As you can see,the things going on in the picture above are as far away from dancing with a princess as you can get. This picture was taken from one of the hills in the Duc Pho area of Vietnam. The Phantom jet is moving from left to right, towards an area where me and my company are engaged in close combat with the enemy. We were on a search and destroy operation called 'Desoto'. It was the worst combat that I was involved in while in Nam.
Two weeks later I was plucked from this hell and on my way to Taipei Taiwan for a week of what they called R&R. I spent the first four days pretty much wasted, trying to blot out where I had just come from. As I came to on the fifth morning I was resolved to see part of the beautiful country that I was visiting.
I hired a guide at the hotel I was staying in and we were off to see some sights. One of the places we went, was up in the mountains to a popular tourist attraction for the Taiwanesse people. There was a tribe of aborigianal people who lived there and they would perform for the tourists. They had some beautiful stone 'castles' built into the hillsides. We entered one in which some of thier royalty were performing ancient dances. They wanted someone from the audience to come on stage and dance with the Princess. Since I stuck out like a sore thumb (I was the only caucasion) they pointed to me and asked me to come on stage. And I did, reluctantly as my guide urged me on. It was quite an experience, one I will never forget.
Unbeknownst to me my guide had picked up my video camera, (which I had just purchased that morning)and he video taped the whole thing. And then decided not to tell me what he had done. I was to mezmerized while on stage to notice what he was doing.
Fast forward to one year later. I am at home with my family and friends. I have borrowed an 8mm film projector and am in the process of showing my video to everyone. Guess who shows up on the screen. I was more shocked than anyone. I didn't realize that the Princess and I had been taped.
I would love to share a picture of that unusual event, but the video was destroyed in a house fire that I lived through. And that can be the subject of another blog posting. X.
I'm sorry I didn't get to see it. Sounds like you had an experience of a lifetime. I know what it is to lose your treasures in a fire. I lost all my photos. Only have one photo of myself as child standing between my dad and his twin...and then came from a cousin who found my tree on Ancestry.
ReplyDeleteMary
Serving is very Honorable. At least that is what I keep telling myself as my son continues with his plans to go to school and then join the Marines.
ReplyDeleteI've never been through a fire but I have lived through a flood. How destructive and creative at the same time.
what a memory... and thank you so much for sharing...unfortunate that you had to lose your pictures in the fire.... Yet sometimes our memories in our mind are just as good.... The good thing is that you made it out... as always look forward to that story.
ReplyDeleteMary, I'm glad you found some of your kin. I've always had a ton of relatives, can't imagine what it would be like to have so few. X.
ReplyDeleteWick'd Stitches, I was a Marine and still am in my heart. If he is determined to join the military there's not much you can do. He has time yet and may change his mind. X.