Ever since we took off, we’ve been running our watches ahead every time we cross a time zone. A while ago, we crossed the International Date Line and now today is tomorrow and we took off yesterday, early this morning.

Now, as we near our destination, we set our watches back an hour each time we cross one of those time zones. We took off at 0400 Friday morning. Although our trip only takes 13 hours, we should arrive in Okinawa around 0800 Saturday.

It’s now 1200 and we’ll get there four hours ago. If I mail a letter from Okinawa tonight, it may arrive on the East Coast this morning.

I touched upon the following places of the world in my Marine Corps tour of Viet Nam:

Parris Island, South Carolina

Camp Geiger/Camp LeJeune, North Carolina

MCRD San Diego, California

Los Pulgas, Camp Pendleton, California

El Torro, California

Honolulu, Hawaii

Wake Island

Camp Smedley D Butler/Camp Hanson, Okinawa

Camp Futema, Okinawa

Da Nang, Republic of Viet Nam

Phu Bi, Republic of Viet Nam

Phu Loc, Republic of Viet Nam

Chinook – Nam Hoa – Dong Ha – Cam Lo

Con Thien – C-2 (Camp Terry Leach)

Our T-13 date came on Friday 13^th. Our trip to Okinawa took 13 hours. Our tour in Viet Nam will last 13 months. When we landed at Honolulu, Hawaii, we went through gate 13. We left through gate 13, as well.

At Da Nang Air Base, the 3^rd Division Liaison Office where I had to report was in Building 13.

My first and last name, combined, contains 13 letters.

(Okay, I know, that’s reaching a bit…)

Our unit at Camp Pendleton had 13 communicators. Alphabetically, I was the 13^th man.

1. Argabrite
2. Burr
3. Hergenrader
4. Leadtke
5. Maglaga
6. Mickleson
7. Mortimer
8. Nichols
9. Novotony
10. Polonyj
11. Vernon
12. Webb
13. Worden

On January 28^th, I threw a hand grenade that was packed in 1953, 13 years ago. It was a dud.

My fiancé’s name contains 13 letters. [Linda Sue Davis]

…February 2, when I had 13 days to go in Viet Nam, C-2 got hit with rockets for the first time since I got there.

This entry made on April 25, 2001: One of my buddies from Vietnam, Bill Sopco recently sent me a message saying he had a photograph of me and on the back was written, "13 days to go in Vietnam."

I left Dong Ha for the last time on February 13. …Arrived Da Nang same day.

My ticket home was number 12, but my flight was H-013.

My flight to the states, the "Flying Tiger" line; my ticket was 220, but I sat, where else, aisle 13.