WHEN I RETURNED TO THE STATES I NEVER SAW CITY OR STREET LIGHTS AT NIGHT...ONLY FLARES FOR A LONG TIME..THE MIND CAN PLAY TRICKS ON YOU.

BASE EXCHANGE

THIS WAS OUR BASE EXCHANGE. I WITNESSED A HUMEROUS BUT COULD HAVE TURNED OUT TO BE A SERIOUS EVENT HERE... ABOUT A DOZEN SOLDIERS WITH BANDANAS AROUIND THIER HEADS, SOME WITH PEACE MEDALLIONS AROUND THIER NECK WERE VISITING THE BX. THEY HAD A YOUNG VIET BOY AS THIER "MASCOT". HE WAS DRESSED IN FATIQUES AND HAD WANDERED INTO THE BX. SOMEONE CALLED THE AIR POLICE AND THEY ARRESTED THE BOY AND HAD HIM IN THIER JEEP. SAID THEY WERE GOING TO TAKE HIM IN FOR QUESTIONING. THEY WERE IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDED BY THE SOLDIERS AND WERE ASKED TO RETURN THIER MASCOT, THAT THEY WERE LEAVING THE BASE RIGHT AWAY AND THEY APOLOGIZED FOR THE BOY’S ACTION. THE SP’S REFUSED TO TURN HIM OVER. THEN, ALL I HEARD WERE RIFLE BOLTS FLYING BACK. THE SP’S HAD A SUDDEN CHANGE OF HEART AND THE MATTER ENDED THERE.