BOOM BOOM ROCK

More than 50 years have passed since the Americans withdrew from Monkey Mountain (the Son Tra Peninsula, Da Nang, Vietnam). The landscape has changed dramatically, and hardly anyone remembers Boom Boom Rock anymore—or if they do, they assume it no longer exists. Yet, Boom Boom Rock still stands there in perfect condition, hidden amid dense foliage, as if silently waiting for its long-lost companions to return.

Last Saturday, while cycling to Que Son and checking in at the Bà Rén pig market, I—along with two friends—spontaneously rode up to Son Tra to explore a landmark I had recently discovered after countless rides: Boom Boom Rock, a boulder tucked to the left of the ascent, less than 1 km from the summit of Monkey Mountain.

During the Vietnam War, Monkey Mountain was considered a strategically vital location, so the Americans stationed many troops here. In particular, they built an air traffic control radar station atop Monkey Mountain—dubbed the “Eastern Sea God’s Eye”—with a surveillance radius of up to 300 km.

Photos taken in the late 1960s suggest that Boom Boom Rock may once have been a popular outdoor hangout for the American soldiers stationed on Monkey Mountain Many American veterans still keep snapshots taken beside Boom Boom Rock as unforgettable mementos of their military days, and some who have returned to Vietnam have made a point of revisiting this relic to relive the fierce days of their youth.

Adorned with graffiti and military slang, the rock’s name “Boom Boom Rock” remains as evocative as its appearance. I’m not sure which American soldier coined the name, but it surely came from someone with plenty of experience—“Boom Boom Rock” is a name that resonates in both sound and imagery.

It is said that the prostitutes in Thailand or Cambodia created the word “boom boom” to conveniently invite American soldiers to “pay for sex”. The word “boom boom” followed American soldiers to South Vietnam in 1965 and was quickly used very skillfully by prostitutes and pimps there. “Hey you, go boom boom?” while saying it while making obscene hand gestures, any American soldier far from home, even the stupidest on earth, would understand and want to boom boom right away.

Photo: Internet

More than 50 years on, despite the sweeping changes and fading memories of its past, Boom Boom Rock remains—its original form barely altered, hidden among the trees as if patiently awaiting the return of its bygone era.

I snapped a few commemorative photos while standing by Boom Boom Rock, though I hesitated to post them on Facebook for fear that the young ones might discover this secret spot. For now, let Boom Boom Rock rest in peace.