Hill 55
Trip Start
May 18, 2005
1
19
25
Trip End
Jul 10, 2005
Danang,
Vietnam
Monday, June 13, 2005
When we were there in 66/67 the hill had been denuded of all vegetation and had bunkers, hooches, tents, and artillery positions scattered over it
Hill 55 (3) Dodge City
. Across the padi from the C Company position were several hamlets, Thuy Bo 1, 2, and 3. These were known as Dodge City and it was here that 1st Bn, 9th Marines got its name, The Walking Dead. We (1/26) took over the area from 1/9. Lots of mines, snipers, and frequent firefights - but not near as bad as the DMZ. Now the hill is planted in what looks to be a tree farm and on top there is a monument to the National Liberation Front (VC). The monument looks to be seldom visited. We followed a finger down through a graveyard to the bridge where Jerry Georges was killed. The river is running deep and brown as it always did. We crossed over the bridge and followed the road to where C Company was dug in on about 8 little mounds in the padi. The empty padi in front of the old post 1 (where I stayed when I was in the camp) is filled in and there are houses there now. Here's the deal: Vietnam is known to be welcoming to veterans, but people in these parts are not city people making money from travelers. Thuy Bo was serious hardcore and neither they nor we took many prisoners. Fighters on either side who got caught got killed.
We walked around, but not back to the old position and people started to gather around. Children were shouting, "Hello! What your name?" Middle aged people were hanging back, but looking friendly and some of the women were amused (CK, the traveling roadshow)
Hill 55 (4)
. A one-armed man brought 2 plastic chairs out for us to sit on. Some old people came by and we shook hands and petted on one another. It was the sweetest thing. It is difficult to describe. My sense is that we were all remembering and we were all glad to see one another. For Jeff and me it was beautiful to see how prosperous the area looks. Almost all the hooches are gone and in their place are stucco houses, most 1 or 2 rooms, and some with more. The woods and groves fronting Dodge City are gone. It's all padi now and the houses are all along the roads (which are maybe 8 feet wide).
Distances seemed a lot greater back then. Maybe that has to do with keeping one's focus on 1-30 meters ahead all the time vs. seeing the entire area. Also, most of the groves and trees are gone now. Very strange to actually see the bridge near Dodge City kind of close to us. It was a hell of a walk back then.
We hung out in the padi and dikes and along a river. Our last stop was a concrete and dirt floored restaurant in Thuy Bo 3. Sat with an old fighter and had (what else) orange sodas. The old man and I held hands and smiled and talked mutually unintelligibly to one another. That was the sweetest thing too. When we were leaving there were 5 or 6 young men sitting at a table drinking. They wanted a toast and when I lifted my orange soda glass one of them took it out of my hand and gave me a little cup of liquor. What could I do? "To Vietnam!" and we all drained our cups. And Jeff and I rode out.
No big drama, emotion, purging, what have you (been working on that for 30+ years). It was just good to see (1) the prosperity and (2) the way people are moving on. The only way the people we have seen in VN are looking is forward. God bless us all, living and dead.
Comments
god's blessing
oh charles,
this is so touching. and what a blessing from god that you are among the living. what would life be without you? all my love, leslie