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September 28, 1968. Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Dearest Rita,
I got two letters from you today which turned out to be three when I opened them. So now I’ve got plenty of letters to answer.
First of all, I got that letter of Dales today in the mail. Do you want me to send it back to you? And would you send me his address? I’d kind of like to write him, although I don’t know what the heck I’d say yet. I just wonder how he’d take getting a letter from me.
Naturally I disagreed with Dale on Vietnam. I just can’t feel we should pull back to that cozy little shelter called America and say to hell with everyone else. It seems like quite a contradiction to say how much Americans have to appreciate and then not be willing to help another people achieve what we have when they’re fighting it. But I will say that Dale sounds as if he’s given it some thought, which is more than I can say for many who scream for us to leave.
As for the part about us changing — I think we’ve talked that over enough to know — at least I do — that any changes won’t be for the worse, but for the better. And I don’t think any change could alter our basic love for each other, which I know both of us feel as real and lasting. I think both of us are the type that would have to feel this way before going so far as to become engaged. I love you Rita, and that can never change.
About what mom said about spending more time at home and with relatives — I’m sure she didn’t mean to sound as if she was excluding you. She knows I’m not going to hang around them if you’re not there. One thing is for sure though — before I come home again I’m writing her and telling her not to plan my leave for me. But I do feel we should spend a little more time with them and with your folks. But it’s hard to do in so short a time.
I’ve just been looking over your class schedule and it looks pretty full. How many credits are you carrying? I notice that your English is only one T.V. and two recitations. That’s a good deal. I’ll bet before long you’ll wish your math was the same way. It’s quite a bit different from high school, isn’t it?
You said Julie said something about a job in her office. It doesn’t look to me like your schedule leaves too much room for work, does it? And don’t forget that college requires a bit more studying than high school. But you’ve probably found that out already.
I’m going to close this out pretty quick and go to the show. “A Man for All Seasons” is on tonight. I’ve been working so much this last week I haven’t had time to relax at all. I even worked most of today, and tomorrow I’ve got KP. Not much of a weekend for me.
Got to go now, hon. I’ll write again real soon. I’m afraid I’ve got some more questions to answer in them. I’m glad I’m finally getting your letters like I should, and remember…
I LOVE YOU!
Jeff
PS. Say “Hi” to your folks for me, and thank the mailman for me too, okay?
I have no idea what T.V. sessions are, but that’s what it looks like he wrote so…
Also, the reference to Dale’s letter got me thinking: there are few political issues you avoid in public more than Vietnam. You just don’t bring it up. If the soldier tells a personal story, that’s fine. If you talk about a movie that was set in Vietnam, that’s fine too. But it’s extremely difficult conversation to have between generations.
We were helping another country defend their freedom, which is good! But it turns out the entire war may have started becuase of false information, which is bad. The young men (like my father) follow the example of their fathers from World War II and signed up out of a patriotic duty to their country, which is good. Unlike today, the protesters of the Vietnam War weren’t able to separate the anger they had at their government from the soldiers, which is bad.
The Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly all came together to form an awful gray morality for this particular war, and it’s when I’m thinking about all this that I am so happy my father spent his service as a helicopter mechanic.
Ethan
September 26, 1968. Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Hi Beautiful!
This is going to be very very short I’m afraid. I’m about ready to drop in my tracks. I meant to write you Tuesday but had to go back to the airstrip and work. Last night I worked out there until 10:30. It gets to be a long day, especially when you get up at five every morning.
I finally got a letter from you today. More precisely, I got four letters in one. I hope from now on things will be better as far as that address bit is concerned.
I’d try to answer all four letters tonight if I could, but I’m afraid I couldn’t stay awake long enough. I’ll try to get off a nice long letter this weekend if I can, but I have to work Saturday, and Sunday. I’ve got KP. Do my best though.
We’re getting paid Monday, so I’m going to send you fifty bucks. I want you to take $20 down to Wink’s and save the rest for me. That way I won’t spend it, and if I ever need it you can send it to me. I’m also going to send the Red Cross twenty and the folks twenty they let me. As soon as I get all that taken care of I can send you that much more each month. Then maybe we can really start to save for the future.
It seems to me I had something important to tell you, but I can’t recall now. Maybe it was that I love you. That’s very important. And you’re the most important thing in the world to me. I love you, Rita. I love you!
Forever,
Jeff
September 23, 1968. Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Hi Reet!
Well, I saw Bob for the last time this weekend. He’s leaving tomorrow. I don’t know if he’ll be getting home or not, but if he does you’ll see him before you get this. And it looks like he’s getting stationed in Kansas City. You might see him more often then. I know I’m sure going to miss not seeing him now. It sure made time go by fast. If it’ll keep going fast until I see you again I’ll be happy.
We moved again today, for the fourth time. We only moved a couple barracks from where we were before, but spent the whole day doing it. Clay and I grabbed a corner bunk, so the first thing I did was hang your picture on the wall. It sure makes these dumps look a lot better. You’ll also be watching me dress and undress every day. Thought you’d be happy to hear that. So will Clay’s girl, but that makes it more interesting.
So how is college going Hon? You’ll have to tell me about the courses you’re taking and if you like it. Do you realize I don’t know anything about what’s going on there? You’ve got a lot to tell me.
If you happen to run into Jeannie on campus say hi to her for me and tell her I’ve been meaning to write. Told her I would when I was home, but… you know how I get sometimes. Tell her not to give up yet. And I hope I can do a better job of writing you now too Honey. It’s hard to write with thirty guys yelling and screaming around you. Now I’ve got a room I can go to for a little privacy. So don’t be surprised if you start getting a few more letters.
Honey, you don’t know how lucky I feel to have you. A lot of guys have got Dear Johns since I came into the service, or found out their girls were stepping out on them. It makes me so glad to have a wonderful girl like you and to know I don’t have to worry about it like lots of guys do. I love you Rita, and I have such a strong faith in our shared love that I don’t have to live in fear that I’ll lose you, but rather I live for the day we can get married. And I hope you can feel the same way Hon, ’cause it’s the greatest feeling in the world. I love you Rita, with all my heart.
I’m going to close now and hit the sack and dream of you, like always. So long, Honey.
Love,
Jeff
PS. Clay said to send you his love, then decided he’d better just say Hi. I think it was the dirty look I gave him that changed his mind.
…here’s a nice picture.
Dad and the "Poncho"
September 16, 1968. Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Dearest Rita,
I’m tired as heck right now but just had to write my love before I turn in. It may not be too long though.
I got a letter from Brenda, one from the folks and one from you today. Of course yours was the first and most important one. I had a nice surprise in the folks’ letter — a $53 check from the college. Nice! I’m going to hold it for a while before cashing it, so I don’t blow it all.
Also I may need it to go down to Corpus Christi on. I talked to a warrant officer today who said he wants to go down, and if he does he’ll request me for his crew chief. Sure hope I can go, but I’m not counting on it — the company may not let me. Too many “ifs.”
How do like having Jerry in the family? I’ll bet that before the year is out you too will be fighting like brother and sister.
You can tell your mom for me that I will pay for any collect calls I make. She’s lucky — if I took advantage of it and called you collect as much as I’d like to call you, you’d be broke in a month or less. Did that make sense? Anyway you know what I mean.
Bob will be leaving for Lejeune a week from tomorrow (Tuesday 24th) but still doesn’t know if he’ll get a leave. He may get stationed in Kansas City and be able to make weekend dashes home — the lucky dog. Sure will miss him when he’s gone.
We saw Lee this last weekend. He has a program on the college radio station and we had a blast when he went on. Bob and I were in there and he is really funny. He was half drunk when he went on (so where we) and proceeded to get bombed while he was on, giving away beer and popping tops in the mike. I about died laughing.
Going to bed now. I’ll try to do better tomorrow if I get the chance. Keep yours coming — I’m getting them now (most of them anyway). I love you Rita.
Always,
Jeff
PS. I still haven’t got that letter you said you said a lot about Dale in. Maybe you to best fill me in.
According to mom, Lee is a friend who moved away from Brookings to Chapel Hill, N.C. during their senior year. Also, the last letter was August 27th and this one is September 16. That’s a long time. I wonder if he had leave or what? Don’t know what this is about, sorry.
I’m also sorry for the short personal annotations lately. I’ve been crunched for time and been getting these out at the very last minute (or sometimes not at all). Next week my wife and son will be on vacation and I’ll be trying to get a few weeks ahead so I can take more time to research each letter and maybe get more information and history. Which brings us to our next topic…
PICTURES! I have a ton of them! My sister sent me a box that had some great shots from dad during his time in Vietnam and I’m super excited for you to see them (though they won’t be posted until he eventually gets there in the course of his letters). The flipside of this coin is that the box contained mostly negatives. Mounds of negatives! Like a butt-load of negatives, which kinda puts me in the same position I was in late last year with the audio tapes. Seriously, there has to be three hundred undeveloped pictures here.
I’m going to try to find a few photo shops around my area who can identify the different types of film used (there are at least 4 different types) and tell me what it will take to get them developed. First I have to go though them, label them, and try and find what they’re all of. Could be a bunch of his Boy Scout photos, I don’t know. That would be pretty cool, but I don’t know if I’m ready to open up http://www.lettersfromboyscouts.com yet, you know?
So, I’m not opening up for donations right now, and I still have some of what you so generously gave last time, but I wanted to give you all a heads up that you might see that little button in the left column again in the next few weeks depending on what I find out from the experts.
Your ever-faithful servant,
Ethan
August 27, 1968. Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Dear Rita,
Just got your letter today and boy was I glad to see it! You don’t know what it’s like when I don’t hear from you in over two weeks. I sure think of you enough though. I have your senior picture sitting on top of my locker so it’s practically the first thing I see each morning and the last each night. I can’t think of anything better. Oh yes I can, but that ain’t possible while I’m clear out here.
I’m sorry to hear that your little “friend” was so hard on you, but I didn’t think it would be quite that bad. I guess next time we’ll have to lay off that stuff, huh? I mean we can always try — naw, we’d never do it.
I’m going to have to finish this tomorrow honey. It’s time I hit the sack now. But I’ll be thinking of you, as usual.
Goodnight, Reet.
All my love,
Jeff
Hi Beautiful!
Back again — it’s Wednesday evening now. I got off work, ate chow, then straight back here to write my honey. And I promise I’ll finish it tonight to.
I’m glad you’re so excited about college. I knew you were when I was home, and I can imagine it now. And a little scared too, I’ll bet. I remember I was. I just hope you work a little harder and do better than I did. It’s really not hard if you don’t slough off like I did.
You know something though? Now that college is about ready to start, I’m almost sorry you’ve got my ring. Because of it you may miss out on a lot up there. Seems almost like I’m being selfish about it, to tie you down. And now since it’s going to be longer than we expected before I get back from Nam, we could have waited a while. I’m glad we didn’t, but for your sake, I wish we had.
Speaking of waiting so long to go to Nam — if I would have known about this before my leave, we could actually have gotten married while I was home. I’m sure you would have liked it out here, and I sure as hell would like to have you here with me. It may not actually have been too good an idea in the long run, but I sure would have tried talking you into it. I love you Rita, and I’m just waiting for the day when we can get married. Oh well — there’s really no sense in talking about that for quite awhile, is there? Damn!
Can’t remember if I told you or not, but I’m going to Lejeune this Friday night, then Bob and I are going to try to get to Atlantic Beach. We don’t have to be back until Tuesday morning at 6:15, so we’ll have a long weekend.
Also, we get paid Friday, so I won’t be broke this weekend. I’ll send you some money to put on the ring too, and I’ve got to send some to that Red Cross gal if I can find her address. I may send some extra along for you to keep for me. I’ll be needing some extra on hand around Christmas and if I get a leave. I’d keep it here if I thought I’d leave it alone, but the temptation might be too great. We’ll see at any rate.
There are a few guys from our unit who are going to Corpus Christi, Texas for the weekend to pick up some Hueys. Clay is one of them. They’re taking an army plane down tomorrow, then flying the helicopters back. Several more trips are going to be made in the next couple of weeks, and I’m going to try my darndest to get on one. I doubt if I’ll make it though, because all of us working in S-4 get screwed all the time. They won’t let us do anything else.
Say — don’t send any more letters to that address I gave you — we’re moving Tuesday. I’ll send you that address as soon as I find out what it is. We’re moving closer to the airfield, but into some old rundown barracks (like I’m used to) instead of the big new ones like we’re in now. I have a feeling we’ll freeze our butts off this winter. And it’s clear way from the main post, out at the edge of things. I don’t think I’m going to like that.
Got to go now hon. I have to go out and buy a stamp yet tonight so I can mail this in the morning. No mailboxes on post, just the company mailrooms.
Honey, I love you. I always want to say more than that, but there’s nothing more to say. I love you.
Forever,
Jeff
Here’s mom’s senior photo (we’ll see it again in the future). The necklace she’s wearing is Black Hills Gold and was given to her by dad. Also, I have no idea who the “Red Cross gal” is.
Mom's senior picture
August 18, 1968. Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Hi Beautiful!
Got a lot to tell you so hold on to your hat. First, I saw Bob this weekend. Saturday noon at chow I decided I didn’t want to stay here all weekend, so I talked a guy named Jerry into hitchhiking to Lejeune with me. We had real good luck in made it there in 2 1/2 hours, and that’s 120 miles. Pretty good for thumbing.
We talked to the MP sergeant at the gate, and he spent an hour and a half calling all over the place trying to locate Bob. No luck. Even the post locator didn’t know where he was. So we went looking for him ourselves. By pure luck we ran into a couple guys who lived in his barracks. Bob had gone to the beach, so we spent the night bar hopping with one of the dudes. We went back about 11:30 and Bob I just got back, so we sat around bullshitting for a couple hours, then sacked out in some empty bunks. We spent most of today at their service club, ate chow in their mess hall and the works. We finally headed back about 4:30.
On the way back we got picked up by a guy who gave us a ride right to the fort. We got along real good, and found out he goes down to Jacksonville (right by Lejeune) every couple of weeks. We made arrangements to get a ride there over Labor Day weekend. He also invited us to spend a weekend at his place. We could have a good deal — a car and a guy who knows his way around. He said he’d even come and pick us up.
Next week Bob’s coming to Bragg, so I’ve got to write him and make arrangements to meet him. That’s pretty hard to do when we probably won’t be in the same barracks then, and directions are difficult because I don’t know the area very well myself yet. And Bragg is a mighty big place.
Enough of that. Sorry I haven’t been able to write during the week. I’ve been working out at the airfield, which means I catch a bus out there at 6:15 every morning. We’ve been hauling supplies out for our new unit, but I still don’t know our unit designation. Some guys have been working on the Hueys, and a couple have been up on test flights. But all I’ve done is haul rifles and machine guns all over. Pisses me off!
Honey, from all I found out so far, we definitely will not be going over before late February or March. That means it will be that much longer before I’ll get back and we’ll be able to get married. When I think of it, it seems like such a long time. That means that a year from now I’ll still have six months left in Nam. The Army really knows how to screw a guy up. A year seemed too long, but now it seems like forever, and I just don’t want to wait that long. But now you can guess how hard it’s going to be for us to plan a wedding when the time comes.
But, there’s a few bright spots to — very few though. This way you can get in two full years of college if you want to, and I know you do. And, I’ll get another leave before going over, possibly a full 30 days around Christmas. I’d love to be home then. Finally, if I decide to extend over there for six months I could get out as soon as I get home on that early out deal. But I really doubt if I’ll extend. I’d rather get married six months earlier and have a year left. I could stand any kind of bullshit if you were with me.
Running out of paper, hon. I love you, and miss not hearing from you. But I finally got an address, so I’ll put it on the back, okay?
All my love,
Jeff
Another bonus picture. This one is dad back at Eustis. I wanted to post it earlier, but there wasn’t a decent tiein letter. This one talks about him hauling around “rifles and machine guns,” so I’m using that as a sign I should get it posted.
Dad (on the left) carrying a machine gun
The back
August 12, 1968. Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Dearest Rita,
Finally, I got some mail. In fact I got three letters from you. That was last night about 11:30 and I was in bed asleep. When the mail came in from 82nd, Jerry was still up and he knew how I have been waiting for some, so he woke me up. I went into the latrine and read them a couple of times, and just finished them again. Hope I never have to wait for mail that long again! I got one from mom and one from Brenda too.
Evidently I’ve still got at least one of yours coming yet, because in one dated the 7th you said you had just mailed one, but the other two were clear back around August 22 and 24th. So one’s missing yet. Maybe I’ll get it tonight. Sure hope so.
Thanks for that card Rita. And thank your mom for picking it out. You’ve sent a lot of cards that really said and meant a lot, but I think this was the best of all. Those three words “I love you” say everything in the most simple and beautiful way. And I love you Rita, and just wish I would have found this beautiful card to send to you. If you happen to be wondering why I’m writing on both sides which I usually don’t do, it’s because I’ve got a lot to tell you and three letters to answer, and I don’t want to have to send it in two parts. I may have to do that anyway.
Sounds like I won’t be able to recognize your room next time I’m home. I know how long you’ve waited to get it fixed up, and I’m glad it’s finally getting done. But some day, and I hope it’s not too far away, I’m going to make you move out of there and give you another room to fix up, with a great big double bed in it. I may even help if you let me.
It also sounds like I’ve got a lot of new clothes to see. But I know darn well you’ll look great in them, just like you do in everything. I can’t wait to see them though. Hope I don’t have to wait too long.
About your going around with those guys in the Jeep — I don’t mind and I’m glad you had a good time, but did you have to do it with the National Guard!!? Boy! No, seriously, I guess I’m just jealous of them for being there when I’m not. But I still don’t think I could stomach being a weekend warrior anymore than I can stomach the Army.
Honey, don’t worry about what they said about you being too young and about the changes that could take place. We both know how deep our love is, and I’m sure that if either of us had any doubts we wouldn’t have gotten this close to marriage without voicing them. As far as maturity goes, I feel you’re more mature in most ways that others your age, and I know my folks do too or they wouldn’t have gone along with the whole idea. Notice I said in most ways — in many ways you are still younger, but in those ways I don’t want you to change. Too many people outgrow their love for simple things and fail to see the beauty around them. I don’t feel that outgrowing that makes people more mature, but less so. Finally, the changes that may occur in the next year or so couldn’t cause us any problem with the love we have going for us. I feel that any changes could only bring us closer together, if possible, and not apart. I probably wouldn’t feel this way if you weren’t as understanding as you always are. Thanks for being what you are Rita.
You said it seems our wedding date seems farther and farther away all the time. I know what you mean. I spent hours trying to figure out a way it could be moved up, but nothing seems practical. Even if I could get leave right now, which I probably could swing, you’d still have your school to finish. Even if I came home around Christmas you’d have nearly two months until the semester, and by then I’d be ready to go over. But if you can think of any way to swing it and want to get married before I go over, let me know. If it would be practical, I’d be all for it.
Now, to answer your PS’s. “Web gear” means things like pistol belt, pack, canteen, ammo pouches, ponchos, etc., that we use in the field. And Bob may be home in about two weeks if he doesn’t get stuck on casual. He graduates the 26th I think.
Okay, I think I’ve covered your letters fairly well. Now for a few things around here.
Monday night I came to the barracks about 9:00, and Clay was moping around. He had started thinking about his girl and got depressed, so he decided to go out and get smashed and wanted me to go along. I didn’t feel like getting all polluted but decided I’d go along and keep an eye on him. He sure needed it. In two hours he put away more booze than I could drink in a month of Sundays. This is at the E4-E9 Club, and I just had a couple of mixed drinks, but Clay was ordering doubles, with a double VO straight for a chaser. I had to practically carry him back and pour him into bed — and then he got sick. He spent half the night in the latrine dry heaving. I just left him there and went to bed finally.
Yesterday we had ambush training all day. Mostly classes and demonstrations in the morning, but in the afternoon we were broken up into groups, one group setting up an ambush for the other to walk into. After just one, Clay, a guy named Randy, and I sneaked off on our own. We do follow one group to where they set up an ambush, and then we’d ambush them just as they were about to spring theirs. We really had a riot, shooting blanks and really causing some confusion. They even sent guys out looking for us and had guards around their ambush site, but they never caught us. But while they were taking a break we captured a second lieutenant, and later a couple more guys. Had a lot of fun, and like that lieutenant told us, we probably learned more that way anyway. He wanted to come with us after we captured him, but that wouldn’t look too good. We could have gotten in trouble if we would have been caught or if that Looey squealed on us, but later we just sneaked back in with our own group, and only a few of our guys ever knew we were gone for over 2 1/2 hours (we also found three camouflaged ammo dumps we shouldn’t know about, so we had plenty of ammo).
One thing in your letters I forgot to mention — “Decision.” I don’t recall if I ever read them or not, but if they mean something to you, I know they will to me too. Thanks, hon. And that reminds me of last weekend. Bob and I talked a lot about religion, and I was going to give him one of my New Testaments, but I forgot. I’m going to try to remember to take it to him this weekend, but you know Bob — by now he may not want it. But we’ll see. I’d like him to have it, especially if he’d read it once in a while.
I’m going to close now and hit the sack, so I can dream of you. I’ve been doing that pretty regularly for a long time now — like since I met you. And I’ll keep on until I don’t have to dream anymore, ’cause I’ll have you with me forever. I love you Rita. I love you with all my heart, and always will.
All my love,
Jeff
I asked mom about what the “Decision” reference was, and this is what she said:
Actually, I think they were a series of bible studies I was in at the time. Seems to me, I ran across them recently in a box I found in the rafters in the garage and threw them away. Your Dad was with me when I went forward at the Billy Graham Crusade on campus. After that, I was in a study with some freshman girls and we met on campus. I’m sure I was the youngest in the group and of course, when summer came, they all went home.
Mom
August 11, 1968. Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Dearest Rita,
Boy, you wouldn’t believe this place. All the guys I knew in Eustice are here, and boy is it crowded. Guys from all over are here in a three-story barracks and they’ve got guys sleeping on the floor and on the couches and pool tables in the day room. And it’s hard telling how long we’ll be stuck here.
I haven’t even signed in yet. I could have waited until today to leave, as nobody even knows I’m here yet except the guys I know. Won’t be here officially until tomorrow.
Remember my orders read 248th Av. Co? There ain’t no such animal. We are going to form an Aviation Battalion for the 82nd airborne. From the looks of things now we’re going to be here for quite awhile. I just hope they tell us for sure, but I doubt if they will.
The facilities around here are pretty good. Last night Clay and I went to the E4 – E9 club. Managed to get feeling pretty good on whiskey sours, but then I started thinking about you and got depressed. That’s what always happens when I drink, so I don’t think I’ll be doing too much of that.
I’m going to finish this tomorrow Honey. Goodnight, and I love you!
Monday evening now. Didn’t do much but sit around most the day. Late this afternoon we moved to another barracks. Sometime next week we’ll move again. Seems like no one knows where the hell we’re supposed to go yet, or else they don’t want us. If that’s the case they can send me home for a while. I wouldn’t kick.
We don’t have any idea what our address is yet, and probably won’t until next week. Sure wish I could send you one. I miss you already and would sure like to hear from you. You can bet I’ll send it to you as soon as I know, so have a letter ready, okay?
How’s Dutchess getting along? I imagine by the time I’m home she’ll be nearly grown and won’t remember me. You’ll have to tell me about her fancy house with a fancy windows and all when you get it.
I’m going to cut this short and write mom and dad. I’ll write again as soon as possible. Remember how much I love you and need you, and I’ll add these in the last two weeks to the wonderful memories I already have. I love you, Rita.
Always,
Jeff
Bonus picture! This is Dutchess. Mom and dad picked her out early in their relationship, and I vaguely remember her from when I was very young. We’ll be seeing more of her in the future.
Puppy Dutchess
August 9, 1968. Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Hi Beautiful!
Boy was it good to talk to you to the other night! I still can’t believe we talked as long as we did. It didn’t seem like more than a couple minutes to me. But then you always did make me forget about time. But now I owe your folks three dollars for the extra charge. Don’t you dare forget to pay them when I send you more money (changed my mind and decided to send it now).
You wouldn’t believe what a great time we had this weekend doing nothing really. After talking to you, we picked up a six and went for a ride in the country. It was just like Bob and I used to do at home a lot. We talked about a lot of things, and a lot about you and Ruth. And Chapel Hill is a college town a lot like Brookings in a lot of ways. We felt right at home and really enjoyed ourselves. I’m almost glad we missed Lee, although it would have been nice to see him. Plenty of time for that, for me at least.
I didn’t get my mail again today, so I went down to Headquarters Co., clear across post. The mailroom there opens at five and is supposed to stay open until 5:30. I got there at 5:10 and they had already closed. I was damn near ready to kick the door down. It’s hard telling when I’ll be able to get up there again. Maybe when mail with my new address starts coming in they’ll figure out where I am and I’ll get the rest too.
I guess that by the time you get this you’ll be pretty busy with freshman week, right? I sure envy you. When I think of all the things we could be doing together up there this year it makes me sick. But if I were there I probably wouldn’t appreciate it the way I should anyway — I never do, it seems. But at least I’d be with you, which is really the only reason I’d want to be there anyway.
This is the last of my papers so I’ll have to stop now. I’ll get more and write again real soon, okay? Remember, I love you Rita, and always will.
All my love,
Jeff
I recently received some photos that could have been posted with prior entries. Click on the picture to be taken back to the post it probably would gave been paired with.
Dad home from the DS station
In Jeff's parent's basement (no link)
Mom seeing dad off at the Brookings airport, headed off to Fort Eustis.
Mom's Graduation
Mom's Graduation 2
Comic books are good for you.
A blowup of the photo that was in the ring box Jeff's dad gave to her as her "graduation present."
Mom wearing her ring (she was 17 at the time!)
A fuzzy closeup
My sick kid has pretty much dominated the past five days. Fresh post expected for Wednesday.
Ethan
Letters from Vietnam 