SAIGON – AGAIN!
Saigon, Monday, April 14,
9:30 am:
I’m sitting here at the USO
telephone exchange waiting to call you where I won't have to say "Over” each time. Besides that I’ll be
able to tell you about Cu-Chi and my job.
The only worry I have is that you'll be at church or something since
it’s about 5:30 pm Sunday night in Tujunga. Be home this once. The
wait is only one and a half hours this time so I think I can hold out.
I came to Saigon last night
to hear Elder Benson conference and after the conference it was too late to so went
to the air force barracks and sacked out. Talk about good living. We slept on beds like back in the
world. I haven't had such a nights
sleep since I got in country.
This morning I really felt
like getting out of bed for a
change. After a pancakes, eggs, and
chilled cider breakfast I caught the bus for the PX where I'm supposed to pick
up my clippers but they didn't open till 9:00 am and it was only 8:30 am so I
hustled on down here to call you. I was supposed to catch the bus back at 10:00
am but I wouldn't have made it anyway so I’m going back by helicopter this afternoon. I just called back to the company and told
them I'd be late so everything’s OK. It
sure will be nice to talk to you again.
Coming in to Saigon by bus yesterday was quite
interesting. The so-called highway we
were on was not much more than a beat up, hole filled, partly asphalt road with
six billion people trying to drive on it almost head on. With no middle line
you can drive almost anywhere you wish as long as you don’t hit anyone. So consequently they drive just anywhere
they wish.
Saigon is as bad as ever
except this time I brought my camera and took some pictures from the bus, so I hope
they turn out.
Life at the barbershop is
the same as always. I have it pretty
good compared to the guys in the field and the Air Force has it even better
than me.
Well, the first month has
gone by and only eight more till I'm home free. It'll be nice to not to have to leave you anymore. I'll be so content I won't know how to act.
You must know I love you by now. So since this is my last piece of paper I'll
close for now and write you again tonight when I get home. I hope Larry and Barbara's reception turned
out all right and that they get along half as good as we do.
Two weeks till your birthday
and I still can't think of what to get you, but something for sure.
I love you more than the
Vietnamese (gooks) love garbage (don't
laugh, that's quite a lot of love).
p.s. Hawaii, September '69.
See ya there.
Cu-Chi, Monday, April 14,
ll:30 pm:
How wonderful it was to be
able to talk to you today without any interruption. Your voice is as sweet as ever. The only thing bad about it is I
miss you that much more now. I only
wish I could have talked for hours to you.
After talking to you I
stopped at a small stand in the USO and bought a Montanyard crossbow and a
couple of mousetraps, plus a hand woven vest for you when you want to play
hippie. I hung the crossbow and
mousetraps on my wall as a conversation piece (my Bic pen just ran out of ink).
I then stopped off at the Cholon
PX to pick up my sharpened clippers and while I was there I bought a bathroom scale
to see how much I’m losing. Only five
pounds since I left home, which isn't very good at all.
Then I took the bus back to
Tan Son Nhut airport helipad because I missed the church bus back to Cu-Chi. I sat there at the helicopter station for
four and a half hours waiting for a ride to Cu-Chi and was just about to give
up when I heard a familiar voice in the crowd.
It turned out to be the voice of Joe Skarda, who I knew from school and
who married Cathy Aschielman from the ward, but's divorced now. He's stationed here with a helicopter assault
unit at Cu-Chi and was going back so he gave me a ride.
While riding on the side
where the door gunner sits I was taking pictures like mad when I decided to
check out my camera and to my great woo and disappointment I had the camera on
the wrong setting so all of my pictures of my trip to Saigon will be too dark
except the last two. Such a shame too
with film as hard to get as it is.
I got back to the safety of
Cu-Chi and read a letter from you about last time I called. You're wonderful I even felt so good I went
to the flick and saw a war movie "Anzio" with Peter Falk. And after my shower and coming in here to
write these few lines I shall shortly be asleep for the night.
Cu-Chi, Tuesday, April 15,
after Midnight:
Pix is here sleeping naked
on my couch telling me to say Hi to you.
Some nerve that guy has. He
professes to be just a sex symbol and can't help it if everyone falls in love
with him. OK so he's crazy too.
It’s sure nice having him over. It's like old times again. We went over and visited with Capt. "Iron Mike" Anderson, A Troop
Commander, for a while then we came back and went to the movie (a Man from UNCLE
thing). After the movie we came back to
the barber hootch and played a little poker using M-79 grenades for chips. We had enough ammo on the floor to blow us
back home. I won but didn't collect. I had so much to tell you but I forget it all when it gets so late.
Oh yes, it was really hot today and I got dizzy in the
afternoon from the heat but made it through the day OK. My watch is working a lot better now. It still gains a little but not enough to bother
me.
If you see Larry tell him I
can get a Thompson (submachine gun), less the stock, for $35 so I’m going to
send it to him somehow. He can make the
stock himself.
Thanks for the pictures honey;
you can't imagine how much they mean to me. I bought an album to put them in and look at them every time I get
lonely. I turned some more pics in
today of Saigon but I had the camera set wrong so they'll all be dark.
Cu-Chi, Wednesday, April 16,
ll:00 pm:
Hi! It’s me again with a short note before
bed. Pix is again sacked out naked on my
couch and dreaming of a "Short time"
with some Saigon cutie. We went
over to the sauna and massage place tonight and tried it out. I
didn't realize I was so dirty until I got in the sauna and sweat
off about l0 lbs of dirt.
I got the tubes of lather
yesterday with the clippers, you doll.
I'm sure glad you remembered.
Tonight I got the roll of
silkscreen stuff but
the wrong silk. That's bumper sticker silk and won't work on Tee shirts. So if you would, you can go to town and get
me a yard of silk for Tee shirts. I
don't know what thickness but the salesman will. Maybe you'd better wait a day or two so
I can see what else I need when the other package gets here.
It’s sure been nice having Pix here. It's like old times again. I'm still trying to talk him into getting
married and settling down like the rest of us.
I love
you sweetheart, more than moths love wool.
Oh yes, very important! Find out when each college in the L.A. area
starts next fall and when the last day to register is. The 90-day early out in Sept. is a definite
possibility. SMCC, SFVSC,
Valley, Pierce, ELACC,
LACC, give them all a ring and find out for me, it's important.
Take care and get a new muffler if it needs one. Keep the car safe for you three, you're all
I have.