Letter of July 28 LZ Mary?

The envelop for this letter of July 28 also contained a letter to me from the Dean of Men at TCU, J.W. Murray. Evidently I had written him about coming back to TCU when I returned. He praised the 1^st Cav and told me that he had also served with them on the G-4 Staff. He told me that he had shared some of my thoughts with several TCU students “who thought school life was too tough for them.” He told me that he was proud of TCU because it had avoided “sit-in, love-ins” or other demonstrations on campus. Little did he nor I know that when I returned to TCU I would be an instigator of anti-war demonstrations through VVAW (Viet Nam Veterans Against the War). Now, on to the letter.

“Dear mom, dad, Steve and Sue, July 28.

“Howdy! We’ve made a move, but I’m not sure where we are. We’re pretty sure that we’re not too far from Phuoc Vinh. Anyway it seems that we are out of Tay Ninh Province and we were replaced there by the 1/5 Cav. At present we are pulling security for the construction of our new LZ. LZ Mary I think is its name. The country is hilly with enormous trees, vines, and bamboo. In Tay Ninh we had a lot of bamboo, but it was rarely thicker than an inch in diameter. But this stuff, it grows high and the stalks reach 4 inches in diameter. The dirt is red and gooey. Color is that of red copper bottom paint that we use on the boats.

“I haven’t reached any decisions about the area yet. We were all hoping for a move, we got it – and everyone is bitching about the dirt getting all over everyone and everything. Haven’t seen the sun since we got here yesterday, but it looks like it’s trying to break through now. Rained like a bitch last night. I hate to see the sun, but I hate the rain, too. A cloudy medium would be nice. The mosquitoes are bad. At Tay Ninh, they only bothered us at night. Now, it’s all day and all night. All our equipment and weapons have got this red dirt all over them. I borrowed a camera to take some pictures and will send them along when I’m through. Rob sent me the film not realizing my own camera drowned a couple of months ago. So I have no pictures of LZ Ike.” Some of the pictures I posted earlier that I thought might be from LZ Ike obviously were not. “Sorry about that, but the place remains quite vivid in my mind.

“4 months and three days to go. In 60 days I hope to be taking my 7 day leave in Bangkok. Going to start putting some money away for Mexico. I haven’t given you many particulars for our trip, but will probably add some each time I write. We plan to go in two trucks. Mouse will try to pick up a flatbed truck and I’m going to try to find a good pickup truck, preferably a ¾ ton, but a ½ ton will probably do the job. No one seems to care about my boat, so I’m planning on fixing it up and taking it with me. Original plans call for Mouse and his flatbed and house trailer – and me with my pickup truck and boat – to meet in at Ed’s house in Arizona where we’ll pick him up when he gets out of the service and we’ll be off. Naturally, there’s not much we can do about it now, but we are writing Mexican authorities to find out about visas, if we can buy land like we want, if this land is available, and how much it would cost. We plan to go about halfway down the Pacific coast somewhere near Acapulco without being involved in that tourist trap. We plan to live cheaply and simply supplying most of our basic needs ourselves. Our house will be partially underground and we will build it ourselves. There’s no doubt that we can do this. Water transportation and cost may present problems. A couple of 55 gallon drums in the truck should fix that if we have to transport our water. Naturally, we’d like to find some land with a stream on it. We’re not going to break any laws and we’re not going to be bums. We want to do this with the consent of the Mexican authorities. But the whole thing is better than a year away and a lot can happen in that year.”And a lot does. Stay tuned.

“But right now I am mainly interested in coming home and seeing everyone again. I’d like to invite Peni for Christmas, but if she’s still going to school, I see problems (small ones, but problems just the same) coming.

I’d really like to take Peni to Mexico and I’m going to ask her, but I feel she won’t go without her parents consent and I’m pretty sure she won’t be able to get it. I don’t think she’d go without it as her family ties are too strong. But I’ll try anyway. If she chooses her mother to me, then she’s really not for me anyway. I consider my own family ties pretty darn strong, but I don’t think you’d try to stop me in something I really want to do. I’m getting too far into the future again, as usual, but what else is there to do over here but think and plan. After my year in Mexico, it’s back to school. I should graduate by the time I’m 26 or 27 – then I can settle down, but I’m still young yet and not ready to settle down into the rat race.

“Here’s some interesting news. My athlete’s food has spread from 2 toes on my left foot (which I had when I got here) to encompass all 5 toes on my left foot and two on my right. I would like you to send me some ABSORBINE JR – and maybe I can get rid of this stuff before I come home, but because my feet are constantly wet or damp – it seems improbable.

“Guess I’ve rambled on enough in this one. I’ll let you know more about our new area later when I find out myself. Love to all, Dave”

Without reading ahead to the next letter. I believe that this was actually LZ Mary. Now why would three guys want to go to Mexico after leaving the army? I’ll leave that one to your imaginations. After losing Max, Ed and Mouse became my besties. I don’t remember when Mouse arrived, but Ed came to us from the 82^nd Airborne when their colors were sent home, but the grunts sent to other units. I’ve added a couple of pictures of the three amigos and the red dirt. This wraps up the July letters. Next is Aug 6.