Memories of Vietnam: parts 1,2,3

1

The beginning. Memories of Vietnam

My oldest memory of Vietnam was when I was still at school in England. It was called Indochina in those days. I can remember my history teacher bursting into a maths class, portable radio in his hand, crying out "Dien Bien Phu has fallen, Dien Bien Phu has fallen". This was of course in 1954.
I was 15 years old. It was the first event that pointed my way to Vietnam as the United States then became involved.

2

More beginnings

Another element in my progress to Vietnam was to find myself working in the Bahamas in 1965.
I was stationed in the Exhumas working for the U.S. office of Decca Navigator on the AUTEC Project. It was an idyllic life. How I had come to be there was a long story. Why is someone in a certain place at a certain time to meet an event that changes the course of one's life?

3

Goodbyes

In June 1965 we were informed the contract had been taken over by the London office and there would be a 50% cut in personnel and for those under the U.S. office a 50% cut in salary.
I asked if there was anything else going and was told the Americans were looking for people to go to Vietnam. I said I would think about it.
Not to appear too hasty I waited five minutes and called back on the radio to say that I would volunteer.
After an absolute storm with my family who were opposed, a month in New York with my girlfriend (Where are you Laura? You were abandoned also), where every day was my last whilst waiting for a flight, I eventually arrived in Saigon at the end of July 1965.