What was Udon like during the Vietnam War?

Post by **Alagrl** » November 28, 2006, 12:49 am

My husband had another funny memory yesterday -- gave us a good laugh.

There wasn't a lot of activity for the Russian language specialists -- plenty for the Chinese, Vietnamese, and Laotian specialists.

So Col. McFadden somehow found out Stephen was an artist and moved him into graphic art for Ramasun.

All the graphics for the Cobra logos had previously featured ferocious looking snakes. Well, one day Col. McFadden called Stephen into his office and said they needed a new Cobra mascot graphic. But this time he didn't want a realistic, ferocious cobra -- he wanted a Cobra mascot that people "could feel affectionate toward."

Right -- "affectionate" toward a cobra.

Sounds like something out of M.A.S.H.

Also, this affectionate cobra needed a storyline that could go into a cartoon-like coloring book about life on Ramasun, to raise money for a local charity. So Stephen needed to figure out how to draw this cobra in various situations and activities.

Mind you, it's not easy to show a snake doing things when it has no arms or legs to work with.

Anyway, he managed to produce a "cute" cobra and a coloring book -- we still have a copy somewhere.

Post by LU » November 28, 2006, 2:11 am

Uncle Tom's recollection is pretty much right on target. I went to the Udorn RTAFB show and although I enjoyed it alot there were some uncomfortable moments. The reference to Thai families living in his (Bob Hope's) shoes sent a shudder throughout the audience.

Also during the show (held near the runway) we launched many F-4's in support of an unanticipated mission. The noise made it difficult for Bob to deliver his lines and at one point while an F-4 was departing and creating quite a racket, Bob "gave him the bird". That did not sit well with us either.

I also remember Bob reading some of the signs that various individuals were holding up. One from POL (that's the folks who supplied the fuel necessary for the aircraft) said: "POL - With our gas you get a MIG's ass."

The women he brought with him on the USO Tour were beautiful. There was some gal there who was Miss World. Lola Fallana was there too. She was one of our favorities! After the show was over I bought a set of black and white photos taken of the show by one of the camera shops just outside the main gate.

Banpaeng; I think the name of the club across the street from the Sri Udorn was called the Champaign Room. There was an open air market across the street from it as well. The Sri Udorn hotel's restaurant is where I went when I was hungry for spaghetti.

Post by **Stu** » November 28, 2006, 2:32 am

Getting back to Bob Hope for a minute, in my opinion, the guy was an ignorant, insensitive jerk, a propaganda instrument, a guy who never went to war but cheered on those who did for the benfefit of his rich, war mongering friends. The world is a better place with out him and his lame "jokes."

Post by **dan115loop** » November 28, 2006, 5:36 am

We always had apples at the In-Flight Kitchen!!!

How about Oscars for candy?

Post by **uncle tom** » November 28, 2006, 5:51 am

May I just clarify my feeling about Bob Hope. I was not a fan of his mainly because of his politics and hawkish views on the war. In fact I refused to see him when he addressed the Americans in Vientiane; by the way the date of his visit was early December 1971. I must remember that the man also had done many great works of charity, and for that I do admire him.

I did some research on Google to refresh my memory on the purpose of his visit to the embassy in Vientiane. He went there in hope of meeting with officials from North Vietnam to begin negotiations to secure release of POWs. Unfortunately he failed.

There is a chapel in the National Shrine in Washington DC entitled the HOPE Chapel. It took more than a few years for me to realize it was named after after Bob Hope for his donations to theShrine. There were other great acts of charity for which he should be be remembered and given credit.

Unfortunately he was human and had his dark side also.

Post by **banpaeng** » November 28, 2006, 11:16 am

LU wrote:Uncle Tom's recollection is pretty much right on target. I went to the Udorn RTAFB show and although I enjoyed it alot there were some uncomfortable moments. The reference to Thai families living in his (Bob Hope's) shoes sent a shudder throughout the audience. Also during the show (held near the runway) we launched many F-4's in support of an unanticipated mission. The noise made it difficult for Bob to deliver his lines and at one point while an F-4 was departing and creating quite a racket, Bob "gave him the bird". That did not sit well with us either.

I also remember Bob reading some of the signs that various individuals were holding up. One from POL (that's the folks who supplied the fuel necessary for the aircraft) said: "POL - With our gas you get a MIG's ass."

The women he brought with him on the USO Tour were beautiful. There was some gal there who was Miss World. Lola Fallana was there too. She was one of our favorities! After the show was over I bought a set of black and white photos taken of the show by one of the camera shops just outside the main gate.

Banpaeng; I think the name of the club across the street from the Sri Udorn was called the Champaign Room. There was an open air market across the street from it as well. The Sri Udorn hotel's restaurant is where I went when I was hungry for spaghetti.

And to set things up I was in POL. Worked either in the tank farm or on the railroad unloading rail cars out Nong Kwang Kwine. Always had a bunch of hell raisers in POL.

You are right about the Champaign Room.

Would like to really dig up a few memories. Lets see how many Bars and Club names we can dig up. We got a good start here.

Jumpen
Wolverine On this street there were about 10.
Yellow Bird
Nit Noy
Golden Palace
Paradise
Champaign Room Thanks to Lu
Leks Bar

Post by cw » November 28, 2006, 11:20 am

I've attached a map of Udorn that was current in the late 60's early 70's. It was in a handout that Ramasun Station use to pass out. Should bring back memories to a few of you.

[img]ramasun_18_big.gif[/img]

Post by cw » November 28, 2006, 11:26 am

Lets try the map again.

Post by **lee** » November 28, 2006, 11:47 am

Wow, there were certainly a good selection of bars and massage shops around in those days. I love names too 'Happy Hooker', 'Release Me'... LOL!

Post by **banpaeng** » November 28, 2006, 12:04 pm

Thanks CW. The good part is I remember about 90 percent of all the places listed. The Bad is I have to admit I have been to about 75 percent of those when I was single.

Hell I was the Country boy gone to town back in those days. Add booze to that and it is a wonder I lived. Oh well the Gods of Thailand must have smiled on me as I am still kickin.

To those who have never bowled at a place where Pouying set the pins, you ain't lived. That was the vista bowl. They wore hot pants or short skirts. Sure did like that bowling alley. The holiday was a good bowling alley. Right above the bowling alley was the Holiday Massage. Heck you bowled one or two games to get the blood flowing and then went upstairs for a soothing massage. Seems like a lot of folks skipped the bowling part.

Later

Post by **PopsIcafe** » November 28, 2006, 10:27 pm

That Bob Hope Tour was in 1971, when he made the joke "I was visiting a temple. As they custom here, I took them and left my shoes outside. When I returned, I found a Thai family had moved in." He was trying to refer to the Thai's being small people. He did make a public apology for that joke, not sure it did any good. Vida Blue of the Oakland A's, Wednesday Child a group from Canada, Jim Neighbors, and Miss America, who by the way was from Texas, Phyllis Denton. The show was on Utapao AFB, was happy to see it, but man can those people be some what stuck up. All they did was wave at you when they went to the tent behind the stage. A few autographs were done, but very, very few.

Pop's

Post by **polehawk** » November 29, 2006, 12:07 am

Great map with names of places, CW. Brings back memories. Early on there was popular Tip Top Bar downtown on Prajak between the third circle and road going to Udorn Hotel. Its claim to fame was "tea dances" or afternoon band entertainment and place was always packed. Shared a 3 BR house or "bungalow" just down the street from the Chalerm Thani Cinema with a couple other defense contract tech reps when first came to Udorn back in December 1966. Doesn't seem that long ago.

Got to see Bob Hope's show that year from a long distance, of course. He put together quite a few shows for the troops over the years and didn't think most of the homesick GIs took his jokes or politics seriously anyway. Most of the troops loved the guy. His tour group in 1966 included Joey Heatherton, a beautiful blond bombshell of a dancer who usually stole the show, comedian Phyllis Diller, singer Anita Bryant, Miss World from India, comic Jerry Colonna, Les Brown & His Band of Renown. One of Bob Hope's jokes was when he asked the airmen, "What did you-do to get sent to You-Dorn?" and the place went nuts. Even the Thais watching the show were laughing. Guess you had to be there. Thanks for the memories.

Post by **skipvice** » November 29, 2006, 12:26 am

in 1968 most of the bars were on friendship highway (tahann road) I do not remember the names, there was one right accross from the base and one that was called tip hat or tip top just down the street. The thai city goverment wanted to close down all bars on tahann road and move them down town, when I was leaving udorn in 1969 most of the bars moved already. I remember the jumpen and the golden palace and blue heaven, thanks cw and banpaeng for the memory jogger, brings back some good times. also remember a small bar right accross from the Air America gate, there was real nockout who worked as a bartender. there was a massage palor down town that had a special room that had mirrors on the cieling. so they tell me.

Post by **dan115loop** » November 29, 2006, 3:36 am

There was hotel 69.

Oscars had mirrors upstairs. Magic Fingers burned down in 75.

Post by **skipvice** » November 29, 2006, 4:25 am

Oscars, that was the place, good steam & cream, sorry to hear it burnt down.

Post by **dan115loop** » November 29, 2006, 7:06 am

Magic Fingers burned down. Fingers was on the left hand side just out the mail gate. Oscars was on the right as you went into town. Maybe 1/2 from the main gate. I liked Oscars over Fingers. Holliday and Crown were also very good looking.

Post by **Dakoda** » November 29, 2006, 8:07 am

Hmm, good map, but the only place on it I remember (very thin memory) is the Paradise Hotel.

The two places I keep trying to remember the names of 67' - 68'

1. afternoon bar (somewhere downtown) (if I remember correctly, the girl bartender, had a boys sounding name, like Joey or something like that, there is a story that goes with that, which I remember well.

2. pizza place (near base heading towards town, down a deadend soi on right hand side of highway, place was also on right hand side. Could walk pass the deadend part, over a creak, (narrow board), pass maids parents house, and it came out just above where I lived. (shop house).

Think if someone named them, it would jog something. But everything is just a haze, from that time.

Also remember "10 baht alley", think it was off-limits, but I woke-up there many a morning.

Post by **dan115loop** » November 29, 2006, 10:37 am

The best pizza place that i remember was next door to the Jumpen.

Anybody live on SOI: Sippini?

Post by **Bump** » November 29, 2006, 12:50 pm

Listening to a couple guys talking yesterday about the good old days, stickman should visited then, he woud have really had something to write about

Post by **banpaeng** » November 29, 2006, 1:05 pm

Don't think stickman would have fit in. It was different then. Most likely 98% of the women were not out to rip you. One of the things that I have noticed is how now folks are trying to put their morals or ways of thinking on the Thai culture. It don't work. A lot of folks want to look down on the working women and put them down. Back then it was not like that. It might not have been the greatest profession but it was tolorated. You know Ihaven't found too many women that want to hang out with labors or ditch diggers back in the states. It is just how we are perceived and we perceive them.

From what I have read of stickman and it is little, I think he feels superior as he has some money and can buy his way. If that is his bag so be it. It is not for me to judge. However if you can accept folks as they are you will do much better and that is how it was in the good ole days. Hell during that time you could not get much lower on the totem pole than a GI so being with a Thai woman was an upgrade.

Like I said Stickman is entitled to his opinion and me to mine. Will leave it at that.