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A compete tour of special interest to Vietnam veterans, teachers and students
of the
Vietnam War, historians, and persons interested in military history.
TOUR ITINERARY
Day 1: Depart from the United States. Group members will be ticketed to San Francisco
where we will join together for a flight to Vietnam.
Day 2: Arrive at Tan Son Nhat Airfield, Saigon, in the evening. Clear customs and transfer
to the Rex Hotel, an officers’ hotel (BOQ) during the war and the most famous of the
French-built hotels in Saigon. From the roof garden of the Rex, at the hub of
Saigon’s downtown, you can look down Le Loi Street to the former RVN Parliament
Building on Dong Khoi Street, well known during the war as Tu Do Street.
Day 3: Iron Triangle, sites of the 173rd Airborne and 11th Armored Cav bases. Staging area
for 503rd Airborne Brigade at Ben Cat. Lai Khe, home of the 1st Infantry Div. Cu Chi
Tunnels, located, in part, directly beneath HQ of the 25th Infantry Division. It was from
the Cu Chi tunnels that Saigon was attacked at Tet, 1968. Opportunity to crawl into the
tunnels—bring your flashlight. Also, we will visit the "Holy See" of the
Cao Dai religion, their fantastic art deco temple and compound with its formal gardens.
Observe the worship service, view murals of the history and theology of this unusual
religion. This is a religion found only in Vietnam, the third most popular religion there.
The Cao Dai were a paramilitary force in combating the French, and when they were defeated
by ARVN forces under the Diem presidency they brought their army into alliance with the
South Vietnamese government. Back to Saigon for dinner.
Days 4 & 5: Two days and one night will get you deep into the Mekong Delta to My
Tho,
Dong Tam, Vinh Long, and Can Tho. Cruise the mighty Mekong River and recall the hazards of
this sub-tropical jungle 30 years ago. Tropical fruit orchards, the Island of the Coconut
Monk, floating markets, and river life will make this an unforgettable two days. Stay at
the new Saigon-Can Tho Hotel.
Day 6: City tour of Saigon including the Presidential Palace, Remnants of War Museum
(formerly American War Crimes Museum), old U.S. embassy, Cho Lon (Chinatown), central post
office and Notre Dame Cathedral on what was once called John F. Kennedy Square. Thien Hau
Pagoda, Binh Tay Market, lacquerware factory.
Day 7: Today we take off for R&R. It’s a good thing we are because we’ve
been keeping up a hectic pace. Drive to Vung Tau, the biggest in-country R&R Center in
country. On the way, Di An, Bien Hoa, Long Binh, and Bear Cat. Opportunity for swimming on
the not-so-great but very popular beaches. We will stay at a classic hotel, the Canadian.
Places of interest: Villa Blanche, mountaintop Jesus, Light House, Niet Ban Tinh Xa
Pagoda.
Day 8: Drive to Nha Trang via Xuan Loc, Phan Thiet, Phan Rang, and Cam Ranh Bay. Check
into the Bao Dai Villas. Spend a relaxing day. Opportunity for snorkeling, jet-skis. go
out to Tri Nguyen Oceanographic Institute "aquarium," Tam Island, and a fishing
village. Ride in small basket boats piloted by young girls.
Day 9: Here we start into the Central Highlands. Drive from Nha Trang to Buon Me
Thuot,
elephant training center and coffee plantations. Thang Loi (Victory) Hotel or White Horse
Hotel.
Days 10 and 11: Drive northward through the highlands to Pleiku and Kontum. Kontum was the
site of a major battle at Easter, 1972. Opportunity to visit several Montagnard villages.
Overnights at Dakbla Hotel in Kontum. Explore areas from Pleime to Dak To including site
of Battle of Ia Drang and NVA retreat route past LZs Albany and X-Ray, and Rocket Ridge
named for the many B52 bomb craters.
Day 12: Drive from Kontum to Qui Nhon, supply depot of the first Log Command, via An
Khe,
a major military area where you could find the First Air Cav among other units. Stop at
Quang Trung Museum at Tay Son. Qui Nhon also was an R&R location with the Red Beach
Recreation Area. Great beaches. Swimming and city tour.
Day 13: Drive to Quang Ngai. See the petroleum farm and ammunition dump near Qui
Nhon.
Along the way are Phu Cat Airbase, Bong Son and Duc Pho.
Day 14: Significant sites are in store for you today. My Lai (Son My) Massacre Memorial.
Chu Lai, Tam Ky, Hoi An, and Da Nang. Check in to the new Hang Khong Hotel. (See the list
of units and locations as many vets served in this area).
Day 15: In Da Nang: Old Airfield, Nguyen Van Troi Bridge—built by US, now named for
VC martyr who tried to blow up former Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara. Marble
Mountains, China Beach, Cham Museum.
Day 16: Drive to Hue over the Hai Van Pass. Stop at Red Beach where the first U.S. combat
marines landed in 1965. Upon arrival, check into the Huong Giang Hotel. Sights for today
are the Citadel and Flag Tower, location of the strongest stand by the VC during
Tet,
1968.
Day 17: Cruise on the Perfume River to the Thien Mu Pagoda, oldest and most important
Buddhist shrine in Vietnam. Here you will see the Austin driven by the monk to his
immolation in Saigon to protest the anti-Buddhist repression of President Ngo Dinh Diem.
Continue your cruise to the mausoleum complex of Emperor Minh Mang and then visit tombs of
Emperors Tu Duc and Khai Dinh.
Day 18: Hue to Dong Ha. Drive up Highway 1 passing Camp Evans (20th Tank Regiment) and
Fire Support Base Nancy (258th M.C. Brigade); continue to battle site of Quang Tri. Next
pass Ai Tu Combat Base and Airfield of the 3rd ARVN Div. HQ. Next reach Dong Ha and enter
Leatherneck Square bounded by Con Thien, Gio Linh, Dong Ha, and Cam Lo and recall
Operation Buffalo. Continue up Highway 1 across the Hien Luong Bridge over the Ben Hai
River which demarcated North and South Vietnam. Visit the Doc Mieu Base in the DMZ, the
infamous Vinh Moc Tunnels, and the North Vietnamese National Cemetery. Before returning to
Dong Ha for the night, visit Con Thien Fire Support Base.
Day 19: Dong Ha to Khe Sanh and return to Hue. Ride parallel to the DMZ along Route 9 to
Khe Sanh. Pass a series of fire support bases and the Rockpile and the Da Krong Bridge.
Tour Khe Sanh Base, a French fort, battle sites and military camps. Overnight train ride
to Hanoi.
Day 20: Your train will arrive in Hanoi where you will see the city that was bombed by
American B-52’s. View "Uncle Ho" preserved under glass in his mausoleum.
Visit Ho Chi Minh’s home/office on stilts, the Ho Chi Minh Museum, and the Temple of
Literature (Oldest University in Vietnam and shrine to Confucius). Evening performance in
water puppet theater (unique to Vietnam). Stay at the Phan Thai Hotel in the picturesque
and historic Old Quarter.
Day 21: Morning flight back to the United States and home. Depending on your final
destination, most will arrive home the same day as departure; however, some may arrive in
the morning of the 22nd day.
Partial List of Unit Locations Visited on the
Revisitng the Vietnam War Tour
Saigon: MACV; 3rd Brigade, 9th Inf.; Naval Forces Commander, Naval support activity; 524th
MI Det. (CI).
Long Binh: USARV; II Field Force; 1st Logistical Command; 1st Signal Brigade; 44th Medical
Brigade; 199th Light Inf. Brigade.
Tan Son Nhut: 460th Tactical Recon. Wing; 834th Air Div.
Phu Bai: XXIV Corps; 82nd Airborne; 3rd Inf. Brigade Task Force; 101st
Airborne Div.
Phu Cat: 37th Tactical Fighter Wing.
Lai Khe: 1st Inf Div.
Di An: 3rd Brigade, 1st Inf. Div.
Pleiku: 4th Inf. Div.
Dak To: 1st Brigade, 1st Inf. Div.
Phu My: 2nd Brigade, 4th Inf. Div.
Kontum: 3rd Brigade, 4th Inf. Div.
Quang Tri: 5th Inf. Div.
Nha Trang: 1st Field Force, 5th Special Forces Gp.
Qui Nhon: 1st Logistical Command Operations.
Bear Cat: 9th Inf. Div.
Dong Tam: 1st Brigade, 9th Inf. Div.
My Tho: 2nd Brigade, 9th Inf. Div.
Xuan Loc: 11th Armored Cav. Reg.
Chu Lai: 25th Inf. Div (Americal).
Duc Pho: 11th Light Inf. Brigade.
Hoi An: 196th Light Inf. Brigade.
Cu Chi: 25th Inf. Div.
Tay Ninh: 1st Brigade, 25th Inf. Div.
Da Nang: III Marine Amphibious Force; 1st Marine Air Wing, 1st Marine Division; 7th Marine
Regiment; 27th Marine
Regiment; 366th Tactical Fighter Wing; 3rd Naval Mobile Construction Brigade; Naval
Support Activity.
Khe Sanh: 1st Marine Rgiment, 1st Div; 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Div.
Phu Loc: 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Div.
Dong Ha: 3rd Marine Div.
Cam Lo: 9th Marine Reg., 3rd Div.
Phan Rang: 315th Air Commando Wing.
Cam Ranh Bay: Task Force 115, Coastal Surveillance Force; 483rd Tactical Airlift Wing; 1st
Logistical Command Operations.
Note: It is not possible to list all military units at the above locations, and
locations may be changed in order to visit additional locations of importance to tour
members not included in the above itinerary. Every effort will be made to insure
that each person on the tour visits the sites most important to him or her.
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