A window on war
 

A window on war

(EXCERPT) November 10, 2003

Excerpts from Jim Dyer's letters to his parents when he was a Navy
adviser in Vietnam.

• Sept. 3, 1963

My head is shaven again! I am pretty sure I will get the job I want -
junks! The last four days I have been on a tour of three of the six
bases I'll be responsible for. Slept in a grass hut one night and old
French planters' chateaus the other nights.

• Sept. 21, 1963

Mom, after eating some nameless meat dipped in fermented fish oil,
I'll never never comment on your fry-cooking again . . . I'm gaining
weight again anyway. I'm healthy, happy and homesick.

• Nov. 13, 1963

The Viet Cong have stepped up their activity considerably last week.
Division 33 is the last government-held post in Go Kong District. They
occupy the town only 300 yards from the post. The people have left
their town, so we are blasting it with air strikes. I was over there
Monday in a helo. It was a little hot.

• Nov. 23, 1963

Heard the news about Pres. Kennedy 6:30 this morning. We are all
shocked. Please send me the Newsweek issue covering the event. We get
Time very quickly. It seems almost personal. Even the Vietnamese were
taken back.

The V.C. have stepped up their pace, but so have we....

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---------------------------
Otis Willie
Associate Librarian
The American War Library
http://www.americanwarlibrary.com