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

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Long Thanh North
September 22, 1971
Wednesday
8:30 pm

Dear Folks,

Don't know what happened in the shop today. I spent the day out on the burm soaking up the sun. Also got soaked in my own sweat. We were rebuilding bunker #1. And to top it off I got soaked up to my knees when I stepped in an ankle deep puddle that turned out to be knee deep.

We've got a new guy sleeping in our room now. I don't even know his name. He is a helicopter crew chief. Says he's been in the army for 7 years and this is his fifth year in Vietnam. He must be crazy. He's as fat as three overstuffed pigs.

Speaking of fat that reminds me of the letter you sent today. You mentioned Kelm. I don't have a reason to think he would even consider coming back in the army. He's a college graduate with a business degree. He had a job with Kresge's and got drafted. The job he has now is even better than the one he had before.

I can see somebody who has never been in the service thinking about enlisting, but once you've seen what it's really like you'be got to be crazy to even think about it.

Saw a sign on the back of the CO's jeep that said "Commanding Officer - 1st Signal Brigade Aviation Detachment". I don't know if that's official yet. I guess it will be eventually.

123 DTG

Rick

(read the next letter home)