Gotta have a dog on a beer run.
Posted on 08/29/2020 11:12:00 AM PDT by ameribbean expat
Donohue took a job on the next ship headed to the war, the Drake Victory, a merchant vessel transporting ammo to the ’nam from New York. He got the names and units of a half-dozen guys in the neighborhood, grabbed a seabag, stuffed it full of PBR, threw on a pair of light blue jeans, a plaid shirt, and headed out. Two months later, in early 1968, he arrived in Vietnam — just in time for the start of the Tet Offensive against U.S. and South Vietnamese troops.
*****
Donohue ran through his beer supply in transit, but stocked up when they hit port in Qui Nhon harbor. “It took two months to get there, so I drank all the beer,” he told the New York Times.
Shortly after pulling in, Donohue noticed the unit insignia on a group of military police officers who were inspecting the Drake Victory. They were from the 127th Military Police Company, the same unit as one of the names on his list: Tom Collins. Donohue, known as a smooth and quick talker, pulled one of the MPs aside and spun a sob story about looking for his brother-in-law, gave the man Collins’ name, and then waited. Not long after that, Collins arrived.
“I said, ‘Chickie Donohue, what the hell are you doing here?’” Collins told the Times. “He said, ‘I came to bring you a beer.”
(Excerpt) Read more at taskandpurpose.com ...
Gotta have a dog on a beer run.
My beer run involved bringing back 2 cases of Coors from Pittsburgh, KS to Findlay, Ohio in ‘75. Imagine, it was a dry county except for beer...boss had to bring a half-gallon of Bacardi to get through the gun show. He said I could drink, but I didn’t, waited until after hours. I worked six shows that summer, all over this half of the USA, what a great adventure for this then 19 year old...
None of that … just a Vietnam era Marine who bought a six pack of PBR for old times’ sake. Live in Colorado, Coors is a favorite, followed by Belgium quality beer coming out of Fort Collins … like ‘Fat Tire’.
That is “Khe Sanh” not Khe Sahn.
Whatever asshole but it wasn’t my spelling.
It’s possible all the harmful preservatives added to good old “Magoo” made it taste so good.
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