Excerpts from Letters to Mom in italics.
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02 January 1967
I experienced my first alert the other day. It was held during daylight but was raining.
The head closest to my barracks is also used by the NCO Club as a latrine (since it is next door too). Employees and everybody use it. Grunts (USMC) from the field come in to get a hot shower. It is not unusual for a gal from the club to walk in and wash her feet, or take a crap or change clothes while a GI is spraying down the urinal or taking a shower. However, after Taiwan, nothing surprises me.
03 January 1967
It's been raining continuously for days. It gets chilly (cold) at nite and nothing seems to stay dry. Bed blankets, clothing all stay semi-damp. This is supposed to continue for about 6 more weeks. Then the opposite occurs. It gets hot (120 degrees) and dusty.
I've been reading a lot of books in my spare time. I got a copy of Travels with Charley by Steinbeck and am reading The Black Obelisk by Erick Remarque. I work 56 hours a week, but can still find much shop work to do on my off time. The AG who was in charge before got put in for some medal. They don't know about the administrative mess he left. We're gonna have to do a lot of extra work (overtime) to get it squared away so we don't get a black eye (figuratively speaking).
The mail must really be fouled up. I still haven't received a letter. I wonder if mine have been getting through to you. I believe I wrote the first one from here on 19 or 20 Dec.
08 January 1967
I didn't insure my hold baggage, but the government does reimburse you to some extent for lost, stolen or damaged goods. My stuff was broken into and clothing was pilfered on the trip from Germany to Taiwan. I had to file a detailed report in many copies and it took many months to get paid. They only give you a percentage of what you claim.
The letter I got today, 8 Jan, was dated 02 Jan. Going from here to the states should be a day quicker since one day is lost crossing the IDL [International Date Line].
10 January 1967
Tell Grandma we don't have TV. There is radio though. She said "at least I'm warm," but that's not right. I sleep with two to three blankets and it rains all the time.
Oh, one other item you can mail me is Playboy magazine starting with Jan 67 issue. Be sure to put another plain wrapper or envelope on it so the mail clerks don't keep it. [Or paste the pages together with DNA samples.]
Guess I'll open a book and read a little.
15 January 1967
It's still raining! As you've discovered, if you mail a package under 5 lbs surface (first class) mail, it will be flown to Vietnam. Same-oh same-oh with letters. A first class letter in a plain envelope will go surface to the West coast for 5 cents and air mail to VN.
Cigars. Aren't any here! Wm Penn's are mild and cheap, a box or bunch of 5 packs would be fine. A couple basting brushes. The kind you use for cooking are excellent for oiling a fine coat onto a weapon. The last time I mentioned Playboy I said a plain wrapper shud be used - I meant in addition to the plain wrapper Playboy provides. If mail clerks see the playboy return address, it's liable not to get thru.
I really can't think of anything to say because every day is just the same. We always know the date, but don't know the day of week. If it's Sunday, the day workers are in civy clothes; if the comics are with the paper, it's probably Tuesday or Wednesday. You sure do get in a grind!
I feel a little discouraged today. In the last 88 hours I worked over 48 hours. But I don't want to get a beer even though it would taste good. Lately, I've been either sleeping or working.
The artillery has been very active today. Somebody sure is catching hell!
I sure would like to get out of here for a few days. I got a couple good excuses to make a trip to the PI. [For a business trip back to NSGA, San Miguel.] Maybe I can swing it by next month. Pete Wyatt (AG2) goes R&R next month to Penang, Maylasia, and Kowtowski (AG3) goes in March. I ought to be going in May, if'n I ain't a blubbering idiot by then. They call it R&R, but I know what I'm going for and it ain't booze. I've made up my mind to go to Taipei. I hate to miss an opportunity to see a new place, but the time is so restricted - 5 days.
17 January 1967
Steve's Commanding Officer, Major Hedrick, edited a letter Steve had composed to the Office of Student Aid at the American University in Washington, D.C.
Dear Sir:
I am presently classified as "career designated" by the United States Navy and until recently gave little consideration to obtaining a college degree. This in part explains the negative entry in item eleven of the student aid request form. However, I now consider a college education to be my primary goal and I find myself in turn without savings or other financial assets. In order to partially correct this situation I volunteered for duty in Vietnam and arrived here in December of 1966. With the addition of combat pay and the waiver of income tax payments I should be able to save $1,200 to $1,300 prior to my discharge date of 15 September 1967.
Dear Mother, That is what I transmitted to the University with my [student aid] request form. Thought you'd be interested.