Post by Anonymous Vet on Dec 13, 2002 7:24:25 GMT -5
[March 10, 1968, Da Nang, Vietnam]
Dear Mom + Dad
Well I've been here for
about three weeks now,
and I'm beginning to see why
people don't want to go back to
Viet Nam. It's rained a little
bit but not much. It seems
that I caught the end of the
monsoon season. Just the opposite
of this rain is the hot weather.
Lately its been up around
80 and still going higher.
With all of this heat I've lost
15 pounds and still going down.
By time I get home all I'll be
is a bean pole. Of course
the food isn't real good so mostly
all I have is liquids.
The other day I went down
to the motor pool and saw
someone that I hadn't seen
in six years. If you get
out my confirmation booklet
look for Roger Shingler.
He was telling me about all of
the old gang that I went to
Evergreen with.
Anyway just the other day
I recieved my M-16. When I
fired it, it wouldn't jam. I
tried everything I know to jam
it but it wouldn't. So maybe
I won't need the .45 yet and
anyway our battalion commander
won't let anyone have personal
weapons. I think this will
change when about half our
battalion get wiped out. A lot
of policy will change when
that happens. Actually we have
been pretty lucky because
"CHARLIE" hasn't hit us with
rockets yet. Once in a while
we get mortared or sniped at
but that's nothing to worry
about.
You asked about the location
of 2/27. We're about 10 miles
south of Da Nang. I don't know
how long we will be here
but there are rumors that
the 28th Marines are getting
ready to come over. If they do
then all 5th MAR. DIV. units will
again be under command of 5th
MAR. DIV. What I was talking about
before about being mortared. About
a week ago at 0230 their were
explosions. All of us woke up
and listned. You see our mortars
had been firing all night so we
thought that they had just stepped
up their fire. All of a sudden
there was an explosion just
outside our hut and metal came
flying by. I was thrown out
of my cot with most of the
others. I tell you, I never
moved so fast in all my life.
I grabbed my helmet, flak jacket,
rifle and cartridge belt and
flew out the door and dove
head first into our bunker.
As it was I was sleeping
in my clothes (we all do
now) so I was ready for it.
Actually I always wondered
about how I would react when
I saw someone get hit. That
night I saw a good friend get
his feet blown off when a
mortar round hit near him.
I felt sorry for him but I
said to myself: "If he had been
as ready as I was, it wouldn't
have happened." Anyway now
I permanently live in a bunker
that will withstand anything.
Thats that so there's something
else. I have my wage and tax
statement which I want Dad
to mail fo rme and whatever
money I get back, put into the
credit union. By the way my
social security number is
371-52-0402.
Your son,
Clyde
www.authentichistory.com/letters/1960s/flack/
Dear Mom + Dad
Well I've been here for
about three weeks now,
and I'm beginning to see why
people don't want to go back to
Viet Nam. It's rained a little
bit but not much. It seems
that I caught the end of the
monsoon season. Just the opposite
of this rain is the hot weather.
Lately its been up around
80 and still going higher.
With all of this heat I've lost
15 pounds and still going down.
By time I get home all I'll be
is a bean pole. Of course
the food isn't real good so mostly
all I have is liquids.
The other day I went down
to the motor pool and saw
someone that I hadn't seen
in six years. If you get
out my confirmation booklet
look for Roger Shingler.
He was telling me about all of
the old gang that I went to
Evergreen with.
Anyway just the other day
I recieved my M-16. When I
fired it, it wouldn't jam. I
tried everything I know to jam
it but it wouldn't. So maybe
I won't need the .45 yet and
anyway our battalion commander
won't let anyone have personal
weapons. I think this will
change when about half our
battalion get wiped out. A lot
of policy will change when
that happens. Actually we have
been pretty lucky because
"CHARLIE" hasn't hit us with
rockets yet. Once in a while
we get mortared or sniped at
but that's nothing to worry
about.
You asked about the location
of 2/27. We're about 10 miles
south of Da Nang. I don't know
how long we will be here
but there are rumors that
the 28th Marines are getting
ready to come over. If they do
then all 5th MAR. DIV. units will
again be under command of 5th
MAR. DIV. What I was talking about
before about being mortared. About
a week ago at 0230 their were
explosions. All of us woke up
and listned. You see our mortars
had been firing all night so we
thought that they had just stepped
up their fire. All of a sudden
there was an explosion just
outside our hut and metal came
flying by. I was thrown out
of my cot with most of the
others. I tell you, I never
moved so fast in all my life.
I grabbed my helmet, flak jacket,
rifle and cartridge belt and
flew out the door and dove
head first into our bunker.
As it was I was sleeping
in my clothes (we all do
now) so I was ready for it.
Actually I always wondered
about how I would react when
I saw someone get hit. That
night I saw a good friend get
his feet blown off when a
mortar round hit near him.
I felt sorry for him but I
said to myself: "If he had been
as ready as I was, it wouldn't
have happened." Anyway now
I permanently live in a bunker
that will withstand anything.
Thats that so there's something
else. I have my wage and tax
statement which I want Dad
to mail fo rme and whatever
money I get back, put into the
credit union. By the way my
social security number is
371-52-0402.
Your son,
Clyde
www.authentichistory.com/letters/1960s/flack/