of an assignment at Tachikawa [AFB, Japan] after this tour, so I just told him I wasn’t interested.  After dinner Harry and I sat out on the roof and listened to the band play and talked over old times.  Sure will miss him when he goes back.  Am going to take a run down the Saigon River tomorrow to look over some problem areas and invited Hoss to go along, but he says he has been up and down enough rivers to last for a while.  Am looking forward to getting out of the office for a while, myself.  Friday late will go back up-country [to Qui Nhon] to check on the last minute details for receiving our friends from Fort Benning [the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)]. Back Saturday.

Clark on the Saigon River, 10 September 1965.  (Photo courtesy Richard P. Clark, Jr. collection)


Today was just another old work day on minor problems which tend to suffocate our day-to-day operations. We don’t seem to have enough time to do any intelligent planning.  However, expect the organizational structure to work itself out and solve these problems eventually. Sure will be glad when it happens.

Compared to some stations in Vietnam, Saigon is a nice place because you aren’t living in a foxhole.  But nice as it is, I’ll sure be glad when this tour is over.  Saigon may be the Paris of the Orient but sure isn’t Montgomery!

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