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Yup. BLT 3/4. We did a lot of time in the Philippines, then swung by Thailand and Hong Kong. On the way between the last two we hit a typhoon. I was on one of the little troop carriers built to haul tanks and trucks and such on that leg of the journey. That was pretty exciting. Huge waves. Stand on the deck and seemed like you could look straight over your head and see water. For some reason I never got sick.
I was infantry but didn't see any combat. I came close a couple of times. Mayaguez thing hit just before we went on float, and they evacuated Saigon a week or two before I arrived on the Rock, so I barely missed those two. I have a buddy that volunteered to do the Saigon thing and got his picture on the cover of Time. He's in that famous picture of the helicopter on some roof and he is helping people up off of a ladder.
I couldn't for the life of me remember the name of the camp I was at in Okinawa, but I'm pretty sure it was Hansen now that you mention it. We might have been in some of the same places, I'll bet.
We really need to hook up at one of these chicken things and swap stories, Stimp. I never went to Vietnam, but that was the reason I signed up.
Yeah, if you were with 3/4, you were at Hansen. I was with 2/4 there. My favorite unit of all that I served with. In fact, I'm going to a 2/4 reunion in September. We're going to go to San Diego to see a series of new Marines get their EGA's and graduate.
Man, was Hong Kong a blast or what? How long were you there? I spent 10 days R&R there and had to go back in country to get some rest. I loved Hong Kong.
What was the name of the troop carrier that you sailed on? Do you remember what type of ship it was?
-Stimp-
My memory is real murky, but I believe it was an LST. I remember the stern could open up for amphibious landings, thus the tanks and such on board. We actually fared better in the storm than the big carriers and such, because we could ride out the waves. Our big carrier (the Nimitz, I think) was damaged and had to return somewhere for repairs. I had no idea what real danger we were in until years later.
I mean, the US government wouldn't needlessly put us in harms way just for the sake of a schedule, would it?
Yeah, I loved Hong Kong. It was fairly westernized compared to the rest of the places we visited. All these wonderful local foods, but I remember the first place everyone headed for when liberty was called was Burger King for a great big American burger. Plus it was the first world class city I had seen since leaving the SF bay area. Then there was the whole aura and mystic of the local culture.
Very beautiful and interesting city.