11 July 1966
Dear Neil and Betty and kids,
Got your letter today. I’m sure you both remember how one looks forward to mail. We have no TV, radio, stereo nor many current papers so mail is the brightest part of the day.
If you have a detailed enough map of Viet Nam, I will try and pinpoint for you, my location. I am an USAF pilot advisor to a Vietnamese (VNAF) Helicopter Squadron located on a new landing strip that Americans have just built for them. (Private US companies – gov’t contract). The strip is called Binh Thuy Air Base and is about 5 miles west of a small town called Can Tho where most of us live. (4 of us rent a house in a town from a Vietnamese/Chinese! landlord) Can Tho is located on the Mekong River deep in the Mekong Delta region – 75 miles southwest of Saigon.
This region is commonly known as the “Plain of the High Reeds” cause the grass grows as high as late summer corn – of course now during the monsoon season everything is under water!
They continue to fire at us when we are flying. Luckily they are still poor shots!
We don’t venture around on the roads or streets unless we would like to be guests of the VC. There is no deep jungle foliage to conceal large groups from the air, down here the VC work in small regiments and continually fire at planes and harass villages at night.
We were shelled at the base night before last by 75 mm recoilless cannon. 1 American killed and 4 wounded – two hurt by falling, in a haste to get into a bomb shelter. Lost a couple of airplanes. Only lasted a few minutes, we struck back by air and they retreated and melted back into the marshes!! This is the kind of harassment I am talking about. They could never hope to take the base and I don’t think they would try, but they continue to fire at us when we are flying. Luckily they are still poor shots!
If they censor this you probably have a hole instead of the preceding paragraph!! I guess they are talking about doing such. It’s a good idea although I don’t think it well worth with the Press coverage we have!
I have really got a challenge facing me in this job for the year. Nothing like the good ol’ flying at Bolling VIP’s airshows and all! I am impressed with the VNAF pilots but aircraft maintenance is something else.
Most of this Squadron’s mission is medical evacuation and rescue. They pull out upwards 300 to 400 wounded from this Delta region each month – women and children as well as men – all victims of nightly (mostly) raids by VC. You know that people live in filth and poverty and on top of that, know fear for what it really is. I can only be thankful that we in the States should be never live to witness this on our land. Of course the villagers eye us Americans very cautiously too. I look like a cross between a Western cowboy and a Chicago gangster with a .38 cal pistol and ammo strapped to my side and an M-16 automatic rifle in my hands! No wonder they wonder about us!
Well enough about me. I feel real bad about Neil’s dad. I understand from Mom that he is not good. Please convey my best wishes, Neil to both your Dad and Mother. I had better close – will write again soon.
PS: My biggest problem is not the VC but tripping and shooting myself with one of my own loaded firearms!