Love Always US54607898

I received another letter from you yesterday – the one with the sports page in it.  You know you are a great kid because that sure was sweet of you to send me that.  Thanks a lot.  I wouldn’t even mind if you kept sending me those Sunday sports pages.   And kid I read your letter twice before I looked at the paper – and you know how much I like to look at the sports.

Theresa I still look at your pictures all the time.  I have one inside my helmet, 2 in my letter writing book, and the rest in my wallet.  Please send me more when you can ok.  As for me when I get my camera I will send you as many pictures as you send me film so whenever you get the urge send me film.

Hey I bet our unit (4^th Division) is making the news back home.  We heard on radio about it.   It seems somewhere around here (west of Kontum) they are killing a lot of dinks with air strikes.  They say those 2 regiments are still somewhere around.  I believe they want to attack Kontum.  Well too bad, at least we will be out here.  Last night we had 100% alert from about 8-11 o clock.  It seems there was movement around the perimeter.  So everyone was outside shooting.  It was probably only a monkey because there is one who hangs around and he trips our trip flares. 

Boy Sunday night we had a “ good “ time.  It was our turn to go out on listening post again.  That’s when four guys go out 100 yards outside our perimeter and stay all night to see if there are any dinks coming around the perimeter.  So three other guys and me went out.  When we got out there you are suppose to be real quiet because some dinks could be around.  Anyway one guy accidentally fired his weapon thus giving away our position.  So we hurriedly moved to another position which was right out in the open with no trees.  So we stayed there a while until our own men started shooting and they were coming right over us.  So we crawled until we found a hole.  It then started raining and we got all wet.  Then the fun started --- the next firebase to us started firing the big guns into the jungle and the shrapnel was landing around us.  Needless to say we were hugging the ground.  Later on, the guy on the radio went to sleep so the guys back in the perimeter thought we were all sleeping.  They then proceeded in shooting (grenades) close to us to wake us up.  Boy that scared us because they landed 20 yards away form us.  At the same time they were landing right close to us.  One came so close to me that it rang my ear.  All in all the night was very exciting but we laughed about it the next day.  So you see Charley never shot at me yet but the GI’s sure did.  Well that’s war. 

As far as Charley, that sorry yoyo doesn’t want to come up this hill after us and I don’t him because we sure are ready.  I believe our 200 men could take on his 2 regiments  -- Well I hope so anyway.

I got me a haircut yesterday and it doesn’t look to good.  Some Vietnamese came on a chopper and cut our hair with hand clippers.  I’m also kind of dirty.  I can rub my finger on my chest and arms and face and its real plain to see where I rubbed.  We are trying to think of a way to make us a shower.  I will try and make something.  So kid take a shower for me ok.  Also we’ve been getting about 4 hours of sleep a night and 20 hours of work or guard.  So you can imagine what I look like.  Anyway when you get pictures of me don’t expect much.

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Well there is a rumor going on that we will be moving out soon.  It’s from pretty reliable sources so it may be true.  I don’t know where we would go I guess only time will tell.  Don’t think I am unhappy because I would be glad to get off of this firebase. There is so many details and harassment that I would(and most others) rather be out in the boonies.Believe me it’s a lot better humping the boonies because you have more spare time, less guard, and no details and bullshit.Anyway we probably will be out here pretty long but whatever happens Today a bunch of guys left to go back to the world.A sergeant was talking to them and he said a lot of things that made me think.He said how they would have to adjust to civilized living again.