Vietnam Journal

LT(JG) Lee Siggers MSC USN

• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781643509754
• eBook ISBN: 9781643509761
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Military Biographies
• Index: History

The Vietnam Journal is a personal record of a young "mustang" naval officer and his team of three doctors and eleven hospital corpsmen sent to Vietnam following the Tet Offensive in 1968 under the operational control of the US Agency for International Development. Their mission was to assist the medical staff of a Vietnamese civilian hospital of the early nineteenth-century variety for 365 days.It was a struggle of living and working under the most trying conditions of enemy threat, culture shock, language barriers, and the general chaos of military, inefficient civilian agencies, and foreign entity conflicts. The team being responsible to each of these for something yet receiving support from none. However, it is also a story of an evolution of young men, most under the age of twenty-one, coming from a world of set standards with clear expectations and objectives and their adaptations and changes to get the job done and survive. They were surrounded by the war, but not a part of it, except to be involved in the aftermath of its result near them. Yet they were constantly targeted by mortar and rockets fire on the average of every ten days. Most of the team handled the stress well. Several of the older team members did not.The Journal is noticeably frank in capturing the team's interactions with the circumstances they found themselves in and with each other. Their achievements, shortcomings, exceptional performances, prejudices, and individual creativeness are recorded as a matter of fact and without regard to rank or position. It is honest and replete with its own recurring humor. It has its share of mysteries, deception and crime, and intrigue.None of the team member were aware of their actions being recorded, except the author. It was not meant to be secretly recorded, it just never was questioned or discussed.

1 May 1968

The only entertainment we have is the club and its little bar, personal radios that occasionally get good reception from our military radio stations and reel-to-reel tape players. We can pick up Hanoi Hannah occasionally. We also have a nightly 16mm (I think it is that size) movies shown here on the Compound.

The movies are shown near the motor pool. But the movie projector has seen better days. So have the movies. Some are fairly recent, but they are well worn by the time we get them. I said “fairly recent,” but how would we know whether it was recent or not? We’re so isolated here we’d never know. It was like this aboard the Savage as well. Except that we knew what was recent and not. There we traded movies with any passing warship or one from whom we got supplies. It was always funny how that was done then. When they came along side, one of the first things the signalmen signaled with their flags was where was your last port, what were the women like there, and what movies do you have on board to exchange? They signaled the truth about the port and the women but seldom truthful about the movies.

You see, if you had any John Wayne or recent movies and the other ship had an old English B-movie horror film, do you want to exchange? (Rather watch the John Wayne ones again and again for a couple weeks until you came across another ship.) So it was cat and mouse trying to tell if the other guy was lying about his movies or not. The exchange, if it occurred, was the last thing before the supply lines connecting the two ships were parted. That way the other guy, if outwitted, could not have time to trade back. I liked sea duty. You just never knew what surprise was on the other end of a line.

I think whoever trades the movies to us here, from these other commands, was trained by a Navy signalman! I have seen all the English B movies I can stand.

Our operator is probably checked out properly on the mechanics of showing movies; he just cannot overcome the poor machines and ragged-edged movies. We get ten to twelve minutes of movie, ten to twelve minutes of fixing, movie, fixing, etc. Sometimes I have looked up to see only a half dozen guys left and knew that we had a full house at the start. If Charlie wanted to get us all with one mortar round, sometimes this is the place.

The mosquitoes know when we are going to have movies. I think they have this one Paul Revere spy mosquito. He (or she in which case it’s Pauline) hangs out around the Compound and knows when it’s not an English B movie, and then he alerts all the other needle-noses that it’s feast night! They absolutely eat us alive, because no one will wear long pants, socks, long shirts, and caps. It is so hot and humid, even after dark, that no one wears anything except their skivvies or shorts, T-shirts or none, and shower shoes. Every time I get bitten, I have a thought go through my mind—malaria!

Dr. Ken Bradley, the civilian VPVN physician who flew into Tam Ky with me upon arrival here, has returned with one more Canadian physician. His name is something Willard. They are to help out with patient care between the two teams’ departure and arrival (about two weeks). These two wear only short-sleeved shirts, khaki hiking shorts, and hiking boots. Neither have any baggage except a khaki knapsack. No suitcases, no duffel bags, no nothing. Just knapsacks. I do not think I have seen them without them, even in the mess hall.

Dr. Matthews came down on the same flight as the Canadians. But this time it was to see the CORDs people about something. The abbreviation CORD is sometimes followed by an “s” when it is spoken. I don’t think it is another word. The complete meaning of the abbreviation is Civil Operations Revolutionary Development. A lot of abbreviated acronyms give no clue as to what they do. I have been told, and I’m sure I had it in some valuable handout from one of the briefings. But I just don’t recall. I don’t think it is really important. I am glad he didn’t come to see us, he is too “windy” for me.

Mr. Hein had invited Lee and me to dinner in his home tomorrow, but today we had to cancel out due to an awards presentation for team members on that day. He understood and will invite us again soon, he says.

Main thoroughfare through Tam Ky - highway 1 from Hue to Saigon

2 May 1968

Yesterday was May Day (communist high holiday) and no hostile action near our Compound; however, south and west of Tam Ky saw some small activity directed by VC units.

We had a holiday at the hospital, so it was strictly a Compound day for all of us.

For the holiday and the team’s departure, the Compound cook fixed steaks outside on a grill, and the team bought the bar. They also set up the bar all evening.

Immediately after the cookout, the senior medical officer handed out gifts to the entire team, which had been purchased by the men of the Compound. A pen set or travel clock, etc.

Next the senior adviser for the province, LtCol Bolte and I presented citations and medals to Dr. Lubin (Navy Commendation Medal), DTG1 LaQua, HM1 Entrekin, HM2 Penn, and HM2 Stanty (Navy Achievement Medals).

Today the team departed at 1430 by C-46 to Saigon and on to CONUS. The plane was an hour late, and each minute those guys grew more nervous. Seemed like everyone came to the airstrip to see them off. Doctors, nurses, Army people, CORDs officials, and Dr. Thuy. Nothing official, just to say goodbye again to these men who, apparently, they all considered friends. I was sorry to see them go too. I liked all of them.

The starboard engine almost didn’t start. I’ll bet those guys were near tears before it finally sputtered and started.

When we returned to the hospital, I was told that our civilian Canadian physicians were upset because no one reported for work at the hospital. Those idiots had scheduled about five surgical cases for the afternoon! They are beginning to irritate me just a little.

One joker, Willard, almost blew the whole show. He speaks no Vietnamese and wanted some penicillin for a patient. The nurse, Co Lu’u, couldn’t give it to him. He threatened to take her to Dr. Thuy. He finally got it when she understood what he had asked for. Stupid ass could ruin the MILPHAP effort here over the past two years—in one single afternoon!

I saw Bob Kenny, the CORDs senior adviser, and told him that any more of that and away they go.

Entrekin returned from Da Nang and really surprised me. He had bought me a very nice sport shirt because he knew it was my birthday day before yesterday.

If this guy likes you, you’re in. If not, you’re out in left field.

He can help me a lot this next year. Besides, it is good getting off to a friendly start.

3 May 1968

It wasn’t the best day I’ve had.

Little Joe, as he is called by the Americans around here, is our “kid.” I think you could say that. He is always underfoot. Talks very, very little except to say “Coka, Coka” quietly when he wants a Coke. His real name is Tu, but the Vietnamese call him em Tu. The first word means something like sweetheart if you would use it with a woman. With the children, it is more like little loved one, or something like that. I refer to him and call to him using em Tu. He is sick they tell me because HM1 Joe Carried left with the old team. Em Tu is about three or four years old. He has an older brother and mother who work as laborers around the hospital. The older brother (about twelve years old) was burned by a napalm bomb which struck his, supposedly VC, village. When he was brought here for treatment, he and em Tu and the mother never left. She works around the hospital at one thing and another. Nothing specifically that I can tell anyway.

Shortly after going to the hospital today, Entrekin found out that apparently DTG1 LaQua, the departing dental technician, made off with many of the dental instruments. Best estimate is roughly a one-thousand-dollar worth. I am not sure what I can do about it that is economical and right at the same time. It is too difficult to try to call Da Nang and track him down to see, if indeed, he has taken them. It may be less problematic to replace them and forget it. Just finding the team is a problem. Certainly can’t do anything by phone—I would have to go to Da Nang and Saigon. And catch them before they leave for the States. The culprit could be the Vietnamese that works in the dental clinic. Doubtful though. It was embarrassing to explain the missing tools to Dr. Thuy.

A few words about Dr. Thuy. He is one busy fellow. He is the Medicine Chef, Quang Tin Province (it’s Chef, not Chief here), much like a county health officer, responsible for all the health-care effort in the province, military, and civilian. He is the head of the hospital where we work. We also coordinate the provincial civilian health care in the outlying country districts with him. He, as the senior VN military doctor here, is also responsible for the military hospital for VN military care, which is across the road from our Compound. Now there are no staff to speak of for these duties, except that at the military hospital, he has other physicians and medical personnel. But like us he is not to treat US civilian and military personnel. He cannot mix his personne...

Table of contents

• 10 April 1968
• 11 April 1968
• 12 April 1968
• 13 April 1968
• 14 April 1968
• 16 April 1968
• 17 April 1968
• 18 April 1968
• 19 April 1968
• 20 April 1968
• 21 April 1968
• 22 April 1968
• 23 April 1968
• 24 April 1968
• 30 April 1968
• 1 May 1968
• 2 May 1968
• 3 May 1968
• 4 May 1968
• 5 May 1968
• 6 May 1968
• 9 May 1968
• 10 May 1968
• 11 May 1968
• 12 May 1968
• 13 May 1968
• 14 May 1968
• 24 May 1968
• 25 May 1968
• 26 May 1968
• 27 May 1968
• 28 May 1968
• 30 May 1968
• 3 June 1968
• 6 June 1968
• 8 June 1968
• 10 June 1968
• 12 June 1968
• 13 June 1968
• 27 June 1968
• 28 June 1968
• 30 June 1968
• 2 July 1968
• 3 July 1968
• 4 July 1968
• 6 July 1968
• 8 July 1968
• 11 July 1968
• 12 July 1968
• 15 July 1968
• 20 July 1968
• 21 July 1968
• 22 July 1968
• 24 July 1968
• 25 July 1968
• 26 July 1968
• 1 August 1968
• 2 August 1968
• 5 August 1968
• 6 August 1968
• 8 August 1968
• 12 August 1968
• 13 August 1968
• 15 August 1968
• 16 August 1968
• 20 August 1968
• 25 August 1968
• 27 August 1968
• 29 August 1968
• 2 September 1968
• 4 September 1968
• 5 September 1968
• 6 September 1968
• 8 September 1968
• 9 September 1968
• 10 September 1968
• 15 September 1968
• 19 September 1968
• 21 September 1968
• 22 September 1968
• 23 September 1968
• 24 September 1968
• 25 September 1968
• 26 September 1968
• 28 September 1968
• 30 September 1968
• 2 October 1968
• 4 October 1968
• 5 October 1968
• 6 October 1968
• 7 October 1968
• 9 October 1968
• 11 October 1968
• 14 October 1968
• 20 October 1968
• 24 October 1968
• 25 October 1968
• 27 October 1968
• 14 November 1968
• 16 November 1968
• 19 November 1968
• 20 November 1968
• 21 November 1968
• 22 November 1968
• 24 November 1968
• 26 November 1968
• 27 November 1968
• 25 November 1968
• 1 December 1968
• 10 December 1968
• 13 December 1968
• 16 December 1968
• 18 December 1968
• 19 December 1968
• 31 December 1968
• 1 January 1969
• 7 January 1969
• 9 January 1969
• 13 January 1969
• 15 January 1969
• 20 January 1969
• 21 January 1969
• 24 January 1969
• 27 January 1969
• 29 January 1969
• 30 January 1969
• 9 February 1969
• 11 February 1969
• 14 February 1969
• 15 February 1969
• 21 February 1969
• 23 February 1969
• 28 February 1969
• 5 March 1969
• 8 March 1969
• 10 March 1969
• 14 March 1969
• 20 March 1969
• 21 March 1969
• 24 March 1969
• 28 March 1969
• 1 April 1969
• 2 April 1969
• 4 April 1969
• 5 April 1969
• 6 April 1969
• 7 April 1969