May 26 Reunification Palace & DaNang Fireworks (Neil)

Early this afternoon we stopped at the Reunification Palace, formerly the headquarters for the South Vietnamese government during the war. NVA Tank #843, which is famous for having rammed the Palace gate April 30, 1975, is on display. The photo of this event, which signaled the fall of South Vietnam, was published extensively throughout the world. The war was over....






Katie & Kira at Reunification Palace Gate




At 6 PM we were on a Vietnam Airlines flight to DaNang, where Thong. (Damn Guide), his daughter, and granddaughter were was waiting for us. After checking into our hotel, located just a block from Thong's house, we rushed to the roof to catch the tail end of the amazing DaNang International Fireworks Competition. I snapped a few photos of USA versus France, but my little camera was inadequate in capturing these world-class displays.






In July 1968, while my infantry company had set up during the heat of the day to receive resupply choppers, I heard the words, "Hannan, R & R!" In a whirlwind, I was on a huey helicopter destined to our unit's HQ at Chu Lai base. Then came a shower, hair cut, real food, clean water, and a cot (not foxhole) on which to sleep....like a dream. It had been five months since I had experienced such luxuries. Anyway, enough of that. What I'm getting at it is that my R & R journey to Singapore started with a C-130 flight from Chu Lai to my current location, DaNang (Air Base). While waiting on the tarmac for the flight to Singapore, I was startled by a hand on the shoulder. Spinning around, I'm suddenly face to face with Gary Davidson, another Versailles, Ohio boy. Gary, a 1st Cavalry Division infantryman, happened to be heading off on his 5-day R & R, as well. Talk about a coincidence! I have our photos that were taken that, but not in digital form....rats. But, here's an image that I snapped at DaNang Air Base when flying out.

DaNang Air Base July 1968



Tomorrow Damn Guide will meet us here at the hotel at 8:30 AM, after which we'll walk to his house before heading off to experience the sculpture shops at Marble Mountain. This is the origin of my very neat Buddha statues, purchased in 2016. The remainder of the day will involve preparing for the subsequent day's visits to Lady The, Thua, and Duong. It will necessary to hire a car for the day, as always. All three live in the former LZ Colt area, where I first choppered out to my infantry company in Feb 1968. The memory is vivid. Green as green can be,  I walked up to my assigned squad, that being 1st squad, 2nd platoon, Co. A, 3/21 Inf., 196th Light Infantry Brigade. Sgt. Haddock took one look and my barely-nineteen, sorta scrawny self and uttered one word....."Kid". A nickname was born. At that time, I couldn't imagine the horrors that the following days, and 1968, would bring.


 I'll try to catch some sleep now. I'm really looking forward to seeing Thua, Duong, and Son's mother on Monday!

Neil









Comments

  1. Johna HemmelgarnMay 30, 2018 at 6:58 PM

    I'll never forget the first time you showed me photos of you arriving in Nam. I gasped!..... just a kid!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neil HannanJune 1, 2018 at 9:40 PM

      Still wet behind the ears on arrival, but that didn't last long.

      Delete

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