Christmas 71






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Christmas '71 was looking a bit bleak.  After sharing all the "care packages" from home, it looked like Ole Santa might have forgotten us until Christmas Eve morning when a Caribou landed on our strip.  Just as in the "Night before Christmas" we rose from our hooch to see what's the matter, when down came the ramp & these "round eyed" women appeared!


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Now, a horny ole Seawolf knows an op when he sees one & this was one not to be missed!  So, we sum up the situation, I send Richey back to the hooch for a camera while I "recon".  This band of Merry Makers are from Saigon AFVN, out spreading cheer, giving out goody boxes from folks back home, wine, Champaign, what ever.  The blonde in the blue sweater is the disk jockey we listen to on the radio.  Oh, we all had visions of the woman behind the voice! 
Who’da thought we'd ever get to meet her? 


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Now, here's the tactic.  We are chitchatting about something; one line leads to another, till she asks what I'd like for Christmas.  I said a KISS from you would be nice & could Richey take a picture? 
She obliged, and after the 3rd "screw up" by my cameraman, & 3rd kiss from her, the deed was done. 
We had pulled it off!


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  Unbeknown to us, a film crew was taping our little scheme.  That night, on TV, broadcast over the delta, was our ploy.
  I learned of this the next time I went to Binh Thuy. 
The comment from the Skipper, "We got’ a get those boys some uniforms & haircuts!"