1967 to 2007
Roger Kehrier
Company D & Company B, 2/12th Cavalry, 1967 to 1968
My tour of duty with the 1st Cav Div (Airmobile) was
from Feb 67 - Feb 68. I served as either a platoon leader, XO or CO. My initial
unit was D/2/12 until I was wounded on 29 June 67 at Dak To and after my
recovery I was re-assigned to B/2/12.
The company commanders that I served with were: D/2/12: Captain Mark Gatanas,
Captain Anthony Slovacek, Captain John Scully, Lt David Treadwell and Captain
Warren Millett and B/2/12: Captain Phil Pons Jr.
From Feb 67 to Jul 68 the 2/12 operated in II Corps in the Bong Son plains,
Kontum, Pleiku, Antenna valley, Happy valley and the Central Highlands to
include Dak To. The enemy primarily consisted of VC with an occasional NVA
unit encountered.
In the fall of 67, either Sept or Oct ,the 2/12 moved to I Corps through Chu Lai
and Danang into the Que Son valley which was located approximately 28 kilometers
southwest of Danang. This area of operations had previously been the
responsibility of the USMC. However, based on increased NVA activity at Khe Sanh
and the DMZ , the Marines were deployed further north and the 1st Cav Div
(Airmobile) took over a lot of their territory under the operational control of
the Americal Div. As a unit, the 1st Cav Div (Airmobile) had more helicopters in
the division than the entire USMC. Initially upon the arrival of the unit;
during daylight hours, many NVA units on the move were caught in the open by
routine gun ship flights and consequently suffered heavy causalities.
I departed the former Republic of Vietnam from Cam Ranh Bay in the middle of February
1968 arriving in Seattle-Tacoma for my stateside trip home to Bay City, MI. The
two things that stand out in my mind upon my arrival were: the pure joy of flush
toilets, unlimited supplies of dry toilet paper and the fact that everywhere I
went I couldn't pay for a drink.
In 2006 one early morning when I couldn't sleep and was surfing the Internet I
found a website "Vets with a Mission". Based on the fact that as a humanitarian
group they visited the Danang area every Sept/Oct I was interested in what they
were about. After diligent research and phone calls, I met in Dec 2006 with the
executive director of "Vets with a Mission" ,Chuck Ward, in Newberry, SC. That
meeting resulted in my commitment to accompany the organization's visit
scheduled for 27 Sept - 14 Oct 2007.
At 1:05am our group of 18 medical and non-medical members departed San Francisco
via China Airlines on a 747 for Taipei, Taiwan which was a scheduled 11 and a
1/2 hr flight. After a 2 and 1/2 hr lay over we departed Taipei for Tan Son Nhut
which was 5 and 1/2 hrs away. Upon arrival, our group cleared
Customs/Immigration in less than 20 minutes and headed for the Renaissance
Riverside hotel in downtown Saigon. Hardly anyone calls Saigon Ho Chi Minh City!
Traffic was a mixture of large Greyhound size buses, small motorcycles, mopeds,
cars and trucks of all sizes. Some of the cars I saw were BMW's, Honda's and
Fords which bore a name different than vehicles in the US. Based on the high
incident of accidents, alleged legislation was to occur in January 2008 which
would make motorcycle helmets mandatory throughout the country. There are few
traffic lights in the major cities and it is amazing how traffic flows. Vietnam
even has the equivalent of the American speed trap with Vietnamese police
pulling over traffic violators from stationary positions on surface streets.
I had never previously been to Saigon and so the sights were all new to me. The
city has an abundance of parks which are all beautifully maintained.
Furthermore, there are a great deal of sites to be taken in. I was most
interested in seeing the former Presidential Palace which NVA T-54 (#843) drove
through the main gate of on 30 Apr 75 ending the war. The building is now called
the Reunification Palace and the tank is displayed in a nearby park. Other
locations in Saigon I recommend to see are: Notre Dame Cathedral (a Catholic
church), the opera house, the historical museum, the Ho Chi Minh museum, the Ben
Thanh market and the Mariamman Hindu temple.
The Saigon River, like all rivers in Vietnam, is a tan colored brown which
is attributed to the soil erosion that spills into the rivers during monsoon
seasons.
Food selections throughout the major cities is excellent. Most 5 star hotels
offer a breakfast buffet for approximately $15 US which is to die for with all
the varieties offered. Lunch is available for between $4-6 (US) and supper for
$8-12(US). During my trip to Vietnam the exchange rate was 16,000 dong per $1
(US). The most common Vietnamese currency was 100,000 dong which was worth
approximately $12 US. My tour with "Vets with a Mission" cost $3,295 which
included round trip airfare from the US (economy class), 1 incountry round trip
(economy class), double occupancy in a 5 star hotel and breakfast. In addition,
I spent $400 on incidentals to include $120 on five pieces of marble. With the
exception of the marble purchases, all expenses are deductible from Federal
taxes as "Vets with a Mission" is classified by the IRS as a 501c(3) charity!
There are two prices throughout Vietnam. The Vietnamese price and the tourist
price. Our interpreter/guides made all the arrangements for lunch's which
basically consisted of 6-8 course meals for $4-5 (US) plus the cost of your
beverage. The cost included the tip! I was able to purchase throughout the trip
1.5 liters of bottled Aquafina water for approximately 35 cents in Vietnamese
currency. The temperature's were in the mid 80's, with some humidity, and
staying hydrated was a key just like the days of old. The first 4 days in
country, besides being in the monsoon season, was extremely wet due to the fact
a typhoon was headed for Vietnam that had passed through the Philippines. It
struck the country in the area of Hanoi and killed 69 people at last count.
From Saigon our group traveled to Danang on a Vietnamese Airlines 737. The
stewardess's wore the traditional Vietnamese ao dai. Surprisingly, although the
flight was only 1 hour, an American or Vietnamese free meal was offered unlike
in the US.
In Danang our group stayed at the Furama Resort and Spa which was another 5 star
hotel located approximately 200 yards from the South China sea between Monkey
mountain to the north and Marble mountain to the south. The hotel had both an
ocean and lagoon swimming pool. Just outside the hotel was a Laundromat operated
by a local Vietnamese woman with an American washer and dryer. For 2 weeks of
laundry, all of which was perfectly washed and ironed, I paid $20 US to include
a tip.
Both hotel's I stayed in provided a free daily 16 oz bottle of Aquafina water.
Furthermore, in the evening when the maids turned down the bed they provided a
small dessert which was always accompanied by a quote from a well-known
statesman (i.e. Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, etc). The room in addition
was always provided daily with a fresh bowl of fruit.
Americans are extremely well-liked in the country and veterans are highly
respected. The French are generally despised because of their efforts to
colonize the country and the Russians were not liked as they were described as
over bearing, arrogant and generally alcoholics. The Chinese are a concern to
the typical Vietnamese as a nearby neighbor. The last border war between the two
country's was in 1979 which is accepted as a Vietnamese victory worldwide from a
military and geographical stand point. Several Vietnamese stated that in 2008,
when the Russian leases of Cam Ranh bay and Danang harbor expire, that the US is
expected to sign the new lease. These locations would replace the former US
Subic bay base in the Philippines and provide a naval station in that part of
the world.
Several things amazed me returning to Vietnam after 40 years. From the air there
was a total absence of any artillery or bomb damage. I was told the Vietnamese
people had filled in all the craters and the only evidence of the war were B-52
strikes in remote mountains. Furthermore, with the passage of time a lot of
topographical changes had occurred. In the Que Son valley there were no thatched
roof huts. Instead the typical residence is of masonry construction and
electricity can be found throughout the valley. I personally saw many TV sets
inside the residences and the road between Danang and the Que Son valley is
completely paved. Many vehicles operate in the area and the Vietnamese people,
even the rice field farmers, wear western style attire. Their preference is for
jeans, t-shirts and baseball style hats. I did not see any black pajamas or cone
head gear!
Scattered across the country are "war memorials" of which many are cemeteries.
Close examination of these locations indicates that many above ground grave
sights are of unknown soldier. However, many identify a specific individual by
date of birth and date of death. I was advised that when the NVA or VC removed
their dead and wounded from the battlefield, they were buried in remote jungle
locations with meticulous records. At the end of the war, the bodies were dug up
and taken to their home districts where they were re-buried. Additional "war
memorials" of different sculptures can be found throughout the country.
The major enterprises in Vietnam are: textiles, petroleum, tourists and rice.
However, the Vietnamese also have many small businesses such as jewelry shops,
bridal shops, used car operations, pool parlors, bars, Internet cafes, and photo
copy shops. Furthermore, the streets provide such self-employment business
efforts as portable air compressors to fill low tires; vendors of water, soft
drinks, tea and coffee; nail businesses; and shoe shines.
There is a large amount of new construction in the major cities to provide more
office space and tourist locations. Saigon currently has four 18 hole golf
courses and a driving range. Australian golf professional Greg Norman presently
has two 18 hole championship golf courses under development in the Danang area.
Japanese businessman are said to visit the country, for a week, play golf daily
and their complete expenses are cheaper than playing golf in Japan for the
weekend. Furthermore, the Vietnamese have gambling establishments in hotels, as
an additional incentive for tourists similar to Reno or Las Vegas.
Telephone service within the country is 1st rate. Use of the Internet is
available at nearly every top rated hotel. The standard Internet fee is $1 US
for the initial first 10 minutes and 50 cents per each additional 5 minutes.
I spent October 6th in the Que Son Valley.
LZ Baldy is now a Vietnamese base/garrison. LZ Ross, known to the USMC as Hill
51 (even though it wasn't 51 meters high) had been initially named by USMC
Battalion Commander Pete Hilgartner because he wore #51 as a football player and
furthermore because he graduated from the USNA in 1951.
Centered on LZ Ross is a War Memorial statue of man holding a rifle and a baby alongside a woman, situated on a large boulder with a sign that states "To the Victors of the Que Son". The wall is located to the right of the War Memorial.
However, all over the valley are scores of Vietnamese cemeteries of dead VC &
NVA that were buried in the jungle and than dug up for re-burial after the war
ended in 1975. There's electricity all over the valley and thatched roofed huts
have been nearly 100% replaced by masonry structures. I met 2 NVA ex-soldiers
and an ex-VC that fought American troops in January 1968 when tanks and APC's
were used on January 7th.
I had several reasons for wanting to re-visit Vietnam. One, I was very interested in what changes had occurred in the country 40 years later. Two, I wanted to see if I could finally leave behind a lot of bad memories, karma and personal demons. Three, a fellow 2/12 company commander, 1st Lt James Marvin STONE, had been killed on 7 Jan 68 and I learned in 2002 his body had never been recovered.
It was my intention to obtain soil samples from 2 locations for his
family. One, where I believe he died and two where a January 2007 report, from
interviews by a Vietnamese recovery team, indicates a possible location where an
alleged American is buried. And four, I wanted to give something positive back
to the Vietnamese people via being part of a humanitarian mission.
In summary, my return to Vietnam was the best possible thing I could have done.
I have found personal reconciliation. I found the Vietnamese people happy and
content, free of war, even though they currently live in a communist country.
However, it is my opinion that what we were unable to do with M-16 rifles is
slowly occurring with the gradual acceptance of capitalism. In the 1960's and
1970's the country was most influenced by the American military. In the 1990's
and the 21st century the country has been most influenced by its entry into the
World Trade Organization and the explosion in Vietnam of the Internet. This is a
very young country as the majority of its citizens have no personal knowledge of
the Vietnam war. My opinion is that in less than 20 years from now the communist
will lose control of the country and a greater form of personal freedoms will
take place! 58,800 plus Americans DID NOT DIE IN VAIN!
Roger L. Kehrier
9084 Muirland Drive
Plymouth, MI 48170
(734)453-2031
rlkehrier@hotmail.com