Dear Mom & Dad,
Greetings once again from Vietnam. By now you no doubt have my check for $200.
I got a raise this month - about $14. I didn't even know about it.
Also, next month, I will be drawing Spec. E-5 pay. Yep, I passed the promotions
board and made Sp/5. I don't have my orders yet but I passed the board with flying
colors. So, it will take a little while for them to cut the orders. I will be
making all kinds of money now. I think that I will need about another $30 so when my
check comes, take $30 and and send it along (please make it a Postal Money Order). I
got your $30 last month.
If I were back a Blackhorse I would go to finance and have my allotment changed but it
is too much of a bother from here. When I go on R&R in December you will
probably have to send me about $300. With this new pay raise and my promotion I
might have enough money. When we go to the field I have no place to spend the money.
Here at Long Binh there is the club, the PX etc. (editor's note: the
next sentence is redacted for privacy).
Some more good news - we heard today that the mess section will not be traveling with
the troop up North. We are going to the 101st Airborne Division's base camp at Bien
Hoa and we will air lift by helicopter the chow to the troop in the field. This is
great. It means we will be set up for a long time and will not have to move and of
course, the most important part - we will be a lot safer. Where we are going, we
should be somewhere near PX facilities and also laundry service.
We have had it pretty easy these past two months and it looks as if our luck has held
out. It's going to be hard to get back to roughing it when the monsoons are over and
we have to go to the field with the troop like it was when I first got over here.
Like anything else, it won't take long to readjust to the field. I haven't had to do
my own laundry since we came off of operations around Saigon about two months ago.
We have been living pretty well. This is the part of my job I like the best.
When we go to Bien Hoa, we should be operating about the same as here. I don't
know how long we will be there - perhaps 90 days. You know the Army? They
could change their mind in no time at all. Things look pretty good for the next 90
days though. After this operation, we will probably go back to Blackhorse for about
60 days.
As of today, I have not received your first package with the slide viewer and range
finder. I am afraid that it is lost. I hope that it was insured. I will
do all that I can to recover it but go to the post office and see if you can recover the
lost there. Well, I will sign off now. I will write again soon. Take
care.
By for now!
Love,
Bob
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