Rick Holt's Adventures in Vietnam
Letters Home from Vietnam, 1971

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Da Nang
May 6, 1971
Thursday
9:30 pm

Dear Folks,

Another dull day here in Da Nang. It was drizzly all day. Got some mail today too. Two days in a row, that's pretty good for Da Nang.

Got word today that we go south tomorrow. Supposed to be on standby down there for something. Don't know what.

Charlie lobbed a whole mess of rockets in here last night about 11 pm. I had just taken a shower and was laying on my bunk reading a book. We heard this steady siren in the distance. It didn't sound like the incoming siren. We sat there wondering for about 30 seconds then Swish! Boom! Swish! Boom! Then our siren in the compound started. It always goes off after everything is over. Never on time. According to the news today they killed about a dozen civilians. I heard about 10 rockets. I know some of them were close because I heard some of them swish by before they hit.

Had another alert about 6 this morning  but I didn't hear any hit. Must have been off in the distance somewhere.

Well, we're supposed to leave tomorrow so we only have to put up with it one more night. Then we can go back to our practice alerts at Long Thanh.

Well, I'm still healthy and doin' fine. No complaints except for the weather, which has caused me to miss a couple days at China Beach. Hope Monday's mail brought lots of letters.

Rick

(read the next letter home)