Vietnam: A Television History; Interview with Vo Van Nhung, 1981

Interviewer: How did the Americans first arrive? Vo Van Nhung: The used small boats to transport the soldiers ashore. Interviewer: Please tell the whole story from the beginning: How they came in in big boats and then transferred to the small landing vehicles... Vo Van Nhung: They came in big boats. Then they got into small landing vehicles and came ashore. Then they put up large red and white tents and began sea bathing. They put up hammocks and then went for a swim in the sea. After they got tired of swimming, they came up and lay in their hammocks. They came ashore at around 8 a.m. and stayed on the beach until about 11 a.m. when they came back to their boats again. Then around 2 p.m. they came ashore again and again took their swim. They stayed on the beach until 5 p.m. when they returned to their boats again. Interviewer: How did you happen to see the Americans land when you went out to work in the morning? Vo Van Nhung: In the morning I went out to pull in the fish and I saw the Americans land. They stayed on the beach and took their swim until the afternoon when they returned to their boats again. This went on for about a month and then I did not see them anymore. Interviewer: How did the Americans look to you?

Vo Van Nhung: They were very big, bigger than this man here. And their women were also very big, bigger than this woman here. Interviewer: What were your reactions when you saw the Americans? Vo Van Nhung: The Americans said that they only came here to take a swim in the sea and that they came with no other intention.