USAF: Tan Son Nhut
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When I arrived
at Tan Son Nhut I was a recently promoted Sergeant. Being the
new NCO I immediately received additional responsibilities.
The first was being in charge of the Mamasan of our barracks.
Not a particularly difficult job: Collect from the troops
in my barracks, pay Mamasan, and fix any problems that
came up.
The troops started complaining
about skin rashes. At first there were two or three complaints,
then the problem spread to half the other guys. Then fungus
problems became an every day occurrence in-country. Several
guys went to sick-call and were diagnosed as suffering
from a skin irritant such as coming into contact with a mild
chemical of some sort. Someone suggested we check on what Mamasan
used to wash and clean our fatigues.
Mamasan' s laundry washtub-facilities
consisted of three garbage cans: one to wash in and two to
rinse with. As I watched Mamasan and her daughter, Babysan,
doing the laundry one day I noticed she was using a black
bar of soap.
"Mamasan, what you do?" I asked.
"Ahhh!!! Mamasan washie-clothie,"
she answered with a big beatlenut smile.
"What soap you use?" I respond.
"Mamasan use LYE SOAP---GOOOOD
SOAP, clean clothes good---GOOOOD SOAP."
"But Mamasan, I gave you money
to buy soap?"
"Ahhh!!! Mamasan buy GOOOOD
SOAP---LYE SOAP
IE
."
"Mamasan, LYE SOAP, number
10 soap---make GI itchy all over."
Mamasan looked very bewildered,
this soap worked good, it was cheap, she could pocket the
extra money, and she didn't understand about the rash. I immediately
went to the BX and bought a large box of TIDE. I gave it to Mamasan
praising the values of TIDE.
"Mamasan, you use TIDE SOAP, number 1 American soap!---good soap---you like!" Mamasan
smiled weakly and shook her head in agreement. That took care
of that problem, or so I thought.
A week passed and the rash
plague grew worse. Back down to the shower and the three-trashcan-laundry.
There were Mamasan and Babysan washing clothes with, of all
else, a black bar of number 10 LYE SOAP.
"MAMASAN, WHAT YOU DO?" I scream.
"Ahhh!!! Mamasan use LYE SOAP---GOOOOD
SOAP, clean clothes good---GOOOOD SOAP---LYE SOAPIE---numba
1 soap!"
"LYE SOAP number 10 Viet Cong Commie soap! NOT good soap---what you do with number
1 American TIDE SOAP?" I bellowed.
"Ahhh!! Mamasan take Cholon---sell
BLACK MARKET---make bouqu-Pe---me like numba 1 Amelican TIDE SOAP!!!"
Me
no V.C.
... You Numba-10-thou GI !
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