Memoirs Part 17

While stationed at Bien Hoa, I met a Vietnamese airman. He wanted to improve his English and asked me to help him. If he could understand English well enough, he would be able to attend military training in the US and then be promoted to a higher rank. There was a Vietnamese housing area. I would often visit his house. His wife would fix us something to eat and we would sit around talking, drinking and playing with his child. It was nice having the family atmosphere. Visiting his place was the first time I had “food poisoning”. It wasn’t from the food I ate, but most likely from the ice. They didn’t have refrigerators, so we drank beer on ice. The water on the American military side of base was purified, but it wasn’t on the Vietnamese side of base. I continued visiting them and eating and drinking beer on ice many times, but never had the problem again.

Upon entering the housing compound there was a vary large open space where they would hold festivals etc. Adjacent to this area there was a large meeting room that was open on one side. One day I was going to give my friend a bottle of Cognac, but as I entered the compound I was asked to go to the meeting room. There were tables set out in a square. It was full of men with the elders sitting at the head of the table. The elders had heard about me visiting and wanted to meet me. Fortunately, I had a bottle of Cognac that I could offer. I was seated next to the eldest. After giving him the bottle, he opened it and handed the cap to me and filled it. I drank it, handed him the cap and poured Cognac into it. I did this several times to each of the elders.We continued drinking Vietnamese “33” beer (on ice of course) for a few hours. I finally got to my friend’s home and told him what happened. He already knew.

Of course, I experience something different at his house. After drinking many beers, the first time I visited and had to relieve myself. He told me to go into the big room, which was used for cooking, cleaning etc. I didn’t see a bathroom anywhere, so I went back and asked him to show me. We went back into the room and over in the far corner was a six-inch hole in the floor. I thought it would be a good idea to not get too drunk. This was also the first time I saw a dirt floor inside of a house. It was the cleanest dirt floor I have ever seen.