After returning To Ft Meade Maryland to join back up with my unit we all boarded a plane to fly to  San Fran Cisco . We went and stood in line on the docks for several hours waiting to board this huge Ocean Liner ( Merchant  Marine Ship ) USS General John Pope . We stood there with our 50 pound back packs ; our steel  helmets ; our brand new M-16 Rifles and our 100 pound duffle bags in tow . Finnally we managed to board the ship and we found out what our First Sargent  meant when he said he would take care of his men’ses  He had us the Luxery Suite . It was at water level right midway the ship where the least rocking and swaying is . The smoothest ride in the whole ship . Then he showed us what else he could do for his men’ses . The rest of the soldiers that was taking this one way cruise had to KP and Guard Duty . We did neither . Eighteen days from San Fran Cisco to Okinawa the only thing we did was sleep ; eat ; play cards; and shucks we had to keep our quarters clean . Speaking of quarters . We had 80 guys in our outfit and our quarters was large enough to sleep 160 , that meant we could sleep every other bunk , so instead of four high we was only two high . What a Sarge . We stopped in Okinawa for fuel and of course we was allowed to get off the ship to go the club . Boy did we get sick ( Drunk ) we boarded back up and once we got under way again we found out that some one had complained to our Captain that we wasn’t doing anything . So for the remaining ten days of the voyage we had to do an hour of PT ( Physical Training ) and an Hour of Jungle Training every day . Yes Jungle Training on a ship . I know . How did they do that . They dug out the BIG GUNS for that . They dug out some BB GUNS . Yes BB GUNS . They hung tin cans on the railing of the ship so when the ship would rock and the wind would blow the tin cans would swing . Our job was to bring the BB guns up to our shoulder and fire and hit the swinging tin can as fast as we could getting used to being under sniper attack in the jungle and taking quick fire at the enemy not taking time to aim . Once we got to the waters of the South China Sea we made our first stop at Vung Tau and let some troops off . Then it was our turn to go on up the coast to our destination . Qui Nhon . We arrived at Qui Nhon and it looked quite enough but I had seen enough war movies like “D-Day “ and “ Sands of Iwo Jima “ that I knew it wasn’t going to be easy . The landing craft pulled up beside the ship so we could load up and I was nervous  . We all boarded the landing craft and it started to pull away from the ship . We had our 50 pound back packs on ; our steel helmets ; our brand new M-16 rifles and of course our 100 pound duffle bags in tow behind us . The side’s of the landing craft kept us from looking onto shore to see what was there . All we could see was the gate in front of us and each others face looking at each other and a splash of water over the front as we moved along towards the beach . Finnally we felt the wheels hit the land and roll up the beach and the gate let down in front of us . As the gate let down we saw Army Trucks driving back and forth , we saw Viet Namese civilians riding their bikes , we saw American soldiers walking around . I thought to my self “ This ain’t like the movies”

I honestly believe that the closeness I had with my Grandma Beavers and since she passed away while I was home on leave and I didn’t get to stay for her funeral that she was with me as a “ Gaurdian  Angel” while I w3as in Viet Nam