THE FIRST FULL WEEK

WEEK 2:

This was the week of hell for me. As I recall I discovered that even in a War Zone being in the military was no refuge from being an African American. As I was being processed I found out that it did not matter what your were trained to do did not matter. I found myself, for the first time in over a year and a half in law enforcement and patrol dispatcher, I was being placed on regular security detail. I would later find out that the base need a golfer to represent them in some tournament. Therefore, since I knew very little about golf and didn’t like the sport. I was assigned security so that this other guy, who was white, could practice for this tournament. As you will later learn, it took the military six months to correct this mistake in judgment.

This was a week of adjustment and survival.

DAY 4: JULY 29, 1968: MONDAY.

I got up at 6:30 this morning, because I had to process in at

7:30 AM. I went to the mess hall and then to personnel.

They let us in at 7:15 but they made all of the airmen leave

For it was crowded only to be called back at 1:00 PM.

I went back to our orderly room where the top dogs gave me even more harassment for no reason at all. After I did about four or five delocks (I don’ t remember what that was), I went back to personnel and stayed

There until 6:00 PM, ate and went back to my tube to rest

For another day.

AMAN

DAY 5: JULY 30, 1968: TUESDAY.

I got up at 6:30 and went to the mess hall and back

To that god-for-saken orderly room to clear into to the

SQ(SQUAD) SGT. Hart, a clerk, gave me some more

And I and eight (8) other guys. Then made our rounds into the SQ to

Clear in. Most of the time we were given advice, but we

Managed to finish at 4:00 PM. I then went to have stripes sowed on my uniform because I’d made a new stripe. I ate and

Went back to the barrack, for I had to go to work at

9:00 PM with the mid-night flight.

AMAN.

DAY 6: JULY 31, 1968: WEDNESDAY.

I went to work at 9:00 PM. On last night (July 30) a night I

Want ever forget. I want go into it for it’s not enough pages in this book to explain. I’ll just say that last night was hell, for I

Found out that I just had to see more people to harass me.

Most of them were SSGT(Staff Sargents and TSGT (Tech Sargents).

Most of those above those ranks were ok to talk to.

I slept most of this day and went back to work tonight at

9:00 PM to have more embarrassment and harassment. It looks like

That’s how Nha Trang is run.

AMAN.

DAY 7: AUGUST 1, 1968: THURSDAY.

The most important thing about this day is that now I

Am officially SGT. (Sargent) Gilbert. Last night work was ok.

I worked my first post with a guy, I don’t recall his name, but last night was the first night I’ve had, that for the entire night, no one said a harsh word to me. But I can tell you, working from 10:30 PM to 5:00 AM is

Hard work keeping your eyes open. I slept most of the day and played some pool with a Vietmanese boy in the recreation center and

Got ready to go to work.

AMAN

DAY 8: AUGUST 2, 1968: FRIDAY.

Today turned out to be a most hecked day. I got off work

At 5:00 AM, couldn’t go to sleep for I had a doctor’s

Appointment at 7:30 and had to get paid at 8:00. When

I went to see the doctor I was told that he wouldn’t be in until the 15^th of the month. Then I was told to come back to finance at 1:00 PM to get

Paid. I went backat 1:00 only to find out that they had no record of me, and after all day of running around they loaned me $50.00 because I

Was broke. I didn’t go to sleep at all today and had to

Go to work at 7:30 PM.

AMAN`

DAY 9: AUGUST 3, 1968: SATURDAY.

I went to work last night at 7:30 and I only had trouble with

One SSGT. But once I was posted no one messed with me.

Last night was peaceful, although I could hear the fighting in the hills. At 3:15 AM this morning I was told to stand by for relief. I was

Glad for I hadn’t eaten and hadn’t had any sleep for 36 hours.

But to my surprise, I had to stand by to clean the building which

Made me sick. So I got messed over once again in this messed

Up war. When I went to sleep at 5:30 I slept for 9 ½ hours,

Now I feel fine.

AMAN

DAY 10: AUGUST 4, 1968: SUNDAY.

Last night at work was the same old story. I was on

A SAT(I’ve forgotten what that was) team with a SSGT

Rodorty, a SSGT which is no different from the rest. He Jumped

All over me about why I didn’t press my pants. THEY WERE

NEW FATIGUES. So you see that all of the SSGTs and above love to

Chew ass, but I make up my mind to take it all,

For God will see me through. I slept most of the day. I intend

To go to church this evening, I’m off tonight. I’ll try to catch up

On my sleep. I’m very tired.

AMAN