Saigon Viet-Nam, temple. I had been in-country for six months and one Sunday I went touring the sights with the help of a cyclo-taxi driver, also called peddy-cab, they were a three wheeled bicycle. Photograph was taken at the Xa Loi Pagoda in Saigon. Behind me is the pagoda's bell tower and inside of the main temple is an enormous gold Buddha. My driver peddled me around for hours for just a few dollars and showed me more out of the way sights than I'd seen in the previous six months on my own. It became one of those lazy day memories that has lasted a lifetime. I had a cheap Kodak instamatic camera in the pocket of my fatigues and he snapped this photo for me. Pretty interesting composition isn't it? BTW, the bush to my right is trimmed into the shape of a miniature elephant.
Notice anything funny about this uniform? First, the short sleeves. Second, the jungle green trousers are cuffed not bloused. And Third, yes, it is starched. What brings this to mind is that I was once questioned about this photo actually being taken in Viet-Nam. Well, the answer is Yes. Saigon, and Cholon where I lived, were full of tailor shops, but, on the second floor of the Capitol Hotel, my BEQ, there was a young seamstress. Alterations were cheap and I brought her all of my uniforms including my dungarees. She fitted all of them for me for a total of a couple of bucks. The starch, that was my mamasan. You couldn't stop her from starching and ironing everything. She even polished my boots. What a sweetie.
