Story 20 - Hoa Long Dance

New march-ins to 104 Signal Squadron and 547 Signal Troop where always offered attendance to the Hoa Long Dance for their first Saturday evening in country.  Arrivals were red-hot young males and saw this as opportunity to indulge in Asian delights.  The fact that it was after dark and would be teeming with VC escaped them! 

The Young South Vietnamese Ladies supposedly sponsored the dance for the Freedom and Democracy Association of South Vietnam.  The details, covering transport, dress and weapons were presented on a phoney sheet.  While it looked like the genuine article everyone except the march-ins knew it to be a joke.  When Saturday evening arrived, they would parade ready to go at 104's transport lines.  After being reprimanded by 104's orderly sergeant, for not having boots shined, etc they would be taken for a brief drive around the task force area.  On returning to 104's lines, members of the unit would line Semaphore Drive and give the guys an unceremonial welcome home from the dance!

Comment:  While most march-ins always jumped at the chance to go dancing, a back-up event was available to the unit jokers, the Dat Do Dogs meeting (The village of Dat Do was a VC stronghold).  Many march-ins fell for both !

Photo above - If you would like just the plane on its own, please email Denis Hare  !

Sign located near Nui Dat - Maybe it was real !!  
(Photo from the 161 Recce Flt collection)