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Mirrors on the Ceiling

Created on: 05/11/16 09:50 PM Views: 4450 Replies: 9
Mirrors on the Ceiling
Posted Wednesday, May 11, 2016 09:50 PM

Once again, there have been some requests to add more stories on this site....I do enjoy hearing from long-ago friends who have been responding to them (the stories).  I hope you don't mind. 

Vietnam seems so distant now, but we were all touched by it in one way or another, and its memory lingers.  And there was also Laos....

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Where Burma, Laos, and Thailand converge at the confluence of the Ruak and Mekong Rivers in Thailand's northwest, their emerald-green landscapes, dappled in gold in the late-afternoon sunlight, seem to meld together into a velvet tapestry--the Golden Triangle.

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Steady and foreboding, the churning water of the broad Mekong takes on the color of milky coffee and continues on away from the Ruak as a transient passage of time with a torrid history, a meandering waterway evoking the demons of the opium culture through slow-moving channels into Cambodia and Viet Nam, filtering upheaval and decay into tranquil, beguiling pastoral serenity.

Image result for muddy mekong in laos images

 

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Gems of the Mekong River | Travel Blog | Red Savannah

 

 

There were more bombs dropped on Laos during the "Secret War" than in all the bombings in World War II combined....

Image result for laos bombings images

 

Image result for laos bombings images

 

Bomblets Rained on Laos

People in Laos have been living with unexploded ordnance (UXO), most of it from the U.S., for more than 60 years.  Cluster bombs look like balls for play to Laotian children....

 

c_Edward-Winter_Handicap-International_Laos_FindBomb.jpg

 

Ending the suffering caused by cluster munitions for all time - ICRC

 

 

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The Bombing of Laos: By the Numbers - ABC News

 

 

His plane was running smoothly that morning.The F-4 was a splendid fighter jet with great speed and prowess, and the young lieutenant loved to fly it, playfully soaring and dipping and rolling before he set a more serious course away from his carrier group and flew northwards towards the Laotian border.

Just south of an uplifted levee lay his target, a thatched-roof hamlet nestled against a soft green bank of lemon grass and banana trees, and as he closed in on it, his rotary cannon, bombs and missiles armed and ready, jolting explosions of flack came in from the east while bright streaks of tracers flashed by him like Roman candles against the greying sky.

Image result for laos thatched roof hamlet with green fields images

The rice fields below were lime green and fertile. Water buffaloes looked upward. Men, women and children in black pajamas fled in fright.

Image result for lao water buffaloes looking upward images
 
Image result for laotian children and water buffaloes images
 
 
Image result for farmers and water buffaloes in laos rice fields running images
 
Image result for laotian children and water buffaloes images
 
 
Asian mother and her kids in Laos, South East Asia Stock Photo - Alamy

 

 

 

Napalm Attack during the Vietnam War | Vietnam war, Vietnam war photos,  Vietnam

He pushed the jet's nose down and started his bombing run, the rest of his squadron dropping their payloads ahead of him, black smoke and orange flames rising up from the rubble. He bore down further and further taking careful aim, the lethal tracers whizzing by his canopy.  But suddenly he pulled away veering off towards the levee, lifting higher into low-lying clouds, casting his ordinance of bombs and napalm harmlessly into an open earthen pit.

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Image result for us pilot parachutes out from f-4 images

 

Image result for image results vietnam parachuting

He climbed even higher, and as he reached a dark cumulus layer he felt a shudder, the plane suddenly swinging violently sideways and cartwheeling out of control--pinning him back into his seat, his nose burning as if inhaling sea water, his mouth tasting of blood. Pulling the ejection lever he crashed through the plexiglas, the jarring concussion leaving him dazed and helpless, and in the clutches of the cold air as his chute opened and he drifted slowly downward to earth he blacked out, his neck hanging down limply.

 

"The pink
champagne on
ice...."

 

Indolent heat,
Brevity of light,
Bewitching entrails
Of a fighter of fight.

Impudent fool
Fumbling an endeavor,
Haunting phobia
Of the day ending never.

Insanity, immunity,
Amnesty too,
Delighted delegates
Of inmates who flew.

Cries of the banshee,
Decrees outright,
Murderers in the alley,
Alley of fright.

Crackling of bone,
Marrow, and cartilage,
Smoldering matter
Of concepts and carnage.

Relics of altruism,
And nothing behind,
Pity the darlings
Of champions in line.

To Lek,
From Marty (with love)

 

On a blustery day along Pattaya Beach I sat with a young man whose mother had just "gone to Buddha," reading from an old shoe box some of her postcards and letters from a U.S. Navy lieutenant, sorting through some of her things with English notations, offering a translation.

She was my favorite vendor, the lady with only two teeth in her broad smile, whose spicy papaya salads (som tam) often left me languishing in the cooling Pattaya sea.

I pulled out a beaded metal chain from the shoe box and looked at two dangling Monel metal plates emblazoning the name and nickname of the navy lieutenant.  There were also colorful photographs scattered throughout the box, mostly of a young Thai beauty with a robust smile, images of her frolicking on the beach or standing along a roadside with tree-covered mountains in the distance, or snuggling up against a handsome young American who was wearing a flowery tropical shirt in front of a fruit stand at a busy street market.  One particular photo was bent and worn from being held too often, its subjects an enchanting young couple holding hands in front of a sculptured fountain in a luxurious hotel lobby, she in a stunning maroon Thai silk dress, he in his Navy dress whites, each looking outward with gleaming smiles as if the world was theirs.

I remember watching my Thai vendor friend (as the other ladies giggled and laughed) dancing and prancing with one hand held over her head showing three fingers for the three chilies she would add to the tall American's som tam.  While I ate, the lime juice and chili sauce dripping down my chin, I would watch her lovely far-off eyes, deep brown and demure, her weathered face belying the advent of time as she gazed out wistfully over an emerald sea to a china blue sky.

Occasionally a lone jet fighter could be seen banking in the wind, the sparkling glint of a silvery wing catching the bright afternoon sunlight before the plane straightened its course and streaked away into white, billowy clouds.

"And still those voices are calling from far away….”

Image result for a thai beauty in maroon silk dress image
 

Image result for navy officer in white images"

 

 

 

1970s Dog Tags

From Thailand,

Dan(ny)

 
Edited 11/02/23 06:43 PM
RE: Mirrors on the Ceiling
Posted Tuesday, January 9, 2018 05:38 PM

Beautiful photographs and a chilling remembrance of days gone by.

BAK

 
Mirrors on the Ceiling
Posted Wednesday, January 10, 2018 10:37 AM

Persian Gulf & Pattaya Beach

It was Feb. 1991 and my ship, the USS RENTZ FFG-46, was returning from a 6 month deployment to the Persian Gulf.  We had participated in the 1st Gulf War.  We left San Diego in Aug. of 1990 and made port in Hawaii, Hong Kong, and Manila. We operated with the Nimitz Carrier Battle Group in the Gulf of Persia for 4 months and made port in Bahrain, Abu Dabi, Doha, and Muscat.  I was not impressed with the scenery or the climate.  Desert had been transformed by irrigation and millions of $ of landscaping. It still gave the impression of a sterile environment. Everywhere the heat was oppressive.  No native women were in sight wherever we went. We were always given maps that showed restricted areas.  Immigrants did all the work...Indians, Philipinos, Afghanis, Pakistanis, etc.  They lived in compounds especially built for immigrant workers.  The only places we could go were the hotels.  A good Muslim is not supposed to consume alcohol, but we saw that law being broken every night at the bars in the hotels where Muslim men were drinking and spending time with infidel prostitutes.  The dust storms were terrible and hit us even though we were 50 miles offshore.  We had to close all the vents on the ship when they hit us.  I was glad to leave the Gulf.  Our first port visit was Pattaya Beach, Thailand.  We anchored out about a 1000 yards.  Before we knew it, there were 25 or 30 small boats surrounding our ship waiting to pick up thirsty sailors.  When the boats beached on the shore, we had to take off our shoes and socks because there was still a foot or so of water around the boat. Arriving at the beach, it seemed like a hornet's nest had just been disturbed. The bank had opened for business and the people were there to get paid.  There were 100's of people gathering around us. Some were selling souvenirs, some selling food, some selling sex, some begging for money, etc. When we arrived at the first bar on the beach, I was amazed to see two young women in a boxing ring battling it out. That was the entertainment and it seemed very strange.  Everywhere one went, there were small children begging for money.  Groups of prostitues waited patiently for a new client.  The enticing aroma of Thai food (one of my favorites) was everywhere.  It was a world apart from anything that any of us had seen before except when we were in the Philipines.  The beer was cold and the food was great. I can't say that I enjoyed watching the young girls beat each other up.  The next day I left for Bangkok and that is another story.

BAK

 
Edited 01/10/18 10:52 AM
RE: Mirrors on the Ceiling
Posted Friday, February 23, 2018 11:00 PM

Dan,  I guess you served in Vietnam.

I just finished "The Sympathizer," a recent Pulitzer Prizer winner from American Viet Thanh Nguyen.

Excellent and slightly complex

from deborah

 

 

 
Mirrors on the Ceiling
Posted Friday, February 23, 2018 11:31 PM

Hey Deborah,

Thought I would respond to your comment in a timely fashion--9 minutes ago you wrote from halfway around the world.  Love the internet.  :-)

Your description of those early days in Raleigh is a wonderful recollection--Remember having a cherry smash at Troy Johnson's. The old bridge at Lassiter Mill.

That story of yours about the Friday night at the synagogue (beside the Char Grill) on Yom Kippur is a funny one--Number 282, Char Burger and Fries! 

Interesting discovery of my family--finding out my Jewish heritage years after our high school days.  My mother's family came over from Hungary through Ellis Island at the turn of the century (1900).  Rosa Shimon is the name of my very Jewish Great-Great Grandmother.  Funny how things play out.  My New York City relatives are from Hungarian/Irish stock.  My Southern Baptist dad met my mother at the 1939 New York World's fare.  Were married for 66 years!  :-)

I did not serve in Vietnam--my high lottery number changed my course of action.  Was thinking of becoming a Navy pilot, but not sure if I had the courage of a Norman Couns,or a Rusty Petrea. 

Your writing is spot on. 

And so great to hear from you!

Shalom.... :-)

Dan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Edited 08/13/20 04:54 AM
Mirrors on the Ceiling
Posted Sunday, August 19, 2018 12:13 AM

Hey Deborah,

Thought you might like to know....I just picked up a paperback of The Sympathizer which you recommended and am presently enjoying it at a favorite cafe along the river here in Phomn Penh. 

Wonder if someone can locate some of the missing names.....Alex Gordon, Tim Evans, Bruce Holland, Chuck Anderson, John Martin, And so many others. 

Enjoying a bright sunny morning today during the rainy season.

Thanks for the tip.  :-)

Dan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Edited 08/19/18 12:14 AM
RE: Mirrors on the Ceiling
Posted Thursday, August 30, 2018 11:03 AM

Dan,

Wow, you are really getting large amounts of classmates reading your stories. I am envious. Your writing skills are much better than mine. I can't remember when to use semicolons, colons, commas, etc.  Your descriptions are better as well. I'll bet you remember the definitions of simile and metaphor also.

Silvia and I are here in Colorado, and the scenery here in Pagosa Springs is just awesome.  The sky is so blue and the billowy clouds so white it just blows me away.  The contrast between the evergreens, the sky, and the clouds is spectacular. We sold the lot in town and bought a lot 14 miles north of town right under a group of 13,000'-14,000 ' peaks.  To the south of the 1 acre lot we have two lakes and to the north we have a beautiful view of those peaks. Pagosa Peak is the highest of all. We went to The Springs Resort a few days ago for soaking in a variety of temps. There are 15 or more pools, and each has a different temp. from 112 deg. down to 94 deg. F. We were going to keep heading west with our travel trailer to visit my daughter in Portland, but there are 76 forest fires burning in the NW right now and the smoke is terrible up in OR and WA. So we will have to wait and see if we still plan on the trip up there.

God Bless you and the family,

BAK

PS:  I wish I knew how to add photos like your posts. I tried it once, but the photos were rejected. I imagine they were too large.

BAK

 
Mirrors on the Ceiling
Posted Thursday, January 3, 2019 10:45 AM

Hey Barry,

Just read your note...and your tugboat to aircraft carrier story again.

You take a backseat to no one with your wonderful recall of tales from our past. I think you have your own (original) writing style, and it is real, interesting and honest, and good--Hemingway would say what more is there? 

I'm just back from Israel....I couldn't get enough of the Old City of Jerusalem--I wandered around  aimlessly there for about ten days without a smart phone--my usual way. 

Time for another Barry story.  My writing ideas must be wandering in the wilderness.  :-)

Dan(ny)

 
Edited 01/10/20 12:51 AM
Mirrors on the Ceiling
Posted Monday, January 28, 2019 07:25 PM

Hey Deborah,

Here's a acouple of geat photos.  I just attached them to my Hanoi story.

Image result for pow's on the way home 1973 images
Operation Homecoming > National Museum of the United States ...
 

 

 

 
 

American POW's Coming Home

 
Edited 03/27/24 05:18 AM
RE: Mirrors on the Ceiling
Posted Tuesday, January 29, 2019 05:24 AM

You must be very proud having served on that handsome frigate, Barry.

More than pretty cool............... :-)

 
USS Rentz to Decommission after 30 years of service
File photo CARIBBEAN SEA (Sep 12, 2013) –  Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Rentz (FFG 46) conducts boarding and search training during the annual multinational maritime UNITAS 2013 exercise off the coast of Cartegena, Colombia. (U.S. Navy Photo By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Adam Henderson/Released)
USS Rentz to Decommission after 30 years of service
SAN DIEGO - The guided-missile frigate USS Rentz (FFG 46) is scheduled to be decommissioned after 30 years of service in a ceremony on Naval Base San Diego, May 9.
 
    Commissioned on June 30, 1984, Rentz was named after Chaplain George Snavely Rentz who gave his life during the Battle of Java Sea when the USS Houston (CA 30) was struck by a barrage of enemy torpedo fire and sunk.  Chaplain Rentz, in a selfless act of heroism, gave up his lifejacket to a sailor.  For his actions, Chaplain Rentz was awarded the Navy Cross, the second highest award for valor in the United States Navy.
 
    "We have done our very best to honor one of the mightiest battle frigates on the waterfront today. Her legacy will definitely live on through all the stories and significant events that have marked a distinguished and remarkable history," said Cmdr. Lance C. Lantier, commanding officer of Rentz.  "It has been an absolute honor to command this extraordinary ship.  We have always stood ready, put warfighting first and got the job done in true Rentz fashion."
 
    On her final deployment, Rentz conducted Counter-Transnational Organized Crime Operations in the U.S. Southern Command Area of Responsibility and interdicted or disrupted nearly 5,000 kilograms of narcotics valued at $116 million in nine drug trafficking cases.
 
    Vice Adm. Martin Jules Mayer (ret.), Rentz's first commanding officer, is scheduled to deliver the principal address.
    
For more information on USS Rentz click on: