Sorry this is so late. My computer crashed taking my stories with it and the stories could not be recovered. I had to recreate the story!
Remember - This story takes place in 1967, when there was no AIDS or HIV; thus unprotected sex was OK. This story contains concentual sex between Male Adults. If you are not 18 - DO NOT READ THIS STORY. If this type of story is not acceptable where you live, DO NOT READ THIS STORY. Please send a contribution to NIFTY to keep this site up and free.
VIETNAM - 1967 - PART 4
R&R IN BANGKOK
In the days after their return from Hill 501, all the film they had exposed was developed. "Proofs" of their photos, along with notes on who was photographed, were sent to the PIO Office (Public Information Office). The PIO sent back a listing of how many prints of each 35mm frame they wanted, both glossy and matte. Tom added glossy copies of the pictures of Sergeant Davis to the list. The "lab" started producing the prints. The general prints were sent to stateside newspapers, but the glossy prints of Sergeant Davis were kept by Spec.5 Rydel
A few days later, the processed requests for "R&R" came through for both Tom and John. They now knew when they would be going to Bangkok, together. After hotel reservations were made, via phone calls to Thailand and coordination with the Army, Tom wrote a letter to Sergeant Davis, giving him the dates and the Hotel Name. Sergeant Davis quickly filed a request for R&R in Bangkok on succeeding dates. Unfortunately, his new found friend, PFC Daniel Nutly, did not yet rate R&R time, so Sergeant Davis would arrive in Bangkok alone.
That night, Spec.5 Rydal pulled Spec.4 Johnson aside. Spec.5 Rydal asked: "John, going together in one room means that we will be fucking in the same room, at the same time. It means we will see each other naked and erect, and fucking. Does that bother you?"
Spec.4 Johnson thought for a moment. As he had no sexual experience, seemed to know nothing about homosexual behavior, and was inured to seeing other males naked by being in the Army, he was not concerned about his "Personal Space" being violated, or his sense of privacy; besides, he had seen Spec.5 Rydal naked in the shower. He remarked: "It won't bother me, besides, we can always turn off the lights."
Spec.5 Rydal left it there, happy that there would be no problem with them both being naked in the same room!
Time crawled. Soon the time for departure approached. Both Tom and John went to the Army bank, and withdrew their savings in American cash. Tom had $600 American, while John had $400.00. In addition to "Wine, Women and Song," they knew from guys who had been to Bangkok, that this was the place to buy pearls, precious stones, clothes made to order, silk fabric, and souvenirs. They would play tourists during the day, and "Party" at night. That "Partying" would involve sex. Tom kept a constant talk with John about women, and the different attitude towards sex in the Orient.
Tom went to the "PX" and purchased a bottle of good Scotch for himself, and a bottle of Rum for John. They had been told that mixers were readily available, and cheap, in Bangkok, but real alcohol was expensive. They were also told by recent returnees, that they had to be in civilian clothes, so Tom and John went back to the PX and purchased several sets of civilian clothes and suitcases. Tom went over to the book shelf and selected a bestseller to read on the plane. Finally they got packed up, and were ready to go the next day.
Early the next morning, they got dressed in their new civilian clothes, being sure to have their Military IDs in their wallets, and copies of their "R&R" orders in their pockets. A bus arrived and took them to the "Repo-Depot" in Saigon, where they changed to a bus bound for Tongsonut Airport. They showed their "R&R" orders to a bored clerk, and boarded a plane for Bangkok. All this was paid for by the U.S. Army. Neither had to dig into their supply of cash.
Playing the sophisticate, Tom allowed John to have a window seat, while he took the seat next to him. He took out the book he had purchased and was soon lost in a submarine in the Atlantic. He had gotten ¼ of the way through the book, in the hour long flight from Saigon to Bangkok!
An hour later, John woke Tom up as the plane came in for a landing in Bangkok. The difference between Saigon and Bangkok was like the difference between night and day. Both were large cities on rivers, in a tropical climate; but there the similarities ended. When you went to Saigon, there was garbage everywhere. If a man had to defecate in Saigon, he would go over to the side of the road, drop his pants, bend over, and defecate in the street, and not wipe himself. The Mekong River ran through Saigon! You wouldn't put your foot in the river, because the city sewerage system emptied, untreated, into the River.
Bangkok was totally different! You didn't see any garbage anywhere, and you didn't have to watch where you stepped. The River and the many canals (Clongs) that ran through the city, were totally clean. The water was so clean, that the best restaurants in town washed their dishes in the local canal. Pride in your country may have had something to do with it. Thai people were very proud! South Vietnamese did not demonstrate such pride in country, for whatever reason.
Once on the ground, they were met by a group of Army supplied buses. They quickly put their luggage in the bus luggage compartments, and boarded. When it was filled, the bus took off for "Hotel Row." An Army Spec.4, in uniform, stood up in front of the bus. He had a microphone in his hand, which was connected to an amplification system with speakers throughout the bus. He started speaking:
"Good afternoon gentlemen. I am Spec.4 John Smithfield. Welcome to Bangkok!" The speaker was interrupted by a raucous yell from the assorted soldiers on board. The Spec.4 continued: "I am here to explain some rules to you, so your stay in Bangkok can be as pleasant and safe as possible. Remember those words, pleasant and safe! That is why I am here and going to fill you in on this beautiful country.
RULE 1 - No public display of affection! What this means is that you don't hold hands in public, with anyone. Under no circumstances do you put your arms around anyone else. Some Thai attitudes are really strange to Americans. You can have all the sex you can get, but you can't hold hands in public." Again he was interrupted by the undisciplined Americans asking "Why is that?"
Again the Spec.4 continued: "I don't know why, but if you do hold hands in public, you can be arrested for what amounts to "Indecent Exposure" and be jailed. Believe me, you do not want to go to jail in Thailand!" This statement was greeted with jeer's, and several off color remarks of a homosexual nature.
RULE 2 - The local currency is the baht! In American letters it is spelt BAH*T. When pronounced, it rhymes with "Pot." The current exchange rate is about 5 to 1. That means that each American Dollar is about 5 dollars in the local money. Remember that! Americans are generous and are used to tipping; But a $20 tip in American money is actually a $100.00 tip in the local currency. It also means you can get laid for 10 bucks. It is strongly recommended that you convert your American Dollars to Baht. You can do this at your hotel, but if you go to a bank, you get a better deal because banks pay attention to the decimal points, which your hotel doesn't.
Hotels tend to round off in their favor." This technical explanation was met with silence!
RULE 3 - There are certain places you don't want to go to. Some of the night clubs dilute their drinks, while others give you "Mickey Finns," and you wake up in an alley, naked, with all your clothes and money gone! If a taxi cab driver suggests that he take you to certain clubs, don't go! Don't go to The Golden Palm, The Blooming Flower, The Golden blossom, The Pleasure Palace, or The Oasis. We know about these! There are others, but you are on your own!" The guys on the bus laughed nervously.
RULE 4 - Always use a condom. There are several VDs that American drugs cannot cure. There are rumors about American soldiers who will never go home because they have contracted a VD that doesn't respond to modern drugs, though most of those stories originate in Vietnam. Be safe. You don't want to get a VD!
"There is another thing you must know: Thai people are prejudiced in some areas that strike us as strange, and in other areas that Americans can understand. Mixed Thai-American children, with either black or white fathers, are shunned. The lives of those kids of mixed parentage is "Hell on Earth." Under no circumstances do you want to accidently father mixed children. I make no "moral judgement," but the Thai attitude is the same as a Mississippian's attitude toward children of mixed ancestry in the United states." The comments that greeted this cannot be repeated in polite society. In some respects, American soldiers are horny pigs!
RULE #5 - Beware of Thai Homosexuals. The attitude about sex here is very different than American attitudes. Here, homosexuals are completely integrated into society: but the problem is that Thai homosexuals do not like American Soldiers. A lot of this is because American Soldiers come here to fuck their women." The soldiers were surprised (some shocked) at the use of profanity.
He continued: "What has been happening is that Thai homosexuals dress up as women and allow themselves to be picked up by American soldiers. When the soldiers discover that their "Hot Date" is a boy, not a girl, there is trouble. Unfortunately, most Thai homosexuals have Martial Arts training, and it does not bode well for American soldiers.
"That is a polite way of saying that the American soldier gets the shit beaten out of him." The guys on the bus at first laughed, then started with gay remarks to cover their embarrassment. The comments were both entertaining and illuminating, then died out quickly. The guys were quiet as they thought about what they would do if they wound up in a hotel room with a member of the same sex!
The Spec.4 continued: "This practice is limited to several locations only, therefore, do not go to The Golden Palm, of The Pleasure Palace. If you do, you will not know what you've got, till you get back to your hotel room. Calling the police will not help, because the Thai Police see nothing wrong with two men getting together for sex."
RULE # 6 - Haggle! In America, when you go into a store, the price displayed is what you pay. That is not true in Thailand. People here expect to haggle over price. If someone gives you a price, know that the real price is approximately 35% less than the first price mentioned. You can do the math in your head! People here expect to bargain and are disappointed if you don't. The "Haggle" is just as important as the profit! They are not trying to "rip you off," they are playing an accepted game. Haggle, and you will get your money's worth.
Rule # 7 - Strange Ideas. The Thai people have what Americans consider to be strange ideas. For example: It is insulting to show anyone the bottoms of your feet, it is an insult! Don't cross your legs in public! Even when you are being intimate with someone naked in bed, you don't let that person see the bottoms of your feet! The other extreme is the top of the head. Americans are still trying to understand this. Does the soul leave the top of your head? I don't know! The Thai people greet each other, not with a handshake, as we do, but with the bowing forward of the head, showing the other person the top of their heads. WHY? A definitive answer to that question is not yet available. Some people think it is because this is a Buddist Nation. The Army is not sure.
"Another thing you need to know is the position of the hands in what we call the Prayer Position. You place your hands in the prayer position, then tip your fingers forward and down. That, with the head bow, is how you greet a Thai person. What is the significance? I don't know, but I don't know why we shake hands either.
"One of the other things you should be aware of, is that most of the Thai People you meet, will speak English; especially the Taxi Drivers. Even those who do not go to what we call college, speak English. This is possible because there are so many English speakers in Bangkok that the TV programs are broadcast in English on the radio. Regular TV Broadcasts are dubbed in Thai. What has been happening is that many Thai people, in Bangkok, will have the TV on, broadcasting in Thai, and at the same time, they will turn the radio on, tuned to the English broadcast. Thus many people learn to speak English!
"Another thing you must keep in the back of your mind is that Thais are NOT your stereotypical Oriental Person. The stereotype of the oriental is a leftover from World War II propaganda. Thai people are tall; they are not yellow but Golden; they do not have bad teeth; they are not skinny; you can touch them; and the men are muscular! In many respects, they think like us, with different peculiarities. But stop and consider, are Americans different from Canadians? Are Americans different from Britons? What about South Africans? New Zealanders? Australians?
"Thai people are very proud of their country. They are the only Oriental nation that maintained their independence from the west. The Indo-Chinese fell under French domination. The Indonesians came under Dutch rule. The Philippians were first dominated by the Spanish, while Americans came later. The Chinese were dominated by everyone!
"But not the Thais! A Thai King once offered to send elephants to President Lincoln. Thais approach Americans as equals. Yes they have some peculiarities, for example: the Broadway Musical "The King and I" is, by law, forbidden to be performed in Thailand because it "Shows Disrespect for King." It was obvious that some unknown Thai was being quoted. "Thais do not understand that in America this musical builds respect for the king of Thailand and puts him on the same pedestal as Lincoln!
"The Thais are our friends and allies. We are guests in their country. Just as you are on your best behavior when you visit the houses of your friends, we ask that you be on your best behavior while you are in Thailand!
"Guys, we know that you are here to relax from the tensions of WAR! We know that most of you are here to get laid. Please be realistic. We want you to have fun, but please don't make an international incident. In the brief trip of this bus ride, I cannot give you, nor is it my intention, to give you an education on the History of Thailand or Siam as it was previously called. We want you to enjoy yourself, but above all, we want you to be safe. Sorry if this seems like a lecture, but there are some things you need to know about this country. Let me reiterate, we are guests in the home of an Ally. Have all the sex you want, but be safe. Any Questions?"
A brave soldier in the front of the bus asked: "How do you get laid?"
The Spec.4 lost some of his didactivness as he explained: "Attitudes about sex in this country are very different from attitudes at home. Every club that you will go to will have a group of professional sex workers for hire. You go to a club, and you will be approached by many women, OR you will see a table with only women sitting there. Picking up one, is up to you. When you find one to your taste, you bring her back to your hotel room. What happens there is up to you. Thais are not all into kissing. Don't be surprised if your partner will not kiss you. They will fuck you, but you might not be able to kiss them.
"Most Taxi Drivers have relationships with some of the clubs. Just ask your taxi driver to take you to someplace where you can get a girl. Your Taxi driver will most likely take you to a club. Some drivers will take you to what we call a whore house. In this country, a sex worker is in a sociably acceptable profession with no negative connotations to that profession. Many women amass a dowry by being a sex worker, then become hapily married members of society. There is no shame! Hopefully this attitude will remain in the future.
"There is one other thing you should know. In each hotel, on the registration desk, is a bowl full of free American Brand condoms; use them! The U.S. Army will not acknowledge who pays to keep the bowl full. Religious Fanatics back home, would set up a stink if they thought American tax dollars was being spent for "Immoral" purposes. However they got there, or who paid for them - use them.
"In many respects, an American soldier can be considered quite a catch. Some of the girls would love to come to America and marry an American. Our advice is that "The Four "F"s" apply - Find em, Feel em, Fuck `em and Forget'em. You don't want to fall in love with any of them. You can pair off with one girl for the duration of your stay, if you want to; but don't make any other promises. Are their any other questions?" Silence greeted this question.
When no other questions were asked, the Spec.4 started talking: "On your last day, a bus will make the rounds of the soldier hotels, and bring you to the plane flying back to Vietnam, Don't miss it! The Army does not tolerate anyone being AWOL (Absent With Out Leave)in an R&R Town. Your Hotel clerk can tell you the specific time the bus gets to your hotel." The Spec.4 then proceeded up the aisle, with a clipboard, on which was written the names of specific hotels. He spoke with each soldier, inquiring which hotel they were bound for, and if they had made reservations. After speaking to each soldier, he went back to the bus front and picked up the mic. He started talking:
"What is going to happen now, is the bus will stop at each soldier hotel. We will call out the name of each hotel. When we get to yours, you get off the bus, collect your baggage and check into the Hotel. Remember guys, our main concern is for you to have a fun and safe time! Thank you." At that point, the Spec.4 sat down in his seat, just as the bus pulled into the first soldier hotel on the hotel strip.
Tom and John sat on the bus expectantly waiting for their hotel. Those without hotel reservations were divvied up, some to each hotel under contract to the U.S. Government. Those with reservations were dropped off at their hotels. The bus pulled into the driveway of each hotel; the Driver got out and opened the luggage compartment; while those soldiers designated for that hotel, got off the bus. Spec.4 Smithfield called out the names of those soldiers who had not made reservations. Lord knows how he determined who went where, but each hotel got some men. They collected their luggage and entered the hotel. The bus driver closed the luggage compartments, got back into the bus, and left for the next hotel!
By the time they got to their hotel, Tom and John were used to the routine. When the bus stopped in front of their hotel, they proceeded to the front of the bus and got off into sunshine. As they moved forward, Tom stopped and thanked Spec.4 Smithfield for his time and warnings. Tom realized that this could have been a boring job, and the "Escorts" could become jaded and automatic. Spec.4 Smithfield succeeded in relating to each soldier as a fellow human being. His mixture of profanity and legalese was not condescending and he did not treat the soldiers on the bus as "slabs of meat." Spec.4 smithfield had not lost his humanity in a boring job.
Tom and John got their luggage, and went into their hotel.