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

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Da Nang
April 7, 1971
Wednesday
8 pm

Dear Folks,

Rumor has it that my two and a half month long R&R may come to an end when the last mission is over. I flew one mission this morning 6 am to 11:30 am. Number 10 by my count. It was a real clear day. When I wasn't blinded by the sun I could see the ground. Most of it looked like a picture. Green rugged mountains.  A brown muddy river twisting and winding to the horizon. Here and there you could see groups of light brown dots where the jungle trees had been blown away by bombs.  All over the place you can see large areas where the jungle is starting to grow back over the patches left by defoliation. I am supposed to fly again tomorrow morning 2 am to 6 am. Maybe I'll take my camera and try to get some pictures of the morning sunrise. According to that latest rumor that mission should end at 6 am tomorrow morning and very shortly we should all be going back south. Ugh!

I hope we stay here at least till Saturday. I have those sunglasses ordered at the PX and they aren't supposed to be ready till Saturday. I put a $5 deposit on them.

Well the mail plane made it up here today. I had a pretty good haul. 3 letters, some magazines, and a box of 'crunchy.' I don't know where you got the tape you used on that box, but I need a crowbar to open it. You don't have to worry about it falling apart on the way over.

I got some slides back from the PX and mailed them home today. That was the roll I didn't think would turn out. I got 8 pictures from it. There must be something wrong with the roll that it didn't advance because the camera is working fine with the roll I have in it now.

Since Capt. Scriven went south two days ago I figured it was 'safe' now to get a haircut. For 40 cents got a haircut and then a massage that I didn't even ask for.

Going to take a break now to go get a couple cokes from the club before it closes. Be back in a minute.

8:40 pm

Here I am again. To answer your questions about China Beach. The only reason I know of that they close the water to swimming is because of under-tow. When the waves are running high there is a real bad under-tow.

I've stashed away the three cans of nuts I got today. I'll save them for when the rest of the stuff is gone.

When I get back down south I'm going to get a couple flight suits from supply. You're supposed to wear them when you fly. They are flame retardant. I'd also like to get a .45 caliber pistol. We normally carry our M-16's on the flights. I have to leave them on the plane. They won't let us bring them on the compound. They supposedly have rifles in the arms room to issue us if we ever did get attacked. I'd like to have a pistol to take on these flights. Well so much for that. I guess that wraps it up.

Woops! Just received the good word, the mission is over. Also received another good work, Red Alert tonight. I think it is because somebody planted a bomb on a truck in Gunfighter Village.

Duff is still waiting for his 'pen pal' letter. Seacord got a chocolate Easter egg in the mail today. Hayes got a chocolate Easter bunny. Right now Duff is enjoying some Bugles. Seacord is munching on Chipsters and Bean dip. We'll just put some tinfoil on the bean dip and put it in the frig.

Thanks to George for the playing cards. Well, I guess that's it for now, again.

Kelm is thinking about buying a sauna belt to get rid of his beer belly. He's looking for an easy way out.  I think he'll find that here is no easy way.

One more time! I guess that's it for now.

Rick

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