Sunday, October 5, 1969.  Camp Eagle, Vietnam

Hi Wife!

Just got off KP a while ago, so figured I’d write a few lines.  I was going to leave it for tomorrow nite, but I think I may have bunker guard.  Not that it makes much difference – no planes are flying because of the weather, which means no mail going in or out from here.   So don’t be surprised if this takes a while to get to you.

Yep, it’s still raining.  Has been all week without a let up.  What used to be a creek you could walk thru without getting your feet wet is now a big, deep, fast river.  Since it’s between us and the perimeter, and it washed all the bridges away, the guards have to be taken out by helicopter.  It’s gonna get worse too.

In another unit nearby, which happens to be in a low spot, their hootches are filled to the windows with water. They were paddling around inside on their air mattresses, but I don’t imagine it’s too comfortable sleeping that way.

Yesterday I had a chance to play grunt.  Our unit sends out a patrol every couple of days outside our section of the perimeter.  It’s to check for any weapons or rockets Charlie might hid out there.  Anyway, we went tromping out thru jungle and rice paddies and the whole bit.  It was interesting for a change, but I wouldn’t want to do it every day like the grunts.  It would get old quick.

This is Monday now.  Worked this morning and stayed in the hootch this afternoon.  Just ain’t no work.  Too bad.

I heard on the radio a few minutes ago that we’ve had 21 ½ inches of rain in the last 24 hours.  And it’s been like this for a week.  No wonder everything is flooded.  The South China Sea comes right up to Highway 1 now, and it used to be miles away.

I can’t get to the laundry to pick up my clothes either.  There’s a river between here and there that wasn’t there before.   So I’m sitting here with a big bag of dirty clothes and no clean ones to wear.  War is hell.

We haven’t been getting any mail because of the rains, so when we do get some I should have quite a stack.

Say, you still haven’t told me how many hours you’re taking this semester, or what your subjects are.  Did you cut down on hours this time like you once said you were going to?

And when am I going to get some more pictures?  You said quite a while ago that you were going to have some taken to send me, but that was the last I heard of it.  You know, Gene W.’s wife had a great idea (and this is a hint).  She sends him a picture a week of herself.  And I’ve got to admit he’s got a great looking wife, but not as great as mine.  Anyway, if you wanted to do something like that, I wouldn’t kick a bit.

I keep looking over the pictures I have of you, and you know which two I still like best?  One is that picture of you at that Texas Motel.  The other is the one I took in the car after the Revere and Raiders concert.  I like the first because it’s a good picture of you and shows off you’re bod something beautiful.  The one I like because I remember all the fun we used to have.  The pictures of our home in North Carolina run a close second, but they don’t concentrate on you, and I do.  That’s about all I concentrate on anymore.  I love you Rita.  Before long I’ll have more than just pictures to look at and hold.  Then I’ll be the happiest guy in the world!  I love you!

Good night, Love.

Forever,

Jeff

167 days!

mom-raiders-hat

The photo above I believe is the one Jeff is talking about when he refers to the
Revere & the Raiders, who, by the way, are pretty great.  Their most famous song is “Kicks,” which you can see here.

I feel like I’ve seen the other photo he’s mentioning, but can’t find it for the life of me.