Vietnam war

[Colin Watson]

Hi John.Around that time I met a guy,it was either at the MN Hotel in Lancaster Gate or at Marconis office in East Ham.From what I remember he was on a Shell tanker going up the Mekong with avgas etc etc and said they were mortared by the Vietcong and a mortar landed on the deck but didn't explode.I seem to remember they got danger pay but only in the war zone which was probably a few days a time so probably not worth it for the risk.I will follow any other replies with interest.All the best for 2023.Colin

[Peter Harris]

Texaco we’re also running into Vietnam using their converted T2,s. I sailed in a couple after and found lots of stuff like helmets, flack jackets in the focsle. Also a few patched bullet holes around the bridge

[Tony Taylor]

Hi John.Around that time I met a guy,it was either at the MN Hotel in Lancaster Gate or at Marconis office in East Ham.From what I remember he was on a Shell tanker going up the Mekong with avgas etc etc and said they were mortared by the Vietcong and a mortar landed on the deck but didn't explode.I seem to remember they got danger pay but only in the war zone which was probably a few days a time so probably not worth it for the risk.I will follow any other replies with interest.All the best for 2023.Colin

Double pay on entering Vietnamese waters until leaving, minimum of three days paid. Once the yanks started bailing out it dropped to 50% extra when it was arguably more dangerous. Running to Da Nang and Nha Trang at that time we only got a small dinghy with a machine gun for "protecting" us. That is why we kept the main engine turning slowly and had fire axes standing by the mooring ropes (on buoy moorings and discharging through subsea pipeline " so we could let go and run quickly if necessary.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Vitaly.
Just for politics, the French were being thrashed by a rag tag army of civilians fighting for their homeland, the Americans went in to help maintain the status Quo.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Vietnam war, a war between Russia on the Nortrh and USA on the south.
Just used Vietnam as the fighting grounds.

[j.sabourn]

Quite correct Vitality the USSR or CCCP in their own alphabet , the Union of the Soviet Socialists Republics consisted of the Republics as you say. 6months previous to arriving in the Vietnam area had been in. Poland and that country was garrisoned and under military control by Russian troops . A lot of people today forget these facts. JS

[j.sabourn]

I am sure most people would agree with you , those who don’t are still seeking what they consider power over their fellow man ( or woman being politically correct) in some parts of the world. JS

[j.sabourn]

As a person myself I do not vote for any particulat party in any particular form of politics they all have different things on offer and more adaptable to different types of country and how far they have arrived In Their evolution. China the oldest civilised country of all of us , I can see they were better than they were for century’s under feudal warlords, under communism ,and in years to come will likely bemuch more capitalised than it is today. I dont vote for politicians I vote for people and stay off the despots or who I consider such . However is a discussion without end and best left to each generation to muck up. Cheers JS

[john walker]

Vietnam war, a war between Russia on the Nortrh and USA on the south.
Just used Vietnam as the fighting grounds.

I think John that you are forgetting the money arms,manpower and influence of the Chinese in that conflict.

[j.sabourn]

#44 I sailed with Chinese on two different vessels in two different companies over a period of nearly two years.I found them good to sail with as long as you were straight with them . I was taken by them to the Chinese quarter in Singapore and probably know more than the average about how they live. Although they sailed out of HongKong they did not live there , they came from different provinces in China and very often spoke different dialects ate different foods etc. Mandarin the common language for all , most did not even speak . They make very good friends but I would hazard very bad enemies . JS