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

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Da Nang
February 16, 1971
Tuesday
6:30 pm

Dear Folks,

It finally cleared up this afternoon. Been sunny for the last couple hours. Took a roll of slide film down to get it developed this morning. It doesn't cost as much for slides as it does for prints. A roll of slide film costs $1.75 to buy and about a dollar to develop. Color print film costs $1.50 to buy and that first roll cost $5.90 to develop. That was for 18 pictures. I took two pictures with the lens cap on, so they didn't turn out. I'm going to get a slide projector sooner or later. I'll get one out of the PX mail order catalog and have it sent home. Everything over here is about half the price of what it cost in the states, so it won't cost much at all. The camera I bought for $43 retails for about $95.

The only problem with the PX film processing is that they won't mail the finished prints to you. You have to pick them up where you turned them in. I'd like to be able to get some of those processing mailers like we used to mail our film at home. The way I get moved around it would be more practical to use the mailers than the PX. If I put film in the PX up here there is always the chance I'll be shipped out.

Stopped at the USO after I went to the PX. They have a nice place, but it's on the other side of the airfield so it's a little hard to get to. The only way to get around to the PX and other places like China Beach is to hitchhike. It's pretty easy to get a ride because of all the military vehicles, but it still takes up time.

No planes came up today so I didn't get any mail. Feeling pretty good right now. Don't have that cold any more. Just had a free hotdog and coke from the Rice Paddy Inn. Tonight is 'free night'. Get all you want for nothing.

So much for now,

Rick

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