Letters from Viet Nam

By Jackie

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Oct 13, 2011
• ISBN: 9781426970856

Jackie

Jackie worked as an executive secretary many years in Chicago, ill. Married a farmer from Indiana and had children. With much difficulty and determination, the family moved to New Mexico by vehicle, along with the babies in tow, 2 horses, 3 dogs and 2 cats. Jackie eventually worked for the local school system in Special Education for 10 years She also was a chief circulation clerk for the local newspaper for 5 years. She has 7 grandchildren and lives in a small rural town. She is an avid animal lover and raises a wide variety of birds to include; doves, parrots, chicken and peacock. Jackie has 2 sons who are officers in the U.S. military and have pursued careers in law enforcement. A daughter is employed with the State Corrections Dept. in NM.

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Dedication

Dedicated to all USA Service personnel; past, present and future.

Acknowledgements

Cindy Williams and Ruby Kuntz for their inspiration.

Mother Raye for saving the letters for 45 years

in her basement.

Kathy Dorcas for her professional service.

Trafford Publishing for the opportunity.

Dave Conrad (name has been changed) for his thoughts.

Some of the names in the book have been changed to protect privacy.

Letters from Viet Nam

8 December 1965USS Iwo Jima

Dear Jackie: One of the members of a squad, a PFC Gene Godfrey, showed me your letter yesterday and asked if I would be interested in corresponding with a brunette secretary. Believe me Jackie, it isn’t everyday that a Marine gets a chance like this, especially in this sump-pump. He mentioned to me that the only prerequisite was that I was twenty-six years old. I passed that plateau in January. With this in mind, here I am.

On a personal note, my name is David Conrad – 26 – 6’1’ – black hair – brown eyes and losing weight rapidly. I believe I am down to 170 lbs. now. I guess I am pretty much the average Marine. In my youth I was as affectionate to my teddy bear as most kids were. I never owned a little red wagon, but this was compensated for by a toy machine gun that my parents thoughtfully gave to me at the age of 10. My home is Chicago, but in latter years of civilian life I spent most of my time in YMCA’s throughout the city. Education consists of four years high school in Ottawa, Canada and close to three years at Marion University in an effort to secure a Bachelors degree in the social sciences. My high ideals fell in my third year and I became dissatisfied with my progress, hence, the Marine Corps. Naturally, like everyone else, I have likes and dislikes. Unfortunately the dislikes outnumber the likes about 100 to 1. Among my likes are beautiful women, martinis (very dry please), folk music, Old Town, Rush Street in Chicago, and a little restaurant in Canada called Never Again. My dislikes, include wet martinis, dirty rifles, red hair and of course, Victor Charlies (VC’s).

I suppose you want to know what’s happening down here. Very simply, we have been the Marine Corps only raider battalion in Viet Nam for the last five months. To date, we have made ten raids into VC territory with a total kill of 737 Victor Charlies. Actually we have been quite lucky with minimal losses to ourselves. Our prayer is that our luck holds out, and believe me Jackie, luck has a lot to do with it. Presently, we are on the USS Iwo Jima. We were supposed to be heading for Okinawa for ten days of rest, but alas the VC attacked Chu-Lai and our vacation has been cancelled. Shortly we will be in Phu-Bai to stay for five months, and then, God willing, homebound!

Well, by now you should realize that Marines are part braggarts, part warriors and part mixed up. I do look forward to hearing from you however, and I’ll watch the mail for your letter. Until that time, be well and keep us in your prayers. Sincerely Dave

January 1966

Dear Jackie: I received your letter today and believe me it was pleasant hearing from someone besides Aunt Matilda or Uncle Marvin (I do have an Uncle and Aunt by those names, believe it or not).

You asked how long I’ve been in the Corps. Answer: 2 years, 14 days and 13 hours. I have a watch that counts every hour. How many days have I got left; forget it! Let’s just say twenty thousand more miles and a few firefights away and I’ll be home. We should be back in the States by August if all goes well, which it probably won’t, which will make the date sometime in October.

I am Roman Catholic. How did you guess? Oh yes, Victor Charlie originated from the code word Victor for V and Charlie for C – meaning VC or Viet Cong. Last night, for instance, a message came over the radio Victor Charlie gulf on red stream – flank left. It may sound confusing, but literally translated it says The Viet Cong are coming in small strength, squad size, on the major road. Follow around left for best advantage. As it turned out, last night we took only 1 VC and the rest scattered.

Your little apartment sounds like the ones that I lived in. Everything is crammed into one corner, and there is room only for bed and television. Ah, the comforts of civilian life. Right now my home is a foxhole on hill 40 near DaNang. We will be here six weeks acting as a combat post to stop Victor Charlie from getting into DaNang (about 10 miles away). From this hill, I can see a firefight going on about four miles away at this very minute. It’s a funny war.

I believe my teddy bear name was Euipides, or was it Oedipus? Regardless, I can assure you it afforded my many hours of fun and games. I believe I was the only kid on the block with a green teddy bear (Marine Corps green, of course).

Why do you find Old Town funny? You would be surprised to find a strange caliber of people there. It has everything from pep pill pushers to reformed hub cap thieves. Fascinating place, fascinating! Seriously though, give me Oswalds. (Oswalds is nothing more than a bar with a back room restaurant that serves excellent corn beef located on 51st Street in Chicago). Ah, the comforts of civilian life.

And now off to work again Jackie. We did have some picture taken in Chu-Lai recently and I’ll send you one after developing. Write soon again and be well. Dave

18 January 1966

Dear Jackie: Receive your very cheerful and welcomed letter this morning after a visit by the actor Charlton Heston. He’s an ex-Marine himself. He wished us luck in our encounter and peace this year. I hope his wishes come true.

Career in the Corps? No, I don’t think so. Actually I’m counting the days when good old MC and myself part. Return to school? I don’t think so. My father has always wanted me to go into politics; he himself was County Assessor for five years. My best friend wants me to tie in with him into a drug company which he is President of the company’s branch. My Uncle works for the Federal Gov’t and he says he can assist fulfilling a lifelong ambition of mine to go into the FBI. I have always liked social work, with an interest in probation. I have yet to decide my career, Jackie. Right now it’s up for grabs, but confidentially, politics looks too good to pass by. I can’t be content with other peoples’ decisions in politics.

What is firefight? A firefight is simply contact with the enemy in which fire is given and received. It’s a small battle in the truest sense of the word.

You mentioned giving away secrets between a man and woman. Jackie, believe me, I have never, and I doubt I ever will be able to understand or compromise with any woman. When I was 17, I fell in love with a 20 year old blond. It lasted until I met an 18 year old, my counterpart to the real thing. Then came another blond who completely destroyed my ego, pride, self-confidence, and entire outlook on the world. She left nothing but one hell of a confused and bewildered individual. Finally at 23, I made the fatal mistake of meeting a shy, naïve girl who turned out to be just the opposite. It took two years to discover her hidden traits. At long last, I joined the Corps which offered a temporary refuge while I caught my breath. And now I am dissatisfied with looking at a stereotype of the Neanderthal man every morning. Call me crazy. That’s what I am, I guess. No matter, I have given up my quest for a solution to the age old problem, how to handle women.

Old Town in Chicago is exactly the way you described it, the people I mean. But Jackie, that’s what interests me. I know they are looking for an unknown and pretend they have found such, but really have not. It’s the confusion of the mind that grabs me. False ideals in an unreal world. (It does have some excellent folk music though). I shall anxiously be waiting for the package you mentioned. I just wish I could give you something in return Jackie. Please accept as a small return a Vietnamese $100 bill (Exhibit 1), that you may find interesting. It is one of three that I borrowed off a VC that had the misfortune of running into a machine gun barrage in a recent firefight. If anything, it proves beyond a doubt that the VC are very much