Landing at Vietnam

     Bloggers, when I think back all those years to the 1950's through the 1970's all that I can say is that it was just like Mr. Charles Dickens said, "It was the best of times and it was the worst of times. There was always something happening outside in that great blue yonder that would shock a simple countrified refried pinto style bean like me. For example, in the John Wayne Army movies that he played in, the Military was presented with all these highly dedicated and spit shined patriotic soldiers that obeyed every command that was given to them at the drop of a hat by their superiors without question. If their superiors said to jump, they jumped, no matter from how high. And everyone of them was disciplined and dressed sharply. They were polished in every which way and they had manners. Well, Basic and A.I.T. training for me was that same way. And even though Fort Lewis had many active soldiers that were against the war in Vietnam, I adopted that esprit de corps that was prevalent in the movies back then. And I took it with me onto the Pan Am flight to Vietnam. And I believe that all of us on that plane adopted it as well. Oh!, But we were so damned naive and none of us anticipated what culture shock was about to welcome us there and blow our patriotic attitudes to smithereens. This was 1970, and our American Society had got wise to most of the American War and history propaganda, except me, and was not buying all the hype about Honor and the devoted American Warrior and loving Troubadour. Even though I knew personally many young Warriors that were hard core and devoted to The American Cause. And I know that I was too. However like I said before, "There is always a Big But on the road." And up ahead just a few miles away was a big one stooped over waiting patiently just for me. Remember Michael McDonald and the Doobie Brothers singing "What a fool believes," well, that was me. I remember that morning as the Pan Am was coming to a land at the Ben-Hoa Airport and the Captain told us to buckle up, and then at that time there was complete silence on the plane. All the talk about Vietnam back at Fort Lewis was now manifesting itself into reality. And further we knew that this was now the real thing and that we were about to meet our fate face to face in a few minutes. And after the plane came to a stop, the stewardess just looked into our eyes as we gathered our gear and we could see the sad look in their eyes watching us get off the plane. It was a solemn moment to say the least. And I was sure that they felt bad for us because they knew that not everyone on that plane was coming back home alive. And one of the most dejecting moments for me after getting off that plane and being put on green buses and transported to The 90th Replacement Center at Long-Binh, was watching the guys going home and waving goodbye to us just arriving. And all I remember about those guys was their big happy smiles as they teased us Newbies just arriving, and they were laughing at us as they loaded on the plane. And all I could think about was, "I wish that was me going home!" But, I still had 365 days to go before I went home. And once that we arrived at the Replacement we had to undergo a lot of paper work and we were assigned to our barracks and then we were quarantined there about three weeks and had to wait on our assignments. And it was here that we were introduced ever so slowly to a degenerative military lifestyle or culture that would later become for me a great shock. The 90th Replacement Center had more amenities  than other Quarantine Centers that I have been housed in before. And it was bigger than any quarantine at Fort Lewis. Although we were sequestered at this compound we could go to an average size restaurant named "Alice's Restaurant" and buy our food there if we didn't want to eat at the kitchen, or if we just wanted to socialize while eating snacks there. And they had a Massage Parlor with young Vietnamese girls working there. And they had a big Club for enlisted personnel where one could drink at a bar and at nights they had live Rock n Roll and even Country music played by Vietnamese girls and young men. I remember that when these bands would play, they sounded just as good as the original bands back home in America. There was a P.X. here too and there was lots of time to write back home to the ones one loved. And I spent most of my time at the restaurant and the club. As far as I was concerned the Massage Parlor was a waste of time because all the beds were centralized in an open large room, and the girls were under strict orders that no sexual play would be tolerated. Plus, everyone is looking at everyone. But, it is here at this Replacement that I encounter again that Black woman's Truth about looking for love in the wrong place. Remember that I have always had a complex about my ugly face. Well, whenever I came across these beautiful young Vietnamese girls and women here at the Replacement Center and they were in a small group either walking passing me by or if I was standing next to them, they would giggle among themselves and they would look at me and say, "Boko Dap! Boko Dap!," and giggle some more. Then one day I asked a guy that was stationed at the Replacement what Boko Dap meant. And he said," It means very handsome." And after that I felt like a matured male Peacock with his train of feathers fanned up high. And even after the sequestration at Long-Binh, there would be more beautiful young Vietnamese girls calling me "Boko Dap throughout South Vietnam." Man!, that made me happy because in San Marcos, Texas no girls said that about me. Well, it also proves that the ugly duckling swan bloomed into a handsome Swan in the end. And now with that aside, I want to to tell the viewers; and present to the viewer, what I saw in Vietnam in 1970 from my perspective. And what was my mental state educationally and spiritually wise. All I can truly say about this great episode in my life is that to me it was like the Honey Bucket cesspool moments at The Riverside Unit in the Reform School at Gatesville, Texas. However, this experience in Vietnam is a metaphor describing the descent of The U. S. Military into a Moral cesspool that I have admit that I also was doing swan dives into and doing back strokes in it gleefully and joyously with the greatest of ease, and thoroughly enjoying it like the prodigal son. It is here that I begin to See for myself what was already broken in the Military Disciplined World yet I didn't know it yet. And it was broken because of the American Politics and Diplomacy that undermined the Winning of the War. And in my opinion, Mr. Henry Kissinger was a big contributing component to the constant stalling of the War in Vietnam. It was the American Politicians who caused the stagnation and prolonging of the war and as a result demoralized the already angry Draftees and American people. And for the poor countrified criminally and highly Patriotic minded refried pinto bean, he was sucked into a whirlpool of  highly polished and educated big time criminally minded War Machine and its Operators. And these took him on a journey deep down into Alice's White Rabbit's Hole. Man!, If only the whole story could be told. Let me close for now guys, so let us sleep on that. I'll continue the rest of the story next time I hope. Thanks again.                                                                                                                                   Respectfully,                                                                                                                                            Ruben N. Gutierrez