18 April
If I don’t write it’s usually because it’s business as usual at CAP 2-7-2. Or maybe I’m down unloading sand for the marketplace we’ve been trying to get built for a month.
It’s a real bust unloading truckloads of sand by hand in 90 degree, 80 percent humidity weather.
Two of the last three nights have been unusually wild. Lots of loud noises, etc. We still haven’t had anything but very minor injuries. I don’t think the VC have been so lucky but we don’t know for sure.
I can remember how much confidence I gained when I bought myself an expensive pair of football shoes in my Jr. year. That’s probably what happened to Jeff (My little brother). I remember what a blow it was to my morale to be issued ancient shoes, and sweat clothes when I was out for track in Jr. High, Sr. High too for that matter.
I’m growing a moustache. It’s slow work but I’ve got a whole year to kill. I should have something to show by the time I get R&R. I’ve about decided on Bangkok for R&R since Steve Tadtman isn’t in Australia any more. I’ve got about 3 1/2 months to wait yet but I’m already anticipating it.
The sailboat sounds like a great idea. It ought to be a lot of fun taking big groups, etc.
The kids in Winfield (Kansas, my hometown) must be really desperate for a place and an excuse to gather if they go to a dance with a band like that.
Putting “Ned’s” off limits left a lot of kids in the air for a place to hang-out. Maybe hanging-out is not very beneficial but, let’s face it, there’s not much to do in Winfield.
Those dances at the armory were a good thing for a while but kids started abusing the privilege; coming drunk, fighting, etc. It got to be a bad scene so people stopped going.
You may not believe this but I’m gaining weight, both muscle and probably, fat. We eat almost nothing but C-rations, and big cans of fruit that we get on re-supply. Every other day or so someone gets a package full of candy etc. and we eat that too. Every ten days the whole CAP gets a crate that contains cigarettes, candy, stationary, toilet articles, and misc. Add this to just brief periods of fierce activity and long hours of waiting for something to happen, and you get the idea.
(Called an “SP pack,” the ‘crates’ also contained Red Man chewing tobacco, used occasionally by Dennis “Hucklebuck” Prock to the fascination and disgust of the Vietnamese. You’d think people who accepted blackened teeth from chewing betel nut wouldn’t quibble at chewing tobacco.)
Than Quit is beginning to seem just as familiar as home. Maybe more so. I know a lot of the people and all of them know who I am. The Vietnamese daily routine seems a lot more natural than it did at first. I know the trails of the area as well as I know the sidewalks of Winfield.
Our Area of Operations is about the same size as the city of Winfield.
Nothing going on so I’ll quit.
Love
Roch