Once I'd finished SERE training I had my orders for in country Viet-Nam. My flight was to leave San Francisco in a week so I had plenty of time to get from San Diego north to Frisco. I took a bus, one that stopped at every small town along the way. It must have taken the better part of a day and night before reaching the bus terminal in downtown San Francisco. I walked out and after a few blocks I came across the YMCA on Turk Steet, just off Market St. I went in and the clerk at the desk assigned me a room and a place to store my sea bag. I was in dress blues and headed out to explore the city, or at least what parts I could get to on foot. As it turned out, the hotel was in a great location for sidewalk restaurants and the famous street car. In the next couple of days I made it to the piers and back along with China Town. I had nothing better to do as I waited to fly to Saigon. My flight was on a MACV, Military Air command/Vietnam, charter flight which took off on 7 June 1970.
