Vietnam In country R&R, did you have a chance to experience it?

2015-12-01T23:30:01-05:00

Has anyone else had In Country R&R at China Beach, Danang? I went on two R&R's after Operations Pipestone Canyon and Durham Peak. Our company went there by truck for 48 hours of relaxation. We turned our weapons in, and did not have to worry, because the area was well guarded. We had cards, footballs, volleyball, and all the beer and sodas that we cared to drink. There was no limit on the hot dogs and hamburgers that we could eat. At night they had an outdoor plywood movie screen that was painted white. There were logs for us to sit on, and they showed a movie each night. We were all beat up, tired, and discouraged from losing friends, so this was a wonderful change. The first time I went, I drank way too much beer and had a bad hangover. The second time, I just drank a couple of beers, and was able to enjoy playing on the beach, and other activities.

Response by SSgt Terry P. made Dec 1 at 2015 11:54 PM

2015-12-01T23:54:41-05:00

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member Only once,SGT.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Dec 2 at 2015 12:59 AM

2015-12-02T00:59:07-05:00

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member, no, but I was stationed on Monkey Mountain across the water in your picture; some of our men went to China Beach but I never did. Have you seen pictures of the resorts there now?

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Dec 2 at 2015 1:04 AM

2015-12-02T01:04:40-05:00

You dint go to Australia?

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Dec 2 at 2015 1:07 AM

2015-12-02T01:07:36-05:00

Thank you for your service, I hope you are doing well. Sgt Private RallyPoint Member So many yeRs and so many memories we do not need! Sgt David G Duchesneau

Response by PO1 John Miller made Dec 2 at 2015 3:50 AM

2015-12-02T03:50:37-05:00

Great story, and welcome home!

Response by MAJ David Vermillion made Dec 2 at 2015 9:12 AM

2015-12-02T09:12:21-05:00

I had heard about in country R&R but never got to experience it. I am sure it was good for those who had the opportunity to go there.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Dec 2 at 2015 10:54 AM

2015-12-02T10:54:53-05:00

I never hit 'Nam R&R spot even though they were close. Being part of the deep water Navy, we'd go elsewhere, usually Subic, as not to overload these spots. Even at Subic the price of beer tripled whenever a carrier was spotted on the horizon. Although I sailed FRAM IIs, their hulls were more than tired, hence coming off the gun line meant there was always a shopping list for the yard birds to take care of.

Response by Sgt David G Duchesneau made Dec 2 at 2015 3:23 PM

2015-12-02T15:23:28-05:00

I went to In Country R&R at China Beach several times and it was always good. I remember that during those R&R times, they took all of our weapons away and stored them in an armed guarded tent. I couldn't help but wonder what the hell would happen if Charlie decided to hit us and the shit hit the fan?

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Dec 2 at 2015 3:32 PM

2015-12-02T15:32:26-05:00

We had the Love Boat for Desert Storm. The first night everyone got trashed and puked all over the ship. They were done for hardy drinking. I took the opposite approach!

Response by LtCol Robert Quinter made Dec 2 at 2015 10:18 PM

2015-12-02T22:18:34-05:00

One of our pilots heard they had good steaks and several of us decided to pay a visit to China Beach one night. We talked the Flight Surgeon into "borrowing" an ambulance for transport from Marble Mountain. The base was locked down at night so the Doc turned the emergency lights and siren on so that the sentries would move the barriers and we didn't have to stop and explain our authority/reason to leave the base. Drove down to CB, went to the Club and had our steaks. Waitress asked me if I had a girlfriend and, when I told her I had a wife in the states, she said I would be her boyfriend in VN or she would slit my throat. We adjourned to the bar, got in some trouble and ran out of the club, mounted the ambulance and drove back to Marble using the same emergency light to get back aboard base. I guess we proved again that you can't take a Marine anywhere without their getting in trouble, but it was good steak.

Response by Cpl Lawrence Lavictoire made Dec 3 at 2015 3:28 PM

2015-12-03T15:28:49-05:00

Yes . I was given a one-time 24hours of R&R at the beach! It was in 68, an the best part of it was all the "cold beer" and burgers. The sad part I asked other guys in my unit if they wanted to go and they refused!!!! I enjoyed it but I don't think I deserved it!

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Dec 3 at 2015 7:06 PM

2015-12-03T19:06:51-05:00

3 years too late. Didn't join until 76 and our involvement there ended in 73 I think.

Response by Cpl Dennis F. made Dec 5 at 2015 2:36 PM

2015-12-05T14:36:53-05:00

Yeah our S3 platoon spent a day at China Beach. We had a load of 3.2 beer and lots of BBQ. We also hit the cafeteria for a couple burgers. Another E3 and I peeked into one of the hooch's and saw grey steel beds! We each broke one down and loaded it into the back of our 6x. He remained at Battalion, I hauled my wonderful bed where ever I could, when ever I could. If I got to the rear, I had a good bed and nights sleep.

Response by MAJ Ronnie Reams made Dec 8 at 2015 7:52 AM

2015-12-08T07:52:51-05:00

I went to the in country R&R at Vung Tau, right were we had come ashore about 6 months earlier. Don't remember anything remarkable except how drunk Bob Mitchum stayed day and night. He was there to rest up from a USO tour he had been on. Nice guy though and talked with you like regular folks.

Response by GySgt William Hardy made Dec 8 at 2015 9:25 AM

2015-12-08T09:25:47-05:00

Sure did. I never took an out of country R&R. I spent a week there. I was more or less told to take a week off. I was almost flat broke. I sent all my money home to the wife and kept only enough to get by on, so when I went to China Beach, I didn't have enough money for much of anything. I took $1 and got some of those "slugs" and played the slots and on my first pull I hit a jackpot. I had the money I needed for the week and even had enough to buy me some of those fancy aviator sunglasses. For me it was just a week off. I was stationed at 1st MAW just across the river and I had been to the area often. I was the NCOIC of the Orphan Program and the orphanage we supported was located just on the other side of the fence from China Beach. Every couple of months my section at the Comm Center would have a party there. Just down the street was an Army unit that had a steam bath and massage. I don't remember the name of the unit, but it was well known in the area. Remember the dune buggy? I'll look at my pictures. I have some pictures of the orphans, the trees and picnic tables near the beach and of the dune buggy. I was also a frequent visitor to the Freedom Hill rec center. If we ever got some extra time off, we would walk up the road and enjoy the movie theater and the Red Cross Center. We would even walk through the PX and look at all the stuff we would never buy. Odd that they would be selling full size refrigerators, but then most of that stuff was for the Vietnamese and not the GIs.

Response by CPT Steve Curley made Dec 8 at 2015 10:00 AM

2015-12-08T10:00:31-05:00

There was a relatively "safe" section of beach between Hue City and Camp Evans (1968). Maybe once a month we'd take a slick and an old Charlie model gunship and load 'em up with as many as we dared and fly out for about 2 hours of beach time. Since I was one of the drivers part of the job was to fly cover with the gun for an hour then switch off. So I got my R & R an hour a trip. Far as I know noone looked at us in anger and it was a great morale boost. Brings back memories of some actual fun time.

Response by SSG George Baker made Dec 8 at 2015 3:43 PM

2015-12-08T15:43:32-05:00

because i sent my money home to care for my younger brother and sisters i never took a R & R. so the Army let a few of us go to Vung Tao Beach for 2 days. got so sun burn, as did a freind of mine. He ended in a hospital for 2, 3rd degree sun burn, and a article 15.. Since i could get a t-shirt on i didn't get one. Vung Tao Beach had the whitist sand i ever saw.

Response by PO2 Sam Messer made Dec 17 at 2015 12:23 AM

2015-12-17T00:23:23-05:00

I got 5 days R&R China Beach April 1968 after Siege @ Khe Sanh ! Stayed drunk most of the 5 days. Did make one bus tour of Da Nang.

Response by SFC William Farrell made Dec 24 at 2015 12:40 AM

2015-12-24T00:40:43-05:00

Did not do in country R&R, went to Hong Kong in 1971 mainly to buy a camera which was stolen at Fort Hood. I should have gone to Australia instead. Although I did make it to Danang a few times flying helicopter oil samples up there, I never go to China Beach. The pic is of me in Okinawa on RVN training where I met my twin brother. I'm the skinny kid with the stupid smile. We were being trained by Navy Seals and Army Green Berets.

Response by SMSgt Lawrence McCarter made Jan 20 at 2018 2:34 PM

2018-01-20T14:34:16-05:00

I've been to China beach as it wasn't all that far from Da Nang Air Base where I was stationed but was there for just a few hours a couple of times. Got around a lot of that area. Visted a guy I went to High school with at the Navel Support Hospital adjacent to the Marble Mountain airfield who was there with two separate purple Heart wounds. That was PFC Arnold Holden of the 5th Marines. He was to return to His unit in the field the day after I saw Him, He did come home after His service I'm glad to say. With the post is a picture I took in 1968 of China Beach and Tien Shau as seen from Monkey Mountain.

Response by SSgt Terry P. made Feb 7 at 2019 4:49 PM

2019-02-07T16:49:31-05:00

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member Had R&R just before Pipestone began,Ted. Little depressing to come back to that.

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made Feb 7 at 2019 7:27 PM

2019-02-07T19:27:46-05:00

Didn’t get an in country R&R but did get a Hong Kong R&R,five days I’m sure someone out there remembers I sure as hell don’t! I think it may have something to do with those crazy Aussies we met our first day!