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We played shows under every condition. But all of them HOT! The sun got to 120 and we often did a show with no covering of any kind. Sometimes the GIs were covered but more often than not they sat in the hot sun, many getting there an hour before the show. We played in mess halls, hospitals, or just outside on a platform.
We traveled everywhere by some sort of aircraft, never by jeep or car. The roads were too often mined by the VC. We rode in choppers, huge carrabous' along with GIs, on the flight deck of CI3s while the entire rear section was filled with over a hundred Vietnamese soldiers. Occasionally we had a ride with a general who was going up country and allowed us to hitch a ride.
Because there were just two of us, we were more flexable and able to get to smaller isolated bases. It was easy to squeeze the three of us (including Lt. Mc Clean) into all sorts of smaller craft. Some bases said we were the first USO show they had seen. Everywhere we were greeted with great welcome and cheer.
We arrived at one base, just six hours after it had been attacked by rockets. The PX was leveled. We left one airport where we had been waiting five hours for a plane and later learned the airport had been rocketed that night. We played one base and as we were leaving we watched eight VC prisoners being brought in. They didn't look very mean, more like scared kids. We were returning to Saigon one afternoon in a chopper and watched two bombers bombing a small area to the right of us. We had a grand stand seat to that one.
We were surprised to find so many many hospitals and so many many wounded. They seemed everywhere. We usually did two shows a day and toured hospital wards in between. The hospitals all seemed to have at least one child about. The GIs enjoyed pampering these children. The kids loved the GIs. Many were orphans so the GIs just adopted them.
We became used to the unorthodox plane landings. At many of the bases the VC could be hiding at the fringe of the field and shoot the aircraft that came in low and easy. We
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often came swiftly down losing altitude at a terrific speed and hit the landing strip fast and bumpy. After we got to Thailand things were different. No war here, and the plane came in slow and easy and sometimes had to circle a few times to wait for a farmer who was nonchalantly crossing the end of the field with his water buffalo.
We were amazed at the high morale of everyone. No one griped much even though they were out in some pretty isolated areas. They took pride in what they were doing. Everyone from officers to enlisted men count the time by days, however, when they will return to the states. Probably the biggest discomfort is the intense heat. Never have we perspired so much. The choppers were windy but felt good after the hot sun.
We were asked to extend our tour and did for a 'few days but had to return stateside because of bookings. We were gifted and cheered everywhere. We have a cross bow from one outfit, hats and more hats, and patches from many many bases to sew on our fatigues. We had some interesting visits with many. Probably one of the most interesting visits was a dinner with General Frank Davis who wanted to talk magic.
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The two most effective things we did on our program was the Rice bowls and the Exray eyes. A fellow came back after one show bringing another with him. "Will you settle an argument?" he said, "did you or did you not change rice into water?" "Idid," said Ken, "Well, I'll be dammed," said the second, "O.K. Here's your dollar." Ex-ray eyes was sometimes a challenge when they asked me to read the numbers from unfamiliar Vietnamese money, script, ID cards etc. Occasionally someone carried some real American paper money-but seldom.
We gave over 1,500 of our aluminum coins to boys in hospitals, and several more hundred at shows. We were surprised how popular they were.
The highlight of our trip—the thing that made it all more rewarding to us than anything else, was the trip the USO arranged
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