This letter is dated Sept 2nd from Phuoc Vinh and it’s one of my shorter letters. It’s now 3:00pm on Monday afternoon. My motivation is not where I want it to be, but I made a commitment to myself and anyone following my journey that I would be consistent in getting my letters uploaded every Monday unless unforeseen circumstances intervene. I’ll add a couple of pictures to this letter. So let the games begin,
“Dear mom, dad, & Sue, Sept 2 Phuoc Vinh
This is just a short note letting you know that everything is still OK. Rumor has it that we’ll be here to the middle, possibly to the end, of this month. Then it looks like the chances of us going back to LZ Ike are pretty good. I suppose you’ve heard that regular NVA units have moved into the Delta region. Now – these are the same units we were dealing with in Tay Ninh province – and all seems to be pretty quiet there now, so I guess if we do go back – maybe it won’t be so bad.
“Also, chances are pretty good that by the end of the month I’ll be the CO’s RTO. That’s a pretty good break and I hope I’ll get it. It should be a little safer. Things don’t look too bad right now, 90 days to go. I’d love to get out of the field. I’ve got a 7 day leave coming up and possibly a three day pass. I’m really anxious to get out of here and see you all again.
“Sounds like Terry is really stupid. But he won’t have it too bad over here unless he becomes an F.O. (forward observer). If he gets that job he’ll be humping in the boonies with the grunts. Artillery people generally have it pretty easy, a hell of a lot easier than we do.
“Glad to see dad get up on the old skis. I really think he’d find the bigger skis easier to handle and less tiring. Mom, you ought to stop making these beer runs for the kids. I can’t remember you ever doing it for me. Trying to give me some kind of complex, aren’t you? I don’t drink much anyway, but it would be nice if you could have a cold six pack ready for me when I get home. Have you heard anymore from Natraj’s? If you haven’t, I’ll stop by there on my leave and see what’s happening.”
The last page of this letter does not fit with the above sequencing and begins in the middle of a sentence. So I think the letter was written over several days with a lost page somewhere. Anyway it starts like this: “take about $300 with me.” I must have been talking about that leave that I thought I was going to get.
“I guess that’s about all I’ve got. Steve gone {back to TCU}, Sue back in school. Summer must be about over. I guess people will flock down for a few weekends to come. Thinking back how in your letters spring came early, was beautiful and that you were expecting a good summer. You mentioned a dry spell and how you wished it would rain. Then it rained and you had a bum summer. I think it’s pretty funny.
“Dad, I’m always glad when you throw in a few lines in mom’s letters. Keep up the good work and congrats on the water skiing. Love to all, Dave”
“I’m enclosing some garbage in this letter. Please hang onto it for me.” I have no idea what I was talking about there. That seems to happen a lot when I read and reproduce these letters. When I was talkng about people “flocking down” ,I was referring to the weekenders who came to the Cape after school started. As I’ve mentioned before I do this for myself to help me get through the insanity my life has become. And I really do appreciate those of you who I know are following this journey. OK, as I was getting ready to introduce next weeks letter, I have a better understanding of what happened with the letter pages not matching up. The envelop this letter was sent from contained the address of the 3rd Field Hospital. So I started the letter in the field, but ended it and mailed it from the hospital. Find out what that’s about in next Monday’s installment.
I’m enjoying your blog.