Page 59 - Stand Down Vietnam

The next morning, we were swarmed by NIS, CID and all
the security people around. We found out that we had
six officer throats cut that night.

This was 1964, when we had advisors in Vietnam. I was
in Da Nang; my job was to install airports for future
operations. I was there for only a short time. From

Vietnam we went to Subic Bay, Philippines. It was
November, and we were going to have the Marine Corps
Ball.

I was there about six weeks or so. One night I went to
the club; I was drinking a beer, a Vietnamese guy
wearing a black uniform came in and sat next to me. We
sat there talking for about an hour. When I got ready
to leave, I said I’d see him tomorrow and asked him
what time he’d be around. He said, I won’t be around
here tomorrow, I’ll be out there on the other side, I’m
your enemy.

A few days later we got on an airplane and flew to the
Philippines. I was there for about six weeks which
during that time we had a Marine Corps Ball on board
the USS Thetis Bay.

USS Thetis Bay (LPH-6), Helicopter
circa 1963