Remember that whiney guy from earlier? Well he’s back. A good portion of the first page of this letter is me bitching about not getting mail, and as previously mentioned, some of my mail was going to a different Robinson in another platoon. “Yesterday when I didn’t get any mail, I was so mad and upset that I got drunk last night. Then in my inebriated state I got your letter dated Jan 2.” This statement amazes me because we received either 2 beers a day or 2 cokes a day. My memory says I always took the cokes because the beer was always warm (and so were the cokes). I don’t remember ever getting drunk in Viet Nam, but this letter home says different. I won’t bore you here with the continuation of the whole mail issue except to tell you that if eventually improved. I think this letter, though, tell you how important mail mail was to us. I continue to whine about not hearing from people I expected to.
For some reason I decided to discuss flak jackets. “As far as flak vests are concerned, I guess it’s pretty good protection from mortar and grenade shrapnel, but it won’t stop a bullet. And since we move through jungles and swamps, we travel ‘light to fight’ and the vest is just too heavy and cumbersome to lug around. Most of the people that wear them are the mechanized infantry or truck drivers and people in transportation.” Needless to say, we did not use or carry flak jackets.
Our company “…is back in Phuoc Vinh, all except for 2nd platoon. They’re out on long reconnaissance patrol. The rest of us are back at the base camp on a ten minute standby as quick reaction force. In case of mortar attack or human wave attack, we’ll be rushed to the green line wherever we are needed.” The green line is the larger bulldozed berm around the the base camp. “We’ve got 3 big tents, each platoon in one tent.” Since we were on standby, we did not have access to base privileges, movies, BX etc.
Then my attention turned to food. “You might try to send some of those fabulous toll house cookies of yours. Canned potato chips are also popular. And I could use some stationary, envelops and a pen” Gotta keep writing those letters.
There is nothing like keeping up with sports. I spend the next page talking about how up to date I am on the Southwest Conference (TCU in particular since it was my school before I self destructed), NFL and NHL.
“I thought when I left the states the harassment would end, but no such luck. It’s just changed form a little. I’m not yet considered an equal because I have not been through a firefight yet.” Topics change again, as I talk about reading an article (probably from Army Times) that most of the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) have left South Viet Nam. Obviously that will later turn out to be false. Since I bought that hook, line and sinker, I say this; “As long as NVA troops have pulled out we should demonstrate our faith and begin troop withdrawal immediately, or North Viet Nam is likely to send in their troops again…”. In other words, get me the hell out of here. I’ll throw in a couple of pictures next time. See ya then.