Title: Sawadee Buffs: The Final Chapter of the Vietnam War
Author: Colonel G. Alan Dugard
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 978-1524670047
Pages: 170
Genre: Memoir / War / Military
Reviewed By: Susan Brown
Pacific Book Review
Sawadee, pronounced “sah-wah-dee,” is the Thai greeting for both hello and goodbye. With a little bow included, it’s a way to indicate a gracious hospitality, a cordial acknowledgement of friendliness. At the time the author was stationed in Thailand as the Vietnam War came to a close, this level of congeniality was much needed and sought after, and Col. Dugard was an exceptional role model.
At the end of this narrative, he says, “You have to live somewhere else to realize what freedom means and what law and order means.” During the 11 months he spent closing the U-Tapao Air Base and sending the military and civilian workforce, as well as all U.S. equipment home, he was immersed in the ongoing struggle to put an end to war, leave Thailand on good terms and ensure the safety of all involved. All the while he was navigating cultural practices dissimilar to those of America, the basis for this statement.
The forward, penned by the author’s son, sets the tone of this memoir as a “Tale of conflict and humanity; character and risk, confusion and loss.” The conflict began in 1962 with the start of the United States involvement in the Vietnam War, well before the time period chronicled here, but nevertheless a critical component in understanding the perspective of this memoir. In spite of Mr. Dugard’s personal viewpoint that, “The tragedy of our nation took place when a clueless congress … cut off funding to our efforts in Vietnam and left South Vietnam to sure defeat,” he undertook his assignment of U-Tapao with all of the dignity and honor befitting an American soldier.
The book is a fascinating insight into the routine of base life. There are a lot of comings and goings of military personnel in a wide-range of aircraft, the most intriguing of which is the BUFF. No, it’s not a stripped down plane it’s a huge cumbersome truck in the sky, a “Big Ugly Fat Fellow,” a plane that was a legend in Southeast Asia, known to be a source of fear in the hearts and minds of the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong — the B-52 bomber. At one point, there were more than 150 on base.
Col. Dugard not only details the countless logistical details that needed to be taken care of in the base closure process, but also provides an insight into Thai lifestyle … the food and entertainment, and people he met off base. His writing is comprehensive and informative, revealing the interconnected relationship the Americans had with the Thai people, a relationship filled with enmity, but at the same time great affection on both sides.There are some lighthearted moments with the Base pets. Pete the Burmese reticulated python gets orders for a Stateside post and has to be boxed and shipped, and Iron Mike, a gorilla, gets a new home in Bangkok. Yes, base life was routine, until it wasn’t!
For readers of history, this memoir provides a compelling look, from a boots-on-the-ground soldier, at the final year of U.S. disentanglement from the Vietnam war. It celebrates the hard-work and commitment of those involved in the process and reminds us of the sacrifices those in service to our country make. Reading and sharing Sawadee Buffs: The Final Chapter of the Vietnam War with others is a way to thank and honor Col. Dugard’s service to our country.
