Fred Alvis

AUGUST 12TH, 1971

I had been in country for the best part of 3 weeks. I hadn’t been assigned a duty station yet because I had gotten snagged to pull guard duty around Cam Ranh Bay “AO” with a fistful of other new guys (cherry boys).

That night unfolded as many nights did there; utter black, with cool sea breezes blowing in off of the South China Sea. As the night passed and I stood alone in a guard tower next to the sea, two things happened I would never forget. First, the beach seemed to erupt in tiny movements. Seemed like thousands, everywhere I looked. Come morning, I saw that it was sea turtles hatching and moving toward the sea. Very beautiful sight, one I am happy I witnessed.

The second thing this day brings back to memory is that as the night passed, me alone in that guard tower, I remembered it was my 21st birthday. Little did I know that night would be a microcosm of my life after Vietnam; alone and witnessing beautiful acts of nature. We were alone for many years, and then started talking to other Nam vets. Now it’s OK. Be at peace my friends; we are OK.

©Copyright August 12, 2005 by Fred Alvis