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    Excerpt from the 1967 Yearbook of the 4th Infantry Division
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  "It was that kind of war.

   Not only was there fighting in the jungles south of Saigon, but
there was the unique terrorist war in the streets of Saigon itself. 
November first is Vietnamese National day and Alpha Company 1/12
Infantry had been selected to march in a parade in Saigon.  It would
be a change from the ordinary routine of hacking through thick Delta
Jungles.  A day in the big city, in the Republic of Vietnam's lively
but noisy capital.

   The troopers washed their jungle fatigues, cleaned their weapons
and jungle boots.  On October 30 [1966] they embarked by truck for
Saigon, stopping at Long Binh to join up with other U.S. units
before proceeding to Camp Alpha at Tan Son Nhut air base on the
outskirts of the city.  On October 31st the Ivy troopers were given
the day off to visit Saigon.  The following day was the big parade. 
It would be one to remember.

   The Ivy Division's contingent marched through the streets
decorated with Vietnamese national colors and jammed with tens of
thousands of cheering, waving people.  Suddenly, there was a strange
sound.  The whoosh of recoilless rifle rounds overhead.  Then the
explosions somewhere nearby.  It was an all too familiar sound.

   Lt Allyn J. Palmer, the company comander, turned his head
nervously.  So did the guidon bearer, Pfc Larry Savage.  But Alpha
Company didn't falter or break cadence.  They had for all practical
purposes witessed a Viet Cong terrorist attack from recoilless rifle
rounds fired into the center of the city in an effort to frighten
and intimidate the Vietnamese on the very day they were
commemorating the establishment of their Republic.

   It was that kind of war."

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This was provided by Bill Comeau, who was one of two RTO's for LT
Allyn Palmer, Commander of Alpha Company, 2/12 Infantry in
1966-1967.  Bill marched with Alpha Company in the National Day
parade and noted, "... we heard the whoosh of recoilless rifle
rounds pass over us as we marched and landed two streets away from
us.  The company never lost a step and proceeded to march past the
reviewing stand where Premier Nguyen Cao Ky and US Ambassador Henry
Cabot Lodge stood symbolically side by side."

Transcribed by Paul M. Webber on 28 October 2002.