Went to the battalion around 1000 this morning because didn't have anything else to do.

Around 1030, the Division Senior Advisor hisself called. We talked for several minutes, and the outcome is that instead of going to Saigon on the 3rd, I'll go to Bac Lieu, stay the night, and then take Delta Flight 440 to Saigon from Bac Lieu on Saturday, 4 January.

Pisses me off, in a way; it's like I've been extended a day! Well, in my mind, I have! Not rational, I know, because I'll still be leaving on 9 January.

Went by Major Mong's office, and told him I would be leaving on 3 January for home. This seemed to take him by surprise, and I reminded him that I have been here for over 50 weeks! We talked a bit, and then my new sidekick and I headed out to visit a bridge site we had a squad working on.

It was about 10 klicks out of town, and our squad was tearing down an old bridge that had been destroyed sometime in the past, and were going to build a new Eiffel to replace. The sergeant and I killed a couple of hours there, talking about Army bridging. He certainly knows his stuff, but this is the first Eiffel he sees.

One the way back, I couldn't help but note how casual I was, I'm sitting on my flack jacket, with my 32 on my belt. The sergeant is carrying his M16, and has his steel pot along side. Contrast that to my first trip in the country side last January!

Not that I am not nervous. I am! I am worried; nay, scared shitless at the thought that something could happen this late in my tour! I feel so exposed here, and want to get up to TSN where I will feel more secure, never mind that they are taking shells on a regular basis, and we aren't.