Fifty-four years ago today, I was in training on the Island of Okinawa. This training was for a new tactic specifically designed to surprise the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the Viet Cong. Marine strategists determined we had to get the upper-hand in the land war and so, Special Landing Force Alpha (SLF Alpha) was created.

For ten straight months, as part of SLF Alpha, I went on operation after operation and was not given R&R (Rest and Relaxation) until after ten months of being in country.  In late December, 1967, I was finally given orders to go on R&R in Bangkok, Thailand for what turned out to be five days of incredible fun.

On my return back to the DMZ area, where my Company was engaged in constant combat, I found myself passing through the Da Nang Air Base.  While passing through, I overheard a couple Marines talking about the Bob Hope Show. It was going to be presented there the next day.

I made the decision to disobey my return orders and stay an extra day for the show. By the end of the show, all attending sang Silent Night and there wasn’t a dry eye on anyone. Recently, on YouTube, I found a shortened version (5 minutes) of the very show I attended and am posting it for your enjoyment.

I’ve also posted a short, touching piece of an award ceremony given in honor of Ann-Margret for her contribution to our country and our troops. Although she is not featured in the video above, Ann-Margret was there in the show that I intended. She was incredibly beautiful and all the soldiers adored her. In fact, they still do, to this day.

I spent the entire night before the show squatting with my M-16 in the seat that I wanted; first seat, first row. The next day, I was confronted by two Military Police who wanted me to surrender my seat to “the brass”. Defiant, I almost got myself thrown in the brig.

Though I had to move about ten rows back, I got to see the show. When I returned to my platoon, I was excited to tell of my adventures, but I found everyone unusually somber. As it turns out, while I was enjoying my five-day reprieve, they were going through hell without me.

There’s much more to this story, which is featured in my forthcoming book. The book, which formerly went by the working title, 13 Months, will now officially be titled On Full Automatic: Surviving 13 Months in Vietnam and is scheduled for release this coming June.