Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam Page #2

---

One might hide it

with his mouth,

while another might hide it

with his actions.

But there is no way

around it.

We are all scared."

Look up in the tree!

Look up in the tree!

Aw, sh*t!

He's over there!

I'll get you,

son of a b*tch!

Go!

"My dearest Bev,

for the last week we've been waiting

for an attack,

and finally it came

in full force.

Honey, I was never so scared

in my whole life.

We got hit by 12 mortars

and rockets.

A mortar landed

about 30' from me.

And I was lucky enough

to have my head down.

But the sergeant

next to me didn't,

and I think

he lost an eye."

I've been hit!

Ahhh, I've been hit!

"This was my first

real look at war.

And it sure was

an ugly sight.

I helped carry

some of the wounded away.

And, boy, I sure hope

I don't have to do that again.

It was an experience you can never

explain in a million words."

I've got a lot of pain

in that left ankle.

That's a good sign.

It's that sharp pain you get

when you've got nerves, you know?

It's that sharp nerve pain,

burning, burning.

They're gonna do

all they can to save that leg.

I know.

I know there's not much left

because I was carrying

that damn thing in my hands

all the way back.

I was afraid the whole thing

was gonna come off.

I said, "Hell, they can't be

right around in here."

So, I didn't call bombs

and nap in on these people.

- Mm-hmm.

- But that's where they were.

I'm sure now that

that's where they were.

God damn it, I...

I hate to put nap...

and...

and on these women

and children.

I just didn't do it.

I just said, "They can't be there."

"Dear Vern,

I talked to Danny,

the man who lost his leg

this morning.

He's a mean bastard.

I've never seen such

bravery and guts before,

and I'm stunned by it.

You should have seen

my men fight.

They were going after wounded men

no one else'd go after.

You should have seen

my brave men.

It'd give you

goose-pimples."

This is Cam Ranh Bay

on the South China Sea.

It is said to be one of the finest

natural harbors in the world.

It will in time be

the chief port of entry

for American men

and materiel in Vietnam.

It is taking on

a look of permanence.

And the activity going on

all around

suggests that

we have recognized

there is not going to be

an easy, painless

or quick way

out of this struggle.

And so, during the past year

our military forces

have grown from 25,000

to nearly 200,000 men.

The possibility of 300,000 men

here by spring

is now considered likely.

"Dear folks, car, bird,

house, et cetera,

new jungle fatigues,

boots, cooling fans,

typewriters, napkins,

silverware,

grass seeds,

all trickle into supply

and are dispersed

as needed.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote