They were tremendously inventive. We used to capture homemade rifles created out of metal pipes and bits of fence post. We never put out antipersonnel mines: We knew they would be dug up and used against us. Claymores were strictly accounted for, but they were still stolen. We always worried about Charlie getting sophisticated weapons. Once our whole battalion was roused out at night and sent looking for a starlight scope which was lost. We found it. We were really worried about him getting a field piece... The Vietnamese were just so ingenious. We all knew they were poor, not stupid. -Thomas Giltner, US Army
John,
Uncle Jake talked to me yesterday after the news was over. He asked if I was all right, if I was getting along okay. I told him yes, but I don't think he believed me. I was telling him the truth. I am all right. Just not with this war. But other than that, I'm okay. You know, this whole war is crazy. I can only imagine how you feel fighting. Danny and I have been hanging a lot since I went to his house for dinner. We still mostly talk about the war, but we've talked about other things, too. He's a real great guy. I suppose he's a lot like David, but at the same time, he's not. Does that make sense?
Mom says you probably are on a patrol with the whole company because we haven't gotten mail from you in a while. I think she's really losing it. She even talked about Dad yesterday. Just out of the blue, started talking about this funny thing he had done once. Even Uncle Jake knew it was something that she was talking about him. Has she told you anything about that? Well, maybe by the time you get this letter, I'll have found out.
Stay safe.
Love,
Bernie