The most humbling
experience of my life had
to be the time I was waiting for the bus (a 2 1/2 ton
truck) at the bus stop on Bình Thủy to go into
Can Tho for the afternoon. There were three of
us all waiting together and, as usual, not paying too much
attention as to what was going on around us. We heard
a beep-beep from a jeep horn and the driver asked us
if we wanted a ride into town. Well this kind of luxury
did not come often so we all jumped in. I ended right
behind the driver. Shortly after we left the base the
driver asked how we liked Vietnam. Being out
spoken anyway, I told him exactly how much I liked Nam. Unfortunately, I did not spare the language that
most of us spoke when in a bunker with our M60's. I raved
on-and-on while one of my buddies kept elbowing me in
the ribs. Finally, I exhausted my feelings about Nam.
The rest of the ride went rather quietly. Our driver
let us out downtown at our location of request. As I
exited the jeep I noticed that small silver cross on
his collar. I never even got his name as I was only concerned
with making myself as small and invisible as possible
by that time.
Later, I wished I could
have apologized to the Chaplain but I never saw him around
the base again. The weight of that little Bible I carried
in my upper left shirt pocket seemed a little heavier
for a few days until I finally apologized to the proper
deity. Needless to say, from that time on, when ever
someone asked how I liked Nam I was a little softer on
the description.
W. R. "Duke" Windsor, Sgt
632 SPS
Bình Thủy, Vietnam
1966-1967
