haiku of the day

travel west to far east

towards sweltering heat and rain

ketsana be gone

9.27.09 our Envision Peace statement hangtag for our hats

9.26.09

Ketsana making its way west towards Vietnam...

hopefully will barrel thru prior to my arrival.

Reminder of Oct 1 , 1970 providing road security on a wet, stormy , cold day waiting for the Seabees to drive by while dispensing hot chili...as they had the previous few days...same time. Only this time "Charlie" knew when to strike....they had us...but they overcompensated their morter strikes... overshooting us by 30 yards...

My first time under fire—someone trying to kill me—others—with a lucky direct hit—but lucky for us.

My entries about the past will be minimal I am deciding. I will let this one slide. Memories, like this tropical storm—hit fast—may linger—but not on this blog.

9.25.09

Trip Itinerary.

I will arrive in Ho Chi Minh City on the 29th. I will reunite w/ Nancy that evening and the following day we both will be involved with unique experiences. I will be picked up early on the 30th to visit one of our vendors that manufacture the headwear products we create. This will provide me the opportunity to see first hand how the manufacturer handles our artwork and interprets our templates for cap construction. Nancy has a college fair she'll be participating in throughout the day.

The following is a brief overview beyond day 1:

• Danang- we will travel throughout the region where I spent time as a "grunt"...along the Vu Gia river.

• Hoi An- we will have 2 days of beach time...hoping to surf

• Hue- travel north and spend 2 days in this ancient citadel where the battle of Hue reached TV's across our country in '68..and changed perceptions of the war for an entire nation

• Dong Ha-will visit ClearPath International (http://www.cpi.org/index.php) and deliver donations for their committed endeavors

• Hanoi- 2 days in this French provincial capital.. explore.

• Hong Kong- explore the ancient Kowloon district.

9.23.09

A day after a visit from my friend Ed Stephens. After finding out I will be returning to Vietnam to meet Nancy and hearing that I will visit Clear Path International...he arrived with a 100.00 donation for the agency... their mission-to clearing old land mine ordinance from war torn local areas as well as assist in helping victims of explosions to cope and continue on.
Ed was wounded in 1968 as a young Lt. We shared each of our one and only Memorial Day Parade marches...mine in 1981 in Burlington VT, his just this year in Rehobeth. And what a rich story his was....I will share that story in another entry.

Today I emailed Tim Lunberg. He was on hill 383 when I was. We did not know one another. Our responsibilities and who we answered to were unique under the circumstances but we were on the same outpost nonetheless ...at the same time. It was a hairy spot and there are stories to tell....and I trust I may be able to look up in the direction of this hill when Nancy and I explore the area around hill52 along the Vu Gia river valley.

Nancy now in Shanghai and a bit under the weather. Her schedule is grueling and will continue to be for the next several days. Thank you Skype for the connections that provide the brief respite while separated by the miles and time.