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Project Jenny KLIK - 1st Inf Di v Women in Vietnam RELATED-- To AFVN To Saigon To Vietnam Further Afield Index
From: John Workman
Dated: April 22, 2017
Subject: Driving in Saigon
I had one accident coming back to station (Saigon) after dropping guys off at the hotel after curfew. Was going around the traffic circle (think fountain or statue in center) and a GI ran in front of me as I came out the other end, hit him dead center and threw him down the road a good 30 feet. After I checked on him and wanted to take him for medical he ran off . I returned the van to the station with the front windshield laying on the dashboard . Never saw the van after that. It was before Bob Lawrence when they moved everybody out of hotel to the barracks . I never heard who he was or if he had any injuries. Was weird driving after curfew with streets deserted, no people, no traffic, like the sci-fi shows where everyone in the city is dead.
From: Rick Fredricksen
Dated: April 22, 2017
Subject: Driving in Saigon
I might remember this truck. a stick shift and a lot of fun to drive.
From: Ron Turner
Dated: April 23, 2017
Subject: Driving in Saigon
I drove quite a bit when on my AFVN tour. In retrospect, some of it was pretty ill-conceived (e.g., Saigon to Can Tho) but reasonably safe at the time despite a few pot shots. The worst experience I had driving was one Sunday AM (probably Dec 71) ; there was a pallet of equipment and parts for Hue that was needed as soon as possible so I agreed to take the large pallet to the TSN airbase and find someone to take it to Phu Bai AB . So fairly early Sun morning I got up, drove to the station, checked the pallet and hopped into the five ton stake bed truck, that I had not previously driven (Cpt LaFrance had added the truck to my Military D/L on Friday), and proceeded to Tan Son Nhut AB. As many of you may know it is impossible to see lower than the high front fenders on the Dodge (?) five ton truck. Well, I got going about the time everyone in Saigon was headed to mass, not a good idea. I had bicycles, pedicabs, a million (probably hyperbole) Renaults, and many, many cyclos along my sides. All of the smaller vehicles, particularly the bikes, were almost touching the truck's sides their operators assuming I knew how to drive this monstrous vehicle. All I could see of them were there head and shoulders. I was never so scared for so long as this drive to the base; it probably wouldn't have been so trying if I didn't have to keep an eye on the cargo (a stake bed truck is not high security). Gil MacDonald had offered to go with me If I'd pick him up at the Meyercord; I in my "can do anything mode" had said "I can handle it alone" - all the way to the base I wished I had been smarter and more perceptive - arrogance is truly self-rewarding. After finding a pilot and crew who would take the cargo (they all listened to AFVN so were susceptible to related persuasive arguments) I went over to the Air America terminal and talked with some Cambodian refugees (they had just come in on an Air Cambodia C-46 - their small village was taken over by the KR) and let the refugee kids in the group con me into spending all my money on chocolate milk (there was a nearby PX snackbar) -they had wanted "chocolat" but the best I could do was the chocolate milk. I almost got into a fight with a Cambodian Army Officer who thought he should get the milk before the kids. The RC priest with the refugee group calmed him down before the situation got too far out of hand. I returned to the station after the church traffic had calmed down.
Regards, Ron.
AFVN Group Conversations
From: David Gale
Dated: April 22, 2017
Subject: Driving in Saigon
I too had to drive the TV folks home after sign-off. Not too much traffic then! But I was stopped for speeding by the MP's one night when the rocket traffic was heavy and I wanted to get back to the station quickly! Once I was riding in the back of the station truck (Dodge?). The driver clipped a Vietnamese girl on a moped and over she went. Came up with her fist, but he didn't stop! Otherwise, I don't recall accidents between the hotels and the station.
David Gale
Driving in Saigon
June 2017