Posted on 11/25/2007 9:02:23 AM PST by MindBender26
Has any FReeper been back to Vietnam?
A couple of questions, if you will. I served my tours in IIICorps, operating out of Tay Ninh West and Cu Chi Base Camp. You can see both camps are still there, at least to some extent, by reviewing Google Earth aerial photos. Tay Ninh West is as 11 degrees, 19’ 16” seconds North and 106 03’ 20” East. Cu Chi Base Camp is at 11 59’ 39” N and 106 30’ 26” E in case you want to see the imagery.
I will be landing in Saigon (No one, even in Vietnam, call it Ho Chi Minh City.) Tours are readily available to see the tunnels at Cu Chi, (been there, done that, .45 in hand) but I have no interest in that.
I want to go back to Cau Dai and the old Tay Ninh West and Cu Chi Base Camp areas. Many memories from there, but I don’t want to just go on a “city” or “tunnels” tour. My daughter was conceived at Cu Chi (first wife was U.S. Army nurse), so there is plenty so see and photograph
Does anyone know the present state of the old U.S installations? Are tourists permitted to go to them? Any information helpful. Thanx.
Also promise to bring back current photos of museum where Mr. Kerry is honored.
I’ll pass your request on to Mr. RR. He leaves for Viet Nam on Dec. 1. A business trip, but he hopes to take in some sights as well.
Doesn’t sound there is much to see or do there.
http://home.earthlink.net/~2551/id10.html
One non-FR site said that it is sometimes difficult to travel to former battlegrounds (which might indicate that less inaccessibile areas are available) and that you can rent car and driver for about $50/day.
This seems to indicate that travel is not very restricted, as there is no mention of need for a local gmvt “guide” to go with you, etc.
Thanx.
Reference comment that local driver couldn’t find TNW; trust me, I can find it!
:~)
I have no desire to return to Vietnam nor to Tay Ninh, but have wondered if any of the buildings / bunkers I lived in were still standing.
I remember the lines of rubber trees from the old French plantations on the road between Tay Ninh and Cu Chi. Miles and miles of trees, all in a straight line, evenly placed.
Appreciate the lat/long on google.
If you get to Tay Ninh, take a ton of pix.
.....Bob
Hell, all either of us probably need to find it is a compass to take about a 230 bearing from Nui ba Den!
Will rtn with plenty of pics and fwd to U.
" He said that he has an idea about the difference between communism and democratic capitalism. Please go on, I begged. He said, 'It is like these trees here. Some are tall and strong and some are short and weak. Communists some along and cut off the top half of the big trees so all are the same size, but you leave the tall trees and try to fertilize and care for and water the weak ones so they can catch up.' "
I only remember hills Z765 and Z786. Valley K345 and LZ’s Eagle and Spirit. Of course that was all that was marked on our maps.
We put a lot of arty shells on Nui Ba Den ( I was in the 2/32 FA Metro) but did a lot of convoy work between Tay Ninh and the 23 FA group in Saigon.
Appreciate the pix.
.....Bob
No, it's not. Go wherever you want. It's no longer 1991. (Speaking as one who "owns" a house on the Delta)
That doesn't mean you can get into a former facility. Like all of MACV at Than San Nhat is now SRVN Army. You'd "probably" be questioned there (just as you can't traipse around U.S. bases at your leisure).
IMO Frommer's has the most reliable info for visitors to VN, and for vet tours they say:
"A few tour operators cater to veterans and can tailor individual tours to follow a division's history or customized travel for an individual returning veteran's wishes. Most groups visit general operating areas. An itinerary might include starting out in Saigon with an excursion to the Cu Chi Tunnels, going down to the Mekong Delta, then heading up to Qui Nhon and to the Central Highlands and Pleiku, and then moving on to Danang, China Beach, Hue, and, of course, the demilitarized zone (DMZ). Contact the following: The Global Spectrum, 5683 Columbia Pike, Suite 101, Falls Church, VA 22041 (tel. 800/419-4446 or 703/671-9619; fax 703/671-5747), or Nine Dragons Tours, P.O. Box 24105, Indianapolis, IN 46224-0105 (tel. 800/909-9050 or 317/329-0350; fax 317/329-0117; www.nine-dragons.com)."
BUT BY ALL MEANS GO, AND POST YOUR PHOTOS AND RECON VIA THE UBIQUITOUS INTERNET CAFES IN VN!
Be happy to give you any tips via FRMAil.
The last time I left, there was a big smoking hole behind me !!!!
I was in the 2/32 TOC as an Asst S-3 for 2 months in '69 until I could get to the 11ACR!
Take a look at the map at http://www.rjsmith.com/Tay_Ninh_Complete_02.html
Old 2/32 H/HB buildings are in west-facing upper left corner of base camp, but they don’t have all the buildings.
>>rent car and driver for about $50/day<<
I’m a 747 captain and have laid over in SGN 3 times. I find it an interesting dichotomy. On the one hand, the economy is capitalist, but their govt. is most definitely communist. I’ve only done organized tours but considering how entrepreneurial the common folk are, I’m sure you could engage a car and driver and tour guide for a decent sum. Be prepared, however to hear references to the American imperialists. The population is very young and few remember anything about the conflict except what they were taught in school. However, I found no animosity toward Americans at all. In fact, the country folk want to move to the city, and the city folk want to move to the US.
I’m told that when speaking to VN indig, especially the 20-30 year-olds or any gmvt officials, don’t deny you were there, but tell them you were a cook or a clerk.
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