K Troop 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment

The Blackhorse In Vietnam 1966 - 1972

hosted by Bob Hersey

 

Photo On My Stationery

Friday, May 10, 1968
3:00 PM

Dear Mom & Dad,

I have a few moments so I thought that I would write this letter. These past two days I have had quite a lot of leisure time.  Cooking here in the field isn't all that difficult.  It's the moving from place to place that involves time and work but once we move in to an area and set up, we can relax.  It would be great if we didn't have to move.  When we move in to an area there is generally nothing there.  We have to build bunkers, make shelters and dig sumps for our trash.  There is quite a lot of work to do in setting up a mess hall in the field but now that everything is done, we can relax.

Things are going well.  The time is really flying by.  In five more days I will have been in country one month.  If only the next eleven go by as fast that will be nice.  When I stop and think about it, I'm getting "short".  I may even be home sooner if they end this war.  I understand that peace talks are suppose to start tomorrow in Paris.  I hope that they can agree on a settlement soon.  I hope it doesn't take two years like Korea.  I estimate that a cease fire will come sometime in September or October of this year - just before the elections.  Hanoi wants to talk peace only with Johnson.  I don't think they want to take a chance with Nixon or Kennedy or anyone but LBJ.  It will be interesting to see what happens.

(editor's note:  the next two paragraphs were written by me when I was 20 years old and badly informed about world politics.  I certainly do not share today my opinions of thirty years ago.  I thought about not including these paragraphs but felt that they had a certain historical significance so - here they are.)

These guys over here are far more discusted with the war than people back home.   All they need is the word and they would be glad to lay their guns down and go home.  I haven't found a GI over here who said he was fighting for democracy or freedom or to contain communism.  These guys are fighting for one reason, to stay alive.  Someone in higher up told us to be here.  The only way we can stay alive is to fight.  This is not the Vietnamese war it is the American's war. 

These people over here don't give a damn about their country or who runs it.  All these people want to do is live in peace.  Why is it that peace must be fought for?   It seems to me that this is ridiculous.  These people have been fighting for 20 years for peace and will fight 20 more if something doesn't come of these talks.   Myself, I can't see why Hanoi would talk peace at all.  For I know for a fact that our efforts here have not hurt the enemy to the point where he can no longer sustain his efforts.  The North Vietnamese Regulars are just as strong as they have ever been and are probably even stronger.  They are getting more AK-47s (automatic rifles) and RPGs (rocket propelled grenades) than they have ever had before.  Perhaps Hanoi is finally realizing that the war is at a stalemate and nobody can win.  I don't know.   Well, it's time to go to work.  I will finish this later.

It is now about 8:00 this same evening.  We got word today that we are moving tomorrow morning.  We are going to Duc Hoa.  How long we will be there, I don't know.  If only we could stay in one place for a couple of weeks that would be great.   We no sooner get set up and we move.  I hope it is a garrison set up and not in the field.  You see, normally we set up in the filed but if there is an Army base near by we may get to stay there.  That is the only chance that we get to do our laundry, get haircuts and showers.  Don't get me wrong - field duty has it's good points but it's nice to get back to civilization once in a while.

From what I understand, this place that we are going to move to is suppose to be crawling with VC.  We are going to relieve one of our other troops - I Troop.  K Troop got hit pretty bad the last time they were there. They got mortared two nights.   So, I don't know what to expect.  So far we have been pretty lucky.  We should be going in (to base camp) soon.  The monsoon is just about upon us.  It rains every day now for about an hour or so.  This is really some crazy weather that they have got here.  In the high 90s during the day and in the 60s at night and the bugs are terrible.  Bugs I haven't even seen before.  Everything here is against us.  It will really seem nice to get back to base camp.  We are suppose to pull 30 days post security some time this summer.

Oh well, so much for this place.  How about home?  Your letters are very informative.  Keep me informed on local happenings.  when I come home, things won't have changed too much.  Not much can change in a year.  Say hello to everyone for me.  Time doesn't permit me to write everyone, even though I would like to.  Well, I think I will get this in the mail and go to bed.

By for now!

Love
Bob

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