Episode 005: 1964-10-12 | Jet Fuel and the Delta

Dearest Suzie

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Bill Lowie recounts his first flight over the lower Mekong Delta, where he experiences the unsettling reality of conducting military operations in a region largely controlled by the Viet Cong. During a three-hour flight, Popi's helicopter stops at a dirt strip to refuel, only to be tasked with transporting a new advisor to a remote outpost surrounded by dense trees. With the constant fear of enemy attack, he reflects on the paradox of relying on fuel transported by civilians who pay "road taxes" to the Viet Cong. This uneasy cooperation, in which the Viet Cong could halt military movements by stopping fuel deliveries, exemplifies the complexities and contradictions U.S. forces faced in Vietnam.

What’s Covered:
• First flight over the Mekong Delta.
• Transporting an advisor to a small outpost.
• Complex relationship between the Viet Cong and Vietnamese civilians.
• The delicate logistics of fuel transportation in VC-controlled areas.

📷Featured Photo: A formation of Huey helicopters flying over the dense terrain of the Mekong Delta, showing the roads likely regulated by the Viet Cong.

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