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Modern-Day_Lee.JPGModern Day Leon "Lee" DixonThings are looking good after Vietnam.
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Dixon-76.jpgThe Magic SlotYep...that's where you stick the head of your 8-track cartridge and record YOUR choice of music. This was extremely "high tech" in its day. The machine is still around and working.
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Dixon-75.jpgAKAI makes The Army Times24Apr68 - Army Times does an article on the new Akai 1800-SD. This was like reading science fiction at the time. Bought one and sent it home. Can't tell you how many tapes I made after I got home....
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Dixon-74.jpgThe magic of AKAII purchased the red-hot Akai 1800-SD tape recorder that recorded 8-track tapes. The price back then was $238.
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My_GTO.jpgGot me one too!When I got home, I indeed traded in my Ford XL convertible for a new GTO.
Here I am with my GTO convertible. It was loaded with everything I could put on the form! I often said that dreaming of owning that car is a lot of what made me want to survive!
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salesinvoice.jpgA Father's PromiseOne of our Commo guys said his dad promised him something. If he would just stay alive and make it home, his dad would buy him a new GTO. Sure enough, when he got home, there was a brand new red GTO waiting for him! THAT got my fires going. I learned through the PX guys that I could order new cars at a military discount! I ordered a new Pontiac GTO convertible. Here is the first of several (modified) orders I made. And check that price! NOTE that the form states it is ordered from Viet Nam, and gives an "APO" address.
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Jet.jpgChina/Taiwan AirlineMany of us had never seen a "China Air Lines" jet before, thinking of the bitter enemy at the time, "Red China". It caused a little stir and a lot of cameras were clicking away as it rolled past. But Taiwan is the base of China Airlines.
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Dixon-Hospital.jpgC-141 StarlifterGot violently ill one night and went into a coma at Qui Nhon. This beautiful bird evacuated me to the Phillipines. On the flight, I saw a guy on a stretcher suspended on the next tier up. When his sheet fell off, I saw that he had lost both legs and left arm. I was partially paralyzed at the time and didn't know if I was going to live, but I remember thinking how lucky I was compared to him. I often wonder what happened to this brave soldier.
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LD-6.jpgCommo Buddy on patrolThis is another Commo buddy out on patrol...name forgotten.
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LD-5.jpgHoganOne of my Commo buddies, Hogan back at Camp Enari in Pleiku shortly before returning home 1968... note the clean, pressed jungle fatigues!
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LD-4.jpgPatrol Training - 2One of my buds was walking one of these dikes in a rice paddy when he stepped on a VC landmine. It was NOT a pretty experience...
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LD-3.JPGPatrol TrainingWe were sometimes forced to go on patrols periodically by a sergeant who was a hard-ass and thought it was "good training" to keep us on our toes so we in Commo wouldn't get too soft out there in the field! Of course, good 'ol sarge was bunked up cool, safe and dry back at Montezuma when we were out crawling around in the jungle, wading through mud, being devoured by bugs, traversing rice paddies, sleeping in foxholes, dealing with "charlie" and... well, you get the picture.
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