12 March

Dear Folks,

I’m finally at my CAP. I got here yesterday and I’ve already been on a patrol and an ambush. The ambush didn’t go so well because on our way out to the ambush site our M-79 man fired a grenade accidentally. One of the Vietnamese with us had shrapnel wounds and had to be medevaced this morning. It seems that I have a habit of being close to exploding grenades.

The Courier (My hometown newspaper) has not started to arrive yet. You’d better tell them my new address so I’ll be sure to get the paper. The new address will be on the back of the envelope.

P.F.C. C.R. Thornton 2579640
2nd CAG, CAP 2-7-2
FPO, San Francisco, Calif. 96602

A C.A.P. Platoon actually doesn’t do anything different. We just lay ambushes at night and hide out in the daytime. We stay in a different place each day so the V.C. can’t hit us so easily. All the water is bad so I expect I’ll have dysentery shortly. The food is haphazard. Sometimes we have C-rations, sometimes dehydrated stuff. Sometimes we eat V.N. food. For breakfast this morning I had raw corn on the cob.

My letters are bound to be shorter and come less often now. I’m sure you can understand why. Mail service is also very erratic so don’t worry if you don’t hear from me for a week or two at a time.

Actually, mail service was good in the CAPs. We got mail every day, seven days a week, along with our supplies and water. It may be I thought I would write fewer letters, and didn’t want my folks to worry.

Tell Nan I’ll try to answer her letter sometime this month.

Gotta quit.

Love,

Roch