R and R regrets...
While posting Patrick Scheetz’s (D/6/71st) photos of his R and R trips I remembered that I never had a chance to use the R and R perk while stationed in Vietnam. I was so busy with my HHB job and there wasn’t anyone I could easily hand-off my duties to. I really didn’t have much opportunity to regret.
You will remember how important the “in country countdown” was. You could walk up to anyone, any time and say,”How many?” You would get an instant and emphatic answer. Everyone knew how many days they had until they boarded a plane back to their home. I had gotten to 75 days left and savored the fact that I was well below the magic 100 days mark. After all, starting with 364 days left, it was almost impossible to get your head around 100.
One day Bob Carpenter (Ohio), one of our section guys dropped by and asked, “How many?” I replied confidently,”75!” He answered with, “Nope!” Man, that was almost fighting words. He continued, “You have 15, I have your orders!” Stunning. That was huge! They were sending me home 60 days early, unheard of.
After going home to Palm Springs, California, orders stated I was being sent to Hawaii for my next assignment to what I thought was a Nike base or something air defense related. Orders listed an artillery unit. Ha, Army misdirection. Found out it was preliminarily a 155 field artillery unit of the 11th Light Infantry stationed at Schofield Barracks, yikes! Upon arriving I was actually assigned to the headquarters company of the 11th Light Infantry as a staff driver for the brigade deputy commander and the sergeant major. The 11th had replaced the 25th Division (Tropic Lightening) at Schofield and was training and gearing up for eventual RVN deployment with the Americal Division.
I missed using the R and R, would have loved to had visited Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok or some other interesting place but felt that fate had eventually delivered in kind … Army stories, heh?
Bruce Hamilton - HHB - 65-66
While posting Patrick Scheetz’s (D/6/71st) photos of his R and R trips I remembered that I never had a chance to use the R and R perk while stationed in Vietnam. I was so busy with my HHB job and there wasn’t anyone I could easily hand-off my duties to. I really didn’t have much opportunity to regret.
You will remember how important the “in country countdown” was. You could walk up to anyone, any time and say,”How many?” You would get an instant and emphatic answer. Everyone knew how many days they had until they boarded a plane back to their home. I had gotten to 75 days left and savored the fact that I was well below the magic 100 days mark. After all, starting with 364 days left, it was almost impossible to get your head around 100.
One day Bob Carpenter (Ohio), one of our section guys dropped by and asked, “How many?” I replied confidently,”75!” He answered with, “Nope!” Man, that was almost fighting words. He continued, “You have 15, I have your orders!” Stunning. That was huge! They were sending me home 60 days early, unheard of.
After going home to Palm Springs, California, orders stated I was being sent to Hawaii for my next assignment to what I thought was a Nike base or something air defense related. Orders listed an artillery unit. Ha, Army misdirection. Found out it was preliminarily a 155 field artillery unit of the 11th Light Infantry stationed at Schofield Barracks, yikes! Upon arriving I was actually assigned to the headquarters company of the 11th Light Infantry as a staff driver for the brigade deputy commander and the sergeant major. The 11th had replaced the 25th Division (Tropic Lightening) at Schofield and was training and gearing up for eventual RVN deployment with the Americal Division.
I missed using the R and R, would have loved to had visited Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok or some other interesting place but felt that fate had eventually delivered in kind … Army stories, heh?
Bruce Hamilton - HHB - 65-66
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