Dear Mom & Dad, Tim's Letters from Vietnam

By DARLA A. DUNAGAN

Relive a unique piece of history and culture as told through my Uncle Tim's letters to home from Vietnam. Real life anecdotes, insights and observations of the times and the war from an officer stationed primarily at Camp Red Ball from May 1967 through November 1968. Not just any officer, Tim worked in  personal effects and was responsible for sending the deceased soldiers personal items home. 

This presentation of Tim's actual letters tell his story. Join Tim in Vietnam and discover firsthand his day to day experiences and opinions of this remarkable time in American History.

Non Fiction, includes the full text of 119 Letters to 'Mom & Dad' plus enclosures.

• Language: English
• Publisher: D. A. D.
• Release date: Apr 14, 2015
• ISBN: 9781513075334

DARLA A. DUNAGAN

Darla A. Dunagan, pseudonym. www.dearmomanddadbook.com  

Book preview

May 2, 1967   Arrival

Dear Mom & Dad,

Well, I survived the long trip over here but boy was it confusing!  After several delays we left Travis AFB at 11:30 pm, Cal. time Sat. Apr. 29, on our jet.  We arrived in Honolulu at 5 am which was 3 am. Hawaii time!  It was beautiful there but we stayed 25 minutes! ! ! ! ! At 3:30 am we were off again for Guam which was supposed to take 71/2 hrs. but when we came to Guam we kept right on going to the Philippines! ! So the trip took around 10 hrs. from Hawaii to the Phils.  To top this off the time in the Phils.  was 9:30 am Monday morning May 1st ! ! ! ! ! We completely lost Sunday the 30th! ! ! Also since we were flying away from the sun, we experienced about 13 hours of darkness that evening.  Not very good for picture taking!  Anyhow, we only stayed at the Phils for 50 minutes then we were off again for a 2 1/2 hr jaunt to Bien Hoa, South Vietnam.  Taking pictures at this particular base is forbidden, but I did get some out of the front door of the barracks at Long Binh I am stationed temporarily at! (What English! Ha) I also took some from the plane of clouds, Guam and the Phils a friend of mine took those of me getting off the plane at the Phils!

Well, I have some bad and good news! This place I am at is a replacement center so I am only awaiting my assignment which will probably be a cavalry plt. leader.  Which will mean I probably won’t get anywhere near Saigon, to see Kurt, but I may see some action! But maybe not!

Now for the good news, the tour of duty here is only 12 months instead of 13 like thought, so it is just like have a month behind me already! ! Well, I will write again when I get to my unit, whatever it is! I hope you are all fine, take care.  Wait!  Bulletin!

May 3, 1967   Assignment 

Viet Nam

Dear Mom & Dad,

Bulletin! Bulletin! Bulletin! Some new important news I have just discovered so I’ll give it to you now, before I mail this! Your prayers must have paid off, because my assignment just came in, it looks like I am finished with my Armor, because they are giving me a quartermaster job either in Saigon or Tan Son Nhut! I will wait until I get my return address to finish this! ! ! ! ! ! Actually now, I am sitting here in Saigon waiting to find out where I go from here. This morning they picked me up in a car from Long Binh, where I spent my first 2 days here and brought me to Saigon! You are never really safe I found out because the first night I was there a G. I. was shot driving a truck on the main road (I have the road in my film) right outside my barracks but I slept through the commotion! !  Ha.

Also a deadly poisonous snake was found inside the barracks a couple days before I arrived! ! ! Oh well, no worse than driving on the highways back in the States, you’re not safe there either. This has to be my longest letter ever, but I have a lot to say and much time which I’m sure I won’t have later – working hours for officers here are really long – about 14 hrs a day 6 ½ days a week! ! ! ! !  Whew! ! !  Puff! !  Pant! ! !

By the way it’s hot all right over here, just like Panama, but I am kind of used to it by now! News coverage so far over here has been splendid!  I heard about the Minn. twisters, I know the Indians got rid of Kralikand.   Ozcue won the Tomahawk award also the Indians are 7-8 and Cincinnati is in 1st place in N. L. You won’t need to send papers just perhaps cut out an article if it is of particular interest and send it in letter!

Later the same day—-

Well I have my assignment now but I will have to wait until tomorrow to find out my mailing address, so I guess this book will have to go another day (at least) before I get it in the mail. As it looks now, I will be working at the mortuary at Tan Son Nhut AFB. I will be handling personal effects of those killed. Not a very joyful job, but better than being on the battlefield, besides someone has to do it! The Colonel said after 6 months, if I don’t like the job, he will put me somewhere else – not many get a choice like that – they usually keep you in the same spot for the duration over here, but I have the option – which is nice! I am staying temporarily in a Hotel in Saigon and as I write this letter it is pouring outside!

While I’ve been composing this mess of a manuscript I have sure been around. I started it at Long Binh, then Spt. Command HQ in Saigon. Now here in my hotel room and I’ll probably finish it at T. S. N. tomorrow.

All those stories you heard about the traffic are under exaggerated! ! ! ! You wouldn’t believe this place (Saigon). It is quite filthy and the smell and fumes of monoxide give you a headache when you drive down the streets.

People go in and out, pass you on the right, left and any other way they can. The rule of the road is whoever is biggest, loudest and quickest has the right – of – way!  Ha-ha.

Tomorrow when I go back to for processing I am going to get some pictures from the jeep if I can – it’s unbelievable just to ride around here! Well, I’ll end this tomorrow by giving you my address:

Again I say take care

Love Tim

P.S.  I will write again later after I am settled! !

2LT Timothy L. Burlew

HQ 1st Log Command

Services Directorate

APO San Francisco 96307

2 LT Timothy L.  Burlew

HHQ USASUPCom Saigon

US Army Mortuary R. V. N.

APO San Francisco 96307

May 10, 1967   Situated

Dear Mom & Dad,

Well, I am finally getting situated here. I have moved from that Hotel to Camp Red Ball, Tan Son Nhut where I work.  This makes it a 2 min. walk to my office rather than a 1 hr drive through the combination rat’s nest & beehive (Saigon).

I haven’t had a chance to see Kurt yet and I may not for some time do to these ridiculous hours I am working! ! ! I work Mon thru Sat. 7:30 am to 6:30 pm and 6 hrs on Sunday making close to an 80 hr week! It’s good to keep busy because it makes the time pass more quickly, but this little schedule is designed to murder you! ! ! I suppose you want to know more about what I am doing! Well my initial joy of being in a desk job away from the fighting has dissipated somewhat by the nature of the task which I must do. This has got to be one of the toughest assignments in the Army! ! ! In addition to the long hours, I must deal with death and tragedy-daily! The Colonel told me to take a detached view of everything to survive the emotional strain. This is not easy to do, but I imagine it will come, in time! In the coming months I will know the names, age, description, religion, method and cause of death of nearly every Army serviceman who loses his life over here! ! ! Then I must write a series of letters to the Next of Kin, arranging for shipment of personal effects. This in itself is bad enough, but many of the relatives, (and you can’t blame them) in their grief, think things have been stolen and divided up by the people in the mortuary! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! It is difficult for them to understand that their husband or son perhaps lost an item, or sold it or in some cases it was mutilated and had to be destroyed! ! ! They initiate inquiries, writing to General Westmoreland, MacNamara and the President himself! ! ! Upon occasion I have to look through letters and personal papers of the deceased, screening them for anything detrimental to the next of kin. This is worst of all. The other day I read one from the mother of this boy who had been killed; one part read: We all miss you and love you very much and are looking forward to seeing you again. I received your money order for $50.00 (The kids monthly salary was a little over $100.00).  Dalton, I don’t know how we would get along without the money you send home.This stuff really tears you up inside when you are not used to it! ! ! Another reason I am glad I moved is because I used to ride to work with a Major whom works in the Mortuary. Every day, we would go eat breakfast and then go straight to the mortuary, entering the rear door and walking through the room where the embalming etc. was going on! ! I don’t think I could have stood that, much longer!  Ick! There is also the gnawing feeling that perhaps one of the names will be someone I know! Brrr. I get these names less than 2 days after death! ! ! ! Well, for all its pain & horror the job does have some rewards, they tell me. Now and then an appreciative relative sends a nice thank you note back; also they say the job is good because in a year you will walk off the plane the same way you got on. Sure, you’ll walk off, but will you be exactly the same? I doubt it! Well, enough morbid talk about my troubles, sorry to feed it to you, but it helps to tell someone!

As you can see, there is a different address on this. No one here seems to know what address I should use! The first one I gave you was the one the Col. at the Mortuary told me to use, but I think the one a Lt. here gave me is better (See 1st page of letter)! If I don’t get any mail, I’ll ask someone else for a new address until I get one that works! ! !

To Mom a happy Mother’s Day and to Dad a happy Father’s Day sorry I can’t mail gifts for all the Holidays and special occasions but I even have trouble finding a place to mail letters and 2 rolls of film I have taken so far, oh well, I’ll make it up to everyone next April 29, That’s when I am due home! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

The water, here at Red Ball like other places is brought in. The water in the faucets is not potable and is used only for washing etc.

The food at the mess hall isn’t too bad, but -—I think I’ll lose weight! !

I sure hope everyone is OK back there in good ol’ USA. , good ol’ Ohio, good ol’ Kent! ! ! Has Dad cut his toes off with the mower yet? Ha! Ha! Has Mom toasted her hand by mistake yet?  Ha!  Ha!

Well, it’s late and tomorrow is another working day (aren’t they all) so I’ll end this by saying, as they do over there in the Mortuary Yup sure cut through the flesh alright!

Seriously, take good care and be good!

Love, Tim

P.S,

I don’t have the time to keep setting records for long letters, so don’t be disappointed if the next one(s) are shorter! ! ! !

HHC USASUPCOM SGN

U. S.  Army Mortuary RVN

APO San Francisco 96307

May 15, 1967

Dear Mom & Dad,

Well, I’ve been here nearly 2 wks and I still have not received any mail whatsoever! I am not worried, however, because they say it takes about 2 wks to get mail when you first get over here! Just the same, I have held off sending anyone else, letters and 2 rolls of film I have, until I am sure my letters to you have gotten to their destinations!

As it look now, in about a month I might become Commander In Chief of the Personal Effects Division of the U. S.  Army – what a job for a 2nd Lt. ! ! ! This is one of the most important jobs in the Army today and it is supposed to be handled by a major or higher! ! ! If I get it, I will deal directly with the Pentagon – D. A.  Dept. of Army! ! ! !

Also I will converse regularly with the aid of Gen. Westmoreland, MacNamara & Pres. Johnson! ! ! ! ! ! I can’t believe they would actually trust a 2nd Lt. for this job! It seems like everywhere I go they try to put me in command of something big! Well, I was saved from Comp.  Cmdr. at Hood and I have a hunch they will send a higher ranking officer over here before my C. O. leaves! I hope!

Cost of living over here is cheap, if you are careful and don’t go into town too often! My room is free, but my maid costs $20. 00 a month, but she shines my shoes & boots, makes my bed, cleans up & does all my laundry – daily! I eat in the mess hall for a dollar a day (no breakfast got to lose a little weight also like the extra sleep!)

Well got to go eat Sat. night supper in mess hall so will sign off but will write again very soon! Hope you are all fine, take care

Love Tim

P.S. Indians finally won! 12 runs good old Alvis!

May 18, 1967

[Thurs.]

Dear Mom & Dad,

They gave this job to the wrong person! I already have a nice collection of watches, rings, and money! Just kidding! Ha! Ha!

Mox Nix about the film. It was a lousy film and had been previously damaged when the projector was out of whack! So don’t be afraid to use it, that’s what its’ for! (The projector)!