Dear Betty and Neil,
First I have to correct a mistake…we are on a tributary of the Mekong River, called the Bassac River (French). On your map, it would be the lower of the two large rivers running from northwest to southeast in the delta region. It is difficult to locate spots or areas by name over here because depending on the map you have – you either get the French, Laotian, or Vietnamese name. When the French left, the Viet Minh (RVN now) changed all the French names to Vietnamese!!
Well your letters come at just the right time. I look for a letter a day at least! and each time your letter came, it was the only letter I got that day! Just right I’d say!
This past week, I accomplished quite a bit. Monday, Captain Hiep, the Vietnamese squadron commander gave me my official Vietnamese checkout in the H-34. Tuesday, Lt. Col. Johnson, our senior ops adviser (USAF) told me to move onto the base into the AF compound. This was good news cause I have a new room to myself – no windows but southern-type screen and slatted shades. Our compound is surrounded by barbed wire and securely guarded and within walking distance of the flight line. Inside is our Officer’s Club, NCO club, Post Office, quarters, theater/chapel, PX, etc. Of course, no maid service but safe and quiet. I am rather glad to be able to be on base and I hope I get to stay. I do lose about $105 a month by being on base but it’s worth it.
Wednesday, I flew on a combat mission. (Med evacuation into an area 10 miles east of My Tho approximately 40 nautical miles northeast of our base.) We completed it with no unusual events taking place.
Thursday, I was involved in test hops. Friday another combat mission into the southernmost tip of South Vietnam, about 100 miles south of here. We took two choppers, me in the lead chopper. First picking up was uneventful. Two wounded and two dead. We landed at Quan Long (Ca Mau) and I dropped the dead off then went to altitude to cover while the wing chopper went into the second pick up point 10 miles north of Quan Long. When he landed on the canal dike, the VC opened fire from about 150 feet and the chopper caught some slugs – the pilot made a hasty takeoff (without the wounded) and we went back to Quan Long, landed and checked the damage. I requested an armed escort back into the area but by then the wounded had been hit again – all were dead so we cancelled the mission and proceeded back to the hospital with the wounded we had.
I spent the debriefing time putting out a battle damage report.
You know this is something I am not writing to Von or Mom and Dad. No reason to really but I know Neil and you know the story and it’s one way to describe to you just what I am doing. I don’t always intend to write about this part of the job!
Something that really gets to me, more than anything else is the following. Along with the dead, I picked up a teary eyed, maybe 8 year old boy with his belongings in a little gunny sack. He stayed close to the two brightly colored material wrapped bodies, when we dropped the two bodies in Quan Long to be taken to the cemetery, I suppose, the boy went with them. I can’t help but think that he probably doesn’t have a friend in the town nor a place to go so now will be another little kid sleeping on the street at night, begging during the day for enough food to live.
This is what this so-called conflict is doing over here and nothing else really – and that is creating one hell of a lot of orphans. Most tragic I think. But let’s face it, I’m going to see a lot of it this year and after each mission. I suppose one is to forget about it. Hard to tho.
You mentioned that I probably would be only with helicopters, but I expect to get in some strike missions in an A-1E – that’s the old Navy prop driven fighter (Skyraider) the twin seater A-1H actually.
Also I might be flying co-pilot on the old Gooney Bird C-47 so let’s say I will be flexible. It all counts towards the 365 days and I have been here a month already.
I have Von checking out Polaroid cameras now, with the idea of her sending me one. We have a beautiful Hi Fi tape recorder system in our club bar so do get to listen to good American music over my old favorite – a bourbon and water!
Write now!
Love, Frank