One evening Jerry Tripp and I had occasion to visit 'the club' at the SWIFT Boat Base in Cam Ranh Bay. As the two of us and four or five SWIFT Boat Sailors were gathered around the table, partaking in the beverage of our choice, the Base Chaplain came in, laughing about as hard as was possible without blowing his teeth out. We invited him to sit down & tell us what was so funny. He quickly obliged.

Cam Ranh Bay beaches are some of the most beautiful places on the planet. White sand, peaceful water as clear as clean glass, with spectacular coral and all manner of sea critters swimming about. The Chaplain said he had received a letter from one of the base mess cook's Mother, who had said the young Sailor was writing 'all sorts of lies' about his tour in the combat zone. He quickly invited the youngster in for a chat, asking why he was telling his Mother so many lies. Sailor told the Chaplain that he would NEVER lie to his Mother. Chaplain showed him the letter and asked for more information. He asked why his Mom would think he was lying to her. Sailor told him he just didn't understand why she would accuse him of such a terrible thing. So, the laughing Chaplain continued, he asked what he'd been writing to his Mom...

Sailor told him, "All I tell her is how much I love and miss her and what I do when I'm off-duty." Chaplain asked him to continue. Sailor said he gets up early in the morning, goes to work in the galley, gets off and spends the rest of the day fishing or lounging about the prettiest beach he'd ever seen. Dear Mom believed he was only telling her that to ease her concern about him being in combat. But he was merely telling it like it was. Of course Mom thought he was suffering the strains of combat, and trying to keep her from worrying so much.

Jerry and I joined the Chaplain and the others in a good laugh while we finished our soda pop, and returned to the Naval Air Station to prepare for the next mission.