Convoy 3 out of KheSanh Fire Base, Vietnam
All of us who restore and preserve historic military vehicles are implicitly honoring the veterans of the America's armed forces who, at great sacrifice, enable us to now enjoy a standard of living which is the envy of the rest of world. The Green Mountain Military Vehicle Club humbly says thank you to veterans and their families who have answered their nation's call at great personal sacrifice. Let us never forget, amidst our hobby's banter, what our countrymen did for our families with these vehicles, in places far from home. Thanks to the ongoing vigilance of our armed forces, our country remains a place where terrorists have not been able to stop us from raising happy kids in a peaceloving nation. KB
Ride With Me, by Melvin Hodge. Submitted by Jeff Houghton
I was their, I was always on the defense about what I did in Vietnam. The older vets will tell you Truck Driver! What did you do in Nam? I have also heard from Nam Vets. Well bro come ride with me. Ride with me today on QL 19 on the way to Pleiku. Ride with me to An Khe, as we ride on dirt and some pavement left over from the French. Ride with me past the South Viet Compound where they have M16’s, you still have M14’s for which there is no place to put in reaching distance. Ride with me as I wonder if they are using those gun’s on me and my Bro’s. Ride with me past the Korean’s on the bridges and you wonder who was shooting at you last night on An Khe pass as you came back to camp Ride with me to the horseshoe turn at the top of the pass where popasan turned his truck over in the middle of the road and can’t go up or down, start to sweat then. Come with me to the waterfall beside the road to fill your canteen and the 2nd louie hollers at you to get back in your truck and you think, what for it’s a bigger target than I am. Ride with me to the assembly point at An Khe where the MP’s turn the South Vietnamese loose 1st. I never figured out if this was policy to clear the roads of mines or just another way of messing with us. Ride with me in this M52 gas burner that was on its last legs when they gave it to me along with a 5 gallon can of oil. Ride with me as we get to Mang Yang pass, makes you kind of sick to hear the noise, one truck already down, you seen it on the wrecker that the powers be blessed you with. Ride with me as you nurse this piece of crap to the top of the hill praying, lord get me off this pass. Ride with me as you break the top and the hook passes you, one in tow, none for you. Ride with me as the gun jeep pulls up beside of you and the Sgt. Asks “is that all that thing can do?” you think for yourself, can’t he hear that rod knocking. Ride with me as he says 5th Special Forces needs those loads bad, you start to laugh as he drives off, what do they need all that toilet paper for. Ride with me as you start on down the road, noise is real bad now as you wonder if you will get to Pleiku to get the butt reamed over this motor and you wonder how much they will take out of your pay per month to pay for it. Ride with me as you think about how far it is to the Cav tanks, maybe a bridge with 11 bravo’s on guard where you throwed that case of beer off that got you chewed out. Ride with me, it’s getting dark, the tanks have moved out, motor is really bad, if powers that be could read my mind, good thing they can’t, I would never get home. Ride with me, its dark, the motors shot, where’s the gun, where is the steel pot, I wish I had never heard of Viet Nam. Ride with me, I am under the truck trying to hide, this is a French grave yard. Oh man what the hell do I do, nobody here but me. Sgt gets a good cussing in my mind. There is a village down the road where their women run around with no tops on. Stay with me as I hear noise, motors, not tigers growling. As hook arrives he has multi fuel, must have stole it, ask me you ok, never better, got a cigarette, I smoked two packs. Ride with me to Pleiku as we get a can of left over cold water for a shower, those 55 gal drums been empty for weeks!!! Dam, In Coming!!!!!!!! Ride With Me.
