VLVL2 (9.5): "White Diamonds"

[Dave Monroe]

   "'And say Doc,' Blood added, 'we also a little
sleepy this time of night....'
   "'Sure!' coming out with a handful of 'white
diamonds.'  And the fellows went on with their night's
cruising after accounts towable.  But next day they
showed up unexpectedly at the Karmology Clinic with
some input relating to Vietnam in general and Ortho
Bob Dulang in particular, tales of who bought what in
the Ton Son Nhut latrine while bats intercepted the
legendary oversize mosquitoes, who entered what hot
bounded world they might, at the last moment, have
recognized, and stoned bat-fishermen cast their hooked
lines upward into the dark..." (VL, Ch. 9, pp. 178-9)


"white diamonds"

Amphetamines?  Cocaine?  Let me know ...


"accounts towable"

A la accounts payable and receivable, e.g., ...

http://www.theonion.com/onion2907/i_am_a_bad_ass_2907.html

http://www.theonion.com/onion3625/cpa_convention.html

http://www.theonion.com/archive/archive_kornfeld.php


"Ton Son Nhut"

It was thirty years ago that the Tet Offensive (named
General Offensive-General Uprising by the North
Vietnamese) began in South Vietnam. Although
intelligence estimates indicated an unprecedented
amount of supplies were moving down the Ho Chi Minh
Trail and three North Vietnamese Division Headquarters
and seven regiments (about 15,000 men) had arrived
near Khe Sanh, north of Hue, the U.S. leadership did
not fully understand the gravity of the situation.
Speeches by senior leaders indicated that a possible
all-out offensive might develop, but it was unlikely.

Tet, or the lunar new year, the Vietnamese most
festive holiday, resulted in a declared 36 hour truce
and home leave for many of South Vietnam's military.
Although some leaves were cancelled, ARVN strength was
at about 50 per cent when the attacks were launched
[...]. In well-coordinated attacks in the capital of
Saigon, three U.S. military barracks, the Presidential
Palace, the city radio station, Ton Son Nhut Air Base,
and the recently constructed U.S. Embassy were all
attacked.

http://www.vietnamwar.com/TetOffensive.htm

And see as well, e.g., ...

http://www.ctrp-3d-4thcav.com/AAR-USAF%20TonSonNhut.htm


"hot bounded world" ?


"stoned bat-fishermen"

In late 1966, VMA(AW)-242 joined the 1st MAW at Da
Nang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam and, by Nov. 1,
1966, participated in combat operations against the
Viet Cong and the NVA. Initially the squadron
supported allied ground forces, but during April 1967,
the Bats were also assigned to the first of many
Rolling Thunder missions (deep strikes) over North
Vietnam. The squadron, utilizing the unique
capabilities of the Intruder, flew patrols over North
Vietnam until the bombing halt in late 1968. From then
until the squadron's departure from Vietnam on Sept.
8, 1970, the Bats continued supporting allied forces
in South Vietnam, as well as flying sorties against
the Ho Chi Minh Trail in North Vietnam and central
Laos. During the squadron's tour in the Republic of
Vietnam, VMA(AW)-242 logged 16,783 combat sorties and
delivered 85,990 tons of ordnance.

http://www.miramar.usmc.mil/mag11/mag11%20units/vmfa242/242hist.htm

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