John Hiemstra
Vietnam Diary
Web Page 10
THE BEST OF CHARLIE HORSE
VIETNAM
1 Mar 72 MM
I was on standby all day and during the night too! No flying
though. I was able to make a MARS call home. The call
was short, the connection poor, but fortunately I was able to
convey the important items before the line gave out.
Postscript 10 Jun 77 Texas
I left for R&R in Hawaii on 2nd of March and returned on
the 20th, fully expecting to finish out my year tour in
Vietnam which would expire in May of that year. Instead I was
shocked to find DEROS orders dated 2 Mar 72. I missed my
flight to the States while I was in Hawaii! I left
Vietnam on 20 March and arrived at Ft Lewis, Washington on the
same day. I was out of the Army and on my way home to
Portland barely two hours after I had left Vietnam (about a 22
hour flight)! Amazing! I was thrilled to be home and safe!
On 1 April 72, the NVA hit QT province in earnest, using tank
regiments for the first time in a conventional warfare role in
Vietnam. Needless to say the pathetic ARVN forces were easily
rolled out of the way. The final assault that leads to the
fall of the Theiu government in April of 75 began in QT
province on April 1, 1972. Many of my friends were shot down,
some killed, some wounded, in the weeks and months that
followed my departure from Vietnam. Would I have been one of
them if I had not left when I did?