Rick Holt's Adventures in Vietnam
Letters Home from Vietnam, 1971
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Long Thanh North
June 10, 1971
Thursday
9 pm
Dear Folks,
Had a full day. Wasn't feeling too great this morning but I had to go to a parade practice at Long Binh. There is going to be a change of command ceremony on the 15th. I'll be the guide-on bearer for the Aviation Detachment. I carry the pennant. I've never done that before and it will take a while to catch on to all the movements you have to do with it. Made plenty of mistake today, but I'll catch on. Haven't got much choice. Only one more practice. The practice lasted till about 10 am. Then everybody except the company commander and guide-on bearers had to stay for more practice. Had lunch with the CO and Capt. Bevans. We stopped at a Chinese Restaurant called the Mandarin House. Had won-ton soup and some kind of lobster which I ate with chop sticks. Didn't even have forks.
Got back here about noon and laid down to try and get some rest. All that standing didn't make me feel any better. Got 10 minutes rest before Seacord woke me up and said I had guard from noon to 6 pm. Smeared lots of Coppertone on and went out to sit on the conex. The sun helped a little. Still tired but I don't really feel sick.
Now waiting for Moss to bring me back a fried bologna and cheese and French fries from the club. That and some tang will be my evening snack. From the looks of the news that was probably ARVN's we were supposed to support up north. I saw some of the maps the pilots were given. Didn't even have South Vietnam on it. Just a chunk of Laos and a little corner of North Vietnam and some of Thailand. Guess it's a good thing we never got off the ground.
Got 4 letters and a tape. Duff said I had a package but they wouldn't give it to him. Also got some pictures back from Wards and mailed them to you.
Rick