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               Article from THE TROPIC LIGHTNING NEWS
                  25th Infantry Division, Vietnam
                           20 March 1967
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                          ONE FOR RIPLEY:

                          A SWIMMING POOL

                           AT DAU TIENG!
                           

    The 3rd Bde. of the 4th Inf. Div. recently added its splash to
one of man's most unusual wars when it resurrected a stately 1930
French swimming pool at Dau Tieng, just crackling distance from Viet
Cong rifle fire.

    In a scene that would undoubtedly send Lloyd Bridges under for
the third time, the combat-hardened 3rd Bd. troops have taken the
new swimming pool almost as calmly as a Viet Cong mortar attack.

    "It's unbelievable!" said one specialist.  "I haven't had this
much fun since I left the states.  About the only thing we don't
have are girls."


                              MORALE

    And few would dispute that this was the greatest morale booster
to hit the camp since Armed Forces television brought Batman to the
country late last year.

    When the Ivymen arrived in War Zone C, it didn't take them long
to uncover and overrun the dilapidated swimming pool, originally
built under the shade of the Michelin Rubber Plantation by the
French in the 1930's. The pool was marred by 20 years of neglect and
war (the pipe system was beyond use, debris contaminated the bottom,
a grenade explosion had ripped out a chunk of cement), but the
potential was definitely there.

                              MOVING

    The 2nd Bn., 12th Inf., getting a chance to show its versatility,
moved in, cleaned up, then moved out, not before installing ten
showers below the sundeck, dumping 80 gallons of paint on the pool's
walls and 275,000 gallons of water to fill the tank.

    The result was a fabulous 81-foot-long, 31-foot-wide and
12-foot-deep pool and an opening day splash-in that resembled a
school of salmon in a goldfish bowl.

                            ATTRACTIONS

    Since opening day, the pool has taken on a few added attractions
and now features a little something for almost everyone.

    The high divers have a four-meter tower, while a spring board
constructed from a helicopter rotor wing has been installed for the
less daring.

    A wading pool tapering down to four feet accommodates those just
wanting to relax and forget the bitter turnoil in War Zone C.

    The sundeck is equipped with a stereo unit, and management has
available masks, swim fins and snorkles.

                               CARE

    The pool is managed by Sp5 Ray Croft.  He is responsible for the
care and maintenance of the pool and equipment and for pool safety.
He is assisted by Sp4's Jim Fulton, Richard Webster and Cpl. Ron
McAtee.

    In addition to their other duties, the pool crew teaches daily
swimming classes for the non-swimmers in the brigade.

    The pool is open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.  No one yet has
suggested putting up night lights for a midnight swim.

    That might be just too much.
   
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Article supplied by Bill Comeau.  See http://www.212veterans.org/comeau.htm

On 11 October 2002, Bill Comeau wrote, "The swimmimg pool was in
disrepair when we first arrived as I recall.  It was a good size
above ground pool and the first thing the Brigade did when it
cleaned it up was the painting of a playboy bunny insignia on the
bottom of it.  I heard that a couple of years after we left VC
sappers snuck into camp and blew it up."

Transcribed by Paul M. Webber on 29 October 2002