Chapter Thirty-Eight

 

Thirty-Eight

 

“If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it.”

Marcus Aurelius

 

The mission of the division and the MEF continued, with non-stop planning for contingencies and exercises. The next mission was to be a deployment to Thailand. Elements of the division were to join the 37^th MEU for an exercise called Cobra Gold. The exercise was a longstanding show of force by the US Marines of the Pacific with our nation’s oldest ally in Asia, Thailand. Intelligence briefings for the staff by the G-2 indicated that Thailand was experiencing some internal tension, as large-scale protests had been brutally put down in recent weeks. If the situation escalated and evacuations of American embassy staff or civilians became necessary, the 37^th MEU would have a leading role.

The flight to Thailand took 6 hours, and we sat cramped on nylon covers that had been stretched over a narrow metal frame to create seats. The Pacific is an enormous ocean, and even places considered to relatively close are separated by vast distances. We flew with our weapons and gear, crammed into the back of a C-141 “Starlifter” cargo jet. The C-141 was a workhorse of a transport aircraft, having seen extensive use in Vietnam to move troops into, out of, and around the theater. One of them had been used in 1973 to bring home the last American POWs from Vietnam, earning it the nickname of “Hanoi Taxi”. We landed at the Utapao airport, on the northern end of the Gulf of Thailand. From there, we convoyed to a Vietnam era resort that had been converted to a Thai Marine Corps compound. The buildings of the compound looked out from a rise to the soft white sand of a tranquil beach below. This area would be the HQ base for the 37^th MEU, and this is where the communications center would be setup that would include the radios, telephones, and computers that would allow the Marines to communicate, command, and control operations. I would supervise the installation of the network of computers and integrate it with tactical systems of subordinate units.  We hit the ground running, taking a quick inventory and then working steadily to bring the systems online. As anticipated, friction appeared, and problems with power, electronic components, and even a short circuit caused by the six-foot wingspan of massive fruit bat were worked through. It took us a couple days, but we completed the setup and the Major in charge proudly proclaimed the words every Marine communications officer longs to say, “Comm is UP!” The exercise proceeded as scheduled, and shifts were setup to keep the operation moving around the clock.

When we were off shift, we were often granted liberty to go to nearby Pattaya Beach for dinner and an evening away. The beach had been a favorite R&R destination of American troops during the Vietnam War, and after the end of the conflict it became a haven for European tourists. A line of Thai taxis, known as “Bhat busses” waited in the parking lot to ferry us to the beach a few miles away. “Bhat” was the name of their currency, like our dollar. The Bhat busses weren’t really busses, they were small open bed trucks with rickety wooden benches that had been bolted on. The ride to Pattaya Beach was a perilous adventure as the balmy tropical breeze soothed us while the driver’s seemingly maniacal driving made us hold on to the benches for our lives.

Upon establishing our HQ at the beach, we had been told to report to a briefing by the unit medical staff. Before reporting to the country, we received inoculations for various exotic diseases like the plague and yellow fever. Once in country, malaria pills were issued, and we were advised to take them daily and warned of the vivid dreams they would cause. They cautioned us sternly of the dangers of the land we were now in. From venomous snakes and spiders to stinging jellyfish and foul local water, we were warned to be on guard to protect our health. Most of the briefing, however, was devoted to putting the fear of the Almighty into us about the women of the resort area. An evening in their company could result in a range of painful and embarrassing conditions, several of them having no cure. The newest was known as AIDS, and up to a quarter of the women we would encounter were thought to be infected with the lethal virus. AIDS had a long period of incubation, and those infected would no doubt infect their loved ones back home before dying an agonizing death after years of suffering. Their point was driven home with scores of graphic photos depicting what we could expect from bad behavior. Critical body parts would turn black with rot. Ulcerous sores would ooze with painful infection. Additionally, there were criminals lurking in the shadows. Marines bold or dumb enough to end up alone could be expected to be beaten, robbed, and left bleeding in a dark alley. Wide eyed Marines listened to the cautions and studied the pictures with interest.  Most of them promptly went out and ignored the entire presentation. As we left, we each were issued a blue card. The front had our name, rank, and unit, and identified us as a member of the US Armed Forces. It said in case of emergency to present the card at the nearest police station. A message in English and Thai was printed on the back:

 

I am a United States citizen in Thailand at the invitation of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. I speak little or no Thai. It is essential that I contact my superiors. Please assist me by notifying one of the following. Thank you for your assistance and cooperation.

 

Phone numbers below included the US Embassy, and our unit HQ. Marines had clearly gotten into trouble in this place before.

 

If you’ve ever heard the phrase, “to spend like a drunken sailor on shore leave”, know that there is truth behind the expression. While deployed with the MEU, we received pay every two weeks. We could opt to take all or part of that pay in cash, and most Marines chose the latter. On payday, a table was setup outside the HQ, and the paymaster sat behind it with sturdy chest filled with cash. Marines and sailors would stand in line until it was their turn. The name would be checked off, the Marine would sign the ledger, and be issued the appropriate amount. At the next shore leave or liberty in town, the money would be spent with reckless abandon on drink, food, trinkets, and entertainment. I waited patiently in line, having opted to take most of my pay in cash to fund a few purchases I wanted to make.

The first night was a kaleidoscope of lights, booming dance music, outdoor bars, markets, and throngs of people. The women we had been warned about were everywhere, only they weren’t women, they were teenagers.  Most appeared younger than me, some heartbreakingly so. We ducked into a bar and the scene was depressing, even though the Christmas lights strung around the bar lent a festive glow. About a dozen girls were sitting on stools near the bar, and each wore a round badge with a large number on it. The salty Marines explained the operation to me. If you wanted the company of a girl for part or the entirety of the evening, you would tell the old lady behind the bar the number. She would tell you how much, you would negotiate the price down, and once agreed, the girl was your date. The girls would sometimes leave their perch to roam the dark room, moving from table to table initiating conversation. The conversation would lead to a request to buy her a drink, which was conveniently double or triple the price of a regular drink. We referred to these young ladies as “buy me drink-ee girls”, after their signature phrase requesting a purchase. Other girls were also in the bar and would take turns dancing on a small stage. One beer later, we were back out on the strip. Marines and sailors were everywhere, and before long I heard a familiar voice call out “COWBOY!”, which had been my nickname during a summer training session. One of the Drill Sergeants from a northern city had confused my central North Carolina accent for that of a Texan accent during a rant, and the name stuck. The voice was that of my longtime friend Steve, who was also a lieutenant and had several Marines with him. We made our way to an open air kickboxing ring and spent the rest of the evening watching matches and trying to talk drunk Marines out of getting in the ring. We mostly succeeded, but one young Marine couldn’t be dissuaded, and ended up flat on his back from a roundhouse kick to the head. At some point, a group of Thai girls joined us. Their English was poor, but it was much better than our Thai, so we communicated the best we could. They told us the best places to go, and where to avoid during our stay. A Lieutenant in our group hit it off with one of the girls, who was known as Tic and was about our age, with a short bob haircut. After an evening of conversation, food, beer, and entertainment, we climbed aboard the Bhat Busses for the base. Over the course of the exercise, we returned when we could. We would inevitably run into Tic and one or more of her friends, who would join us for a beer, clubbing, or to watch kickboxing.

I spent time in the open-air market areas, studying options for one of the purchases I had in mind. I had always wanted a nice pair of civilian dress boots, and there were several shops in Pattaya that would craft a custom pair from a range of exotic materials in addition to the standard leather. I settled on my decision and the cobbler measured my feet carefully. I returned a week later to proudly retrieve a set of custom-made crocodile boots that I still wear today.

Our free time when we could leave the operation was typically “Cinderella” liberty, which meant we had to be back at the base by midnight, so we could be ready for duty the next day.  One weekend several of the officers were given weekend passes, and we decided to go to the Thai capital of Bangkok, about two and a half hours away. I had heard that Bangkok was a great place to find a deal on jewelry, especially emeralds and sapphires. This would fulfil the second purchase I had planned, something nice for Elizabeth. Bangkok was much like Pattaya, but on a larger scale. There was more of everything. We visited the Golden Buddha statue, the floating market, and an ancient palace. I carved out time for a trip to the jewelry district, where I found exactly what I was looking for. I bought a beautiful set of emerald earrings as well as a sapphire ring for Elizabeth. I knew the deep color of both stones would look amazing with her red hair, and I looked forward to seeing her try them on. Our final excursion was to a show that depicted a historic Thai scene where warriors had once battled while riding elephants. After the show, the crew let us climb up on one of the elephants and ride him around the open field. Thailand was not a place where safety restrictions got in the way of a good time.