CHRISTMAS IN NAM

Brothers in front of a Huey D model, again, 47 years later as they were in Vietnam together! Austin was a helicopter pilot and Ray, a Marine platoon leader. 

"Captain, you look like shit. (Joke between us, term of affection among Vietnam vets) Austin looks great. Where is the Huey located? Naturally , I have a war story." 

I logged in lots of hours in a Huey! In Nam, I had a Huey all to myself on Thanksgiving and Christmas. This guy painted a gigantic Christmas tree on the front of the helicopter. It was beautiful, blinking lights, everything. I am amazed that the VC didn't shoot us down. Would you believe that if we did one trip over enemy positions, we did a hundred. Not one time did we take fire. Other choppers were fired on constantly. 

I know this is a stretch but reminds me of the story I just heard of the 1914 WWI ceasefire on Christmas eve between German soldiers and the Brits. It was Christmas in Nam and the VC never fired on us. Good story and I'm sticking with it.