My uncle was at Long Bihn in 70-71 said he worked on a depot drove trucks to get them worked on. Greg Reynolds was his name. He can't remember what exactly went on then. He said most were either drinking or doing drugs at the time. Would like to hear some stories from anyone there at the time maybe it could refresh his memory. Thanks so much.
With the countless escapades I've heard and read about, I am thankful that my time in Nam was at Long Binh. I do not know Greg Reynolds personaly, but if he wasn't drinking or doing drugs-why not? The best Heroin was readily available, the best weed, opium etc.etc.etc. Sex, drugs and Rock & Roll were the key elements to survival, contrary to military ethics. PLEASE UNDERSTAND that I am only referring to my particular unit's circumstances ie, Long Binh, supply depot 76P20, no combat, R&R in Australia. "Still Rockin' in the Free World."
Ask your uncle, you would know, too, if he's the father of Tim Reynolds, musician. Tim's an Army brat whose father served at Long Bihn and maybe Can Tho. I happened to be transported to Can Tho (and Long Bihn). I remember a cargo handler at Can Tho named Reynolds, that's all I remember, who I joked with after an especially dangerous flight that day. If he is, what a small world.
The Woodstock Of Vietnam ..... Long Binh. Having come in from the field and line unit, this place rocked,the sex drugs and rock and roll were the down fall of the war. Not only were the Woodstockers in the United States against the war, but once you landed in Long Binh you became anti-war. The only sad thing about it was you knew that everyday and night your fellow troopers were being killed and wounded....what a cluster f..k! Skagman
Long Binh was not always that safe, it saw many of actions, and did see some unreported ones into the 70's.. we all thought we were safe, but things did happen..... these guys, Frank Ramano(NJ)Ricky Joe Mowery(Lubbock TX)The Big Schoss(Kenny)EJ Nance( lost to Agent Orange cancer)Don English(Vermont)Scotty"Tiller" Robb from Scotland..thats right Scotland... John McCAY,Olsen,Ruben Estrada( The Bomber)and myself Skagman to name a few became lost souls in the War.......
HELP us find the remaining "LONG BINH WOODSTOCKER'S," we want to go into the studio and record another album. Sadly, we've already lost a founding member to 'Agent Orange' related cancer. This is 'Scotty' Robb (Angus Young protege) back home in BRAVEHEARTLAND busy rallying the troops for another all out assault on the English. Myself, 'Skagman' & 'Big Schoss' are now in constant contact, by phone and E-mail. I've had reunions with both of them at different times - MAGIC!!!!!! "LONG BINH WOODSTOCKER'S" is also a place to post stories of Sex, Drugs & Rock'n'Roll. Tell us - we understand - we care - we don't judge - we make no apologies for our behaviour (Brit spelling) -and we have no regrets. Let the healing begin brothers, we are here for YOU. LA'ER MAN.
Rickey Joe Mowery, slow talker from Lubbcok Texas, I remember this guy because he was my friend and also we did convoys together and perimeter guard alot... now Ricky Joe liked to get down, Skag and Weed and Speed... now one day he hit the speed vials a little to hard and boy he was flying,3 days worth and when he came down he hit rock bottom,OD time, freaked out,got his *** to the 93rd Evac. where they said his heart rate was off the board and we're lucky to have gotten him their..... thats the last time I saw young Ricky alive and have been searching for him since.. Ricky Joe phone home!!!!
My immediate family, due to my mother's marriage to a Yankee Navy lifer, were stationed in a nondescript place called Adak, Alaska. Not somewhere I wanted to go on my return to the World. Ricky Joe invited me to come to Lubbock, Texas and stay with him and his family, what an incredibly thoughtful gesture. Unfortunately for Rick, he came home addicted. The doctor explained that he could give him heroin, but it would nowhere near match the the potency Rick was used to and told him cold turkey was his only option. Rick introduced me to the Sheriff of Lubbock's son who just happened to be one of Mary Jane's pimps. A memorable trip to Mexico, another one to Clarksville, Texas with a baby doll, outdoor Rock concert and girls. Fond memories in Lubbock. Thanks Rick. WHERE THE F---ARE YOU?
Come together right now...... Rickey Joe Mowery, Don English, Allen Yazel, Olsen, John Paul Jones,Frank Ramano,Tiller Robb, Skagman,Budda, Robison,Garvis Wells,Big Schoss, all those 1st Cav,and 25th Inf Goys that were in our hootch and came in from the field with me.... lets get it together.. we ain't that old brothers... T.O.
Whilst stationed at Long Binh 1970 I kept in constant touch with my Scottish dad who was at that time working in England. I can't imagine what it must have felt like to try to come to terms with the reality that your Scottish son, still a British subject, was drafted only 1 year and 9 days after arriving in the U.S.(just long enough to get used to hamburgers)and now he's in Vietnam. He himself a soldier who participated in the Normandy invasion.I asked him to send a couple of cassettes of the music that was appropriate from Britain at that time, without giving him any clues to assist him in his choices, I was gobsmacked when the tapes arrived and they turned out to be; Paranoid by Black Sabbath, Band of Gypsies by Jimi Hendrix & Get Your Ya Ya's Out by The Stones. Amongst the ****, there's always some sugar. THANK-YOU DAD.
Happy New Years.. Just wanted to say, all kidding aside, all the party noise also... some seriuos and very tragic things did take place in and around Long Binh,it was not all the "cake walk" myself or others posted, we were at war,people were injured and killed..... the days were long,hot the nights on the perimeters were also hot and at times scary.... we did do dumb ****,but we also suppoted the line outfits with their needs to survive..many of us ran convoys to the "hardspots" that our brothers were at.Along the way we saw death and the county side that was at times beautiful and horrible.Long Binh outside the safety of the gates was what Vietnam was really like....a country at war! Redlegs
Dear Long Binhr's, 36 years on and I still have not forgotten my most memorable Xmas present from the Bob Hope show at Long Binh. Myself and a few others, along with Mary-jane laced with opium, were treated to a fine specimen of the female gender by the name of LOLA FOLANA. Thank-you LOLA. HAPPY NEW YEAR to all you HEADS, may your weapon respond accordingly, (with or without viagra) may the women & children in your lives still adore you, your bank balance is always in the black and the V.A. gives you the respect you deserve. Keep rockin in the free world.
I have always had a problem with sex, seems I could never get enough. Variety being the spice of life. I'll never forget what my wife (who has now known me for 26 years, married for 10 of those) said to me as she was driving me to the Orlando airport; "If you never get another piece of *** in your life, you've had more than any other man I know." Not really the sort of thing you want to hear from your wife - I Love You Cherry. Anyway, whores in Long Binh were plentiful, cheap and sometimes even cute. One time in Vung Tua I spent $20 for this hottie, ended up doin a 69. Young, dumb and full of come. Photos forthcoming, supposedly on Dave Rabbit's website. One day after another encounter I got this strange itch in my private area. Had a gander and found 5 of those nasty little creatures. Dug them out with my fingernail, went on sick call anyway - good news, he told me I got them all before the infestation. Put the cream on anyway just to be sure. To this day- no sexual diseases, thank-you Jesus. They say: 'live by the sword - die by the sword.' I've chosen to write, as they say: 'The pen is mightier than the sword' and the only rubber I hope I'll ever need now is on the other end of my pencil. ***** forever.
Hawaii, Thailand or Australia for R&R? Let's try the penal colony and hopefully score some round eyes. 'Big Schoss' (Long Binh Woodstocker) went a few days ahead of me and secured a place to stay with these 2 Aussie lassies, Helene and Margaret. One night Margaret's sister Beryl came over for compassion, she had had a fight with her significant other. Everyone was getting ready to go out that night. I, the good hearted Scotsman, volunteered to stay behind and give comfort and passion, never mind the com, to the distraught Beryl. I wasn't sure anything was going to happen but being a horse racing gambler, I fancied my chances. I lay on the couch and she on the carpet right next to me, watching telly, with her protruding buttocks proudly pointing towards the heavens. Beryl had what we afficionado's call a 'bubble butt,' one of my many life-long addictions. For almost 1-1/2hrs., I anticipated what it would be like to partake in the feast that lay before me. I showed her a woman's diamond engagement ring that I had procured through devious means back in Nam,(another episode, stay tuned) then she showed me her's. The combination of my 21 year old hormones and her pheromones catapulted me upon the throne. To my absolute dismay, the intensity of that whole episode caused me to ejaculate prematurely. Beryl worked feverishly to go for seconds, but it could never match the sheer abandon of a 1-1/2 hr. erection.
One particular night whilst pulling guard duty on the perimeter of Long Binh, I negotiated with a young gook boy to buy 3 vials of skag. It was part obligation and part entrepreneurial to purchase skag & mary-jane for the boys. I paid 85cents per pack for 20 rolled, filtered and cellophane wrapped doobies, named either Gold Leaf or Argus, then sold them for $2.00. For skag I paid $3.00 a vial, this night these vials were for a mate who had a habit - no profit. Between me and the supplier was a berm and a distance of about 20ft. right next to my bunker. Because of the berm I could only see him from the waist up and he likewise. I wrapped the $9.00 around a rock and tossed it over to him and he threw back over to me 3 vials, one at a time. It just so happened that the third vial inadvertently hit a rock and spilled the contents. As he could not see the ground where I was standing he did not witness the spillage. I explained nicely what had happened to the last vial and asked him to throw another one over. His reply was "You lie G.I.," my response was "I'm not lying, I just told you what happened," again he replied "You lie G.I." I locked & loaded and aimed my 16 right at his face and now with genuine anger I shouted, "Throw another one over NOW!, you little gook bastard or I'll blow your ****in' head off" With utter fear in his eyes, before he could finish saying O.K. G.I. the vial was at my feet. His parting remarks were "G.I. NO.10, You dinky dau.
The ladies outside the wire, or should I say the people outside the wire.Of course the workers,mostly women were also whores,drug supplires,money launder's,house girls..whatever we wanted them to be. It was a very hard life for them.Whoring fed them, and their families.Sometimes I think back to the ones that were not whores, but plain women trying to survive this insane war. One I recall, her name was Hoa'( y oui)very cute, clean, a real lady. She would not have sex with anyone,I guess thats why I remember her. She was a hard worker.I have a picture of her, 38 yrs.ago and often find myself wondering if she lived or lives today,and what her thoughts of Vietnam and the Americans was......
You can make all the arguments or innuendoes you choose about drug use in Vietnam, but some of the most profound, logical, cognizant statements I heard and discussions I was a participant in were spoken by men who had travelled that particular road. I still have a cassette recording, 90 minutes long, of events, discussions and hilarity that took place in our hootch, before, during and after partaking in so called illegal substances. I just finished listening to it today, Jan.03-2007, and even after 36 years the maturity and wisdom of some of the participants is truly amazing. The reason they've always gotten a bad wrap is because it supersedes commonplace, conformist, mind numbing military ethics. God knows we can't have free thinker's in the military, we might have permanently closed the Ho Chi Minh Trail, but alas it was not meant to be or maybe a blessing in disguise. Those are the men with whom I was honoured(Brit spelling) to serve alongside.
Ok,That hootch tape says it all. I was their,along with other fine young troopers who just happened to be stoned out of there minds at the time. I listened to that tape a few months ago, and trying to recall all the conversation and make sense of it after 37 yrs was mind boggling.. 90 minutes of madness and a rocket attack close to us that we didn't even take cover for..talk about stoned. I was the "Skagman" you can guess how I got that name..strung out on junk,white magic, the horse,skag, a few names for the lady.At the time I enjoyed her company,she kept me safe,in control of my surroundings, and I made some life long friends who are as straight as an arrow, who joined the rat race,raised familes and have never looked back with sorrow or regrets..I wouldn't trade those days in-country for anything,the good and bad..I am the SKAGMAN.
