A GOPHER

If they wanted something,
I was the "Go-Fer"

Several of the officers at Duc Pho knew I was a techno-geek and that I made regular trips to Saigon. As you might expect, many were the times when I returned to Duc Pho with bags and boxes of goodies from the PX (or BX) there. Officers envied my GE tape recorder that I used and when we saw some of the Japanese electronics goods in the PX, I was (unofficially) required to make a report each month on what I  saw that was new and cool in the PX. The following month  before I got on the C-130, I often had a whole laundry list of things to bring back from the Saigon PX or Cho-Lon BX.  I think I probably got at least 8 to 10 tape recorders for officers- including ones at other units!  And COUNTLESS cameras!  It is always nice to have friends in high places.  Sarge would get pissed when officers were lined up to get in my tent after I arrived back at Montezuma.  But even that changed once he found I could get his favorite expensive aftershave in Saigon- CHEAP!  (Funny how all of the "tough guys" seemed to have an Achilles heel weakness- if you just knew where to find it!).

Doing all this stuff sure took my mind off of surviving.  And I think I made a lot of officers very happy too! You can NEVER have too many friends when you're trying to survive in a war!


submitted by

Leon "Lee" Dixon

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