Virtual Tour

Getting to Vietnam

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.

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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!

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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.

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Photograph by Dave Eckberg

Just outside the airport was this sign cheerfully welcoming us to Vietnam.  Thanks, but no thanks!

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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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