We boarded the flight to Seoul without any difficulty, and our excitement began to show. The three of us chatted as we found our seats. It didn’t take long for our excitement to turn into boredom. I think David is on his 3rd movie and Mike is watching the new and listening to music. After being in the air for 5 ½ hours and with 8 /12 hours to go I wanted the plane trip to end. 

At last, after 14 hours, we landed in Seoul and will have a 2-hour layover before our flight to Da Nang. I must admit my excitement has returned but dreading the 5-hour flight.
Mike and I talked about what we thought our first impression would be when we walked outside of the airport terminal into the city streets of Da Nang. Would the heat be overwhelming and the strange smells as strong as it seemed 49 years ago? We shall see.

The flight to Dallas was uneventful. Maneuvering through the Dallas airport wasn’t bad, and we got to our gate for the flight to Korea without much difficulty. As we were walking by the gate, an employee was announcing our names. We looked at each other thinking something was wrong. She asked for our passports and validated each and gave us boarding passes to Seoul and Da Nang. We are good to go!
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Mike got hungry, so we are at Applebee’s for our last American meal for a week. We all ordered hamburgers. The flight to Seoul is 12 hours so it will be awhile before I post again. Wish us luck.

We are up early and prepared for our trip. I must admit that I am excited but also afraid of what memories the trip may bring back that I had locked away since returning home from Vietnam. Mike confided he felt the same way.

With the car loaded with our backpack’s and Sherrie behind the steering wheel, we are ready for the drive to the airport for our flight from Austin, Texas to Dallas (DFW) and then on to Seoul Korea for a 14-hour trip. After a two-hour layover in Seoul, we will take the 5-hour flight to Da Nang, Vietnam.
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Once we land in Da Nang at 9:30 PM, June 15, our driver will pick us up at the airport, and drive south for 20 minutes to the hotel in Hoi An. The total flight and travel time will be 24 hours. I am not looking forward to 24 hours of traveling, but excited about going back to Vietnam.

The flight to Dallas was uneventful. Maneuvering through the Dallas airport wasn’t bad, and we got to our gate for the flight to Korea without much difficulty. As we were walking by the gate, an employee was announcing our names. We looked at each other thinking something was wrong. She asked for our passports and validated each and gave us boarding passes to Seoul and Da Nang. We are good to go!

Mike got hungry, so we are at Applebee’s for our last American meal for a week. We all ordered hamburgers. The flight to Seoul is 12 hours so it will be awhile before I post again. Wish us luck.

David, my oldest son, arrived in Austin at 2:45 this afternoon on the same flight Mike took out of Atlanta a day earlier. David has been very active the last couple of years and is fit, and looks great. Mike and I will have a hard time keeping up with him. 

Once home, I went over the itinerary with David. Of course, the locations we marked on the maps made little sense to David, but he knew how important they were to us. 

Earlier, David confessed to me that he is a little concerned about Mike and me because we have been known to get a little rowdy when together. It’s usually Mike’s fault. I promised we would behave. I guess no Jim Beam and Coke on the trip!

At 2:45 PM this afternoon Mike Dankert arrived at the Austin airport. When I pulled into the pickup lane, I saw Mike waiting. He looked fit and trimmer than the last time we were together, and I immediately thought of our younger days.

Once Mike was settled into the guest bedroom we sat at the kitchen table to review the itinerary and the locations we planned on visiting. I poured our first drink of Makers Mark and soda water, and we toasted to the 13 platoon brothers that didn’t come home. We talked of family and our expectations for the upcoming trip to Vietnam. During the discussion of our trip, we had several more drinks to ease our apprehension of returning to Vietnam.

We have moved past our younger days of drinking Jim Beam and Coke. If I remember correctly, I introduced Mike to what would become our favorite drink, Jim Beam and Coke, at our first stand-down, June 1969, in Chu Lai.

​Mike and I have been talking and drinking for hours. We have almost finished our bottle of Makers Mark, and we are having a great time talking about life, our families and our time together in Vietnam. The stories never get old. Chuck and Dusty, you are in our thoughts.

My trip back to Vietnam is four days away. Today Sherrie, my wife, and I went out for lunch and then shopping for some last minute items for the trip. Before I knew it, she had me in the sporting goods and hunting section of the store, and she started looking at survival gear.  I couldn’t hold back the laughter while she picked up different items asking if I needed it for the trip. It’s the thought that counts. I do hope I don’t need any survival gear while in Vietnam!

I believe that I’m ready for the trip. I have all the reservations made, clothing and gear that I will need for the trip. I know it will be hot while we are there. The weather forecast is 95º F during the day and 77º F at night with 80% humidity. I'm already sweating.
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Mike Dankert flies into Austin Tuesday, June 12 and David arrives Wednesday, June 13. The three of us will depart from the Austin airport Thursday morning June 14 heading to Vietnam.

Chu Lai was the Americal Division Headquarters. We reported to Chu Lai, at the Combat Center, to be shipped to our units. Wayne, my brother, and I were held at the Combat Center for six weeks before I went to my Infantry unit and Wayne went to Korea. Mike and I first met at the Combat Center, and I got my rear job at the Combat Center before I departed for home. Bill Davenport was my replacement at the Combat Center, performing the duties of Shipping NCOIC.

GOOGLE MAPS
Division Headquarters 
Combat Center 

Military Map 1969