When drafted to serve in the Vietnam War, an American GI took a unique approach to his off-duty days in the country. Private 1st Class Lance V. Nix transformed his time into captivating the local’s daily life with his trusty camera.
Through his lens, Nix captured a different side of the war experience, away from the dreary combat operations in muddy fields and dense jungles that typically define that era.
The photographs he took in and around the city of My Tho between 1968-69 showcase a vibrant world filled with bustling markets, lively townspeople, and joyful children.
These snapshots provide a refreshing perspective, offering a glimpse into the lives of those who were not directly engaged in the conflict, highlighting the resilience and humanity that persisted amidst challenging times.
Two children pose at the Mekong River-front in southeast My Tho.
“My number had come up with the draft before my Jan 1968 graduation from Fresno State College,” writes Lance Nix, “so I worked a part time job until I was finally inducted into the U.S. Army early June of 1968.
By the end of October 1968 I was en-route to the Vietnam War. I was assigned to MACV Team 66 in the Mekong Delta as a member of the PHOENIX Program.
October 1969 I returned from Vietnam and was assigned to a training unit with the 5th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado Springs, Colorado. I finished my service there and finally got my honorable discharge early June of 1970.”
‘Gleening the last of the fish from the drying rain ponds at the Binh Duc airstrip west of My Tho, Dinh Tuong Province, in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta in the year 1969’
“This is a pictorial record of the people and places encountered during the “vacation” part of my tour in paradise with MACV Team 66 and the Phoenix/Phung Hoang Program in Dinh Tuong Province in and around the city of My Tho.
“I try to remember Vietnam as being a working vacation. A few pictures from the “Working Part” of my “Big Adventure” in Vietnam from November 1968 to October 1969.
It was a war, we were in constant danger, we were seeing, doing and experiencing things civilized men should not have to endure, but most of us survived and now it is over and time to move on.”
In Nix’s view, ‘The Vietnamese citizens weren’t really involved in the war. They were bystanders basically. They were so used to occupation, with the French before us. Most citizens were just trying to live their lives, hoping not to have their heads blown off.’
‘I caught these two ladies on film as they walked by the sandbags and razor wire around the military operational center at the south end of My Tho across from the Navy dock on the Mekong River’ in 1969, wrote Nix of this picture.
Despite the war’s ongoing impact on the country, My Tho managed to maintain its vibrant spirit. The city’s markets were a focal point of daily life, teeming with activity as locals engaged in lively trade and commerce.
The marketplaces offered a colorful array of fresh produce, spices, textiles, and handicrafts, creating a vibrant atmosphere that reflected the richness of Vietnamese culture.
The townspeople of My Tho exhibited resilience and determination as they went about their daily lives amidst wartime circumstances.
‘Captain Kozak, Luetenant Short and I had a nice Chinese lunch here. (Dinh Tuong Province in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta)’.
They found ways to carry on with their routines, tending to their businesses, homes, and families. Community ties were strong, and neighbors supported one another through challenging times.
While My Tho was not immune to the effects of the war, it offered a stark contrast to the combat operations and hardship prevalent in other parts of Vietnam.
The city provided a glimpse of ordinary life and a reminder that amidst the chaos, people were striving to maintain a sense of normalcy and create moments of joy.
‘At My Tho’s downtown market in Dinh Tuong Province, Vietnam, in the year 1969.’
‘My Tho’s downtown market in Dinh Tuong Province, Vietnam, in the year 1969.’
Vegetables cut into decorative patterns at the My Tho market in preparation for Tet festivities, 1969.
‘Flower vendors selling [marigolds] for TET New Year celebration at the My Tho market in Dinh Tuong Province, Vietnam, in the year 1969’
‘Sidewalk fast food in My Tho 1969. Busy with mid-day shoppers at the My Tho market in Dinh Tuong Province, Vietnam, in 1969’
‘In My Tho’s eastside commercial district in 1969. (Dinh Tuong Province, Vietnam).’
‘Shopping district in eastern My Tho (Dinh Tuong Province, Vietnam) in the year 1969.’
‘A [remnant] from the French colonial days, the long loaves of french bread were plentiful in My Tho,’ Nix wrote of this picture.
Flower girls at the My Tho marketplace, in the Dinh Tuong Province in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, 1969.
A shoe seller and two smiling children at the My Tho market in 1969 as photographed by Lance V. Nix.
‘Local men take a mid-day break for a little card game. In northeast My Tho in 1969’ wrote Nix of this picture.
‘Noodle Gobbler in 1969 — Seen on one of my My Tho walk-a-bouts in 1969’ wrote Lance V. Nix of this scanned Kodachrome slide.
Girl selling produce at the My Tho market in 1969.
‘River Front Fast Food 1969. In My Tho on the Mekong River, Dinh Tuong Province, Vietnam in 1969’
The public park fronting on the Mekong River at the southeast corner of My Tho. (Dinh Tuong Province, Vietnam, in the year 1969).
In southeast My Tho by the Mekong River in 1969. (Dinh Tuong Province, Vietnam)
At the southeast corner of My Tho where it fronts on the Mekong River.
‘On the ferry on our way to Kien Hoa Province. These guys were down from Saigon. They had heard about the Coconut Monk and invited me to go with them for a visit on a day off from the war. Seemed so weird in the midst of everything to just go sight seeing but then the daylight hours were generally safe. It was the night when things heated up.’
‘South Vietnamese war boat on the south shore of the Coconut Monks island in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta near the city of My Tho’.
Vietnam’s Coconut Monk in his tower at the east end of his “floating” platform refuge at the very eastern tip of his island in the Mekong River near My Tho, VIetnam.
Young Visitor to Coconut Monk in 1969.
Coconut Monk devotees holding services on the “floating” platform. (Mekong Delta, Vietnam, January 1969).
Stern view of water taxi approaching Kien Hoa Province from Coconut Monk’s island.
Approaching from the west, the entrance to the Coconut Monk’s complex and “floating” refuge as seen in the year 1969. (Vietnam’s Mekong Delta near the city of My Tho).
At the southeast corner of My Tho where it fronts on the Mekong River.
Portrait of the artist as a young man: Lance V. Nix at the Embassy House in My Tho, Dinh Tuong Province, Vietnam in December 1968.
On the street in front of the MACV Team 66 personnel residence, Hotel 1, in My Tho city, Dinh Tuong Province, Vietnam.
Lance V. Nix pictured on Veterans Day 2014, in Fort Ord, California. ‘Back in uniform 45 years later. How time flies,’ Nix wrote.
(Photo credit: Lance V. Nix).