In 1967 I used to journey to a French Vung Tau bakery that survived the Dien Bien Phu defeat in 1954. I would obtain a big brown paper bag of warm French stick breads and bring it back to the good doctors in my medical unit - the 345th Dispensary at the Vung Tau Airfield. A touch of France remained as did one restaurant at the Pacific Hotel where I dined with my Australian friends in uniform.
French fries were cooked and sold on Back Beach to us GIs. Some French was even spoken with soldiers from the past war. Piastre silver coins were offered for $6.00 when U S Trade Dollars were $60.00 In Saigon there was evidence of French living quarters. This gave a certain sophistication to it all. Catholicism caught on for some Vietnamese.
I found a trophy, a cast iron plate the size of a hot rod club plaque attached to a stove "Chappe - Paris!" I removed it and presented it to my salvage buddy, Specialist 4 Thom Cox of Santa Anna, CA. at the Los Airport Terminal on my return home to Massachusetts in February of 1968 in exchange for a beaner hat, a tall can of beer and a coal mining pan inscribed" IGJPB." We dubbed our 2 man club the International Group of Prospectors and Beach Combers. LOL.
You see, French Indo-China was still in tact when my boots hit the Vietnamese soils, and seeking out treasurers of the French Occupation made things extra special for yours truly a lifetime ago.
The French spirit lives today as I am a French-Canadian American.. a raconteur who enjoys telling stories , does so frequently, and is good at it! Agree? : LOL..
This is a FAKE Trade Dollar. Maybe many were passed in Vietnam?
My Vietnam Inspiration
Columbo
Today
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