Parade in downtown Saigon, Vietnam, November 1, 1966"

Here is a quick synopsis of the parade.

After we "bitched", we were told we would be getting an armored vehicle for support.

We were also told there would be a Marine unit near us.  Uh huh!

When we got to the parade location we were to be at, which by the way was several hours BEFORE the parade was to start and located right on the river road, right near the My Canh Floating Restaurant.

We found ourselves talking with the Marines, A BAND!!!

There were also Navy personnel there in their dress Whites!

They were all carrying M-16s. They told us that they had NEVER even seen the weapon before this day! AND they did not have any ammunition for the weapons!!

We gave them a very rapid and quick training session on the weapon and told them if we came under fire, we would give them each one magazine and to NOT shoot at us as we were the GOOD GUYS.

Then the Armored vehicle showed up. It was a 716th MP Jeep with 1/4 inch plate steel around it and an M-60 mounted. Three MPs HOOORAY!! WE ARE SAVED.

While all this was going on, was when we had the firing begin.

Also noticed on a building roof top about a block away, by me and a couple others of the 377th, was a guy with what looked like field glasses.

We asked the MPs if they had any rooftop snipers or other personnel for parade safety, they replied NO.

We pointed out the guy on the rooftop and the MPs took off towards that location and also on their radio. The jeep came back later, but the MPs said they were not able to find out what went on as they were ordered to return to our location.

We heard about the Navy Commander Doctor and Navy Corpsman thru the MPs radio. Actually, how they explained it was when a Navy guy came up and asked what was going on regarding the shelling. One of the MP's said, "well, lets put it this way. There are currently two openings in the Navy, one for a Doctor and one for a Corpsman."

Kinda crude and rude, but the Navy troop got the point.

I read where it said the VC were shelling from boats in the river, which some may have been doing, but I do recall seeing a couple of airstrikes at locations across the river in the leading edge of the jungle there.

When we started the parade (about 1 1/2 to 2 hours LATE) because we found out later, the "bigwigs" were debating about the "smarts" of having this parade. Hummmmm, wonder why?

The Marine Band was two groups ahead of us, the Navy guys in front of us and the MPs jeep behind us.

There was also a NEW IN COUNTRY, Army Infantry division and I want to say it was the 4th ID.

Along with all of us marching, were Vietnamese troops AND BOY AND GIRL SCOUTS.

PLUS several hundred former VC, now known as, "Chu Hoi's." Basically, Chu Hoi's were those who decided to leave the VC and come back "to God and Country".

The parade route was LINED with both concertina wire and ARMED Vietnamese troops.

The wire in front of the public, the troops behind them. Possibly to keep them all safe, but I doubt it. More like, we need bodies to fill in space and look "happy and cheerful".

You know, that political type stuff.