Bao Loc Memories

Bronco’s Brew….

Bronco was Broderick’s nickname for his mother.  She decided that Jim needed a little refreshment so she sent him a bottle of home brew from Minnesota.  It didn’t make it.  What did arrive was a note from the APO that a bottle of unauthorized alcoholic beverage had been intercepted and confiscated.  He went berserk (more than usual).

He immediately wrote back and explained to Bronco how some SOB in the APO had snatched the prize and was probably sharing it with his buddies.  Being the bright and resourceful lady that she was she devised a plan to ensure the next offering would make it through.  Sure enough, at mail call, Broderick received a package from home.  On the outside Bronco had written, “Sacramental wine blessed by our priest for my son in Vietnam”.  Well, even the most hard-hearted mailman in the world couldn’t stand in the way of God, so the booze had found its way to Bao Loc.

Jim was whooping and hollering and gathered us all around for the grand opening.  Bronco had carefully carved out the center of a loaf of french bread and stuck the bottle inside to protect it.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.  The bottle had broken and the bread had soaked up the contents.  Everybody began quietly slipping away to leave Jim in his misery, but before I could get away I saw the devilish grin begin forming on his face.  He went into the tent, pulled out the cleanest T-shirt he could find, and formed a sack with it.  Then he dumped everything, the wrapping, the glass and the bread, into it and began twisting.  I could hear the glass from the bottle being crushed but out of the bottom of the T-shirt came “squeeze”.

It looked terrible, all white from the bread, but Jim proudly squeezed out a canteen cup full of home brew.  Being the perfect host he offered me a drink.  Not wishing to offend, I accepted.  It tasted like shit, but knowing all the trouble he had getting it, I told him it was the best I ever had.  Anyway, he seemed to like it.

Fred Harms

Sidekick 3

Nov67 -Oct68