“My Favorite PX Memory in ” When I arrived in South Vietnam on December 1969, the least I could imagine was that I will have a flying PX service coming out there to the jungle risking their lives. After being assigned to an infantry unit of the 1ST Cavalry Division, I spend almost a year moving from Fire Base to Fire Base every one or two weeks. The flying PX chopper (that is how we called it) came in at least once a month during pay day, time permitting, to deliver beers ($2.40 for a case of 24), who could beat that. They also provided all the block ice we needed to cool them. You have to provide your own improvised cooler build from ammo boxes. Nothing better than enjoying a cold beer and leftovers from the Mess Hall (now call Dining Facility) with your fellow soldiers after a hard and hot working day. I also bought my first Polaroid instant camera and film. I bought a Sansui music system and an AKAI reel recorder thru a catalog order and it was shipped to my home in Puerto Rico. We could buy personal hygiene items like soap, shaving cream, razors, and small electronics. They have car salesmen available in case you want to buy a vehicle and ship it home. It was always a happy moment to see the PX chopper carrying goodies, arrive at the Fire Base. Sure made our war time gone a little bit easier for us. Thank You for the opportunity to participate and to reminisce those special moments.

Ramon L. Alamo Hernandez, MSG, USA (Retired)

******** Wow! A contest for Vietnam Veterans! After seeing the Camp Enari Exchange picture, the memories came flooding back. I couldn’t believe it! I quickly got a magnifying glass to see if I could see myself in line. The Enari Exchange was my first introduction to the Exchange System. Up to that time I was always a trainee. Basic Training at Fort Ord, California; Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Polk, Louisiana; Primary Flight Training at Fort Wolters, Texas; and Advanced Flight Training at Fort Rucker, Alabama. During those times, I was not allowed to visit post facilities. I arrived in Vietnam in April 1969. Being a newbie, I was not accustomed to the fineries of the Army’s facilities. On a day off, a rarity, I went to visit the exchange with several buddies. It was like a field trip. I was excited to do something different other than wage war. I stood in line, just as the picture indicated in the contest. Once inside, I was overwhelmed. There were so many stateside things I could buy; clothes, stereo gear, things for the hooch (I eventually would buy a small refrigerator), toiletries, and booze at the class 6 store. I returned to my hooch with socks, and a bottle of scotch. Not an overwhelming shopping spree but one has to set priorities. I would eventually buy a reel to reel tape player with 8 track player, two 4 foot tall speakers and an amplifier that would literally light up the Company area. I have been an avid Exchange patron since those times so many years ago. My 99 year old Mother has an unbelievable “Hummel” collection, compliments of the Exchange in Nuremberg, Germany. The PX and commissary have been a way of life since my first introduction at Camp Enari, Vietnam.

CW4 Dale E House, US Army Reserve (Retired)

********

I was stationed at a small radar site in Ca Mau Province in 1967-1968 during the Tet Offensive. I worked in security, and was also the paymaster for my detachment. Whenever we had a day or a week-end off, my buddies and I would fly into Saigon on a helicopter or on an Australian Caribou. I also traveled to Saigon for my duties as paymaster. Military personnel were paid in script, the only currency accepted in-country.

One of the highlights of our visits to Saigon was when we patronized the Tan Son Nhut Airbase Exchange. We were able to purchase small luxuries not available at our worksite. The most coveted items were toiletries and electronics. The guys all pitched in and rented a house in Saigon which we all used when we were on leave, a safe and economical arrangement. The exchange was invaluable in supplying us with the household items we needed to maintain our lodgings.

As paymaster, once a month I picked up and brought back wages for the Air Force personnel on our site. Whenever possible, a stop at the Tan Son Nhut Exchange was also on the agenda. The guys in my detachment would give me lists to fill and then look forward to my return. The Tan Son Nhut Exchange was our connection to home.

Bruce J. Habowski, Msgt. (Retired)

*********

I never knew if half the stories were true but, my four sisters and I would listen to every word as if Chesty Puller himself were telling them. My dad was a rare speaker, so when he spoke of his time in Vietnam we has to gather around. He didn't like to speak of his time there and to this day he has a difficult time. In between coughs...and lighting his next cigarette he would begin. Most were heroic, somewhat unbelievable stories of grabbing knife blades with his bare hands and sewing his fingers back on himself or carrying two wounded marines under his arms 3 miles in the rain and mud....all while under heavy gunfire. Either way, true or made up, we enjoyed the stories. One evening he woke up from one of his standard evening naps and called us all over. He turned down the Star trek episode he wouldn't let us change, even though he was sound asleep, lit up a cigarette and search his brain for his story. "Did I ever tell you about the time I was shot in the chest?" You would think that this story would be one that we would have known about years ago, but no...we had not heard this one. He said that he was laying on the beach in Vietnam when his sun bathing time was interrupted by a Vietnamese soldier pointing a rifle at his chest. He grabbed the rifle and clenched his chest muscles just as the soldier shot it. The bullet only dented his skin because his chest muscles were so strong that metal and gunpowder could not penetrate. He proceeded to show us the dent on his chest...my sisters and I looked at each other, all of us knowing that the dent was really caused by the cross necklace that he got at the Exchange in Vietnam pressed by crossed arms as he napped. We never said a word.

HM1 Jennifer Heiselman

**********

Just after the Moon Landing July 20, 1969 I wrote my girl Tara and asked her to marry me. I got the reply back on 22 Aug 1969. I went to the Freedom Hill PX while there I realized as much as a 19 year does that ...Hey I need a ring! I had a young lady set down with me and go over book after book of engagement rings... as an E-4 cost was a real issue, yet I wanted the best I could afford. Finally she got me a deal with Tiffany's that was with in my small budget. Wow.. sending your gal a ring from Tiffany....I was really really excited. I ordered and about 5 week's later it arrived...... it was so beautiful and when Tara got it back in "the world" it was the talk of our neighborhood. The young lady got me a deal for less than $150 I got home April 30, 1970 which was my birthday...now that's a birthday present. 8 days later May 8th 1970 Tara and I were married and celebrated our 44th Anniversary this year. She still wears that ring and it is as beautiful as the day I got it. If not for the PX I would never got" a classy ring for a classy gal".

HMC(FMF) Thomas R. Mooningham, USN (Retired)

********** I arrived in V N the second week of February 1968 to Co B, 716 MP Bn in Saigon. This was just a week or so after the Tet offensive started. When I arrived at the International BOQ, I was not allowed to leave due to the fact I was inexperienced, however I was placed on the alert force. This meant that if an attack was imminent at any U S facility we would be dispatced to defend it. After about three days of being confined to our quarters, I became very restless. I knew there was a U S military bus route that went to the Cholon PX. I decided I would take a chance and catch the bus to the PX. I was still on the alert force and confined to the International but I sneaked out anyway and caught the bus. I arrived and did my shopping. I only bought a few snacks, nothing important at all. When I got back I found everyone in a big uproar. The U S embassy was being threatened and the alert force had been called out. No one knew where I was, I was AWOL! One MP told me to get in his jeep, he was going to the Embassy. When I arrived I, as casually as I could, blended in with the other members of the force. When the threat was over, and we had been transported back to the International, I got a message that Capt.Chester, our C O wanted me on his office "right now". I immediately went, but he was not there. I waited a while and he did not return so I went back to my room. He never called me back to his office and you can bet the farm, I never mentioned it to him either.

James E. Taylor

******

I have enjoyed military exchange privileges all my life since either my father, myself, or my husband was the service member. On my way to Vietnam, we stopped at Yokota Air Base in Japan to refuel. The small exchange there is where I bought my 35mm camera which I still own.

Once at my duty station, the 95th Evacuation Hospital in DaNang, I used that camera to document the memories of my year in Vietnam. On our compound we had a small one-room PX which was our only place to shop for necessities and rationed items like cigarettes and alcohol. My favorite purchase was the Ritz crackers which came in tins. After the crackers were eaten, I used the tins for storage. This one-room exchange holds special memories for me.

After six-months in Vietnam, I was granted seven days of R&R in Hawaii where Ft. DeRussey had a small PX which supplied essentials for a stay in Waikiki.

The best PX benefit was the PACEX (Pacific Exchange) catalogue. A service member stationed in Vietnam could order from this catalogue and was I ever their best customer! I ordered Noritake china, a Sony reel-to-reel tape deck, a Sony stereo, Seiko watches, a Yamaha guitar, and many other items for myself and my family. The merchandise was delivered to my parents' home in the States. When I returned home, I had a head start on furnishing an apartment.

Now more than 42 years later, I am still enjoying many of the items PACEX afforded me. More importantly, the memories of my PX experiences while stationed in Vietnam help to soften some of the not so pleasant memories of a time of war. Thank you for the opportunity!

Connie Smith Gonzalez

*******

My favorite exchange story is about the first time I ever visited an exchange and an Army base. I was a young girl, just 13 years old. Kay’s older brother Ron was a Sergeant on deployment. I suggested to Kay’s mom that we send the young Sgt. a care package. She said that’s a great idea, let’s go visit an exchange we’ll be able to get everything for a great price and it will have patriotic items to lift Ron’s spirits. When we entered the PX Kay & I thought wow this place is great. An exchange employee greeted us with a warm smile and said Hello as soon as we crossed the threshold. The exchange had brightness about it and everything was so clearly labeled. I quickly realized the exchanged offered great high end products. We started with some things for moral like cologne and nice menswear’s. The gentleman working in that section of the exchange was dressed professionally and was very knowledgeable about things that he thought a young man like Ron would like to have on deployment. We ended up buying a Nautica outfit, Chrome Azzarro cologne, and a couple gadgets. We raced to the other side of the exchange to find all of America’s favorite snacks, the Exchange had them all. We also bought bottled drinking water, as that was one of Ron’s complaints; he missed the way American water tasted. We bought Ron a card that a thoughtful exchange employee helped us choose, the employees husband was deployed. Her guidance helped pick the perfect card since she was in a similar situation. Almost 10 years later I serve in the Army and I still love to shop at the Exchange.

Lauren Nicole Hammaker

******** My Favorite Exchange Memory in Vietnam Essay Contest: I arrived from the field via helicopter to pick up medical supplies and conduct a PX run. I started to enter the PX, at Di An, when two MPs stopped me. They told me I had to have polished boots to enter. I thought it was a joke but it was not. My boots were just worn leather with no black polish anywhere. One MP saw my CMB (Combat Medical Badge) and said, “Doc what is so important about you getting into the PX even without polished boots?” I told him of the PX run for the field guys. He told me go ahead and said he understood. I was running short on time looking for items on my PX run list when PX staff noticed I was in a hurry. I told them why I was in a hurry and they said give us the list and they found all of the items on it. I was able to make the chopper ride back to the field with the medical supplies and PX items. When I arrived back to the field I gave all the items to the soldiers on the list. I was walking back to my track vehicle when I saw several of the soldiers smiling and laughing. A big smile came to my face when I saw one of the soldiers had taken shaving cream from the PX run and wrote Merry Xmas on the side of one of the APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers). Christmas was still a week away but thanks to the PX and its staff it was a Christmas all of us in the field would not soon forget.

Gustaf C. Bernt,

*******

“D’ja hear me?” Chicago Jimmy, my radio operator, whined about the fish stew incessantly and now he displayed the tail of a Mekong River mud perch on the end of a twig. “And that chicken mess is worse, Cap’n, I found a rooster’s comb in it yesterday!” It was 1966 and I was a 25 year-old U.S. Army Captain advising South Vietnamese infantry in the bowels of the Mekong River Delta. Just me, my radio operator Jimmy and a handful of locals who sometimes took pity on us during ops and shared food. “Be quiet, Jimmy. Here’s some Juicy Fruit to chew. Nobody’s making you eat that slop.” If a PX existed we knew nothing of it. “Listen, Cap’n, I hear a chopper!” “Clam up, Jimmy.” But we listened. And soon the distinctive “heartbeat” of a descending Huey stirred up the dust. Jimmy dropped his fish. The chopper was landing! It seemed a mirage but indeed there stood an actual, now-totally-landed PX helicopter -- laden with cans of warm Grapette, boxes of M and Ms, corned beef hash, and soda crackers. A. lot. Of. Stuff. They’d be good, those crackers, maybe even with that fish stew! And wow, clean underwear! And toothpaste! Jimmy promptly made himself nauseous on an enormous M and M patty lumped together by the heat. “Better than the fish stew, Jim?” I asked. But Jimmy was already busy, smearing cold corned beef onto crackers. We wondered how the PX guys located us. But then sometimes we also wondered what we were doing in a village in the Mekong Delta – seemingly forgotten in the mists of an unpopular war, often hungry and tired, and frequently feeling frustrated. To this day, I don’t eat M and Ms.

Frederick C. Bosarge, COL (Ret), USA

*****

My favorite memory of the Viet Nam Exchange is a cartoon. During my second tour I was stationed with the 101st Airborne Division at Camp Eagle. During my tour Coca Cola came up with a new soft drink called Freshca. The exchange had two pallets of the stuff. Well the first persons to the exchange after it arrived were able to purchase a case at half price as a promotion. When it was tried due to the fact we had no ice and little refrigeration it tasted horrible. Soon in order to get rid of it they gave you a case of it free when you purchased a case of Coke. Well that didn’t work so it ended up that you had to take a case of Freshca free if you purchased a case of Coke. Outside the exchange were large trash cans and they were filled with cases of Freshca free to the few persons on the base who did in fact like the drink. The exchange did provide many fine services. During my first tour in 1965 I purchased a Rolex Watch for $100.00 I still wear it today.

1SG Frank Sherman (Retired)

*****

It was Kadena AB Okinawa 1968, I’ll never forget the day I stood out and learned about the kindness of others. I saw a different way of life living on the Air Force Base than what I saw on TV. Growing up, my father taught me many things, but what I learned the most from him was to always be respectful and to be a team player.

I remember when my father had to leave us to go off to Vietnam on a tour; that’s when everything changed for me. It was a night in April when my mother woke my siblings and I up after hearing a frantic pounding at our door. Of course, we all were assuming the worst for my father – we thought someone had come to tell us that our Dad is a fallen soldier. That night it was our neighbor telling us that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. This was the first time I ever saw my mother cry as she held us all tightly.

As the days went by, we needed to pick up some essential at the BX/PX and I couldn’t believe all the people looking at us and telling my mother sorry about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I didn’t understand what was going on, but all the tough times she went through at home, she found comfort at the Base Exchange. To this day every time I go the BX, I think of my mother and father and smile. I do believe the Military bases around the world have a place where you can not only shop, but have the comfort of friendship - SMSGT T.E. Williams and Fannie Williams, USAF Korea, Vietnam.

Son, Melvin G. Williams

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As a soldier with the 173rd Airborne Brigade working in and around Qui Nhon as an intelligence courier I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit the local PX/BX frequently. I always had my ration card handy for the purchase of quality items such as cameras, watches, stereos and electronics with my in country money called Military Payment Certificates (MPC). US printed Green Backs as we called them then were not allowed in country by US military personnel. On one of my visits to the PX/BX I had parked my M151 Jeep and was walking around the corner of a building as another soldier passed me by going in the opposite direction. As we passed we stared in disbelief and turned around walking backwards still not believing that we had stumbled across each other. It was my best buddy, Mike from Ft. McClellan, AL. We stood there starring in amazement and then ran to each other hugging and laughing with such amazement that we had found each other again in such a far off land. From that day forward while serving in the Republic of Vietnam we were able to get together periodically to visit even it meant sitting on a guard tower while he was on duty covering his perimeter. Mike and I are still friends and brothers of a far off land of war as he lives in Georgia and I in North Carolina but we always enjoyed the music we played on our stereo systems we purchased at the PX/BX..

SFC John W. Collins, Jr. USA (Retired)

******** MY FAVORITE PX MEMORY IN VIETNAM In November 1965 I was attached to the Army with the 502nd Battalion of the 101st Airborne, as an Air Force person carrying a radio for Charlie Company. Each day we patrolled, watching for the Viet Cong. One of the things I brought with me was entertainment! I had bought a little Sanyo radio at the PX while getting ready to ship north from Saigon. Eight dollars for that little Sanyo radio was a good price; but it got me into BIG trouble! I tucked it up underneath my helmet and taped it with duct tape! We’d patrol through the rice patties and vegetation, and everyone would listen to the Armed Forces Radio Network. They’d play Beethoven, Mozart and some other music that put us to sleep! It was November or December when this AFRN program, “Dawn Busters,” with a guy named Cronauer, came on. We were returning from Dalat, to our camp near Phan Rang, around six in the morning. I had my little radio turned up a bit. Not getting good reception, I turned the volume knob up louder! My mistake! The DJ, Cronauer, hollered into his microphone, “Good Morning Vietnam.” We all heard his voice echoing through the jungle in our helmets! Then, the jungle lit up with tracers and bullets! Being an airman in the 101st Airborne was not a good thing to be then! My lieutenant, grabbed me, pulled me down to the ground! He had definitely heard my radio and really got upset with me. He told me to “… turn that thing off …” with expletives “… and to never turn it back on again!” It took about ten minutes for all the bullets to stop flying! So I’ll never forget that little radio I got at the PX in Cholon, Saigon!

William C. Kelch, MSgt (Ret/USAF) *******

At 19 years of age I was drafted into the US Army. After basic training and AIT I was sent to Vietnam. I was assigned to HQ 196th LIB, stationed on LZ Baldy, halfway between Chulai and Danang. About once every 60 days I got to go to Chulai to do some shopping at the PX there. I enjoy this very much. I would catch a medivac chopper going to he hospital and again coming to the LZ. The PX was pretty large and had a lot of merchandize. I had to shop for the guys in my squad and for myself so I had to limit my shopping. I used to buy watches and jewelry for my family back home. This I used to mail out right from the PX. Saltine crackers and canned vienna sausage were a standard staple in my diet. I never went on R&R, so this was the closest I came to Rest and Recoup. I almost bought a car once, but then changed my mind and took back my deposit. I needed the money to get married as soon as I got back to the world. I got lucky in Dec 1968. It was my turn to go to the PX and I got to see The Bob Hope Christmas show. I still have the picture of the Gold Diggers signed by each one of them.Vietnam was very hard on me. I lost 25 pounds and came home with PTSD and 7.10/ PPT dioxin poisoning from Agent Orange. I remember shopping at the PX as one of the best rewards of the .

Marcial Santiago

******* I served as a Field Artilleryman “Gun Bunny” in Vietnam 1970 – 1971 in the 1st Bn 39th Field Artillery, V Corps. I moved with the Field Artillery units between Fire Base Nancy (located south of Quang Tri), Fire Base Sally (located north of Phu Bai) situated south of Dong Ha along Route 1 as well as Mai Loc, Fire Bases Vandergrift and Fuller located west of Dong Ha along Route 9. We supported the 101st, elements of the 1st Cavalry Division, Mechanized units as well as the Army of the Republic of Vietnam.

I remember several times during road movements either following or meeting mobile PX trucks along Routes 1 and 9. Sometimes the Mobile PX would come to the Fire Bases. I anticipated and always looked forward to the Mobile PX because it had available magazines, candy, sundries which provided comfort and brought a bit of relief to the long days in Viet Nam.

My favorite PX memory in Viet Nam is the time when I purchased items from a Mobile PX employee, an older man probably in his early 50s. I’m way older than that now. He told me he was a Korean War and WWII Veteran. I asked him why he was working on the Mobile PX trucks in Viet Nam. He didn’t say anything, his eyes became moist, he shed a few tears and after a few moments he turned to help the next guy in line.

Reflecting, after 44 years, I think now I understand why be became so emotional seeing a nineteen year old boy serving in a war in a far away land, far from home. Those few seconds remain with me to this day.

Thomas John Bednar

****

In December of 1972, I was shopping for Christmas presents at the PX/BX at Tan Son Nhut AB, Vietnam. As a young serviceman, I didn’t make much money so I tried to be thrifty. I had collected some presents to send home for Christmas and approached the checkout. The lady who served me was very polite and greeted me with a big smile as I pulled items from my cart. I knew I was close on money but felt I had enough. When the total popped up, I knew I was short on money. When the lady checked the totals for me, one item was more than I thought. I apologized to her and told I would have to return it. That kind lady offered to pay the difference. At that point an African American US Army Sergeant Major who was behind me stepped up close to us and in a very quiet voice told the checkout lady he would pay the difference. I looked at him and said “Sergeant Major, you don’t have to do that”. With a smile he told me he wanted to, that I should consider it a Christmas present. I politely thanked them both and told him he was helping make Christmas special for my family back home. The lady behind the counter was all misty eyed and I’ll admit I was pretty emotional. To this day the generosity and kindness I was shown that day prior to Christmas by the clerk and the Sergeant Major remains a vivid memory. A man who didn’t know the stranger in front of him involved himself in a kind and unobtrusive way, helping make the holiday season a brighter because of his act of kindness. Now, 43 years later, the memory from 1971 remains very special.

Larry W. Stegall

*****

This is being written by a spouse regarding my favorite memory from the Px Exchange in Vietnam. My boyfriend at the of deployment was part of Co. B 4Bn 39th Infantry 9th Infantry Division destination the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. We had dated in our Senior Year of High School and continued dating after graduation thru the summer into the fall till I went to Nursing School and he to the Army. We kept in touch off and on during this time and got back together before he left for Vietnam-he left with a Saint Christopher Medal I gave him around his neck. We wrote steadily and became engaged while he was still in Vietnam. My Engagement ring and Wedding Band came from the Vietnam Regional Exchange Dong Tam Vietnam 9th Infantry Base Camp. I have kept the packaging with all the ports of entry to the United States along with the guarantee and registration on my rings. My dad put the engagement ring on my finger May 28, 1969 and Roger put the Wedding Band on my finger May 9, 1970. He was still warring the Saint Christopher Medal with a grenade pin holding it together when he came home. We have been married 44 years. We still use the Exchange as part of our lives. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Mary A. Hubbell

*******

I was one of 1500 enlisted Air Force women who served in-country Vietnam. When I received orders for , one of the things included in my welcome package was a list of "female" products I would have to have mailed to me from home and hope the packages made it. After arriving at Tan Son Nhut, I visited the exchange and was really thrilled to walk down the isles and see some of the familiar product names from home. Even though we were in a minority, the exchange worked hard to meet our needs and requests for both necessities and a few "luxury" items. They even had a beauty shop for us. In such a remote place, it was such a luxury to have a place to go for pampering.

Donna R. Spaller , MSgt, USAF (Retired)

*****

I was in Vietnam from march 1968 until March 1969. I was assigned to the 40th Ordnance Company out from Da Nang Vietnam on the 1st Marine Division Compound. I have two (2) favorite PX Memories while in Vietnam. My first experience was after the TET Offensive was over and we got on a Duce and a Half (2 1/2 ton truck) and went to the Freedom Hill PX. While we were waiting in the long line for hamburgers/cheese burgers I noticed that one of my home boys was in the line ahead of me. It was a jovial moment! We hugged, ordered our burgers and talked about going back home when our tour was over and went back to our units. We never saw one another again until we were back home. My second PX Memory was December of 1968 when I went back to the Freedom Hill PX to the Bob Hope Christmas Show which was televised at a later date back to the world. I wrote my parents and my girl friend (Who I married when I returned home) to look for me in the crowd on Freedom Hill on December 1968 during the show.

CW5 (Ret) David Wells

*******

April 1970, Soc Trang, Vietnam – I remember going into the PX on post shortly after arriving in- country to buy a bottle of Mateus wine for me and the squad to enjoy, for some unknown reason drinking Mateus was the thing to do, it probably had something to do with its inexpensive price at the time. Anyway, I approached the cashier with my bottle of wine, he was a Vietnamese man who doubled as the assistant PX manager since our PX was so small. He looked at my blue paper ration card and saw that the area on it that authorized the purchase of beer, wine and liquor had been “X’d” out which indicated that it was NOT VALID; this had been done at Cam Rahn Bay where I first arrived in-country and been in-processed; see I was only nineteen years old and the drinking age in the DoD was twenty-one therefore I was unable to purchase any form of alcohol, a rule the US Army Military Police and ration control at the in- processing station strongly enforced, at least on us newbees. The cashier look at me, looked at the ration card and back at me and said “you come here Vietnam to help us, fight for us, you buy wine, no sweat”. He went on to ring up the purchase and punch my ration card. Attached are photos of that ration card, the massive amounts of punches on the left and right of the card are for tobacco and alcohol. Photos aren’t the best the little Kodak Brownie camera was all I had.

Wayne F. Rich *****

“My Favorite PX Memory in Vietnam”

One of the photos in the contest announcement really got my attention. It was the one of the Qui Nhon Exchange. I lived and worked at the 58th Field Depot which was a 10 to 15 minute walk from the PX. I certainly remember the parking lot because I pulled guard duty there on any number of nights while I was stationed in the area. In the background you can see the base of Vung Chua Mountain, the most notable nearby landmark.

I also remember buying my first 35mm camera there. It was a Petri FT with a 50mm 1.8 lens for $88.00. I liked it a lot and developed an interest in photography with it. Later on I bought a 35mm and then 135mm lenses for it. I also special ordered several accessories for it from the Customer Service counter. I remember getting a bellows for extreme close-ups but I no longer recall what the others were.

That was hardly the end of my photographic interests. Later on I became a fairly advanced photographer but I never turned professional. I bought professional equipment and took courses to increase my skills. I've had a number of photos published in magazines (I once won a weekly contest in a British photography magazine), books and online. I also learned to develop and print black and white film and develop and mount color slide film.

My lifetime hobby started at the Qui Nhon Exchange in 1968. I was just 18 back then. I'm 65 now and I've sold most of my heavy professional gear to make my camera bag lighter and easier to carry. These days I use lighter and older equipment that still makes nice images. I also continue to use slide film for certain subjects.

Joe Richards, MSgt, USAF (Retired)

*********

The PX comes to LZ Dolly

I was at fire support base Dolly, A.k.a. LZ Dolly. The Battalion headquarters and support elements were at that forward location. We were located on the North end of a razorback ridge of hill 284. Dau Tieng was thirteen kilometers SSW, and we were twenty-five kilometers from Nui Ba Den, the Black Virgin Mountain. There were no roads in or out. One hot spring day in 1969 we were alerted that the Base Exchange was going to fly a small contingent of its store to our location. Isolated as we were, we were of course excited to see what kind of goodies were going to be brought out. The PX would arrive early, along with the regular re-supply birds that did that on a daily basis. The main Base Exchange was located in Tay Ninh West. At around ten in the morning the PX bird arrives. A CH47 Chinook full of corrugated cardboard boxes landed. Several “mules” M274 ¼ ton platforms were dispatched to carry the wares to the top and center of the LZ. As soon as the bird was off loaded it left. Once the boxes were up on the hill, they were lined up and open for business. The men were lined up on one end of the boxes and looked at the items and walked to where the cash was being collected at the other end. The boxes contained: canned foods, snacks, chips, magazines, small electronics, and a few pieces of jewelry. At the end of the day, a Huey returned to carry a few boxes of items that had not sold. It was a good day for an outdoor PX sale, and a good day for us.

CW3 Pedro C. Garza Retired US Army, 1/5 Cav, 1st Air Cavalry Division

******* My Favorite PX Memory in Vietnam As the Vietnam War was winding down from 1969 to 1973, my family and I lived overseas on Guam and Taiwan. While we lived on Guam, my father, a Navy pilot with VAP-61, flew the A-3 in photographic missions over Vietnam. We lived on Radio Barrigada, Guam, and there was a small exchange right on the base. I remember riding my bike down the hill to spend my weekly allowance at the exchange. From 1971 to 1973, we lived on Taiwan, where my father was stationed with the Military Air Advisory Group (MAAG) Taipei, Taiwan. We lived off base in a housing area called OK Village, in a town called Tien Mou. To me, the Exchange represented a part of home, especially because in Taiwan we didn’t speak the local language and shopping on the local economy was very foreign (and sometimes a little scary). As a fourteen-year-old girl, I was at that awkward stage and lacked a certain confidence. It was during this time I applied and was accepted for the Navy Exchange Teen Board. Mrs. Kathleen Duffy, the Headquarters Support Activity Navy Exchange, Taiwan Public Relations Director, was the Teen Board Advisor. The 18-member Teen Board worked in the Navy Exchange from September 1972 to May 1973 for the grand sum of $1.00 per hour. The Exchange also provided modeling and makeup clinics, and we did still modeling in the store and participated in a spring fashion show. This experience helped to raise my confidence, taught me about sales, and gave me a feeling of normalcy as the war around us was ending.

Cheryl L. Spohnholtz

*****

Three emotions come to mind when I reflect on my experiences with the PX in Vietnam: surprise, joy, and sorrow. I will elaborate on all three. Surprise: When I went to get my first haircut at the PX barber shop, I expected a normal haircut. It appeared to be going that way until the barber was just about finished. He proceeded to give me a series of karate-like chops on my neck and back. I thought he was attacking me and reached for my pistol. The rest of the patrons just calmly sat there and watched. It turns out that the “massage” was the accepted procedure. Nevertheless, I was totally surprised, and we all laughed about it later on. Joy: All of the helicopter pilots wanted big expensive watches, and the PX only got in a few at a time. When a shipment arrived, the word quickly spread so I was elated when I finally got my big watch. Sorrow: One day I wandered into our PX and went back to the magazine rack. I saw a young Captain helicopter pilot looking at a magazine and realized he was a fraternity brother from college that I had not seen since graduation. I harassed him about reading magazines without purchasing them, and he was as happy as I was to renew acquaintances. Two weeks later this young Captain was killed in action. The meeting in the PX was the last time I ever saw him. My emotional experiences notwithstanding, the PX in Vietnam was like a small touch of home. It was a place where one could escape the trials and tribulations of war and relax among familiar things. I have fond memories of going to the PX in Vietnam and will cherish them forever.

Michael Brokovich *****

My best memories of the PX when I was in Vietnam . I was trained as a helicopter mechanic at Ft. Rucker Ala. I was sent to Vietnam in Jan 67 and arrived at Bien Hoa and was sent to CanRanh Bay . I was assigned to an Engineering (87 EBC) outfit with no helicopters and no need for my skills. On the first day in this unit the SGM inquired to my job desire. I responded that I was interested in being a crew chief on a chopper. Since he could not fulfill that request he said that he had a different need for my skills. The next day we (Dave Colvin) were assigned to work in the PX. The reason being that the PX was new and every unit had to supply an individual to work in the PX. So we took off in the direction given to find the PX .It was probably about a mile plus walk. On the way there Dave and I talked about what we thought we were going to do. We both agreed , that stocking shelves with items was a little boring and that working in the stock room fit our skills better . So when we arrived at the PS it was just a big metal barn like structure. When we went inside there was only one military person a Staff Sergeant and about 30 plus Vietnamese working there stocking shelves and working in the stockroom. Most of the Vietnamese working there were young and spoke some english to very good english. It was like walking into a candy store. Most of the Vietnamese were young girls. We were initially assigned to work with Sunshine and Jane behind a counter selling electronics and later on cameras and then watches but always working with Vietnam’s personnel. I spent three great months there. Eventually reassigned to an Aviation unit in Bien Hoa . But those 3 months allowed me to get to know the Vietnamese and what a great people they were. Also the PX there offered everything the GI needed and then some. It allowed us to get things that reminded us of a touch of home. The only bad thing was the ration cards. But the PX overlooked the bay and provided a picturesque view and was a nice and pleasant place to work. Will never forget that experience.

Richard Benner

*****

I realize that the purpose of the contest was to capture memories of those who were served by AAFES during the Vietnam War. As a young Lt. in the Air Force, I was assigned to the 6005th Support Sq. OL 6H, which in non-Air Force terms, meant PX officer at Pleiku Air Base, Republic of Vietnam. I ran the store at Pleiku for nearly six months—but my fondest memory was two or three days after Christmas when I was at Camp Schmidt, the Army post at which our accounting and main offices were located. Somehow the Red Cross located me and I got the telephone call which announced the arrival of James Michael Craig, born December 27, 1968. As you can imagine, I walked on air for several days.

George H. Craig, Lt. Col. , UFAFRes (Eetired)

****** I arrived at Tan Son Nhut AB, Saigon, Republic of Viet Nam February 8, 1962. My first introduction to the Dining Hall depressed me. Not because of the food, but because I was not a Coffee or Tea drinker. I preferred milk which I soon discovered was of the powdered variety and not very well mixed. I tried it, but, it just wasn't the same as what I was used to drinking.

Back Stateside, I had enjoyed mixing Nestle Quick (or Quik) powdered chocolate mix with my Milk. I wondered if I had some available to mix with the Powdered Milk, would it make it more Palatable to my taste. I soon visited the Base Exchange and discovered that the local facility did not carry it. I asked the Exchange Store Manager to order me some, and then wrote my wife, using the “FREE Mail” stamping privilege, and asked her to buy, package and ship me a carton of chocolate mix. She did, and I received my first package from her within the next month. The Base Exchange Manager had also procured some of the mix and it arrived at about the same time. I was in “Hog Heaven” for a long time. The powdered Milk tasted great with the Chocolate Mix, and I finished out that year very happy with the Base Exchange and my wife.

When I started my second tour of duty in May 1969, at Bien Hoa AB, RVN I encountered the same powdered milk and no Chocolate Mix at the Base Exchange. My wife had foreseen such a disaster and packed some mix in my duffel bag. I contacted the Base Exchange Manager and he ordered some for me. It soon arrived and I was again Happy! Made two long tours, seem much shorter.

ELBERT E. (SONNY) CLAYTON, CMSgt, USAF (Retired)

****

I was stationed at TSN at Saigon 1962-1963 and living in Tent Village. My tent had the normal House Girl" that did the laundry but I was getting very low on under shorts, so went to the BX, no shorts, went to the Clothing Sales store in Saigon, no shorts of any kind. In the process of changing buses to get back to TSN saw a street vendor, sitting on the sidewalk, and guess what? He was selling Jocky shorts!! Also had to buy 4 diffeent razors while there, the BX would run out of my type blade so had to buy a different one.

Raymond I. Gubser, MSGT, USAF(RET)