The Contraband story: A Tale from 1968
(Once upon a time, in a land far, far away)
In the early spring of 1968, our battalion’s Post Exchange (PX) inventory faced a shortage. Colonel House gave me the task of investigating the delay in the shipment of three PX containers, which were fully loaded and awaiting transport from Da Nang to Dong Ha. Accompanying me on this mission was the PX clerk, whose familiarity with the individuals and paperwork involved proved invaluable.
Amidst this mission, an unexpected opportunity arose to help an officer from another battalion, adding an unexpected twist to our endeavors. Join me as I recount the tale of unraveling the mystery behind the PX shortage and the unforeseen events that unfolded along the way.Day One
Upon our arrival in Da Nang, we wasted no time in initiating efforts to hasten the shipment process. The primary cause of the delay became evident: a prohibition on transporting non-combat essential materials, attributed to the heightened combat activity in the I Corps area. In response, I directed the PX clerk to proceed to our local battery area, G-29th Searchlights, and await further instructions from me.
Meanwhile, I secured lodging at the bachelor officers’ quarters (BOQ) in Camp Tien Sha and prepared for an indefinite stay.
Despite the imposed shipping ban, my determination remained unwavering. I was resolute in my commitment to finding a solution to transport the PX containers to Dong Ha.
Following supper and a casual evening movie in the courtyard, I had to pass through the TV room of the BOQ.
While passing through I exchanged nods and greetings with an Army officer engrossed in watching television.
As I proceeded down the hallway, a flicker of recognition sparked within me. Intrigued, I retraced my steps, compelled to confirm my suspicion.
Upon my return to the room, I engaged the Army officer in conversation, inquiring if he recognized me. He acknowledged a sense of familiarity but admitted difficulty in placing where he knew me from. For the next five minutes, we engaged in a mutual endeavor to unravel the mystery of our shared connection.
Eventually, the pieces fell into place: we both hailed from Livonia, Michigan, and had graduated from Bentley High School in the same year. Despite attending the same school, our paths had never meaningfully intersected beyond passing each other in the hallway.
Intrigued by our newfound connection, I seized the opportunity to inquire about his current unit of service, asking, “What unit are you serving with?”
“Here’s the surprise: he was in an Army boat transportation company, and they had a boat slated to leave for Dong Ha in just three days. The cargo? A pontoon bridge, leaving plenty of room for more items.
However, there was a hitch: “You won’t be able to slip those PX containers onto our boat without the nod from our commanding officer,” my newfound acquaintance warned, diplomatically glossing over his choice of words. ‘And let me tell you, he’s a tough nut to crack. He’ll expect something in return for the favor.
’Considering I had nothing to lose, I resolved to test the waters with this ‘tough cookie’ tomorrow. Who knows, maybe he’s more of a ‘pussycat’ than he appears. By the way, did I mention anything about shipping restrictions yet?”
Day Two
The following morning, my companion and I made our way to his company headquarters. I was introduced to the company commander, a captain displaying a high level of self-confidence.
I was able to establish a friendly conversation. I wanted to learn more about his attitude and motives when he discloses what he wanted. Also to evaluate the dynamics within the company. To my surprise, the captain’s request was rather unexpected: he wanted a 3.5 rocket launcher.
Despite my attempts to dissuade him, emphasizing the hazards of using such a weapon, especially onboard his vessel, he stayed steadfast in his decision.
Bowing to his demand, I assured him that although obtaining such an item could be a considerable challenge, I could indeed obtain one for him.
His eyes gleamed with anticipation. And for a moment or more, I’m sure I saw vertical pupils in his baby blue eyes.
The next couple of hours were dedicated to planning and coordination, each member of the team contributing their expertise to ensure the success of our endeavor.
I returned to the BOQ courtyard to bask in the feeling of success in the near future.
As I was strolling around the BOQ courtyard basking in my anticipation of success, I noticed another 1LT sitting at one of the tables. I strolled over his way and introduced myself and asked what brought him to the area.
His mission was to secure a replacement generator(electric) for his battalion. He confided to me that he had found one that was about to be returned to the United States.
He had been assured that he could have the generator if taken after normal working hours. (and a couple bottles of hooch). The generator was scheduled to be shipped out in about three days.
Unfortunately, he had not been able to secure the use of any transportation equipment.
I told him that maybe I could help. I called my PX clerk and explained the problem. I asked him to see if our unit could be of any help for him.
The response from our unit’s personnel was extremely heart-warming. They offered to provide a truck and driver at our convenience for the next couple of days. They also confirmed that they could secure the generator until the lieutenant’s unit could provide transportation out of the area.
We all agreed that we would execute this caper the following night.
During the remainder of afternoon, I got to thinking, I’ve been in Da Nang less than 2 days and already I’m involved in two questionable capers.
Am I that good or just lucky
I guess I’ll find out within a couple days.
I’ve heard it said that “you never know what you can’t do, until you do”.
Day Three
As the morning and afternoon hours slowly became evening, the events began to unfold. Our Da Nang battery provided us with one truck & Jeep. The truck was positioned about half mile from the Navy entrance. The Jeep driver picked my friend and me up at the BOQ and took us to where the truck was station.
The lieutenant rode in the truck into the Navy staging area and made sure the correct sailor was on duty. Everything was as we expected. The generator was loaded on the truck and returned to our battery area.
The lieutenant joined me outside the gate. Our driver took us back to Camp Tien Sha.
The next day, we went to the battery area to oversee the unloading of the generator for storage until transportation could be arranged.
Now Back to my PX Container problem
Day Four
Mid Morning
The boat is at the shore loading area with ramp down and ready to load cargo. Navy personnel in charge of shore operations are now engaged in discussions with our boat skipper about the coordination and details of the loading operation
I suspect that our skipper is also being reminded about the ban on transporting non-combat material.
Shortly after the loadmaster leaves the area, the skipper summons the trucks transporting the PX containers to the boat.
A Navy forklift operator comes by and transfers the PX containers to the aft end of the cargo area
Shortly thereafter, the pontoon bridge is loaded in front of the PX containers thus reducing their visual presense.
Everything appears to be going pretty good so far. THEN:
The captain of the army boats arrived to travel with us to Dong Ha to be assured he gets the 3.5 rocket launcher.
It gets even worse! Here comes the loadmaster (out of nowhere). The captain ducks into the cabin of the boat to conceal himself. If he gets caught with the contraband onboard: guess who takes the wrap.
Luckily, he does not know the captain is aboard. He realizes that if he orders the PX containers off, he will have to take the bridge off first and then reload it.
The loadmaster and skipper get engaged in a very heated discussion. Finally, the loadmaster steams off and leaves the area.
The skipper orders the crew to duty stations and leaves the shore loading position
Remaining in the harbor, we anchor for several hours of sleep prior to departure to Dong Ha.
Day Five
We left the harbor between 2400 in 0300 hours, and arrived near our river entrance around noon.
The crew took about an hour to transition to combat readiness. The Dong Ha landing is about 15 miles up the river.
Upon arriving at the landing zone in Dong Ha, we discover an open spot where we can beach our boat. The loadmaster informs us that it will be 4-5 hours before they can unload our cargo. The skipper then returns to the boat.
I used the radio to call my unit and request a jeep and driver be sent to my location. Meanwhile, the captain decides to search for an old friend who is stationed in Dong Ha. He has no idea where or unit. (good luck, Charlie)
Locating a rocket launcher wasn’t much of a challenge; we had nearly thirty of them in our supply hut. To be honest, I had known this all along. After retrieving the rocket launcher, I headed back to the boat landing to deliver it to the skipper for the captain.
To my surprise, the boat had just finished unloading and was backing out to return to Da Nang. I shouted to the skipper, “What about the captain?” He yelled back, “captain who?”. When I asked about the rocket launcher, he responded, ”We don’t want it, you keep it “. And so, I did.
As I journeyed back to my battalion area, I couldn’t help but think about the situation. I realized that I didn’t know how to find the captain, and he likely didn’t know how to find me either. It all seemed a bit ironic to me. Despite the potential comedic value for his company, I found the situation to have a certain poetic quality.
I also had a feeling that I would be telling this story more often than the captain.
Epilogue
The mission only took five days, which is not too bad for this type of complex mission. Everything came together almost flawlessly. The success was the result of good luck and great cooperation between all of the personnel involved. Especially that of the Army boat company.
I allowed the PX clerk to take couple of days off to spend some time at Da Nang with our local battery for a little bit of in-country R&R.
The captain got a two-day pass and a free boat ride to Dong Ha and a free airplane ride back to Da Nang. Unfortunately, he didn’t get a rocket launcher. I do not know if he ever found his friend. But surely, he must have learned something from the experience.
When Col. House asked how I managed to get everything shipped so fast, even with all the restrictions in place, I just gave him my best innocent smile and said, “Professional secret.” Then, with the same smile, I added, “Restrictions? I must’ve missed that directive.” He gave me a nod and a smile — the kind that said he wasn’t fooled, nor surprised.