[1965-66 VIETNAM WAR HOME MOVIES SAIGON BARRACKS / TENT CITY AND SAIGON ZOO ]

This 8mm home movie was shot during the Vietnam War by Peter Orsino, who worked as a U.S. Army chef in Southeast Asia in 1965-66. He did not see combat, but worked primarily in rear areas during the conflict. This particular footage appears to have been shot in and around Saigon. It shows street views (:30), the Mekong River (1:10), U.S. military base / tent city (3:08) with food service workers visible, sports stadium with Pan Am Airlines billboard (3:44), guard at base uses 8mm movie camera and points it at cameraman (5:40), Saigon Zoo (7:33), more Saigon street scenes (13:48) including a shot of the Imperial Hotel (14:50). Peter Orsino was born in Cornwall NY, joined the Army in 1958 where he began his lifelong career of being a cook/chef. He went from Fort Lee VA to Fort Dix NJ, to Vietnam where he spent a year (Aug 65-Aug 66) with the 557th MPCo as a cook. From there, he spent 2 years in Germany, then on to San Francisco CA. In 1970 he decided to leave the Army, but continued as a National Guardsman in Newburgh NY for over 20 years. After cooking in several restaurants in the 1970s, he became a chef at West Point in NY until he retired in 2000. Enjoyed his retirement years with his wife, kids, VFW buddies and his 7 grandchildren until his passing in 2016.