Wow! I’m in the last month of my tour in Vietnam. There are only 4 more letters after this one. While these letters home contain much that I don’t remember, I thought maybe I would add a memory that I do have to each letter that’s left. Way back in the beginning when were still at Phuoc and we had come back from a patrol, I took it upon myself to see how far a round from my grenade launcher would go. We were pretty much in open spaces so I could see where it landed. But there was a the problem. We were located in no fire zone. That mean’t that we couldn’t fire our weapons unless we were fired upon. I remember in training that we were told the maximum range of the M-79 was 300 yards, maybe meters. I think that’s right. So I pointed the weapon at an angle that I thought would get the greatest distance and pulled the trigger. I carried two types of rounds, a high explosive round and a buckshot round for close in jungle fighting. I let loose a high explosive round. I don’t remember how f it far it actually went, but shortly after it exploded, a voice came over a nearby radio, “Who fired that round?” Nobody ratted me out so I got away with it with no reprimand. Good times. On to Tay Ninh.
“Dear Mom, Dad, Rob and Sue, Tay Ninh Nov 11
For awhile there at Cam Ranh Bay, I wasn’t getting any mail, so I didn’t have much to write about – therefore I didn’t write anybody. That’s why there were no letters from me. Also my future in Vietnam was obscure and I didn’t want to make any guesses. But now everything is squared away and I know what to expect. I mentioned it all in my last letter. No leave, no drop – next duty station is Ft Hood, Texas – and I’ll be back here at Tay Ninh rear until it’s time to sky up and head for home.
“Remember you’re a day behind us, so if I leave Dec 1, it will also be Dec 1 when I get to Oakland. So I should be home on Dec 2 if I get an early flight out. I understand that processing at Oakland is only 6-10 hours – so I won’t be there long.
“Yes, yes – I want very much for Peni to be with you when you pick me up at the airport. I’ve cancelled my short stay in Texas primarily because of her new interest and her assertion that she’d meet me with you. So, by all means encourage her. I’ll be very happy to pay for her flight if she does fly.
“Since I’m going to spend 6 months at Fort Hood, Texas, I think I’ll invest in a car. I think I’ll go with a VW because of their trade-in value. Or if I picked up a good truck, I wouldn’t have to be concerned with a trade-in because then I’d keep it for Mexico.
“That jacket I sent home was made from a poncho liner, one of the most important pieces of equipment a grunt can carry. They’re lightweight, good against cold weather, good for shade, but they don’t repel water. Even when they are soaking wet, they’ll still keep you warm. Best thing the army has ever developed for the individual soldier.
“I have to pull green line guard duty tonight, but it’s better than going out into the woods.
“There is still a chance I may come in a day or two early. Sometimes if we finish processing in Ben Hoa early, they send us out early, so if I arrived Nov 30 or 29th I wouldn’t be surprised. Please tell Peni this and I’ll tell her, too. Guess that’s it for this one. See you soon. Love to all, Dave”
“Sue, keep plugging away in school. I always wanted a telephone in my room, but never got one – so hang on to yours.”
This was another short letter. I’m disappointed that I didn’t share much of my daily life in Tay Ninh because I don’t really remember much about it. A big air base was located at Ben Hoa near Siagon and that’s where flights home originated. Oh yeah, the “green line” was the series of bunkers surrounding the big base at Tay Ninh. They would have assigned me to a particular bunker. The bunkers at Tay Ninh were a lot bigger than the bunkers that show up in some of my pictures from Phuoc Vinh.
