Your tour guide for "Getting to Vietnam" is Dave Eckberg who was the S-5 and Medical Platoon Leader for the 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry from August, 1970 to August, 1971.
Photograph by Dave Eckberg
We got to Vietnam by many different routes. Many of us went through Travis Air Force Base in Oakland. Here the Army had chartered a civilian aircraft to take us to the military air bases in Vietnam; Tan Son Nhut, Bien Hoa, Danang, Cam Rahn Bay and others. I traveled on this United Airlines DC-8. The flight was very long; we stopped over in Hawaii, Wake Island and Okinawa. The total travel time was an incredible 26 hours!
Photograph by Dave Eckberg
Some of us arrived in Saigon at Tan Son Nhut Airport. This is the parking lot at the airport with old French and American cars.
Photograph by Dave Eckberg
Just outside the airport was this sign cheerfully welcoming us to Vietnam. Thanks, but no thanks!
Photograph by Dave Eckberg
I arrived at Bien Hoa airbase. They put a bunch of us new lieutenants in a bus with gratings over the windows to prevent grenades from being tossed in and we went to Long Binh. En route, some guys stole a bunch of our suitcases out of the back of the three-quarter ton truck that was following us, so a few of the soldiers got to Long Binh with nothing but the uniform they were wearing. In Long Binh we were a bit surprised to see signs advertising the steam baths, or, as they were commonly called, the "Steam and Cream." Right next to the steam bath sign is a "Re-Up" sign. Right!
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