Some members have requested that I post these letters. Let me start by saying my mother numbered and dated these letters as she received them. I'm going to prefaced the letters with why I wrote them. I palliated most of them because I didn't want to alarm my parents who turned totally gray by the time I got home.

I was flown over on a civilian airline with stops in Hawaii, where guys got off and didn't return, Japan, where we were now not allowed to get off, then on to Nam. As we approached what was called an airport, the captain circled because the compound, which it really was, was under attack. We circled for awhile and then landed, breaking hard due to the short runway. We stayed at the end of the runway, engines still running fast, as the second wave hit the the tiny airport. THEY WERE ATTACKING AND WE HAD NO WEAPONS ON THE PLANE AND HADN'T EVEN GOTTEN OFF YET. After that attack was repeled we taxied to the little compound. I was first guy off the rear door and when the stench hit my nose I almost puked and stepped back into the doorway. An E-9 at the bottom of the steps said, "C'mon troop. You get used to the smell in about 20 minutes." Welcome to Viet Nam is what I thought. The dead bodies were lined up outside the compound to be loaded onto the plane and flown HOME. These letters will read like the movie Platoon.

Here's the first letter: WED. June 11th, 1969, 10:30am. Hello everyone, I'm in the Central Highlands about eight miles outside the city of Pleiku. It's up in the mountains and the weather is cool and rainy. This is the monsoon season over here. So far when it rains it only sprikles and doesn't last long.(That changed. You'll see as you read more letters. It rained so hard you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.)

As I'm writing this letter, you can hear the big 155MM guns firing rounds out at "Sir Charles". Here in Pleiku, we call the North Viet Nam Regulars "Sir Charles" instead of "Charlie" because they are pretty smart.

I'm attached with the 4th Infrantry Division. I'm going to be an armorer.

Did you know that Pleiku was the birth place of Ho Chi Minh? I'm sitting in the place he was born in!! Every night that I've been here "Sir Charles" has been sighted around the perimeter, but the artillery takes care of him. Usually, about ten o'clock the artillery is called upon and small arms fire can be heard through out the night.

Dickie Plant is here with me, too. So far we've been together at Fort Benning, Fort Lee and now Pleiku. We also met John Mawhinney here. He's from Tallahassee, also. This is also the place Dale Johnson was stationed. Be sure to tell Ted that I'm here and tell him to tell Dale.

That makes four from Tallahassee in the same place. There's also eight guys I went through Ft. Lee with, so I know alot of people here already.

Well, there's not much I can say. One thing, don't write me here. I'm in the Replacement Center and haven't gotten to my unit and permanent address yet. I'll let you know when you can write. See you later (359 days)

Love, John PS. Like Dubose said, "Help." I'm fine so don't worry.

(I didn't tell them of the landing, the smell, and the bodies until I got home. The Replacement Center, or Repo Depot, as it was called, was attacked every night I was there. I didn't tell my parents because I didn't want them to worry. As it was, they went from brown hair with a wisp of gray at the ages of 48 and 46, to totally gray by the time I got HOME.!!)