Viet Nam Memories

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Ze556. On the 2nd floor of the Army Museum in Fort Derussy in Waikiki is a large room with many stories displayed of U.S Service Men receiving the Medal of Honor. I glanced at one name and I recognized it immediately and it awoke deep memories of our service in Viet Nam. He was kept as a POW of the Viet Cong and was executed by them on the 26 Sep. 1965 in the U-Minh Forest near Ca Mau, the south end of South Viet Nam. I operated in this area with a Mike 8 type salvage boat in 1971 as a Salvor. This was my 2nd tour in Viet Nam; half of my crew was US and the other half Viet-Nam. Read his story, he was a hero.
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Recently my family moved temporarily to Hawaii and I visited the Army Museum in Fort Derussy in Waikiki with family members. I saw pictures there that reminded me of our service in Viet Nam.
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Ze557.This is Capt. Humbert R. Versace, he was born in Hawaii. This picture came from this Wikipedia webpage; click here, or copy and paste this URL:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humbert_Roque_Versace

Ze558. Five Years to Freedom is a book about US POWs in Viet Cong hands, between 1963 to 1968 in the U-Minh Forest, the greater Ca Mau area, in the south end of South Viet Nam. After my 2nd tour in Viet Nam in 1971 I volunteered for the Navy’s Long Range Advisor Program for Viet Nam and underwent 35 weeks of Viet Namese intensive language training (I was first in the class of 40). This book just had come out and I studied is intensely. I had operated in that area before and was expected to serve there again. This is one URL for that book, click here, or copy and paste it: https://www.amazon.com/Five-Years-Freedom-Story-Vietnam/dp/0345314603

Ze559. This is, then, First Lt. James N. Rowe (Nick) he was the author of the book Five Years to Freedom. His book fascinated me because I was going into that south end of South Viet Nam, the Mekong Delta to advise the South Viet Nam Brown Water Navy as a diver. I did serve my 3rd tour in Viet Nam, between June 1972 and March 1973. He witnessed much of the story of Capt. Versace, because they were took POWs together. He was able to escape, read that dramatic story in his book. After I retired from the Navy in 1991, 30 years plus, I settled in the Philippines and during my time there now Col. Nick Rowe was assassinated in the Philippines as an Advisor there by Filipino communist guerrillas. Read his biography here, click here, or copy and paste this URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_N._Rowe

Ze560. The first German POWs from the German Gunboat Geier which was interned in Honolulu Harbor when the First World War broke out between Germany and the US. This picture is displayed in the Ft. Derussy Museum. It reminded me of my heritage. Hitler started the war and as a result Germany lost 25% of its country on demand by Communist Stalin who also divided the rest of Germany. The communist played a very negative role in the Weimar Republic also. That is why I believed the spread of communism has to be stopped and I volunteered to serve three different tours in the Viet Nam War, altogether 4 years in country.

Ze561. My Grandson Dylan and my son in Law Keun are looking at a 105mm howitzer at the Army Museum in Ft. Derussy. This picture is very symbolic to me because I came from a divided country that is now united again. My grandson Dylan who is of Viet Namese ethnicity and that country is united again also, although under a communist regime. Keu is a son of a Korean-American family and his country is not united yet!

Ze563. This picture is from one of my 1966 picture albums. I believe it was a Continental Airline Military Charter Flight and it stopped here in Honolulu on my way to Viet Nam via the Philippines. I just came from the 6th Fleet and participated in the Santa Domingo Conflict in 1965 and helped raise the H-Bomb that dropped in the Mediterranean Sea after a B-52 and refueling plane collided in 1965. The Viet Nam had started 1965 for real with the first combat units landed there in 1965 and I volunteered and that tour was 2 years and 9 month.

Ze564. This is my youngest sister and I in Angeles City, in the Philippines. She was a stewardess with Continental Air flying military charter flights to Viet Nam. I delayed my trip to Viet Nam a couple days so we could meet. We also met in Da Nang, Viet Nam, one more time when her charter flight came in.

Ze566. In the area where Gun #2 of Battery Randolph was is now an attack helicopter. The sound of the helicopter blades is a sound of the Viet Nam War I will take to my grave.

Ze567. At the rear of the former Battery Randolph, now it is the front of the Army Museum in the Ft. Derussy are several pieces of military hardware.

Ze568. At the rear of the former Battery Randolph, now it is the front of the Army Museum in the Ft. Derussy are several pieces of military hardware. This is a US Prefabricated Pill Box which was spread out throughout Oahu at vital defense positions. That reminded me of our fortification in Viet Nam against rocket, mortar and ground attacks.

Ze569. At the rear of the former Battery Randolph, now it is the front of the Army Museum in the Ft. Derussy are several pieces of military hardware. This is a US Prefabricated Pill Box which was spread out throughout Oahu at vital defense positions. That reminded me of our fortification in Viet Nam against rocket, mortar and ground attacks when I was assigned to Civic Action Teams in villages around Da Nang.

Ze576. The Army Museum at the Fort Derussy Beach Park has a corner of Rest & Recreation visits (R & R) of Viet Nam War service members coming here for R&R. That sure reminded me at my R & R trips. I had extended my first tour in Viet Name 3 times, each time for 6 months. That entitled me for a month leave anywhere in the world. For my first R & R in 1967 I chose a trip to Germany, just when the 6 Day War broke out in the Near East. The next two times I chose Salt Lake City, my home of Record, to with my mother.

Ze577. The Army Museum at the Fort Derussy Beach Park has a corner of Rest & Recreation visits (R & R) of Viet Nam War service members coming here for R&R. Here are pictures of those R & R visits, I believe they were the shorter 7 day breaks; one could take advantage of during your normal year of service to the Viet Nam War. I never did that.

Ze578. The Army Museum at the Fort Derussy Beach Park has a corner of Rest & Recreation visits (R & R) of Viet Nam War service members coming here for R&R. Here are pictures of those R & R visits, I believe they were the shorter 7 day breaks; one could take advantage of during your normal year of service to the Viet Nam War. I never did that. For these short 7 day visit one could choose locations in the West Pacific area only and that included Hawaii, so you could meet your loved ones here in Hawaii.

Ze579. This is one of four images in the Viet Nam R & R section of the Army Museum at the Fort Derussy Beach Park in Waikiki. They remind me of our service in Viet Nam and that we looked forward to some R & R.; here a GI got married in Hawaii.

Ze580. This is one of four images in the Viet Nam R & R section of the Army Museum at the Fort Derussy Beach Park in Waikiki. They remind me of our service in Viet Nam and that we looked forward to some R & R.; here a GI met his spouse, bride or love in Hawaii.

Ze581. This is one of four images in the Viet Nam R & R section of the Army Museum at the Fort Derussy Beach Park in Waikiki. They remind me of our service in Viet Nam and that we looked forward to some R & R.; which included enjoying some entertainment shows with some well-known entertainment personalities. My first daughter was a Hula Dancer in these shows for several years, she kept her figure and could still do it today.

Ze582. This is one of four images in the Viet Nam R & R section of the Army Museum at the Fort Derussy Beach Park in Waikiki. They remind me of our service in Viet Nam and that we looked forward to some R & R.; which included enjoying some entertainment shows with some well-known entertainment personalities.

Ze583. In Viet Nam every little compound or barracks had a little Bar like this one in the Fort Derussy Army Museum. Most people enjoyed a beer or too, it was not political uncorrect at that time. The COMRATS even had small cigarette packs with about 3 or 4 cigarette sticks.