The End

'The End' is the finale of all good stories, is as the same with the conclusion of the 111th Joint Field Activity.  I learned a lot and feel much more comfortable with what I am getting myself into, but at the same time see some great obstacles that I will have to hurdle.  Not surprisingly, the biggest hurdle will be my family.  I have to convince my wife that this new job I have is a means to an end.  I already know that I won't be able to lead an investigation team for too very long, because I am right at that age where I never know when some injury or disability is going to sneak up on  me.  Statistically, it probably isn't that much different than 10 or 15 years ago, it's just my body's ability to bounce back is diminished.  So, back to my point, I am trying to strengthen my skill set in areas to make myself more marketable should I start looking for something a little different down the road.  This is precautionary, not visionary.  Who knows what will happen in the next two years?!

I think I progressed in my report writing skills, and I definitely re-familiarized myself with making site sketches.  The principles of making sketches for these sites don't differ much from when I was a party chief over a decade ago, but I was definitely rusty.  I got to watch a very accomplished archaeologist do his magic this time and it has given me the confidence to know that I can, at least, coordinate the team members to assist the archaeologist in doing his job as efficiently as possible in the future.

I had a streak on the one-off investigations I had been doing before this JFA in which I was getting rained on every time I got in the field.  This time the team provided me a Rite in the Rain field book and pen that broke the streak.  Murphy didn't know what to do with that, so he let the sun shine. Actually, the Rite in the Rain provisions came in handy whether it rained or not,because I sweat profusely when I am in the field.  The RintheR books survived my sweat well!

After this investigation period, I know I have to take my Olympus E-PL5 with me on the next mission.  Just too many good photo opportunities to leave home without it. I would even like to take my larger DSLR Nikon, but it's just too heavy.

This afternoon the teams depart for Hawaii.  Good bye and good riddance... just kidding.  It was good to see such a diverse group of young people get together and work towards one mission - to bring our fallen back home.  There will be a repatriation ceremony with one transfer case getting on the plane.  There are no happy endings when it comes to bringing home men and women who gave full measure for their country, but there can be solace for the families.

Country Ain't Stupid




Welcoming Committee in A Luoi District, Thua Thien Hue Province

 During this investigation period in Vietnam, I traveled to some of the more remote areas of Vietnam's central region.  Flying into one of these backwater areas in a helicopter creates quite a commotion amongst the locals, and there are always security guys out to make sure everyone keeps their distance.  We do, however, get to smile, shake hands, fist pump, and flash the peace sign from time to time; and I try to take a little extra time to make small talk with the kids and elderly folks in the villages we go to.  All of this is done between the work, but does make the work more bearable. It gives me time to forget about the heat, sweat, flies and leeches.

Seeing the village residents carry on with the daily lives is refreshing. If I am not careful, I find myself thinking I would like such a simple life.  Everyone is smiling and looks healthy enough. Kids play in the water, and the friendship bonds seem unbreakable.  No one is self conscious about what others are thinking, and even when someone does something silly and others laugh at them, they laugh, too!

Best Friends Forever in A Luoi District

It doesn't take much to bring myself back to the reality that I would never make it. My fate would lie in the statistical infant mortality rate or the death toll of those who died from malaria, dysentery, or even something as simple as the flu.  You can see the evidence of hardship in the deep scars from working in the fields, and the mosquito bites that cover the legs of the kids.  Their smiles are so bright, it is easy to overlook at first.  These kids are super human.  They are the survivors of the infections and the plagues.  They have an immune system that scientist should study, duplicate and bottle; selling it to the West for a handy little profit.

The Simple Country Life



Kids Playing in a Local Stream in A Luoi District

They're not stupid.  Country ain't stupid.  These village residents would be unfazed by an apocalyptic event.  Life would go on as usual.  They would still farm their fields, raise their cattle, slop the pigs and burn the midnight oil they made themselves.  They wouldn't miss the phones and the internet and no one would complain as the rest of the world would get swallowed up in panic and chaos.  It is all a matter of perspective, but I reckon Hank Williams, Jr. got it right when he said a country boy can survive.

Fearless Iguana



Fearless Iguana of Phú Lộc District, Thừa Thiên Huế Province

 A few days ago, I had the opportunity to work in the Bạch Mã National Forest in Phú Lộc District, Thừa Thiên Huế Province.  The forest is protected and, at this time of year, it was alive with beautiful yellow and red blooms from the indigenous trees on the mountainside.  The air was moist and hot with the tropical humidity our team has been encountering since the beginning of the field activity. And from the complaints of some members, the area also was home to poison ivy.

The  variety of spiders and insects was impressive.  Granted, I wasn't hanging out looking for insects and other creepy crawlies, but taking breaks, it became apparent that the variety was profound. I found myself wondering if all of these bugs had been identified and categorized by local and international entomologists.  One particular insect that appeared very much like a large grasshopper, also looked very much like a dried, brown leaf. I saw him and let him go before I saw the fearless iguana.

I was working in a different area when other members of the team found, and seemingly befriended the wild iguana (kỳ nhông). Someone said they fed him a large insect, though I didn't witness that.  What I did see was a medium-sized iguana that remained motionless on a tree for the entire three hours we were at the site.  Many of us took macro shots of him, with our lenses right in his face.  This is unusual for any wildlife specimen in Vietnam, because it goes against the basic survival instinct these animals have, especially the ones who appear to be of mature size. 

I found myself looking for the fearless iguana everytime I passed him along the trail where he was perched.  I just couldn't help but wonder why he refused to budge.  I even wished I had an iPhone with one of those ant game apps to see if he would attack the digital ants.

Alas, all good things come to an end. Before we boarded the helicopter to depart our site, someone noticed the iguana was gone.  One part of me hopes he decided to leave and made a quick exit, but the other, more intelligent side of my brain, says one of the local workers caught the fearless iguana and taught him a good lesson in healthy caution. A lesson he may never be able to use.

Oh fearless iguana, may your spirit live on as your body nourishes others, my little friend.

Quang Tri Province Investigations



Landscape in Cam Lo District, Quang Tri Province

 After arriving in Danang and receiving the teams at the airport on 20 May 2013, I integrated with the 111th Joint Field Activity (JFA) Investigation Team and we moved out for Dong Ha City, Quang Tri Province the following morning.  Dong Ha City is the province seat of Quang Tri and served as our staging point for all of our investigations in the province.

We were obliged to stay at the Mekong Hotel at the invitation of the province officials.  The Mekong is a large two star hotel, stoic in nature that sits on the west side of National Highway 1A in the heart of Dong Ha.  While I don't think anyone on the team appreciated being relegated to stay where the province wanted us to be, the accommodations were not as bad as they were last year when I was "obliged" to stay there.  The two biggest complaints I had with the hotel were the hard bed and poor breakfast... but, hey, life isn't always five star hotels and rock star status.  We settled in for ten nights.

On 22 May we began our first investigation and kept going non-stop until we departed Dong Ha for Hue City on 31 May.  Most of our investigations focused on Cam Lo District.  Cam Lo District abuts Dong Ha City to the west and is the beginning of some very extreme terrain and weather.  Some of the wartime U.S. firebases lie in Cam Lo. Camp Carroll and Con Thien are a couple of examples.

The photo above is a panorama view taken near one of our survey locations.  The photo is indicative of the terrain in the area. The mountains that remain are bare of any natural trees due to clear cutting and planting of industrial trees like acacia and eucalyptus.  Other mountains have been taken down a notch or two from their former glory.  Much of the limestone was used in the making of the Ho Chi Minh Highway that now spans north to south from Nghe An to Ho Chi Minh City.  It is the western north-south corridor that has linked the two regions and eased the traffic on Hwy 1A. The limestone quarried here is also used at the many Vietnamese cement factories as a raw material in making the cement.  The lack of sustainability and the ugly results of strip quarrying make it somewhat ironic that the Vietnamese continue to blame agent orange for their troubles.

The biggest impact this lack of regard for nature and the beauty of the mountains had on us was the lack of shade on the hill.  Working on a clearcut mountain in 100+ F temps for hours on end took its toll on the team.  We went through cases of water in a matter of hours and left exhausted.  Living in Vietnam, I had the advantage of being acclimated.  The team had youth on their side.  In the end, I think we came up even, though the battle turned as the team got used to the heat and humidity.

Not all of our sites were like this, but most were exposed to the sun and sat on the side of a large hill or mountain.  We drove to most of our sites in Quang Tri with just a short, though intense walk most of the time.  This is only because all of our simple sites have been addressed. What we have left are those extremely difficult cases that lie in remote areas with few or no witnesses.  The work is hard, but the rewards when success hits are great.

I am in Hue now, taking a break from the team for a day so I can catch up on my reports.  With that being noted, I suppose I should get to work.  Here's to wishing everyone else a great weekend.