University of Virginia Library

Taking Pictures

Another time, also in Hue, I was
leaning out of a jeep taking pictures
when suddenly a little brown hand
grabbed the camera and started to
run away with it. Happily, the strap
was around my neck, but the
skinny culprit was gone almost before
I saw his face.

Every American in Vietnam can
tell a stories like these and dozens
more.

And this contempt and suspicion
easily turns into hatred.

Another story, more dire: A
friend, a forward observer, and a
couple enlisted men were patrolling
with an ARVN (Vietnamese) company.
My friend and his party
spotted a VC, platoon; so informed
the ARVN and proceeded to call in
artillery fire. Just before the firing
was to start, my friend turned
around and saw that the ARVN had
left - leaving three lightly-armed
GI's in the middle of nowhere
beside 30 enemy soldiers.