Viet Nam

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Memories of Another War "509th Radio Research Viet Nam"

When I was nineteen and half I found myself in the U.S. Army serving as a Military Policeman with the Army Security Agency at the Nah Trang and Can Tho airfields in Viet Nam.

I was happy to be in the Army and loved the idea of being some where other than Texas for a change.

My entire life was spent in Central Texas until I was asked by the U.S. Marshal’s Service to join the U.S. Army. There was this mix up with the draft board and my high number of 255 was not going to keep me out of the draft in 1970. The Marshal’s thought it would be a good idea for me to join the Army rather than waiting around to be drafted.

Joining the Army allowed me to leave Texas for Fort Lewis in Washington state for Army Basic training and then move on to Fort Gordon Georgia for Military Police Basic and Advanced training. While at Fort Gordon, I was assigned to the Army Security Agency as a security policeman. This was great since the ASA was not serving in Viet Nam.

While I was in Texas on leave in route to Fort Hood, Texas to serve with the ASA MP’s I received a telegram from the Army telling me my orders were changed and I was being reassigned to the 509 Radio Research Group in Nah Trang Viet Nam. Go figure.

While in Texas I got married, just so I could experience that part of life (do not get me wrong, we were in love and got married for all the right reasons way back when), in case I did not come back, and then headed out for Viet Nam. I ended up spending an extra month in California fighting with anti-war rioters before I left. I just seemed to get all the good assignments at the ripe old age of 19+.

When I arrived in Viet Nam by way of every off the wall airport there was, I was assigned to Nah Trang and later Can Tho Viet Nam which were both located on the coast. Well, Can Tho was kind of on the coast if you used your imagination. I had a great time going to the beach and commanding a gun jeep. After all I was promoted to Specialist Forth Class as soon as I landed. That made me capable of supervising two other MP’s who would drive the jeep and work the 60 Cal machine gun. Right?

My unit was assigned to protect ASA aviation units, the 144th R&R and later the 156th R&R Avn Units. We guarded the planes at Nah Trang AirField and protected equipment convoys that ran parts from Cam Ron Bay back and forth to Nah Trang. In Can Tho I guarded the underground command bunker. All and all I had a great time and enjoyed each and every minute of my time in Viet Nam.

I learned early in my assignment how to sleep through enemy mortar attacks and had to be woke up by my room mate every time we were attacked so I could make my way to the under ground bunker while we were begin mortared. While in Can Tho I learned how to survive the wild women and not get drunk!

Lucky for me the only bad thing that happened to me while I was 19+ in Viet Nam was when I did not get to go to Australia in late 1970 for rest and relaxation.

When you are 19+ a war is not what bothers you, it is not getting to go on vacation where you want to go that bothers you!

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Photos

Viet Nam
Bob Busby at Can Tho, Nha Trang looked the same...smiles and frowns