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I had arrived in Vietnam on March 31, 1968, joining the amtrac platoon of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines (2/4). I served the first six of my 20 months with them, during which time we were involved in the battle of Dai Do–three of the worst days of my life.

In May 1997, almost 30 years later, I went back to Vietnam with other members of that battalion for a 29th-anniversary tour. This is the story of my return to Vietnam. It is something I had always thought of doing since I left in 1969. On this trip we would go in peace instead of war, and this tour would be a lot shorter than the first one. I felt extremely honored in that I would be going back with my old commanding officer, Lt. Col. (now retired Brig. Gen.) Bill Weise.

We left my home in Vermontville, Mich., with a certain amount of apprehension as to what we were heading for. We spent a few days with four former platoon members in California, talking about old times, and then went to visit another platoon member in Oceanside.

We returned to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego–my first visit there since basic training. Our welcome at the base was far different from the one I had received in 1967. We were welcomed aboard by Lt. Col. Stevens, a former member of the 2/4. He was the battalion commander of the 2nd Recruit Training Battalion. With Colonel Stevens as our escort, we toured the base. While observing a platoon of recruits on the obstacle course, we were amazed at how well they were treated by their drill instructors, who were much less intense than ours had been in 1967. When one drill instructor put us into the famous yellow footprints, I had a vivid flashback–I remembered standing in those same footprints 31 years ago. Amazingly, we fell right in like we were supposed to do, something we all thought we had forgotten.

Next we went to Coronado Island, where we were surprised to see the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk in dock. Kitty Hawk is the ship Ellis E. Austin flew his last mission from before being shot down over North Vietnam, never to return, in 1966. Austin was a three-war veteran from my hometown of Vermontville who was shot down just two weeks before he was due to return home and retire from the Navy. My wife was with me, and seeing the carrier was an emotional for both of us, because we still hold out hope for some news from Vietnam regarding Austin. There we were, standing on Kitty Hawk‘s flight deck 31 years and a day after he had disappeared.

Next we went to Camp Pendleton to see the Amtrac Museum. Amtracs are the amphibious vehicles we drove in Vietnam, used by the Marine Corps to move troops from ship to shore during amphibious assaults. We felt our age when we saw the same type of vehicle we drove on display as museum pieces.

I think we all delayed getting ready to go for our flight to Vietnam on the next day, a Thursday, hoping we would wake up and find out it was a dream. We flew Singapore Airlines and were pleased with the service we received. Part of the tour group flew to Southeast Asia from the West Coast, while the rest of the group came from the East Coast. We stopped in Tokyo and then went on to Singapore. The 12-hour flight and the 10-hour layover in Singapore seemed like a lifetime.

Our group finally departed for Hanoi, arriving there on the morning of April 26. We realized we had arrived in Vietnam for real when we saw the red flag with the yellow star flying high above the airport terminal. Seeing MiG fighters parked on the runways reinforced that feeling.

Going through customs was easy and fast. It was far from the ordeal I had feared it would be. We were soon aboard our bus for our 45-minute ride to downtown Hanoi and our hotel. The Thuy Tain Hotel was a shock to us–it was very nice, as good as any hotel in the States. We were treated almost like royalty while staying there, and we were impressed with the staff. We felt like they really wanted us there and went above and beyond to take care of our needs. The staff in hotels here in the States could take lessons from them.

After getting settled into our rooms, it was off for a visit to the ‘Hanoi Hilton,’ the prison where American prisoners of war were kept. There was now a real hotel being built at this site, but part of the walls of the original building were still standing. From there we went to a park located in downtown Hanoi, where a MiG was on display. A few pieces of a Boeing B-52 bomber were also on display, as well as a SAM missile battery of the type that had been used to shoot down the American bombers. The MiG was labeled as the first one to shoot down one of our B-52s, but we all realized this was probably propaganda and just laughed about it.

We were taken to a Vietnamese restaurant for our evening meal. Our first entertainers were all dressed in traditional clothing, and the women were truly beautiful. When we looked at the men, it was hard not to see the faces of the enemy we had seen 30 years beforehand, lying dead in the paddies of South Vietnam. Old memories I would like to forget. After the meal we entertained the Vietnamese by singing the Marine Corps hymn. In honor of our Navy corpsmen, we also sang ‘Anchors Away.’

I don’t think any of us slept too long our first night in Hanoi–partly from exhaustion and partly from excitement–but the sleep we did get was sound.

Day two saw us on our tour of Hanoi, a town filled with thousands of bikes and very few automobiles. It was amazing to see all that traffic and no reasonable pattern to it–everyone just seemed to go where they felt like. We were amazed that we did not see any accidents. Our first stop of the day was at a statue of Senator John McCain hanging from his parachute. This was where he was supposed to have been shot down and captured. I had brought along the Marine Corps flag that I had carried during my tour in Vietnam. We pulled out the flag and everyone in our group had their picture taken with it at the statue.

Next we visited Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum. I was impressed how tastefully he was displayed. It is hard to express what I felt seeing Ho Chi Minh lying there–he appeared as if he had just lain down to take a nap. We also toured Ho’s home and office. I was impressed by how stately the building was, and it amazed me that the U.S. government had never decided to bomb it. I wondered how many American lives could have been saved if we had bombed this one building, or all of Hanoi.

Our next stop was at the Temple of Literature, which was very beautiful. How and why this temple was built was explained in great detail by our Vietnamese guide. I feel it was one of the most interesting sites we visited while in Hanoi. We visited the War Museum next, and I was not impressed with that because it was mostly a propaganda display. The Dien Bien Phu exhibit was the only display of any real interest, and I was amazed at its display and video presentation. I also had the opportunity to discuss my war experiences with a Canadian schoolteacher who was touring the country on her own.

We stopped at the new U.S. Embassy and delivered a plaque for the ambassador from the 2/4 association, presented to a representative by General Weise and Ed Garr. We were not allowed inside the relatively small building, but we did take more pictures of our Marine Corps flag outside of the embassy.

At the end of the day we went shopping, and what a trip it was. We found some really good bargains and had a great time–we learned to not accept the first price given but to barter for a lower price. Most of the salespeople spoke English well enough to converse with us. It was a very interesting experience to be walking around Hanoi as if we were back in Vermontville. At no time during our visit did we feel threatened.

Day three brought an early wake-up call to catch a flight to Da Nang and begin touring the places where most of us had fought so long ago. For many of us this would prove to be the toughest part of our tour, emotionally. I was filled with tension as we landed on the runway in Da Nang. It had been 28 years since I left this same place to return home after my tour had been completed. After collecting our baggage, we sang the Marine hymn in front of the airport terminal, as we had done on our departure from our hotel in Hanoi.

Then we boarded our buses and headed for Hue City, traveling through the Hai Van Pass–a very beautiful ride. The trip into Hue was an emotional event for some of us. One of our fellow travelers had fought in Hue, and had a hard time describing his part in the battle as we rode into the city. He had been shot in the head and spent a lengthy recovery period in the hospital, and this was the first time he had spoken of the battle to anyone. It seemed to be a healing experience for him.

After checking into another fabulous hotel, complete with a swimming pool, we took a tour of Hue. My wife and I had planned on reaffirming our wedding vows in Hue, so we purchased a traditional Vietnamese ao dai for the occasion–very reasonably priced and tailor-made in one day. That evening we ran into another American who had also fought in the battle of Dai Do but was not traveling with us, and we talked to him about his experiences during the battle.

One of the men in our group, Roger Pittman, who had served as a corpsman during the same battle, told us the story of Sergeant O’Bannon, who was killed in 1968. Pittman had worked hard to see that O’Bannon was awarded the Silver Star for his bravery 29 years later. The award would be presented to his widow on June 5, 1997, at Camp Pendleton.

Day four was spent touring Hue. Earl told us his story about the battle of Dai Do as we set in a church in downtown Hue. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the place as he told the story. We were all affected by his firsthand account of how hard that fight had been.

We toured the Citadel–one of the most beautiful places I saw in all of Vietnam–and were surprised at how large it actually is. I realized the job our Marines must have had trying to clear the North Vietnamese out of here during the Tet Offensive in ’68. I was thankful that I had not been there to help.

After the tour I took a cyclo ride to the market to look for souvenirs. What a wild place it was–with thousands of items on sale from silks to fish. This place had it all. During dinner at the hotel that evening we were joined by a couple of government representatives from the mayor’s office, who sang a song in honor of my wife and I getting married again. After we said our vows a wedding cake appeared. It was the biggest shock of the whole trip to see that wedding cake.

On day five we headed out early for Khe Sanh. We took Route 1 out of Hue to Dong Ha and then Route 9 to what had been the DMZ. I could not help but notice how many more herds of water buffalo we saw on the drive north. I just loved seeing them.

Our first stop of the day was at the site where Camp Carroll had been located, and believe it or not we were ambushed on the way into camp. While we were riding through one village, a rock struck the rear window with a loud crack. It completely shattered the window and scared my wife, who was sitting under the spot where it hit. No one was injured, but we were plenty scared. The province chief for Quang Tri was riding on our bus at the time, and he spent about two hours with the village elders after that incident. He issued some kind of punishment for the village before we left.

I went out on my own to film some farmers as they plowed their fields with their water buffalo. When one farmer said I could try my hand with his bull, I showed him how to work my video camera and away I went with the bull and wooden plow. I am sure that I made their day–the farmers all laughed pretty hard over my efforts.

Back in the village where we had been ambushed, I was invited into the hut of an elderly Vietnamese man and offered a cup of tea. His hut was very plain, with a dirt floor and thatch walls and roof. I was honored to be invited in to share a few minutes with this gentleman. It was one of the reasons I had made the trip back to Vietnam, so that I could meet the people of the country. I also walked back to a Bru village and shared cigarettes with the tribesmen–they were such good fighters during the war. It really made me appreciate the things I had at home when I saw how some of the people we visited had to struggle just to survive.

Before arriving in Khe Sanh, we also stopped at places such as Cam Lo Bridge, the ‘Eagle’s Nest,’ the ‘Rock Pile,’ and Lang Vei–all spots where there had been fierce fighting during the war. It seemed strange to be there now that it was quiet. The hills of Vietnam were peaceful and beautiful. It was another day to reflect on the sacrifices made by my fellow servicemen who had fought and died in this very area.

Khe Sanh was not what I had expected. I had had no idea of the size of the place. Now there is nothing left there to indicate the horror and fear the Marines who endured the siege must have felt during their prolonged ordeal. It’s just a flat area with a pepper plantation now in its place.

Next we visited some of the areas that I had operated in. Some of them were vaguely familiar. When we were there in ’68, the scenery was not pretty, and the vegetation had been sparse. Now everything was green and growing again. The villages were once again inhabited and the people very friendly.

Our friend Doc Pittman related the story of how my amtrac platoon had saved a squad of Marines he was with in this area. Over the next few days, we would hear from others about what they remembered about the battles we had fought here. For the first time, we would grasp the big picture.

General Weise, who had been our commanding officer at the time, filled us in on his perspective as we traveled the countryside. We had our lunch that day in a small village named Ne Ha on the banks of Jones Creek. This village had been the site of fierce battles. As we ate our lunch along the banks of this now peaceful place, we remembered how fearful we had been 29 years before. I quietly said a prayer for all of those who died here so long ago.

Twenty-nine years before, there had been no villages left in this area, only NVA. Anything that moved was enemy and a danger to us. The rice paddies were not tended then. Today the paddies are full and green with the rice crops. The villages are once again filled with people and the sound of children’s laughter. It was hard to visualize the terror I had felt in this place when all was at peace.

We then returned to our hotel in Dong Ha. Our next journey would be to the village of Dai Do, where we lost 81 men killed and more than 300 wounded in three days. I had managed to blank most of this out of my mind, and I only hoped that it would not come back to haunt me after we visited it once again.

On day six of our tour we were joined by Mr. Hann, a former Viet Cong commander who fought against us during the battle of Dai Do. At the time, he was head man for the Viet Cong in the area. He was now honored by his countrymen for his efforts and bravery during the war. We met Hann just before boarding our sampan for the trip down the Cua Viet River. General Weise and Hann filled us in on the battle as we traveled. Hann told the general that we had been facing three full regiments of the 320th NVA division. We had suspected as much, but we were surprised when he revealed that they were reinforced by three full companies of Viet Cong. We must have been fighting against 5,000 to 7,000 enemy troops, and our battalion at the time had only a field strength of about 600 men. I was startled by this information, as I had no idea what we had actually faced so long ago.

We respected those troops who fought so hard, but we are also proud of the fact that we stopped them cold. If we had not met them and stopped them, they would have overrun the 3rd Marine Division headquarters at Dong Ha. The battle at Dai Do is not well known, but the fighting there was some of the heaviest of the War (see ‘Magnificent Pressure Exerted,’ by Michael D. Harkins, in the Summer 1989 Vietnam). I am proud to have served with this unit during the battle.

General Weise had a wooden turtle he had carried with him since he left Vietnam. The turtle had come out of a temple that had been destroyed in the village of Mai Xa Chanh. It was a pretty emotional moment when he returned this turtle to the new temple that had been erected in the village. We also held a memorial service for those who died during the battle, both the Marines and the enemy troops we had fought, on the banks of the Cua Viet River in the village of Dai Do. Hann kept the villagers from using the path that ran through where we stood while we paid our respects. He later told us that they also have services to honor people who died fighting.

While we traveled up the river I had a chance to visit with Hann. We discussed our families and the battle we both had been involved in. We both enjoyed our conversation and grew to respect each another as only former warriors can. At the end of our conversation he gave me the tie clasp he was wearing. I hope to be able to meet this fine man again sometime. He was a very brave and noble warrior.

The heat was very severe that day. We ran out of water, so our visit was shorter than had been planned. I was dropped off on the edge of Mai Xa Chanh village, and I gathered some beach sand to take home from the shore where we used to land our amtracs so many years ago.

We also went into Dong Ha to meet officials in order to make a donation of money and supplies to schools in three villages where we had fought. Those visits were very formal and uncomfortable for my wife and me–perhaps because of the Communist flag and the bust of ‘Uncle Ho’ we were sitting in front of. Speeches were made by both sides, one by General Weise and I as we presented our gifts to the people, and one by the head official in Dong Ha, who told us how thankful they were for the gifts and how glad they were that we had come to visit. He expressed his hopes for continued relations with Americans, and said he hoped that peace and goodwill would prevail for centuries to come between our two countries.

On day seven we visited Con Thien, a big fire support base that had overlooked the DMZ during the war. We were cautioned by our guides to be on the lookout for unexploded ordnance. One of the local Vietnamese also warned us to be careful and watch where we walked because of unexploded mines. It was another very beautiful place that had been the scene of death and destruction so many years ago.

One child of about 14 took my wife by the hand to lead her to the summit and then led us back down to safety when we were ready to leave. The moments spent with these friendly people meant a lot to us. We visited at the rubber plantation and learned how rubber is collected. It reminded me of collecting maple syrup back home.

Our final stop before leaving for Da Nang was the Ben Hai River, the separation point between North and South Vietnam during the war. We walked across the Peace Bridge and had a group photo taken. Then, with General Weise on one side of my Marine Corps flag and me on the other, we marched back into South Vietnam singing the Marine hymn. I can not describe the pride I felt during that part of our trip.

Our hotel in Da Nang brought back many memories for me. It was located alongside the river that runs into the harbor. In 1969 we had driven our amtracs up this river and parked them about a quarter-mile from the location of this hotel. The field we parked in was now gone, and a village has taken its place.

It was in Da Nang that we had what we could call our first meal that was close to what we eat at home–hamburgers and french fries at a place called Christi’s, and how good they tasted! Cyclo drivers took us there, and they waited for us while we ate dinner and then took us for a tour before returning us to our hotel–all for just $1. They remained with us throughout our visit in Da Nang and were ready to take us anywhere we wanted to go.

On day eight we toured Da Nang, all the places where the different Marine camps were located. Nothing looked the same–all signs of our presence here had been wiped out when the Communists took over in 1975. We climbed Marble Mountain for a spectacular view of the area. We also went inside the mountain, where the Viet Cong had maintained a hospital right under our very noses during the war.

Our next stop was at China Beach, where we donned our swimsuits and went for a refreshing swim. I was surrounded by Vietnamese children who had a lot of fun playing and laughing with me. Afterward, we purchased some nice marble carvings before returning to the hotel.

On our ninth day some of the group went to Chu Lai to visit the area of Operation Starlight. My wife and I stayed in Da Nang to go shopping. Our friendly cyclo drivers drove us all day long and watched over our purchases as we visited museums. At the end of the day we gave them $7 for their efforts. It is amazing how cheap things were.

On day 10 we departed from Da Nang for Saigon. We were given a roaring sendoff by a group of MiGs flying from the air base that morning. I wanted to dive for a bunker when we got to the airport, since they were landing when we arrived. I managed to get some decent photos of them from our window on the plane as we left for Saigon.

In Saigon we went by the old U.S. Embassy, and I was amazed at the size of it. All of the pictures I had seen did not do justice to just how big this place was. Later we went to the Presidential Palace. I felt disgust as I looked at how lavish that place was. I thought of all the peasants who were barely surviving and how the leaders of this country were living in luxury. No wonder the Commies took over. It is easy to see the amount of money wasted for this palace.

There seemed to be a lot more bikes and cars on the Saigon streets than up north. I had a great sirloin steak at the hotel and the accommodations were most comfortable. We stayed at the Saigon Star, about four blocks from the Hotel Rex, where all of the reporters stayed during the war.

On day 11 we traveled to the Mekong Delta for a cruise on the Mekong River. We started out in a small sampan through the canals, then transferred to a bigger boat for the short trip to an island in the middle of the Mekong and lunch. Our Vietnamese guide spoke five languages and told some pretty good jokes. It was a fun and relaxing trip. That night we had a farewell dinner, highlighted by a very stirring speech by the general. I knew I would feel sad when we reached Singapore and our group split up for the return home.

Day 12 was our departure day. Getting through customs was easy if you didn’t let the rude customs agents get to you.

It took about 18 hours to get back to California. The first thing we did was order a good American hamburger and french fries.

My memories of the whole trip are good. We enjoyed our visit and had to wonder what this place would be like if we had won the war. Overall, things looked pretty good in Vietnam. It appeared the people are happy, and things are peaceful. We saw no evidence of brutality while we were there, although I am sure it was different in 1975. We saw no evidence of any POWs, but there were a million places they could have been hidden away. I would like to return again with my own agenda and more time to visit with the villagers on a one-to-one basis.

It felt good to see places rebuilt and doing well that had been devastated by war. I really enjoyed meeting the people and sharing this experience with my wife. But my hopes of finding a worthwhile reason for the 58,000 names on ‘the Wall’ never materialized.


This article was written by Thomas P. Williams and originally published in the February 1999 issue of Vietnam Magazine. For more great articles be sure to subscribe to Vietnam Magazine today!