Cu-Chi, Saturday, May 3, noon:
Just a
note to explain why the tape was
so mixed up. I was laying here on my bed with the recorder and
since I talk better
in the dark, I turned the light off to record. But, I had the recorder
plugged into the light
so every time I turned the light
off the recorder stopped too. So I lay
there and talked up a storm but every time I turned on the light
to see if the tape was working, it was but I hadn't used
very much tape. It took me two
hours to tape half an hour and besides I had to say everything
twice and it sounded phony the second time so I deleted a lot of
it. I'll pick up some more tapes tomorrow and try
again. These frustrations I
get just when I
felt like not
being disturbed.
My hands are
sweating so bad the paper is
getting wet. I'll stop till tonight. I love you much. Forgive my errors.
Cu-Chi, Sunday, May 4, 8:00
pm:
I'm laying here
on my bed listening to Dr. Zhivago while I'm writing this note to you. I just listened to the track with Jonette and Nikki. I thought I wasn't going to get to hear the one with Janet only
and her plans for the future
but you know me, I can't
stand something that doesn't
work. So I was just going
to tear the
recorder apart when I remembered that I only had one speaker plugged in
(that's all I have!) so I just have to
switch the plug holes and
I'm in business again. I'll listen to you as soon as this music is
over.
It rained a little this
evening just enough to
clear the air and settle the
dust. It was refreshing since we've
been out of water for two days and can't
shower. War is hell!
I hope I
didn't scare you in my last letter but if you can get me a letter of acceptance
from a college with the last
day that I can register (between Sept. 16-25 or later) even if they let
me register special just to get me
out of this dumb war.
You do your best and I'll not
worry about it.
Jonette sounded so grown up
it makes me sad that I have
to miss it. She sure can say
"Daddy" nice and her laugh is enough to make Ho Chi Minh
smile. Nikki also sounds
like she's developing
a personality all her own. Ours ought
to be a real
strange family with everyone completely different.
We can start our own hippie group when they grow older.
I cracked my head open coming out of church today
and went over to the emergency room and got it cleaned out
and a tetanus shot in case. Boy, did it
smart for a while but when the
medic threatened to shave my head to put a bandage
on. It got better quick.
I don't have much hair but
what I have I protect. Can you
imagine me combing my hair every morning and shampooing it with halo
every night. I've really
grown attached to those few hairs still growing. You'll see.
The music
is about done
so I'll turn it over and listen to your wonderful
voice. Wait one! I just listened to your tape dear and all I
can say is "you're wonderful". Any woman that can spend $470 in less than a month has got
to be wonderful. Well anyway,
I really enjoyed the
tape, you sounded so much better and relaxed this
time. I turned out the
light and just
lay here and enjoyed it thoroughly.
I don't know how I get so much to write but I'd better quit now so I'll have something for tomorrow night. I really love you, all three, but you the most.
p.s. Where's
my 2-3 barber combs, tweezers and hang nail clippers? My comb is missing 3 teeth out of the
middle.
Cu-Chi, Monday, May 5, l0:l5
pm:
I got your package of stuff
today, combs, books, etc. And
just yesterday I reminded you of it.
Such timing - you make me feel
bad. However, next
time you go past
the beauty and barber supply
grab a couple more combs with just a little courser teeth on the small
end. The Ace #5
is just a trifle
to fine to
comb through the
dirt that collects on the heads around here. I love you.
It's sprinkling outside and nice and cool for
a change. It's really
getting hot and humid during the day. I have my fan blowing on me all
day but it's
just like letting your hair dryer blow in your face - real hot air. It's
really a screwed up
climate in case you
couldn't guess.
I hooked up the
tape recorder in my shop today
and played Kerry's tape through a couple of times. It made the day go
faster and much more
soothing. I would like a couple of more tapes with all
slow music on one and all rock on the
other, then I can set my own mood around here.
I don't
need anymore silk for now. I'm
having a time using what I have now. So
no silk for a while.
I wish I were there to help you mess
up the bed so you'd have an
excuse in the mornings
but, if it's any consolation, I toss and turn a lot too, dreaming about you and those
big rockets that I might not hear in time. We haven't really had any excitement around
here since I first got here but with
the 2,000 body count we got last month and Ho Chi Minh's birthday in
two weeks we're ready for anything. I put an extra layer of
sand bags around my head just in case.
But I don't really worry anymore as
long as you know I'm coming home. You always did live closer to the Lord than me. Well, sweetheart, I have to
go to bed because the mosquitoes are eating me alive.
Some rockets -(I just ran to the bunker in case)-
just landed close but they were ours.
The gunships just caught some
gooks trying to sneak in and
blow up the ammo dump so they chewed them up instead. But you see how
jumpy I am. It must be my diet or something.
Cu-Chi, Tuesday, May 6, 6:15
pm:
It's a
depressing night because for the first time in a month I
didn't get any
mail. I was
expecting your birthday letter but I guess it got held up.
Pix called
just now. Today was
his birthday and I forgot all about it until he mentioned it. He's
still the same as
always, thank goodness.
I told him about the 90-day early out for school so he's going to try
for it too.
Boy, was I jumpy last night
and grouchy today simply because I'm
so tired. I haven't been getting
to bed until midnight lately and morning comes all to soon. I
imagine it's the same as you with the two babies and all.
That's why
I'm writing early tonight.
"Valley of the Dolls" is on the flick tonight so I'm going
to give it a spin and go to bed
right afterward at l0 o'clock.
Milt took
an R&R to Tokyo, Japan this week so I guess he's OK. Other than that I've lost track of
most of the people.
Well, Dear,
I must leave you for now, even though I don't want to.
I'm going to Saigon Thursday
and I'll call you then even
if it means getting in a little
trouble. I felt so bad because the connection was lousy the other
day on MARS. I
need to talk to you to keep my sanity for another month. Saturday will be two months in
country and four more till September.
Cu-Chi, Friday, May 9, 8:15
pm:
Today was jackpot
day mail wise, three letters and
some mags and vitamin C. And those
pictures of you and the kids were fabulous.
I really like your new outfit and I hope you buy
more before I get home. Just
don't worry about me getting
myself anything. You know me better
than that. I almost bought me a
Polaroid Color Pak II today at the PX but I forgot my wallet at the time.
I'm sitting here watching "Wild, Wild West" while I write
this. It's about some Hawaiian kooks or
something. I'm waiting for 9:00 o'clock for the Rogues to come on.
I hope Nikki
is better and over her rash whatever it might have been.
Back to my bed. Dear, those pictures were
absolutely great. The one
of Jonette hiding in the pots and pans cupboard cracks me
up. She must be so precious to you just being around and into mischief all day.
That new Look magazine you sent me has a picture of
my AK-47 rifle on the cover - pretty good.
I guess I'd best be sending
it home soon because too many
people know about it and someone is liable to tell the wrong people and
take it away. I didn't
get Larry the Thompson sub-machine gun because I
was afraid of double jeopardy in trying to sneak two home. So quit worrying.
Well my dream girl, may your dreams come true
soon and may Pierce College send the
right letter the first time. Take care and keep me posted
on birthdays1 etc.
My hootch girl, Lan, is
bringing me some black pajamas tomorrow so I can be a VC (honorary) like her and her village.
p.s. A
gigantic "flying cockroach" just hit me in the head and scared
me almost to sanity (so I squashed him!).