101 Vietnam Veterans
  • About Us
    • Board of Governors >
      • Elected and Appointed Officials
      • Past Presidents
      • Want to Run for Office?
      • Voting Ballot
    • Constitution and Bylaws
    • Memberships
    • Founding Fathers
    • Brief History
    • Eulogy to a Paratrooper
    • Thua Thien Province Base Camps/Firebases
    • General Order #1
    • The Challenge Coin
    • Army Donation 2010
    • YOUR WAR STORIES
    • John Gertsch
    • BATTLE OF PHOUC YEN
    • November 28, 1971
    • Our First Patrol
    • Award to a hero
    • Mountain Tales
    • Duty in the Sky
    • Ambush
    • These Colors Didn't run
    • POPCORN!
    • BATTLE OF AP DONG LAM
    • Monkey Man!
    • "MadMonk" >
      • Letter Home
    • My Bestest Buddy
    • The Chat
    • The Day it Snowed
    • Just Last Night
    • C-Ration Cook Book
    • The Truth of it all
    • Almost got Blown up
    • A SHAU VALLEY
    • 40 Years Ago This Week!
    • Comradery
    • Operation Lamar Plain
    • The Iconic Huey
    • THE DEATH OF LIEUTENANT PERSHING
    • FNG's Prelude to Our First Patrol
    • Sgt Flaherty Unsent Letters 1
    • Sgt Flaherty Unsent Letters 2
    • Sgt Flaherty Unsent Letters 3
    • A Personal Memoir
    • Poems and Tributes >
      • I am the Flag
      • The Airborne Creed
      • Paratroopers Theme Song
      • Why please
      • Reciprocity
      • Burnin' the shit
      • Aquarius
      • LZ Jane
      • I am a Soldier
      • It's been some time
      • Dedication by Dwight Lane
      • Taps
      • The Old Unit
      • AMERICAN SOLDIERMAN
      • REMEMBRANCE DAY
      • A Grateful Nation
      • Airborne History
      • LESLIE TOWNES HOPE
      • Pow / Mia
      • The Wall
      • The Wall
      • Escape
      • Killed in Action
      • Another Year
      • Women of Valor >
        • Sitting in the Dark >
          • Dear Larry
      • A Tribute to Veterans
  • Policy Letters
  • History
    • Airborne History
    • Going Back to Fort Benning
    • Branch Anniversary Dates
    • Order of Battle 65-72
    • Unit History 67-72
    • Unit Awards
    • Battle Campaigns 65-72
    • How to Fold the Flag
    • Memorial Dedication
    • 101 Dedication
    • Proper Flag Display
    • Distinctive Unit Insignia
    • Video Tribute
    • VIET CONG TERROR DOCTRINE
    • Unit Citation Pamphlet
    • Pocket guide to Vietnam
    • Awards
  • Historical Photo Gallery
  • Useful and Important Veterans Links
  • Contact Us
  • Memorial Dedication
  • A Veteran
  • Vietnam Service Medal
  • Fallen Eagles
  • Special Notice Items
  • UPCOMING REUNION 2025
  • Past Reunions
    • Reunion 2024
    • Reunion 2023
    • REUNION 2022
    • 2019 Reunion
    • 2018 Reunion
    • 2017 Reunion
    • 2016 Reunion
    • 2015 Reunion
    • 2014 Reunion
    • 2013 Reunion
    • 2012 Reunion
    • 2011 Reunion
    • 2010 Reunion
    • 2009 Reunion
    • 2008 Reunion
    • 2007 Reunion
    • 2006 Reunion
    • 2005 Reunion
    • 2004 Reunion
    • 2003 Reunion
    • 2002 Reunion
  • NEWSLETTERS
    • Januray 2025
    • Spring2024
    • January 2024
    • SEPTEMBER 2023
    • June 2023
    • APRIL 2023
    • Summer 2022
    • 2021 NEWSLETTERS
    • 2020 Newsletter
    • SPRING 2022
    • 2019 Newsletters
    • 2018 Newsletters
    • 2017 Newsletters
    • 2016 Newsletters
  • Update Honorary Air Assault Badge
  • Chaplains Corner

POPCORN!

In South East Asia, in the latter part of the year, a weather event takes place called the monsoons.  You don’t know what rain is until you’ve been in a rainforest during monsoon season.  This event causes most of the American military to shut down due to the inability to provide air support to the troops in the field.
While I was in a line company (180 men), we did not get packages from home in the field, simply because it took too long to distribute them to all the men.  But when I joined a much smaller recon unit we could be resupplied in a reasonably short amount of time and we got packages from home. 

In November 1968, Tiger Force was being resupplied when I got a huge box of stuff from home I had told my family that I was a helicopter mechanic and working in a safe area, so they wouldn't be so concerned, thus they felt it was OK to send a large amount of stuff to me.  When a group of soldiers is being resupplied by helicopter, their location is being broadcasted for miles around and time is crucial.  Once we were resupplied, we had to pack up and change location as soon as possible.  I distributed the contents of the package to those I knew would be joining in its consumption, and we left the area.
​

After about an hour of humping we got on the high ground and set up camp when it started to rain, hard. The monsoon had started early and we were stuck on this hill somewhere in the Central Highlands.  Under normal conditions we never spent more then one night in the same place, but in the driving rain moving was impossible for Americans.  Taking advantage of the situation, and to get rid of the extra weight caused by the gift of real food, we gorged ourselves.  I became the most popular guy in the unit.  Canned ham, chili, canned corn, chicken soup, chocolate chip cookies, and Jiffy pop popcorn.  All these thing we take for granite, but in this case none of us had tasted a homemade chocolate chip cookie in months.

Imagine, twelve American soldiers on the top of jungle covered mountain.  It’s pouring down rain, and all twelve men are packed under a outstretched poncho, popping and eating Jiffy-pop popcorn and talking of home.  We were in this situation for a week and enjoyed every minute.  It’s surprising how the simple things can sometimes be the best. 

​TJ McGinley

Tigers ‘68
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • About Us
    • Board of Governors >
      • Elected and Appointed Officials
      • Past Presidents
      • Want to Run for Office?
      • Voting Ballot
    • Constitution and Bylaws
    • Memberships
    • Founding Fathers
    • Brief History
    • Eulogy to a Paratrooper
    • Thua Thien Province Base Camps/Firebases
    • General Order #1
    • The Challenge Coin
    • Army Donation 2010
    • YOUR WAR STORIES
    • John Gertsch
    • BATTLE OF PHOUC YEN
    • November 28, 1971
    • Our First Patrol
    • Award to a hero
    • Mountain Tales
    • Duty in the Sky
    • Ambush
    • These Colors Didn't run
    • POPCORN!
    • BATTLE OF AP DONG LAM
    • Monkey Man!
    • "MadMonk" >
      • Letter Home
    • My Bestest Buddy
    • The Chat
    • The Day it Snowed
    • Just Last Night
    • C-Ration Cook Book
    • The Truth of it all
    • Almost got Blown up
    • A SHAU VALLEY
    • 40 Years Ago This Week!
    • Comradery
    • Operation Lamar Plain
    • The Iconic Huey
    • THE DEATH OF LIEUTENANT PERSHING
    • FNG's Prelude to Our First Patrol
    • Sgt Flaherty Unsent Letters 1
    • Sgt Flaherty Unsent Letters 2
    • Sgt Flaherty Unsent Letters 3
    • A Personal Memoir
    • Poems and Tributes >
      • I am the Flag
      • The Airborne Creed
      • Paratroopers Theme Song
      • Why please
      • Reciprocity
      • Burnin' the shit
      • Aquarius
      • LZ Jane
      • I am a Soldier
      • It's been some time
      • Dedication by Dwight Lane
      • Taps
      • The Old Unit
      • AMERICAN SOLDIERMAN
      • REMEMBRANCE DAY
      • A Grateful Nation
      • Airborne History
      • LESLIE TOWNES HOPE
      • Pow / Mia
      • The Wall
      • The Wall
      • Escape
      • Killed in Action
      • Another Year
      • Women of Valor >
        • Sitting in the Dark >
          • Dear Larry
      • A Tribute to Veterans
  • Policy Letters
  • History
    • Airborne History
    • Going Back to Fort Benning
    • Branch Anniversary Dates
    • Order of Battle 65-72
    • Unit History 67-72
    • Unit Awards
    • Battle Campaigns 65-72
    • How to Fold the Flag
    • Memorial Dedication
    • 101 Dedication
    • Proper Flag Display
    • Distinctive Unit Insignia
    • Video Tribute
    • VIET CONG TERROR DOCTRINE
    • Unit Citation Pamphlet
    • Pocket guide to Vietnam
    • Awards
  • Historical Photo Gallery
  • Useful and Important Veterans Links
  • Contact Us
  • Memorial Dedication
  • A Veteran
  • Vietnam Service Medal
  • Fallen Eagles
  • Special Notice Items
  • UPCOMING REUNION 2025
  • Past Reunions
    • Reunion 2024
    • Reunion 2023
    • REUNION 2022
    • 2019 Reunion
    • 2018 Reunion
    • 2017 Reunion
    • 2016 Reunion
    • 2015 Reunion
    • 2014 Reunion
    • 2013 Reunion
    • 2012 Reunion
    • 2011 Reunion
    • 2010 Reunion
    • 2009 Reunion
    • 2008 Reunion
    • 2007 Reunion
    • 2006 Reunion
    • 2005 Reunion
    • 2004 Reunion
    • 2003 Reunion
    • 2002 Reunion
  • NEWSLETTERS
    • Januray 2025
    • Spring2024
    • January 2024
    • SEPTEMBER 2023
    • June 2023
    • APRIL 2023
    • Summer 2022
    • 2021 NEWSLETTERS
    • 2020 Newsletter
    • SPRING 2022
    • 2019 Newsletters
    • 2018 Newsletters
    • 2017 Newsletters
    • 2016 Newsletters
  • Update Honorary Air Assault Badge
  • Chaplains Corner