Merry Christmas – Christmas in Vietnam

I spent three Christmases in Vietnam. Each one of them was different but then again each of them was the same.

Christmas 1969

I had arrived in Vietnam early in the fall of 1969 and had been assigned to my first team. I was at Ap Bac on our three-man team there. I was a lucky one. Our small advisory team at Moc Hoa had been notified we had a quota to send three people to Saigon for the Bob Hope show. I have no idea how the Colonel made his selection, but I was notified that I was one of the people on the team that had been selected to go.

I was told to make sure that I had a clean pair of khaki uniforms, and I was to present myself to the Province Senior Advisor a couple of days before the show. Colonel Terrell, the Province Senior Advisor, insisted that all of the members of the small teams in particular spend at least three days off site once a month. I think he was trying to cut down on fraternization with the local population.

I reported in and myself a Spec-4 and a Sergeant First Class had been selected to represent the team in Saigon. The next morning, we caught the ‘swing ship’ and made the loop around the provinces in our area and finally ended up in Saigon at Tôn Sơn Nhựt. I spent the night at the MACV Visiting Officers Quarters in Saigon and the other members of my team, and I made arrangements to meet that morning before the show.

I don’t recall now exactly where it was held but the show was in an enormous field surrounded by telephone poles and trees. By the time we got there the entire area was filling up rapidly with soldiers. It was a gay and festive affair. From our vantage point we could see the stage, and we could hear what was going on. But when I say that I could see the stage when I looked out there to see Bob Hope he looked like he was about two feet tall. That’s how far away we were. There were thousands of men packed in that area. I think the guys that had the best view of the show were some of the guys that managed to climb up into the trees overlooking the stage area. The nursing staff from the hospital also had a great view because the nurses and doctors were seated up front.

You could see a number of soldiers hanging from the tree limbs cheering and clapping and having a great time. The other guys that had a great view were some of the communications guys. They had their spikes on, and they had climbed up the telephone poles and had strapped themselves in to see the show.

We enjoyed the show and watching the dancers and listening to the music, listening to Mr. Hope and the other comedians tell jokes. The show lasted about two hours if I remember correctly and I know that everyone that was there enjoyed their time away.

One of the things that made the show special was the fact that we were involved with the Christmas truce. The truce lasted for three or four days and other than some minor issues the truce held. It was interesting because I was so used to hearing artillery being fired at night and all of a sudden it was quiet. We were able to relax and enjoy the holiday.

After the show we flew back to Moc Hoa and from there I went back down to my three-man team at Ap Bac. On Christmas morning we got notified that we were going to see a special guest. About 11 AM the Jeep pulled into our compound and a young woman got out of the Jeep. She had a driver and a ‘handler’ from the USO. Her name was Ina Balin, an actress, who was visiting the troops in Vietnam over the Christmas holiday.

She arrived at an interesting time of the morning. All of the sudden members of the Vietnamese Catholic community poured into the compound gaily dressed and sang and danced. I found out later that this had no bearing on Ms. Balin’s visit that this was the norm.

After church services they would pour into the district chiefs offices to serenade him and his family. As I understand it it was an old French tradition.

Ms. Balin Spend a few hours with us and tried to bring some Christmas cheer along with her visit. We had our pictures taken with her. She brought some small gifts, some sundry items for each of us that have been gaily wrapped in Saigon. She also brought a bag of Christmas cards that had been sent to the USO headquarters in Saigon to be distributed to the troops in the field. We had cards from all over the United States some of them signed by kids, some of them by old veterans from World War II and Korea, and a few of them signed by young women wanting to know if we wanted to correspond with them. It was an interesting Christmas, my first real Christmas away from home.

Christmas 1970

During the early fall of 1970 I had started a six-month extension of my assignment in Vietnam. I was now the Province Senior Intelligence Advisor at the provincial headquarters in Moc Hoa. The 4th week of each month we had to traveled to Saigon to present a big briefing to the Commanding General of Military Assistance Command -Vietnam. My briefing fell the week of Christmas, so I got to spend Christmas in Saigon. As a result, I was able to go to see my second Bob Hope show. I don’t recall which base we were bussed to for the show it may have been up to Long Bhin, but once again it was a great show to attend. It was very similar to the first one that I had attended in 1969, but each show was different the singers and the dancers the beautiful women the funny jokes Mr. Hope standing up there with his oversized Golf Club and everyone having a fantastic time.

Once again, I didn’t have a very good seat but at least I was close enough this time to where I could see a little bit more of what was going on on the stage. A couple of us went down to the cathedral in Saigon for mass on Christmas. The day after Christmas I flew out on an R&R to Australia and I was there over New Years and watched the fireworks over the Sydney Harbor bridge.

Christmas 1972

I received orders to redeploy from Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I was stationed back to Vietnam. Once again, I found myself in Saigon, this time with the 525^th MI Group over the Christmas holiday. I was engaged at that time, and I made sure that I sent my fiancé gifts and cards from Vietnam. Once again on Christmas I got to see Bob Hope.

It was a fantastic show. I think one of the things that made it great was the fact that we all had a sense that the war was rapidly winding down. It appeared that the North Vietnamese had finally come to the bargaining table to bargain rather than to argue about the bargaining table: its size and location and if it was a circle or a square or a rectangle or whatever they could argue about. There was a sense that this might be the last time that any of us would ever see a Bob Hope show in Vietnam, and that was a wonderful feeling.

As usual Mr. Hope stood on the stage and told jokes; other comedians were there and dancers and singers and gorgeous women parading around on the stage together. Because of the drawdown it was a much smaller crowd, and I actually got to sit towards the front this time and see the show. Always laughed at as a second Lieutenant I sat way in the back, as a first Lieutenant I sat closer to the front, and when I finally made captain, I could actually see the show.

The most memorable part of the entire show was when Mrs. Hope, Bob’s wife Dolores came out on the stage towards the end and sang” I’ll be Home for Christmas”. I swear there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. I think all of us realized that this was probably the last Christmas that we would ever see a Bob Hope show in Vietnam. However, I think every one of us was praying that this was finally coming to an end.

Bob Hope Show, Saigon 1972

But for me this was not the last Bob Hope show that I saw. In 1990 I was the Director of Operations at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. We were mobilizing troops for Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Mr. Hope was doing a performance in La Crosse Wisconsin at the Civic Center. I believe it was the 25th anniversary of the opening of the center.

When Bob Hope found out that we had thousands of soldiers at Fort McCoy mobilizing he contacted the USO and had them contract buses to haul every person at Fort McCoy who wished to see the show down to La Crosse. It was to be the last large USO type show that Mr. hope did for troops ‘in the field’. I don’t remember the exact number but at the time I probably had 5,000 troops at Fort McCoy; we filled the auditorium.

During the show our base commander went on stage with Mr. Hope and thanked him for his performances and for all of the good works that USO was doing for American soldiers. He presented him with a desert camouflaged jacket and on the right pocket was emblazoned the word HOPE on the left pocket the words were FORT MCCOY. When Mr. Hope did go to the golf with the USO he wasn’t allowed to do his big shows with bands and beautiful women. He basically did a show out of the back of a deuce-and- a half, told a few jokes and thanked the troops for their service. But I noticed over the years when pictures of those very intimate shows are viewed that Mister Hope is wearing a desert camouflage jacket that says HOPE and FORT MCCOY.

So those are my memories of my Christmases in Vietnam. We were away from family and friends, but we made do with the friends that we made in Vietnam. I have fond memories of those Christmases. Even today when I hear that Christmas Carol, “I’ll be Home for Christmas”, it brings a tear to my eye and a lump in my throat. I can still remember Dolores Hope standing on that stage singing that beautiful Christmas Carol and seeing grown men, warriors, tear up and remembrance of those days.

To all of my fellow Vietnam Veterans who are reading this, welcome home my brothers and sisters; we made it. And I wish all who read this a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Regards: “Hardcharger”

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The Advisor Series:

• “The Advisor, Kien Bing, South Vietnam, 1969-1970. A Novel” (Available on Amazon ASIN: B09L4X5NQ3)
• “The Province Senior Intelligence Advisor, Kien Song Province 1970-1971; A Novel” (Available on Amazon ASIN: B0BHL2XCX5)
• “The Hardchargers,” Vietnam 1972-1973; A Novel” (Available on Amazon ASIN: B0C7SPR1JY)
• “The Tuscarora Trail” (Available on Amazon ASIN: B0D3QY2GM6)

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