Da Nang -China Beach Exchange Feb 28 1970

I hit the PX in Dong Ha whenever I had the chance where the shelves were often nearly empty. Items most often in stock were canned peanut brittle candy, cartons of Marlboro & Salem cigarettes and Playboy magazines... if you didn't mind them a month or two old. And military staples like Brasso and Kiwi boot polish.

Those two brands of smokes were essentially the same as currency with locals in that country. Nothing else would do. To this day when I see an older guy smoking Salems, I figure he's a Viet Nam vet.

We had cards to buy certain electronic items like Akai reel to reel tape players. You bought one & the clerk punched your card so you couldn't cheat and buy another later. Supposedly there were only so many around, but I always recall seeing them in stock. There were a number of commodities on the card, but too many years have elapsed for me to recall what they were.

If I can recall more, I'll make a separate post.