Before taking off from Saigon, I was given a carbine with one 10 round clip. I asked the Army Sergeant, what am I supposed to do with this, make the enemy mad, then surrender? He said, “I agree but, that is all you are allowed.” In event of an airplane malfunction, I would be a sailor, roaming around the jungles of Vietnam in his white uniform, completely untrained, never having fired a weapon in my life, with 10 rounds of ammo. This would be the last time I wore my uniform for 14 months. In the front of the plane was what appeared to be Marine Captain talking to the pilots, I could see he was armed to the teeth a rifle, a pistol, and many extra clips and other equipment. So, I thought in event of any problem, he is my best buddy. As the flight takes off from Saigon, I’m seated in a strap seat along the side of the plane, looking at the cargo, just a foot away. Below are the mountains & jungles of Vietnam. It’s 1964, and few Americans had heard of Vietnam. Eight months before I walked the streets
of Barcelona, Naples, Athens, the Rivera, and I stood on the Acropolis, now I’m in a war. Not bad for a 20-year-old Ionia, Michigan boy. I really had no idea what was going on, heading to a city in the North called Danang, a place few have ever heard of, one I know nothing of, where it is, or why I’m going there. It was called the U.S. Naval Advisory Detachment, in Saigon they couldn’t, or wouldn’t, tell me anything, It was like it didn’t exist. My vague orders said: Activity to which transferred: HEADQUARTERS SUPPORT ACTIVITY, SAIGON, REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM, purpose of the transfer: FOR ADMIN PURPOSES & FURTHER REPORT TO COMUSMAV FOR DU SPEC OPS GP IN A NEW BILLET. After a month in Saigon, I heard the name for the first time just days ago. My security clearance has finally been approved. SK3 John A. Palmer, was disappearing into a world described in the book, “Black Ops Vietnam, MACVSOG, operations known only to the US Embassy in Saigon, the highest military authorities and President Johnson. Everything we did was denied. Upon landing we were picked up by a civilian, myself & the Marine Captain. The Marine Captain turned out to be our units new Doctor. Who says there is never a doctor when you need one? I guess as usual the joke was on me.