The courtesy of "The Virtual Wall ® at www.VirtualWall.org" has offered to assist us in documenting on-line the daily travels and experiences of our family.  An HTML formatted page where they, SDIT-Vietnam can share their experiences.
     To read what they have to say, CLICK HERE. 

I will post "edited" emails from my SDIT family as I receive them.  I received two, while they were on their layover in Singapore, and I thought, how could I not share them.  Like I said...they will be "edited".
 

Singapore- Tuesday 3/4/03 12:47 p.m.:

USA- California,  Monday 3/3/03 8:47 p.m.:

Hi all, 
   Just wanted to say a quick hello from Singapore.  So far everything is fine.  Singapore Airlines is outstanding.....we've done nothing but eat since we left LAX.  Well, we drank a little too.
   Took 14 hours from LAX to Taipei.  We had to get off the plane in Taipei for cleaning and refueling.  Then another 4 hours to Singapore.  We board another flight here in a hour....Singapore to Saigon.  We get into Saigon at 3:45pm and have a reception on the roof of the Rex Hotel tonight.
   The time here is 12:46 p.m. March 4th- 
   Time in Los Angeles is 8:47 p.m. March 3rd
Bye all....next update from Saigon

Good Morning - Rather "Good Evening Vietnam"
At 3:20 a.m (PST) Tuesday March 4, 2003 - 
We are in Vietnam, (Saigon) it was a hard trip, we are all tired, sticky,
it's hot.  Going to get a shower.  It was 6:20 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4,
2003.  I am sorry I woke you up :) It was really emotional flying in,
looking down, it was really emotional for many of us.
 

     Well I made it!! It is 7:50 am Wednesday March 5. It has been an amazing journey. It took 25 plus hours to get here, so I'm  a little confused. I have had about 8 hours sleep since Sunday. 
     It is so beautiful here. The plane (Singapore Airlines) was great (the staff) the flight was a little bumpy, but I made it. We are about to leave a tour Ho Chi Minh City. I just wanted you all to know I'm here. We arrive yesterday around 4:00 pm their time. The Beer here is called Tiger Beer. The Vet's started getting everyone to drink it right before we landed. Not to bad just a little warm. It is around 78 degrees right now. WOW.......
Anyway, have to run. Thank you all so much for your support. This is totally awesome.!!!!
 

Xin Chao from Saigon!! 
   After a little over 24 hours it is still hard to believe that we are all FINALLY here in Saigon. The excitement level went through the roof on the plane yesterday when we could finally see land (we spent HOURS over nothing but water) as everyone crowded around the windows to see, for most of us, the first glimpse of this small country (about the size of California) that has played such a huge part of our lives. And the cheers that erupted when our plane finally touched down probably made the other passengers think we were all nuts. <g>  We were all mildly surprised when the stewardess said it was only 77 degrees when we landed and slightly crushed when she came back a minute later and corrected herself (it was really 95!). I made it through the immigration officer that looked like he hadn't smiled since the war without any trouble, unlike some of my SDIT brothers that they seemed to feel the need to hassle a little bit.
  The drive the 8 km to the Rex Hotel was an experience being in the Saigon "rush off" hour. Their are 3 million mopeds in this city and the traffic is organized chaos as anything smaller than a bus/truck weave back and forth in between whatever else is on the road, including pedestrians. The first rule they taught us about crossing the street is DON'T stop once you start across as you are more likely to get hit. After riding around in it all day I'm not so nervous but I sure wouldn't like to try and ride a moped in the middle of it all.
  Today we spent the day touring Saigon. We went to the Reunification Palace which they call the White House of Vietnam, the Central Post Office (gorgeous building), the Saigon Cathedral (which is a replica of Notre Dame in Paris), the Ben Thay Central market (bought some lovely silk), the Temple of the Celestial Goddess (over 300 years old) and had dinner on a dragon boat cruising the Saigon River.
  Tomorrow the teams start to split up and go to their specialized tour areas. My team is going with a few other to the Mekong Delta to cruise the river and tour some gardens. It will be a sunscreen and shades day for sure. We will stay here in Saigon tonight and tomorrow night before staying out in other districts for a couple nights before coming back to Saigon for one more night. We then start our trip north with a flight to the Imperial City of Hue.
I don't know if internet access is available in the smaller cities so it may be a few days before I can write again. No BIG problems, just that I mostly lost my voice coming over (it still comes and goes) and for some reason the forces that be think they need to search my checked baggage and cut open whatever I have on it to keep it shut. I wish I could bottle this all up for you and bring it back with me!!!! You totally deserve to be here but I totally understand your decision. Do you know that there are 3 MOH dads represented on this trip by 5 kids and we are ALL on the Red team. What does that say about III corp? <G> they are closing us down as it almost 2300 so need to go. 
 

JC
Here's a dispatch from Saigon...
     This is the most amazing thing...by now you've heard of the applause that erupted when we landed here in Saigon...we get some funny looks, especially from the French...here's who we have on the trip...two daughters of a general, four daughters and one son representing three Medal of Honor recipients...sons and daughters from 24 states and DC...sons and daughters who lost their dads in every year of the war from 63 to 71....
    Next time, the not so quite Americans at Saigon Saigon Bar!!!!
Peace to all.
Tony
From A Son, SDIT Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board
 

   We arrived into Saigon two nights ago.  So far we've been doing tourist stuff. 
   The first night we had a reception on the rooftop of The Rex Hotel (we are staying at the Rex) in downtown Saigon.  Next day we took a tour of the city of Saigon.  This city is crazy, 3,000,000 mopeds and no rules.  It is total traffic chaos, but it seems to work.  We just watch out our windows of the bus in total amazement.  It is not unusual to see 3-4 people (whole families) on a single moped.  They use the moped like we use the SUV. 
   Last night we had a dinner cruise on the Saigon River.  It was very nice and the sunset was beautiful.  After dinner we went over to Saigon Saigon which is a lounge, drank Tiger beers and listened to a band.  They were playing "Peaceful Easy Feeling" by The Eagles when we walked in and they played American music (country to rock) all night long (we stayed to about 11pm).  They sound just like American and do the little dance movements like any American pop band would. 
   Today we went down to the Mekong Delta.  That was awesome!  Very interesting to see the country and river people.  They are all so nice, pleasant and gracious people.  Always willing to smile and wave.  The children have such beautiful smiles.
   Tomorrow were going to see the tunnels and other stuff. 
   It is nice that we've had this opportunity to bond and get to know the people.  Saturday we start our sites visits and that will certainly be emotional.
   All in all, were having a great time and are very proud Sons and Daughters.
 

   What an adventure....When I landed in Saigon and got off 
that plane...all I could remember was seeing it on TV....what a trip...I can 
not even explain to you the feelings I have and the anguish I know is going 
through everyone's minds and hearts...     Vietnam Veterans Wife
 

Hi Everybody-
     Was great to finally get all your messages. Amazing!  And now Mom is addicted!! Thank you for your love, support, and your prayers. 
     It is now 7:50 Friday evening, and I'm sure you are all out of bed...yeah, right!!
     Had a great day today...hot and humid, but no complaints. On the bus at 7am and off to the Mekong Delta region...about a 3 1/2 hour ride. Cruised the Mekong River on a sampan (2 sampans for our Gold Team group of 20). And don't get the wrong idea about the word CRUISE.....like I said, a SAMPAN.
     Anyway, hit the river and some of the canals. Gave me a whole new perspective on warfare in this area...totally different than what I experienced in the mountains, jungles, and rice paddies. Extremely fertile area that exports 80% of Vietnamese rice (Vietnam is the #2 exporter in the world now thanks to the recent free trade agreement. Had a great lunch on one of the canals. Had Elephant fish (from the carp family....excellent)rolled into rice paper with lettuce and cukes , spring rolls, prawns, and of course soup and rice! Topped that off with a couple of Tiger beers, a shot of rice wine (like uzo, actually), and a shot of snake wine. Great day. Got back to the hotel at 6:30 pm.
     Tomorrow we're up at 4:30, off to Saigon airport at 5 for a 6:20 flight to Hue (old capital city). This begins Gold Team visit to sites that I'm most familiar with..Khe Sanh, A Shau, Quang Tri, and Dong Ha. I'm sure that this will be the most moving part of the trip for my team, and me also. They have all told me that they don't know what to expect, and are careful to have no expectations. This is a good thing. Keep all in your prayers...a bunch of really great people, all with very different life stories.
     Well got to get back to the hotel, it's now 8:10 (yeah I'm slow) and dinner is at 8:00.
     Will stay in touch. Hey, its cooling off!
           A Vietnam "1st Cav" Veteran (Gold Team Leader)
 

   I wanted to send this note on Friday (your time) to tell everyone back home that Saturday begins the site visits.  This will be heaven and hell all rolled into one.  Please think about us...know that it will be a challenge and that it is the support of those back home that helps make this possible.  (does that sound reminiscent?).

Peace to everyone, 
Tony 
From SDIT Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board
 

Lily Abrams (Toronto, CAN 7:30 p.m.)
   Received a telephone call from Sandra Kerr-Ray (Purple Team). They were doing well and about to have breakfast and about to go on an emotional journey today.  After breakfast they will head out to Terry McGregor's dad's site.
   They are having a wonderful time and the weather is much nicer than it was in Ho Chi Minh City.

Hey everyone,
    Well let me tell you what all has been going on. The first couple of days we toured Ho Chi Minh City, had a dinner cruise on Saigon River and toured the Mekong Delta on small river boats. 
    I have seen villages with chickens and dogs running around. Went to small cafes' off of the rivers, where they have pet snakes and dogs in the kitchen. The day we went to Mekong Delta I had the stomach problem and with the smell of the food. Oh my goodness, help me lord. 
    The people are so friendly, put so poor. The Rex Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City is great compared to the past two nights. We traveled to the Tay Ninh province where my father was and the place he flew out of to Cambodia. The hotels we stay in I can hardly described. Shower, Toilet and sink all in one. Geckos in the room with us. I don't believe I could make it on "Survivor". 
    I can't wait to have an In-and-Out burger from California. Jeanette, have one waiting for me. 
    The place my dad flew out of was so beautiful. They were not for sure if it was Song Be or Quan Loi. I got to see both. We left flowers and incense and I wrote a letter and left it at the site. The country is so beautiful and the places so peaceful, it is hard to believe there was a war here.  I feel so much peace. I got to be at the place my father stayed and lived his last days and the place he took his last helicopter ride. I just feel thankful and at easy and so much weight and pain lifted off my shoulders. Paying my respects at the place where my daddy lived was the most amazing feeling in the world. 
    We will stay in Ho Chi Minh City for a couple more days then off the Hue and DaNang. Tonight we are in search for some real food. I can't eat any more rice. 
   Miss you guys and will talk to ya soon.

Hi Friends,
   We've been gone from Saigon for three days...Three days of roaming around the old III Corp. I'll try to capture some of it for you. On March 7th we headed to the Cu Chi Tunnels. Because of the type of soil in the area, it 
was a good place for tunnels--they were used during WWII and during the war with the French. Today the area is for tourists, yet it still had a real 
sense of realism. It was the first place that looked like the Vietnam in my 
imagination during the war, and as we walked through the forest (reforested 
by the German Gov't. after the war), phoney mines went off as well as 
gunfire in the background. Eerie. We first watched such an anti American 
propaganda film (black and white made in the 70s I think). We saw one of the holes that the soldiers disappeared into--believe me, you had to be very 
tiny to do so...also saw replicas of the traps used by the communists to 
maime our soldiers. Made my stomach churn. We bombed the daylights out of the area and their people suffered a lot. Today the area grows rice and is 
doing well.
   From there we passed Thong Boa, a village built up since the war. It's in 
Tieng providence, which touches Cambodia on three sides, the Saigon River on the other. Our next stop was at Nai Ba Den, the Black Virgin Mountain. The Special Forces had a camp at the top along with a Radio Relay Station. The Viet Cong held the bottom and there was heavy fighting. The US defoliated the area with Agent Orange and other agents but it is growing back now. Again it's for tourists. We took a gondola up the mountain and visted the Budhist Temple of the Black Lady. We took the slide coming down and that was a blast--like tobaggons on a run. Later that evening we went to a mass at the Cau Dai Temple.  That place is a whole city--once kind of a fuedal state. The Temple is very gaudy...
   March 8th began our site visits to the areas our dads were killed. In two 
days we have had seven memorials, with two more tomorrow. It's been very 
emotional for each of us. We left Tay Ninh early in the morning and went to 
the Dau Tieng Reservoir. It covers the area the Operation Attleboro battle 
area. We saw floating villages on the river. Many of the homes in the area 
were thatched homes on stilts. Trying to lighten the mood, Mark Pitts, the 
only son in our group, played the role of Robin Williams in Good Morning 
Vietnam, and we all enjoyed the brevity.
   We traveled through Dau Tieng, a former American base where there was heavy fighting. Now it is all built up with many modern buildings. The next town we drove through was Ben Suc, which we leveled because it was a hotbed of VC. Now it too is rebuilt. These towns were part of the "Iron Triangle" an area heavily Communist. We drove up Highway 13th--called Thunder Road. I remember my dad talking about Highway 13th. We picked up two policemen who accompanied us for much of our site visits. Guess they wanted to know what we were doing. They were so young! One wore a Florida State T-shirt--obviously, not in uniform. We drove through Quan Loi, a base used by various units, including the 11th Armoured Cavalry Regiment. On to An Log, once a provincial town with lots of charm, but now, according to Tom Morgan, our leader (former Special Forces officer), it's ticky tacky. There was a Special Forces Compound there--he was there--there was a 
French Rubber plantation in the area. In the past two days we have passed 
through several rubber plantations. The French wanted the colony to pay for 
itself...now they all belong to the state.
   Our first Memorial was for a mother-daughter team, the Whichards, at Quan Loi. This was once an airbase but now its desolate. You can see some of the old asphalt and across the way are rubber trees. This is where Jim Atchison took off. He was 24 years old when he died. His daughter never saw him. Sister Agnes (his daughter) read a prayer--well, tried to but her mother had to finish it--of St.Francis. Then Tom Morgan read the poem "To the Fallen" and we put incense sticks in the ground around flowers. As in each following memorial, there were lots of tears and lots of hugs.
   We continued to travel and as we crossed the Song Be River, I had a giant 
pit in my stomach because our father died by that river. Vietnam has become 
very real, not just an image, in the past few days.
   We stopped next at Baia for Kelly's (Beatty) dad. He flew out from there at age 20 and never returned. She was 2 years old. We repeated the ceremony and went on to Phouc Long, where the Song Be Special Forces Camp was. Our dad was going back to camp when he was killed and even though we weren't in the exact area of his death, it was in the area. We overlooked the Song Be Valley and could see some water, though it wasn't the river. The three of us, Gail, Betty Ann, and me, stood together. Gail read a passage from Joseph Campbell about heroes and I read my poem, Ivory Budhas, and Tom read "To the Fallen" again. We shed tears and hugged the other sons and daughters and went through the same ceremy with flowers and incense. It was extremely difficult, but I felt much lighter once we did it.
   From there we went to our hotel--a guest house, which is state run.
   I think I will end here and tell you about our day today another time. I want to clean up a bit before dinner. I'm looking forward to a glass of wine and a shower, not in that order! We are holding up, though some of us have had bouts of intestinal problems. It's hot hot hot here. Very beautiful. The children are precious.

Xin chao! We have been "out in the field" all weekend and returned to Saigon last night. We catch a 6:20 a.m. flight to Hue, the old Imperial City, in the morning ending our stay in south Vietnam. The last three days have been and probably will be the hardest days of the trip as we visited, as close as we could, the site where each dad fought their final battle. We were in some smaller villages, out in rubber trees plantations and some larger towns, like Dong Xoai, but wherever we went we were definitely the talk of the town with the locals hovering close by to see the group of Americans. I've gotten a small taste of what it must have been like for the NYC police and fire dept. after 9-11 and having to attend multiple funerals everyday as we ourselves have had 8 in the last 3 days. Flowers and incense were left at every site along with whatever each of us had brought or chose to leave. Dong Xoai was about the biggest town we were in the last 3 days except for Tay Ninh where we spent Friday night. The Song Be province was recently split into 2 separate provinces of which Dong Xoai was named the capital of one of the new provinces. There is a gorgeous new huge post office on the site of the actual camp. We stayed there in a guesthouse that was recently converted from a government building of some sort. It was right on the edge of a lake over which the sunrise was gorgeous. I had asked for just a little bit of rain that day as it has been so HOT and HUMID and almost the minute we got to the guesthouse the winds picked up, the lightening and thunder started and the rains came. It was then that I knew my dad was with me there in his final place. Needless to say many tears and hugs have been shared by all over the weekend. Our guide Huy (pronounced we) has been awesome. His cousin and oldest brother are still considered missing in action from the south Vietnamese army. He was right there sharing in our pain and healing and hopefully doing some of his own, we will never forget him. 

The rest of our trip is mostly dedicated to some sightseeing and R&R which is much needed at this point. I have still not slept through the night once since we have arrived but have managed to piece together 4-5 hours a day and naps on the bus. Huy said we have covered a total of 1000 km since Friday but we were never more than 75 miles from Saigon. We are spending the next couple of days in a hotel next to the Perfume River and then it is off to DaNang/China Beach and the Furama resort before spending our last few days in Hanoi. I wish I could personalize this e-mail to each of you but the connections have been PAINFULLY slow today so I will feel lucky if I get this out to all of you. I hope you are all well, I miss you and love you all. See you in about a week. 
 

Hi Everyone-

Glad to hear all is well at home. Today was another damp, drizzly, day, although a very eventful day.

We visited the A Shau Valley today, two different locations, and paid tribute to the fathers of Robert and Dennis. It was a very moving experience for all of us  to remember and honor these men who died for our freedoms. Actually, in Vietnamese tradition, we set out a blanket in each area with flowers, some fruit, water, food, etc., and some incense sticks, but then gathered around in prayer led by Fr. John (a veteran grunt who lost his leg here in '69). And what a lead in he had for the prayer! Robert's site was just across a river that couldn't be crossed by our vans, so off came the shoes and socks and we walked across. He used this as a lead in commenting on the Israelites river crossing to freedom. Then, during the prayer, 3 white birds were observed in a nearby tree..symbols of peace. Just a great day of sharing!!

The trip to the valley, over the mountains was very rugged, but the beauty is beyond words. passed through Montagnard villages, passed out candy to the smiling children, and again, just had a perfect day.

Tomorrow we go to Shelly's site just outside of Quang Tri. I'm sure this will be another moving experience, then on to Dong Ha.

Well, it's nearing 7:30 and dinner time...got to get cleaned up.

Thank you so much for all your prayers. Love you all and looking forward to seeing you soon. Hi to all.

Hugs and Kisses.
 

Hi Friends,

We left Saigon and flew into Phu Bai, which was home of the 24th Corp. The 
101st Airborne was also here.

Ok,let me finish Monday's trip. We stopped in Bui Cheu for lunch.There were about three amputees there begging.It's heartrenching but we were told not 
to give money to beggars.There are many to be seen. We are going to a school and giving supplies to it--that is a more positive way of helping the 
people.

We listened to the soundtrack of "We Were Soldiers" after leaving the site 
south of Black Horseon our way to see where the base was.We walked through a rubber plantation that wasn't there before and then through
\fields and forest--to a dirt road. The villagers came out to greet us--they 
had never seen foreigners before and were so excited.One lady said they were there the last ten years--came from North Vietnam because of poverty and now are making a lving from their fields.They were very poor--no running 
water,but so friendly and just thrilled to talk with us. One young man 
reminded us not to take a picture of the old base (you couldn't see anything 
anyway) because it is now a Vietnamese camp.

On the way back to Saigon we stopped briefly where Long Binh Depot used to be--it was the biggest overseas military facility in the world but now is a 
gigantic shopping center.

The Red Team covered about 1,000 kilimeters in three days going to the 
sites.

An Log is An Loc...

This is what Col Tom Morgan (ret) read at the memorials.

I know I still haven't talked about March 9th but I am too tired.It's very 
frustrating using the internet here--very very slow...read about half of my 
messages and will read the others next tiem.Tommow we go to Khe Sahn and the 
DMZ.The other teams have come in and their stories are incredible.Be sure to 
check the web site  http://www.Virtualwall.org/sdit to read the other 
accounts of trips.
 

Hi all,
   I appreciate all the mail that you've been sending me.....feels so good to know that you support me on this adventure.  Please continue to forward to your friends and family.
   Sorry I haven't been able to send email for the last 4 days, but our days have been very long, intense, and the internet here is limited and very slooooooowwww....
   Just arrived into Hue (pronounced like WAY) today.  Hue is the home of the Citadel which you might recall was the site of the 29 day battle when the 1968 Tet Offensive occurred.  We took a tour of the Citadel today......it was very interesting.  We'll be here in Hue for two nights.  Tomorrow we'll be making a long journey up to the DMZ, Khe Sahn and then back to Hue.  We'll then go over to China Beach for two days and then to Hanoi for 2 days.  China Beach is R&R and believe me we need it.
   The last three days have been filled with visits to fathers sites.  The stories are very powerful.  I'll tell you a little about the visit to my dads site. 
   Me made the visit on Sunday afternoon.  The site is Phuoc Lam and is about 20 miles NW of Quang Ngai.  We turned off the only main highway they have here in Vietnam QL1 and drove about 10 miles into the country.....very primitive area even today.  The road went along the Tra Bong river and I took several pictures as we drove.  Dad crossed that Tra Bong River the morning he marched out of An Hoa with the ARVN Army.  It had been raining lightly all morning, so the red clay road was muddy and slick.  I knew that we wouldn't made it all the way by vehicle and would have to walk a little.  We went as far as we could in the bus and then parked and walked the rest of the way which might have been 1/2 mile.   It was kind of errie walking along that muddy road in single and double file.  It really gave us the feel of a GI walking through the villages of Vietnam.  Thank goodness everyone is very friendly these days.  When we reached the site our local guide had prepared a statement for me about the battle that occurred that day on August 13, 1963 and some history of the battles that occurred there throughout the war.  The site was beautiful!  Rice paddies surrounded by jungles of coconut trees and other vegetation.  There are several small villages all around the area.  We walked off the road a ways and found a nice little area between the rice paddies.  I had some flowers that I laid out in a nice little arrangement.  I had some incense sticks that we lit and I made a blessing holding 3 sticks to my chest and bowing three times; once for the sky, once for the man and once for the earth.  I placed those sticks, and all the others, in a circle around the flower arrangement.  I had a red rose that I brought home from Fathers Day 2000 in Washington DC.  I kissed that rose, said a little prayer and place it on the other flowers.  I then sprinkled the area with rose peddles that I had collected from my rose garden at home over the last year.  I read a little letter that I wrote to dad that morning and then burned it at the site.  My team members that were standing behind me said that a beautiful black bird with gold trim on its wings flew near the area as I was making my memorial.  The bird sat there and looked in my direction.  As soon as I stood up, the bird lifted into the sky and flew right over the area where I was and into the jungle.  I know that dad was there in sprit that day. 
   As with all the site that we visited the local people have been great.  They gather to watch us with great interest.  They haven't seen Americans since 1975 and they are very interested in our activities.  I exchange gifts with a 75 year old man who was there in 1963.  I gave school supplies to the local administrator.  We've had lots of fun with the kids singing songs, giving out suckers and stickers.
   Its been fun.  Got to run, going to another one of those pre-planned dinner......were all sick of the food.  We need burgers and fries!!!!
 

Hi all,
   Just wanted to let you know about my adventure into Laos.  You know, back during the war the US wasn't supposed to be in Laos...and perhaps I wasn't supposed to be there either!
   I spent one night sleeping on the floor of a Lao Chief's hut...eight feet above ground...hardwood floor, mosquito net...no electricty, no phone, no pool, plenty of pets!
   We weren't able to hike to the crash site...it's way too far by foot...so we poked around the village and were amazed to see such poverty..though they don't know they live in it.
   My trip back to Vietnam was like a scene out of an old movie...cold, damp weather...run down building with a Communist soldier guarding the fort...some dumb Canadian didn't get the correct visa so she was stuck over there...my guides couldn't cross over...so I walked from one side to the other...all by myself!  Surreal.
   Right now, a Cheeseburger in Paradise sounds real nice...but In-n-Out will have to do when we return!
   Read everyone else's posts to learn about site visits and the experience there...it was a privledge for me just to hear the reports of them.
More from the beach...

Tony
 

 Absolutely beautiful day. We are now in Hoi An, it's about 7 PM and temperature about 80. Somewhat damp and clammy, but no complaints.  Got to the hotel about 5:30...finally early enough to chill out a little. We've had an extremely hectic schedule (but no complaints), which should be settling down a bit. 
   Hoi An is an old cultural town near Danang...many craftsmen. There was at the silk factory where they raise caterpillars, harvest the cocoons, and spin the silk...really interesting. I can get a suit measured, sewed and delivered to the hotel tomorrow morning for $50. I'm debating. Shop is not too far from hotel...we head back to that area at 8 pm for dinner.
   We had about a 3 hour drive today from Hue, through the beautiful Hai Vong Pass (spelling?) and stopped at a nice park in Danang near the air base for Debra's tribute. She read a very nice letter describing her father, a Marine pilot that crashed there. At the end of her reading, before turning over to Fr. John (a former Marine, wounded in Vietnam), she said " I know he's Catholic, but because he was a Marine, I know my Daddy will forgive him"...we all got a chuckle out of that. Nice tribute.
   I'm not quite sure that I remember what's on the itinerary for tomorrow..Marble Mountain, Monkey Mountain, not sure...then a free day on Thursday. That's good news...everybody's getting tired....but nonetheless "fulfilled". At least on our team...some great people, and good chemistry.
   Well, time to head back to the hotel for a shower...by the way, what a beautiful hotel...even has a pool. I wonder if it's chilled? Tomorrow night we go to Furama Resort in Danang...supposed to really be the cat's butt.

Hi Friends,
   It's 8 am in Hue and we leave for Danang in an hour. I wanted to write last 
night but I was too tired. Only twice on this trip have I felt bone tired! 
There's very little down time, lots of time on the bus, and always going 
going going. And then there's the emotional factor but I would not have 
missed this trip for the world.
    Yesterday we left for Khe Sahn about 7:30 am. Khe Sahn was the site of the bloodiest battle of the war.  Approximately 500 Americans and 10,000 
Vietnamese (both north and south) were killed Many many were civilians. Khe Sahn was once a small Special Forces base--we saw the old French bunkers which were used by the SF. It ecame a marine stronghold. The siege lasted 77 days and the sad thing is that Gen. Abrams quietly abandoned it once things quieted because it is out in nowhere and the victory did not end the war.
   It took a long time to get there because the roads are so poor. It had 
rained the day before and the roads were very muddy and congested--plus lots of construction! I was thinking that if it's that muddy in the dry season, 
it must be impassable during the rainy season! The landscape kept 
changing--areas of sand instead of the red soil. Many homes had small plots 
of garden. We entered Quang Tri that was decimated by bombing. There's an 
old Catholic bombed out church that is still standing. Eerie to see the 
results--reminded me of movies of WWII of bombed villages. That was the only evidence of the war. We crossed the Quang Tri River which used to be the border between the north and the south in 1973. We drove up Highway 9 past a war cemetary--about 10,000 graves. Our guide said that after the war until 1984 when the gov't established more of an open door policy, the main 
concern of the people was just having enough to eat. Now they have a chance of a better life with homes, furniture, and scooters. She told us that during the bombing of Quang Tri her family had to walk to Hue, catch a bus 
to Danang. She was a baby and her mother put her in a basket and carried her for five days on her back. The road was called the Road of Sorrow because so many people died along the way.
   The further north we got, the thicker the vegetation. Mountainous terrain, 
thick jungle. Much looked like the Blue Ridge Mountains. We were in I Corp. 
We passed the Rock Pile--a solitary mountain where we had a radio relay 
station. Across the way there is a very barren hill--that whole area was 
defoliated and some of the vegetation still has not come back. But most 
areas are coming back and that is good news.
   We saw the homes of the Bru mountain people--thatched homes on stilts. Many of the people still live in the jungles, not willing to come down.
     Khe Sahn is a new town now of 10,000 people. Major cash crops are rubber tree and coffee. Poinsettia trees grow by the roadside in front of homes. 
Lots of banana groves cover the hills. At the bunkers outside of the Marine 
base nd airstrip, we held ceremonies for four fathers--one was a Vietnamese 
father of one of the guides. Very peaceful. We did it the Vietnam way where 
you have a moment of silence, then with incense bow three times, once for 
the sky, once for the man, and once for the earth. We saw another butterfly--the Vietnamese believe they are the souls of the departed. At 
the site of the airstrip we held another ceremony. Then went to the museum. 
There was a guest book so I left the poem, "To The Fallen" there. Seemed 
appropriate.
   On our way back we had lunch in Dong Ha and saw a presentation of Project Renewal, an organization trying to educate (one component) the people about unexploded bombs and mines. There are so many still in the area and every year people are maimed and killed by them. Some went on the DMZ--which is no longer a barren area with red clay but very green, according to a Vet who went. Our bus stopped at the airstrip of Quang Tri for a ceremony of one of the nurses of the group. She served there and we had the ceremony for all the men who came through their hospital. Very moving, like each of the ceremonies have been.
   Got back to Hue--which is an interesting city--thought of the artistic and 
intellectual capital of Vietnam--during the war there was a siege here 
during Tet and the Communist rounded up all the "uncooperative element" and killed approximately 3,000 civilians. The citadel was bombarded and more of 
the Forbidden City was destroyed. Now they are trying to restore the 
Forbidden City for its tourist draw. 
   Well, time to let someone else have a crack at the computer. There are only 
three here...it's going to be another great day. Keep checking the site and 
follow us. 
 

Hi Friends,
I tried to write you this afternoon...had the time and opportunity but could 
not connect. Don't know how long I will have to write before they close us 
down.
   We are in China Beach--the Furama Resort--could be anywhere in the world and is not Vietnam. Still, it is nice to have some time just to be at the beach and enjoy ourselves. Tonight we had a memorial service on the beach--it's hard to even begin to describe the ceremony. The vets and others of the support group were so wonderful. Each of us "children" got an urn with sand in it and our dad's names on the urn. We each had a chance to say something about our dads and the group and the vets--whatever we wanted. Some didn't say anything, just lit incense for the dads.  The moon was a half moon--kind of symbolic for all of us, and the waves kept crashing against the shore. I know I've said it before, but being with others like myself has meant so much to me. It has normalized the situation...where did your dad die, and how old was he?  Just a couple of the questions we've asked one another.
   I had hoped to catch up with you--tell you about the day I still want to 
talk about but could not connect. Now they are about to close us down. If 
I'm lucky, I'll try to write you tomorrow, but the machines are slow and 
they only have three computers here...I love you all.
   Oh, I promised Allan that I would tell his wife, (Cindy???) hello for him. 
This is the Red Team! 
 

Hi Friends,
This morning we had our last memorial for a family who lost their 
dad/husband in a helecopter crash in the China Sea. I forgot to mention (I 
think) that last night we were each given an urn with our dads names on them 
filled with sand from the beach. Anyway, the son read a poem he had written 
to his dad, the daughter read a poem that was read on the ship at sea for 
his dad, and his mother talked about the legacy of her husband to his 
children. After the incense they walked to the edge of the sea and threw 
rose petals into the water. I think we were all in tears about then but it 
was so beautiful.
   Since today is basically an R & R day, I'll try to recapture March 9th for 
you, the day I owe you. We woke up to a lot of ants on the floor of our room 
at the Binh Phuoc Guest House. It was the one place that the Red Team has 
stayed that was adventurous...after a sparse breakfast we stopped at the old 
Special Forces A Detachment in Dong Xoai, the same place where we had stayed the night before. There were several CIDG soldiers there and unlike today, the area was very remote in 1965. We stopped to remember 25 year old Marvin Shields who was a Sea Bee (a construction Batallion for the Navy) who had come to help with projects in the camp. The attack to the camp went on for days and her dad was one of two recipients who received the Congressional Medal of Honor in the battle, the only Sea Bee to receive one.  At the ceremony his daughter Barara said that she really didn't know Marvin Shields the man, just the hero since she was a baby when he died, but her mother had this engraved on his headstone, "He died the way he lived for his friends."
   After the ceremony we jumped back on the bus and headed south for Xam Suoi Con, site of the battle of the 1/18th Infantry--Co A, 1st Infantry.We 
traveled through a rubber plantation with rows and rows of rubber trees. 
It's now owned by the gov't but was once owned by the French. The hamlet of Xam Suoi Con was once a "company town" of the plantation. Today there are 
scooters and people drive to work so it's not as important as it once was to 
the plantation. Captain Kelly's, Robin's dad, group was hit as soon as they 
landed. He was up front and was killed almost instantly. Capt. Kelly was 
three days shy of his 32nd birthday. Robin read a prayer by St. Francis. 
Each of the memorials is like going to a wake, each is similar to some 
degree, very personal in many different degrees. The area looks more what I 
imagine the Vietnam of the war period looked like.
   We stopped in Phu Cuong for lunch. It's a pretty modern town with a real 
uptown and downtown, paved roads and large buildings. They even have an 
university there. Meals are pretty similar--there's usually some kind of soup, noodles, vegetable, spring rolls, chicken, fish, rice, and fruit. But we've also had rabbit, duck, beef, pork, and a variety of shellfish. Breakfast is more noodles, rice,fruit, eggs, and bread. Also juice and coffee or tea. The real Vietnamese coffee is very strong served with a sweetned condense milk.
   After lunch we had one more memorial at Ap Dong for Captain Riley Pitts, the first African American to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was 30 years old. We walked down a path to a rice paddy. Mark said the day his dad died was his supposed to be his last day in the Field and he was coming home. Mark read the speech he had written For Father's Day 1997 for SDIT at the Wall in DC. We all understood the loss when he spoke about wishing his dad could know his grandson. It's not just the immediate loss we feel but future losses.
   After the ceremony we got back on the bus and drove to Saigon. Happy to be back at the Rex Hotel and to shower...
   Today is nice just to have a little time to process some of what we've been 
through so far. It's going fast. Soon we will be going home. This has been a 
life changing experience, one where we found some part of our dads, had time 
to talk to others and to normalize our experience. And it's been healing 
because now we can think of Vietnam as a country and not just a war.

Dear Friends,
    I can't believe that this is our final day in Vietnam. We flew from Danang to Hanoi yesterday. Took a tour of the city seeing all the hot spots and then saw the Water Puppet Show. It's an ancient Vietnamese art form from the 11th century and it was quite entertaining.
    We stopped at the Ho Chi Mihn Mauseleum but its closed in the afternoon so could not get in. Also stopped at Silk Lake where Senator McCain parachuted into. There's a monument depicting the event.
   Yesterday was Gail's 53rd birthday so we celebrated it. I also remembered my father-in-law, a WWII vet who died a year ago yesterday.
    This morning we have a Joint Task Force presentation and then will stop at what is left of "Hanoi Hilton." They have torn down most of it and there's a large tower of offices in its place but they've kept a few cells and part of the wall as a museum. It will be chilling to see it.  And tonight we have a reception at the Embassy.
    I am physically worn out--but then most of the group is as well. In the past two weeks we have been to so many places and seen so many things. It's hard to bring it all together so I'll just savor this last day and try to make a lot more sense out of everything later.  And anyway, one more day of shoppping on Silk Street...
   I hope everyone has enjoyed the trip reports. 
 

Hi all,
A little update from Hanoi.
   First, some of you may have heard about a virus that is going around Hanoi.  It is a serious situation and we have been counciled about it.  We feel that we are not exposed but will practice caution and prevention.  We know the sympoms and will seek American medical attention should anything occur.  It appears as if a lot of the problems are related to a French Hospital.
   We arrived in Hanoi yesterday around lunch time.  We took a tour of the city and then were set free to shop.  I road the backend of a moped back to the hotel after my shopping excursion. 
   Today had a briefing from the Joint Task Force Full Accounting and then visitied the Hanoi Hilton (former war prison). The Joint Task Force is the organization that continues work to located and identify missing Americans from the War.  Today there are some 1800+ Americans that continue to be MIA.  The work that they are doing is to be honored and they are doing a great job working with the Vietmanesse, Cambodia, Laos and Chinesse Governments to locate and identify.
   Tonight we have a reception at residence of the Dept. Ambassidor to the US Embassy.
   Tomorrow we depart for Singapore and spend one night there and then back to Los Angeles.  We arrive into LA Tuesday the 18th.  Were all sad to see our adventure coming to an end, but are looking forward to getting home.
   Hanoi is definately a more beautiful city than Saigon.  The moped traffic is still pretty crazy, buts that just the way of life here.  They seem to speak a little less English here than in the South, so good thing my sign language is improving.  I'd be very good at charades right now.  We've found the people of Vietnam to be very friendly every where we go.  They are very willing to interact with us on the streets, take pictures, smile, etc....
   This truely has been a very rewarding experience for me.  Again, I appreciate the support that you've shown and look forward to getting some pictures on a web site for you to see when I return to LA.
 

   As we bring the trip to a close, it is amazing to me to look around and see the bond that has been established...there are sons and daughters on this trip who have attended every SDIT Father's Day celebration and others who have not attended any.  For them, this trip has been their initial experience with SDIT...an opportunity to see how this group bonds, supports and cares for each other.  And is able to let it's collective hair down too!
   The veterans have lighted our way...and we honored each of the team leaders with Life Memberships in SDIT.  They have taken time from work, payed out of their own pockets and given of themselves to help us understand Vietnam.
   We came here in Honor, Peace and Understanding.  We leave with each objective successfully accomplished.  We entered this country with apprehension and anxiety, just as our dads did.  We acclimated ourselves to a new country, people, climate and food...just as our dads did.  We confronted war and death...just as our dads did.  And, as they sometimes were able, we relaxed in the beauty of Vietnam.  We have seen this country from South to North, stood where our dads fought and died.  But as our dads came home to military honors and legacy of commitment, we are coming home with a story to tell.
   My hope is that each person on this trip will commit him or herself to the cause of SDIT.  The greatness of SDIT is found in the devotion and commitment of volunteers across the USA.  Please honor your father, and all of our fathers by giving back to Sons and Daughters In Touch.

We'll see you in LA.

Much peace, 

Tony
Son of Maj William E Cordero
SDIT Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board
 
 
 

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