I made a batch of Toll House cookies yesterday. I just used the recipe on the package. Mom changed up a couple of things, but I couldn’t find the changes in my stuff. I burned one batch (a dozen). My sister would have thrown them out, but I think they are still edible. This letter from Oct 1st is difficult to read because the ink ran through each page. I explain that in the letter, but I’ll give it my best shot.
“Greetings once again, family. Oct 1
“Sorry I’ve neglected you, Rob. I realize it’s been hard on you and you never found the time to write. By the way, half the letters I ever wrote to you never got to you because you seemed to cancel your address quite often. Sorry I can’t give you some estimates for that camera, but I won’t be able to do that until I get to Hong Kong, or Bangkok or wherever I go. If you like, send me the model number and make. I’ll check prices and if they are agreeable to you, I can always order it or perhaps I can send it COD. I don’t know how much money I’ll be taking with me. And no sweat about meeting me at Fort Lewis. We’ll get together when I get home.
“Gang, I would really like to see gram and gramps when I get home. To me they are part of our family. The Hahnels I could give two hoots about, but if you invite them for Thanksgiving and I miss them, I won’t go to Maine. I believe my leave is going to go fast enough as it is.
“I have no idea where my next assignment will take me, and will not know for about 30 more days. Naturally it will be be somewhere in Conus.” I think that reference meant the continental U.S. “I requested the east coast. Unless Fort Devans is infantry or mechanized infantry, I won’t get it. I’m infantry so I’ll probably be some sort of instructor at an infantry base, and the one closest to home, I believe, is Fort Dix. It is not necessarily true that I will be put close to home. A lot of guys aren’t. Mouse (Scott Adie), however, lucked out and got Fort Ord in California only a couple of hours drive from his house. But there are few that get lucky in their assignments.
“Received the pay voucher and checked it out – no mistakes, except I want to ask if you have been receiving savings bonds for me. They take out $6.25 per month towards savings bonds and I don’t have any. If you haven’t got any either, let me know and I can go to Division Finance to find out how they are working this.
“Also can you let me know counting Sept, Oct, and Nov allotments how much I’ve got at home. I realize you just got through paying Natraj’s, and if there’s anything left, it won’t be much, but I’m still curious as to how much I’ll be able to take on my leave and how much I’ll be able to put away. I will cover all my own expenses while I’m home on leave. Speaking of home, got any of those lobsters left? I’ll bet I missed out completely on those also. Received a letter from you forwarded on from the hospital. Also unfortunately, I got one from Peni. I’ll just have to wait and see how she accepts my last letter. Should be very interesting. Also got a letter from Steve. I think he’ll do ok this year. Like you said, he seems to be growing up.
“I carry on regular correspondence with John McRae. He’s one of the few people who really takes an interest in the situation over here. I enjoy writing him. I usually enjoy writing to anyone. I should write gram and gramps. I’ve already written to Aunt Louise. She sends the ‘family’ letter and usually includes a paragraph for me. I assume I’m getting the original, not the copies, but I’m not sure.
“I’m still at Tay Ninh rear. A new LT joined our company yesterday. Couldn’t believe it when I saw him. We went to TCU together. His name is Dave Bisbee and we’re frat brothers. Small world, I’d say. He’s going to take over my old platoon (3/6). If I go back to the field, I’ll be his RTO. I’ll sort of feel responsible for him. He came in at a bad time, a lot of potential contact out there, although so far, I don’t think any of our companies have made contact out there. There was an accident that killed 2 guys and wounded a bunch more. 2/8 Cav was on Ike when we arrived. ‘B’ company was about 1000 meters outside the LZ that night, our company was further away. Anyway, the mortars on the LZ and the artillary fired outside the perimeter at suspected enemy locations. They made a mistake (FDC-Fire Direction Control) and a few rounds landed inside B company’s night location. An investigation is under away. I hope you can read this letter – I just sprayed some bug repellent on it by accident. I’m pulling perimeter bunker guard tonight, and they stuck me in the tower. I do this about every other night. It’s one of the reasons they like to have me back here. I guess they’re trying to make it a permanent job for me. Hope it works out.
“You said that T Alger was flying a bird. Either you or John M said he was at Cu Chi. Things aren’t so good there now. We were there in March and made a lot of contact. It’s open country there, a lot of rice paddies. There’s a lot of action around Go Dau Ha where we were. Terry is most likely in the Central Highlands, that’s the 173rd Div area of operations. Working at FDC (fire direction control) isn’t bad unless he’s on an LZ and even then it’s still a pretty good job. However, he may be sent to the field as an FO (Forward Observer) in which case he’ll be attached to the infantry. I still don’t feel sorry for him. It’s people like him that enlist and volunteer that keep the army strong, and I don’t like those kind of people – ‘lifers’ we call them, the scourge of the army. Well, I guess that’s about all I’ve got. Take care everyone – it won’t be long, Love Dave
59 Days Short!!”
Sometimes I wonder about the reasoning of some of the things I say, like about lifers keeping the army strong being a bad thing. Shouldn’t the army be strong? And I want to apologize to my Hahnel cousins for dismissing you and want all of you to know I much I appreciate you. I think I was able to reproduce this letter accurately. The wonders of bug spray. I also wrote about Mouse’s assignment back in the states. I didn’t realize that he went home before I did. My memory has him joining us after Marty was killed. Could be wrong. The next letter is from Oct 4th. Back to field? Maybe, maybe not. It’s one of my longer letters.
