I probably should have thought twice, felt concern or apprehension. Maybe even a little fear.
But when the editor asked if I would volunteer to help cover a war and — oh, by the way — ferry $15,000 cash in $5’s, $10’s, and $20’s into the Vietnam and Cambodian combat zones, I said, “Of course!”
Both those deadly, grinding conflicts looked to be winding down around this time in 1975 as communist forces scored victory after victory, conquering province after province in both countries.
Understandably perhaps, hotels, grocers, restaurants, vehicle rentals, and the like there had become reluctant to accept credit cards as future payment for services today.
So, the green of universal U.S. cash became crucial to work and survival for a major newspaper’s correspondents in the field.
I had spent 15 years dreaming, studying, practicing, scheming,…
