"Tet."

Like any festival held in various parts of the world, including SOUTHEAST ASIA, the celebration starts and ends up with a "BANG'. These "BANGS" were made mostly by "FIRECRACKERS, ROMAN CANDLES and any other man-made contraptions that could make loud noises with a "BIG BANG" impact. Being new in VIETNAM, this is what I've expected. However, the "TET FESTIVAL" that I've experienced in SOUTH VIETNAM, was not in it's normal script. The "BIG BANGS" that I've heard during the dark hours of 28 January 1968 were not from "FIRE CRACKERS" nor "ROMAN CANDLES", and rather, these "BANGS" were louder and deadly. These "BANGS" were made by live MORTARS, B40 ROCKETS and VIETCONG'S AK-47 aimed on all U.S. and SOUTH VIETNAMESE military and government installations, including our RIVERINE HEADQUARTERS at MYTHO,SOUTH VIETNAM. This shower of live MORTARS and ROCKETS started shortly after MIDNIGHT and continued until the dawn of the new day. This was too "BLOODY" to be a festival, rather, it was a "MILITARY OFFENSIVE" executed by NORTH VIETNAM'S REGULAR ARMY together with the communist guerillas of SOUTH VIETNAM or "VIETCONG". This "OFFENSIVE" was concieved and masterminded by non other than GENERAL BO NGUYEN GIAP [SUPREME MILITARY COMMANDER OF NORTH VIETNAM] with no other goal but to destroy all US and allied military forces and destabilize the current SOUTH VIETNAMESE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT. Needless to say, this "offensive" was patterned with the "BATTLE OF BIEN BIEN PHU", where in he (Giap) emerged the victor against the FRENCH ARMY. This victory ended the colonization and rule of the FRENCH GOVERNMENT over the "FRENCH INDO CHINA" which is now the modern day "VIETNAM". However, to dwell on past "KUDOS"did not work to GIAP'S favor. GENERAL GIAP'S expectations for another "BIEN BIEN PHU" did not unfold. He (GIAP) now realized that it is not the FRENCH ARMY that he is faced with. Undermining the resiliency of the UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES is like "PISSING AGAINST THE WIND ". This he soon found out.


In retrospect, there were no peculiar nor obvious incidents that could be describe as harbingers of the '68 TET OFFENSIVE. It was the usual traffic and same faces in the Mekong River. A reddish hue covers the horizon as the sun starts to descend in the west. In my years at sea this foretells a fair weather for tommorrow, and I am truly looking forward to it. As I head towards MYTHO after a days patrol, my mind was full of anticipation for what tomorrow may bring. With all mooring lines secured and all the maintenance checks were done, I told my crew to call it a day and head up to the mess hall to catch the last serving of the evening meal. This was 27 January 1968. In the mess hall, the ambiance was the usual fun with the "Head Cook". I can't remember his name. I think it's MS1 JOHNSON, an African American with a grumpy attitude on late meals. Knowing this, EN2 DAVIS, myself and crews of PBR 139 and PBR 142 intentionaly take our time in eating our meals. He (JOHNSON) continuosly remind us about the closing time. Each time he does this, we just continue our meals without minding him. And this really pisses him off, nonetheless this is what we really want. A few minutes after closing time, we will all stand up and often EN2 Davis will make a comment about the meal and laughter soon followed. Hearing this, MS1 Johnson's reply were always these words,"YOU ASSHOLES WILL COME LATE AND EAT MY CHOW AND STILL COMPLAINS. NEXT TIME GO TO THE MOTHER-F__KING CUU LONG' (Cuu Long is a local restaurant). With this , all of us will burst into laughter including MS1 Johnson himself. He will shake his head and make a pushing gesture of his hands and walk off. I am sure that he knew that after a day's patrol we just want to have fun, and Johnson played along with us. Having "Combat Rations" or "C-Rats" day in and day out, night in and night out, any cooked meal is a luxury for us. Considering the make shift galley and the wartime conditions that we are in, MS1 Johnson did his very best to serve us this 'LUXURY'. I am trully grateful to him for that. The "Fun" that we had with him will always be a part of my Vietnam experience.


After a cold shower, I quickly jump in my rack hoping to get a good start with my sleep. In this humid weather, the best time to hit your rack is right after a cold shower, while your body temperature is still cool. If you can't catch a sleep at this stage, it will be hard to catch one when humidity starts to set in. I said "Goodnight" to my crew; said my prayer and hope for a safe patrol the next day.


The noises were unfamiliar. It was still too dark and I'm sure that it was not 'CHICKEN MAN' that woke me up. Sounds of footsteps were echoing on the corridors of HOTEL MYTHO with loud voices that said, "WE'RE HIT, WE'RE HIT'. I jumped out of bed and woke my crew. I told them to dress up and be ready for whatever is coming, because I myself don't have any idea what is going on. Sounds of gunfires are now being heard coming from the streets of MYTHO. Words came about to report to the HEADQUARTERS, with utmost caution because of the firefights between the South Vietnamese Army and the Vietcongs in the streets and alleys of Mytho. The HQ is only across the street and being caught in a crossfire is a high possibility. The Vietcongs have already infiltrated the streets and to be ambushed added more dilemna to our present situation. I looked at my watch and it was around 3:00 AM 28 January 1968. At the HQ, we were told that a rocket landed on the water reservoir on the roof of Hotel Mytho. Fortunately nobody was hurt. We were ordered to get all the boats out of the boat pool. With enemy bombs and rockets falling everywhere, it will be just a matter of time that it will find it's mark and cause casualties to the 'PBRS' tied up in the boat pool. At the same time, driving to the boat pool was as much dangerous itself. Nonetheless, we all jumped into any vehicle available , and without minding the dangers of the present situation, drove as fast as we can to the boat pool. Amidst the sound of gunfire we reached boat pool safely and dashed to our boats. Unfortunately, I had a misfortune jumping into my boat (PBR 142). The deck plate that covers the STARBOARD BILGE PUMP was left open, and my right leg went in. I yanked it out and twisted my knee in the process. Without minding the pain, I ordered my crew to 'CLEAR ALL LINES' and steered PBR 142 out of the boat pool to safety. All the boats converged at the middle of the river to wait for further orders. Soon, orders to resume the scheduled patrols came with words of caution, 'BE VIGILANT AND BE MORE CAREFUL. THIS IS THE TET OFFENSIVE', added to it.


Our patrols that day were longer than scheduled. We remained on station until the coded message was received that informed us that it's akready safe to return to homebase. It was already dark when we reach homebase. Late meals were served and the mess hall was buzzing with all the stories that happened that day. In the headquarters, we were briefed about the other river units that suffered casualties. I was sad upon hearing these reports, because members of my PBR class are attached to some of these units. On the other hand I am glad that RIVER SECTION 532 suffered no casualty at all.


It was a long and hectic day, my mind and body was already feeling it's toll. Beside the busted water reservoir, HOTEL MYTHO was still standing and I can't hardly wait to get into our room. The cold shower took all the stress out of my mind and body. After a short discussion with my crew, I look out of the window and stared at the moonlit sky and said , "Thanks for sparing us today". I hit my rack hoping to hear the voice of "Chicken Man" at the break of dawn as the start of a new day.

The initial wave of the 'TET OFFENSIVE' truly caught the ALLIED FORCES by surprise, particularly the ones stationed up North. "HANOI HANNAH'S' voice constantly covers the VIETNAMESE AIR WAVES blaring about the NORTH VIETNAM REGULARS and VIETCONG'S victories in all battlefields. The siege at KHE SAN, CU CHI and other ALLIED BASES up NORTH as well as the sinking of a YRBM, homebase of a RIVERINE FORCE that patrols the HAM LUONG river, caused sadness to all of us. On the other hand, these reports made us more aggresive. With these, each patrol intensified it's search and inspections of all river traffic without exception. Inevitably, this yielded 'CACHE' of enemies' supply provisions, particularly medicines. These medicines were often hid inside obvious places such as 'BRASSIERES', underwear and inside the loaves of 'FRENCH BREAD' stacked on board water taxis supposedly headed for the public markets. I'm sure that our interventions also caused problems and concerns to the enemies. And as ever, the PBR and crew remained on top of the vietcong's hit list.

Although the Vietcong's activities were rampant, a "HEAD-ON" confrontation with the PBR'S were avoided. The Vietcong resorted to "SNIPERS" taking pot shots at us from the riverbanks. This kept us on edge and vigilance became our top concern at all times. In the midst of all of these, MEDICAL EVACUATIONS of local civilians caught in the middle of AERIAL BOMBINGS of NAPALM became one of our constant chores. The smell of the burnt and blistered bodies often remained stuck in my olfactory nerve for days hence affecting my appetite. Worst of all, most of us suffered LBM (Loose Bowel Movement) for reasons nobody seems to know. For remedial purposes, we were given "quinine tablets". For days we took these tablets. In lieu of this, the headquarters, particularly the mess hall became a bedlam of causation informations. Although we were not given any official reasons, in regards to it's source or cause, most of us believed in one unofficial source. That is-----decomposed bodies of Vietcongs were found at the bottom of the water reservoir wherein our drinking water was coming from. The thought of this still gives me the creeps and make my stomach turn up to this present time.