One of the reasons I would never have survived in the bush is that I have no sense of direction and never pay attention to where I have been, where I am, or where I am going. A friend accompanied me from Dong Tam to Saigon when it was time for me to go home. We rode in a chopper to Tan Son Nhut, caught a lambretta to the hotel where I left my luggage and caught a taxi back to Tan Son Nhut so he could fly back to Dong Tam. I waved as his chopper lifted off, then turned and realized that I had no idea of where the hotel was or even the name of the hotel. Leaving Vietnam was, for me, even more emotional than arriving and I suddenly felt totally alone and unprotected. I started walking in no particular direction and saw an American ambulance, which I promptly flagged down. I explained my situation and told them that the only thing I remembered about the hotel was the fountain (see next picture). They drove me around for awhile asking if anything looked familiar and finally returned to their base to look at a map. After discussing it, they decided they knew where it was and took me there. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the kind gentlemen who helped reunite me with my luggage and get me safely out of Vietnam. It meant more to me than they will ever know. |