Surfing during the Vietnam War
and the healing power of wave riding
Suggestions or corrections? email: surfupguy.vietnamexhibit@gmail.com
Floyd Foist...
home surf Cocoa Beach
Vietnam, in-country 1968, 1st Amphibian Tractor Battalion, Cua Viet
The board (apparently an old Velzy) in the pictures was originally owned by a marine Captain. When he shipped out he gave it to Floyd as a gift to share with anyone wanting to use it.
A reality check occurred when one day while out surfing, rockets started raining on the beach, thereby bringing to an end his Asian surfing saga.
Larry Johnson...
home surf Huntington Beach (before); Carlsbad (Tamarack), San Diego after
Vietnam, in-country 1970, 1st 174th Detachment,U.S.Army, then Vung Tau, Special Services
"The Aussies had the best surfboards and they had about 200 of them. The Americans had no boards, so they 'requisitioned' several of them from the Aussies, calling them 'rescue boards'."
Jeff Houser..."Bush Doc"
home surf: grew up in Los Angeles County surfing California, Baja and Hawaii; after Vietnam surfed primarily in north and south San Diego County
Vietnam: Infantry Platoon Corpsman with 2/3 3rd Marine Division and Medevac Corpsman with the Marine Air Group 16, wounded twice,in-country 1969-1970
...in harsh living conditions, we Corpsmen carried medicine and supplies in our backpacks and other gear to deal with daily medical problems and to aid the wounded in combat. My Marine infantry platoon was pulled out from patrolling the mountains along the DMZ border near Laos for a brief but much needed 3 days of rest and recuperation (R&R) in Cua Viet, before returning to the mountains.
The ocean was one of the simple pleasures from the past, and hearing it near by, I was drawn to its muffled roar. I hiked over a sand dune and stood on an empty white sandy beach, staring at perfect waves in a far off foreign country halfway around the world. I needed to wash off the war!...