Rick Holt's Adventures in Vietnam
Letters Home from Vietnam, 1971

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Da Nang
February 3, 1971
Tuesday
6:10 pm

Dear Folks,

Not too much to write about today. Went up on a mission at 10 am this morning. Can't say too much about these missions mainly because I really don't know that much. It's kept pretty secret exactly what we are supporting. As far as I can determine we're supporting a push up the Ashaw Valley. I know we're flying close to the DMZ and Laos. We've got one plane in operation now. Something wrong with the others.

I'll never get a suntan at this place. I don't think the sun ever shines on Da Nang. Should have brought my field jacket up with me. I've got a cold already.

I was just informed we're now on standby which means we won't be flying unless they call for us. I was kind of expecting that. They were trying out a ground relay system when I was up there today. I don't know how dependable it is, but it wasn't working so hot when they tried it this afternoon.

So now all we do is sit back and wait and hope Romeo doesn't call us and hope we don't get called back to Long Thanh. I don't know what they'll have me doing back there. Probably stick me in the motor pool or something.

Really get fantastic views from these planes. It's really a lot of fun just riding around in them. They are small light planes and they bounce around a lot in the wind. You really get the feeling you're flying. It's nothing like the big DC-8 we came over here on.

Been thinking about buying a camera. There are some nice ones at the PX. Maybe soon I'll be able to send you some pictures of this place. It's nothing like you would imagine. These big places you hear about like Da Nang, Long Binh are just wall to wall army base with little slanty-eyed people running around on bicycles and motorbikes. Well, so much for now.

Rick

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