15 February

Dear Mom,

We had a Korean USO show here at My Khe (at CAP School in Da Nang) today. It was a lot better than I thought it would be. They sang American rock songs and had at least two singers who knew their stuff.

The band was better than lots of bands that have been to Winfield. (my hometown)

The show only lasted an hour but everybody dug it.

To tell the truth a lively chess game is an attraction around here. Sleeping is the major passtime.

I drank three cans of warm beer and I think my resistance is down because I’m high. Not drunk, just feeling good.

The biggest enemy in Vietnam is boredom. Our compound hasn’t had a real attack in two year but I still have to stand guard from four to ten hours of guard each day. I’ll be glad to get through CAP school and out into the bush.

Hasn’t been any other excitement this week. The Villagers in My Khe are getting to know me by name and I like to talk to them when I’m on guard. The kids keep asking for cigarettes and money which hacks me off. I don’t give them any. I still don’t know when I’ll start CAP school, it should be sometime next week.

Guess I’ll quit.

Love

Roch

P.S. got a letter from Carole Keller yesterday

 

11 February

Dear Mom,

Sorry communication is so rare but I haven’t had much time.

I just took my boots off for the first time in three days. My jungle boots are really comfortable otherwise I’d go crazy. I’ve been riding shotgun on convoys during the day and standing guard at night.

(This sounds exaggerated. It seems pretty unlikely that I would have had to wear my boots for three days, especially working as an extra body at 2nd CAG HQ in Hoi An. Maybe I was just too scared to take them off, expecting Charlie to hit our wire at any second?)

The night I wrote my first letter to you, somebody sneaked up to our wire and threw a grenade at my hootch. It landed about 30 feet from where I was sleeping (trying anyway) and scared the holy hell out of me. Somebody yelled V.C. and I dove off of my cot and started hunting my boots. It took me more than five minutes to find everything, get it on, and get outside. By that time the excitement had died down and we all went back to sleep. Nobody was hurt.

(I remember there was an explosion, but I doubt this was a VC attack. More likely somebody on guard duty was bored and had an extra frag. You’ll note I had my boots off when THIS happened.)

Riding shotgun is really fun. The countryside is beautiful and many of the people are friendly. All of the trucks go at full speed to avoid ambushes and command detonated mines. It’s fun bouncing along, waving at the boy-sans and girl-sans, and mama-sans. There’s not many men around and those that are, are very old or in uniform.

I haven’t been shot at yet and I’m beginning to think this war isn’t as hairy as it’s chalked up to be. I see all kinds of Army choppers and I keep wondering if John is on one. How’s he doing.

Later

I just got off of guard duty. Time is 10:30 P.M. I stood tower watch with a guy from Nebraska. When I started laying out ammo and grenades for ready use he hastily informed me that the chances of attack were close to non-existant. He was puffing some pot while I sucked on a Hershey bar and we talked for four hours. Hard liquor cannot be obtained by Marines under the rank of E-6 (S/Sgt). Many guys use this as an excuse to smoke pot which is as available as ordinary tobacco.

I had a hell of a day today so I think I’ll quit.

love,

Roch

P.S. I had a chance to get a camera + tape recorder but I’ve recently learned that all CAG personnel must live on what they can carry in a pack. Clothing takes most of the room and is very heavy. Anyway they would quickly be smashed or soaked.r

 

8 February

Dear Mom and Dad,

My new address is:

P.F.C. C.R. Thornton 2579640
HDQS 2D CAG, III MAF
FPO San Francisco, California
96602

This will be my address for about a month. I’ll be here at headquarters for two weeks of sentry duty and then at Da Nang for two weeks of CAP school.

When I leave CAP school I’ll be assigned to a CAP in a village so my address will change slightly.

Our compound is about 75 meters square with a dirt dike 8′ high around it. We have concertina wire in continuous layers up to 30 meters from the burm line (dirt dike).

We have 15 bunkers with M-60 machine guns and 4 towers with .50 caliber machine guns, also two truck mounted .50s. Two 81mm mortars provide our C.F.S. (Close Fire Support).

Our compound has been attacked seven times in seven months. The road I rode over yesterday (Highway 1?) has been mined 13 times in the last two weeks.

We share the compound with a Navy PBR unit. They patrol the river about ten meters from our main gate in 30′ fiberglass hulls mounted with four .50 caliber mg’s. One of these boats was blown out of the water by a contact mine ten days ago.

Theres a company of armored ARVN’s about 100 meters downriver and a company of Korean Marines about 2 kilometers past that. About 2 kliks (kilometers) downriver and one klik inland, there’s two batteries of 155mm howitzers. When they fire it sounds like four freight trains going over at 500 mph.

Our supply truck was fired on about 100 meters down the road today.

I’m enclosing 5 cents in Military Payment Certificates. We call it funny money. American money can’t be used because of its black market value. We can use it for warm beer or soda but not much else.

Gotta quit. Will write again soon.

Love

Roch

P.S. Am about 20 miles South of DaNang near An Hoi (Hoi An?).