Vietnam Trip – Monday, June 18, 2018

This morning Bihn picked us up on time and we headed south. Our first stop is FSB Debbie. Driving along highway 1 we passed the hill Bruce Tufts died on, and I said my goodbye one more time.

Once we arrived at Debbie, it took 15 minutes or more to get ourselves oriented. We walked up to the base and knew we couldn’t go any further. We decided to go on to the rice bowl where the action occurred on July 2, and the track hit a booby trap several days later. I got us going in the wrong direction, so we needed to turn around. It was at this point we realized we were at the north-west side of Debbie. We stopped at the south side and took more pictures, and the terrain started to seem more familiar.

We then drove to the July 2nd location and found that portion of the rice bowl had completely changed. There is a dam in the middle of the section and the area where we fought that day was under water. And the location where the track exploded was on the backside of the dam. I still sorry for Mike because he was one of three that was assigned to remove the bodies from the track.
On the dam we found a group of teenagers hanging out, and they shouted and waved at us, just like teenagers in the US. When I approached the edge of the dam railing, I stepped into a pile of water buffalo poop, and the group of teenagers started laughing. Heck, I had to laugh with them because it was funny.
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Mike and I talked about the events that surrounded Debbie and Rice Bowl. We decided to drive on to Fire location, FSB Charlie Brown and the bridge.
I will post more after dinner.

Mike walking along the base of Debbie.

Fire Support Debbie. This was the second FSB that Mike and I served on.

Another view of FSB Debbie.

Mike and I with FSB Debbie in the background.

​The Rice Bowl where the action of July 2 occurred. Now under water. We are standing on a dam.

Another view from the dam.

Mike and I at the Rice Bowl where the action of July 2 occurred. Now under water. We are standing on a dam.

Mike and I standing on a dam and to our rear near the tower, over MIke's left shoulder, is where the track hit a booby trap.

​The group of teenagers at the dam. They laughed at me because I stepped in the water buffalo dung.