Diary Entry 66: Saigon, Sunday Afternoon, 26 September 1965

                                                                                                     Saigon
                                                                                                     Sunday Afternoon, 26 September 1965


This has certainly been a nice day!  Although I have been at work and have kept busy and have had a few problems to handle, it has been pretty quiet all told, and I’ve felt real relaxed and real good.   The sun has been shining brightly, everyone has been pleasant in the office, and it is one of those rare days where you appreciate the fact that it has been a lovely day.

It is hard for me to visualize that the trees are about to turn the color of the leaves, footballs are being tossed in the air, and children are starting back to school.  Here it is warm, wet, and humid and until somebody reminds you that back in the States it is a different season, you don’t sense it.  Right now, it is the monsoon season here and the rain comes down in the tubfuls.  Perhaps that is why today was so lovely. . .no rain, just pretty sunshine.

This morning I woke up about 5 o’clock and took my time getting a shower and getting the uniform ready for work.  Then I walked down to the Rex and had a good breakfast of hotcakes and link sausages, a big glass of orange juice, and a cup of coffee.  Then I caught a cab to work.  I got a little busy at work and did not take time out for lunch, but will eat a big supper tonight.  Every Sunday night is cookout night at the Rex.  You select your own steak, either T-bone or filet, cook it yourself to your own taste, and eat it on the patio (5th floor) while a Vietnamese band and singers entertain.  I’ve only been there a couple of times because the Rex is still on the VC target list and it is jammed on Sunday nights.  But I think tonight I’d sure like that steak dinner even though it costs $2.50.

Before I go to eat, I expect that I will go down to the Hong Kong BOQ and check up on Major Metheny.  He has been very sick and on quarters for the last 4 days or so.  Don’t know what made him sick, but his stomach is in terrible shape and he looked bad the last time I saw him which was yesterday.  His getting sick reminds me that I have been here about 4 months now, and I need to go down and get several boosters to make sure that I am protected.  Will do that Monday or Tuesday.

Have my people busy and out on the road.  Commander O’Neil is at Cam Ranh Bay observing a movement for me, and he will come in by vessel tomorrow afternoon.  I don’t think he likes to fly anymore after some of his unhappy experiences, and I detected a note of happiness when I talked with him this afternoon and said he could take the boat instead of flying.  He’s a good man.  Tomorrow Major Holbrook will take a vessel trip down the Saigon River to Vung Tau to observe a movement that we are interested in at that location.  He’ll come back Tuesday and the probably take off up-country to Qui Nhon on Friday as things are moving all over the place.  Am sending Captain Dendtler out to do some flying movement observation, so have one more on the road.  And sometime next month I am going to send Major Eckard, my Airlift chief, around the boondocks as an escort for the performance of Hello, Dolly! which is going to be given to the troops.  Major Eckard has been working much too hard lately (he works harder than I do even) so this trip was decided for him by me so he would go away from his office a little while and get some rest.  Now all I have to do is make sure he goes!