
VIETNAM CHRONICLES
CAPTAIN RICHARD L. KLOPPENBURG
SHORT STORIES FROM 1966-1967 IN VIETNAM
BELOW ARE SOME TRUE BUT UNTOLD STORIES
VIETNAM WAS THE GREAT ADVENTURE OF MY
GENERATION


KLOPPENBURG PASSPORT PHOTO---1967


Thanksgiving Day 1966
It was well known that on Thanksgiving every G.I. would have a Thanksgiving dinner. Sorry for me, the providence chief of Lamg Dong providence wanted a ride to NaTrang. The providence chief was the same thing as Governor of a State. Looks like I could not say no. The mess hall at Bao Loc promised to save a Thanksgiving dinner for me. Ok, I flew to NaTrang and dropped the Chief off. On the taxi way leading to the main runway, I went by the Officers Club. I thought---I should drop in and have Thanksgiving dinner. Sure enough Thanksgiving dinner was in full swing in the Officers club.
After dinner, I took off and immediately took off to Bao Loc. About 15 minutes in the air, I looked at the fuel guages. Low fuel on both tanks. Never fly on low tanks in Vietnam. About that time, I was flying past the 183rd Aviation Company headquartersss in Dong Ba Thin. Dong Ba Thin was on the West side of Cam Ranh Bay. I landed and refueled the airplane. At the end of the refueling process, the crew chief indicated that I was invited to Thanksgiving dinner at the Company headquarters. I accepted. What a feast. After dinner, I jumped into the airplane and flew directly to Bao Loc. I arrived at Bao Loc about an hour later. My crew chief ran up to the airplane and exclaimed; hurry up, the MACV is saving dinner for both of us! Needless to say, that is one Thanksgiving that I will never forget?