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letter
Letter to Terrie, 23 November 1970 — platoon radio operator, the year's schedule, and Thanksgiving in the rear
Charlie's two-page letter to Terrie dated 23 November 1970, reassembled from its scans (dad182 page 1, dad183 page 2). He got two letters from her today and is glad to hear she got a raise at the library; teases that B's are better than C's. He now basically knows his schedule for the rest of the year: off this firebase on 24 November, back to the rear for three hours of Thanksgiving dinner on the 26th, then back out for five days, down to the lowlands until 19 December, back to the mountains, then to the rear on 27 December for a week of 'school' (a farce, but it keeps him in the rear til 2 January) — about as far ahead as he can project. The big change: he's now the platoon radio operator, so he no longer goes on patrols, only moves once a day, and is in a relatively safe area. The weather: never below 50°, but 80-90° fast when the sun comes out. The mail is crawling, he doubts she'll get his letters more than one every five to seven days. On packages: don't send much, and send delicacies, not main-course meals, he's not starving. Signed 'I love you. Love, Charles.'
What the letter is
23 November 1970, written from the firebase with the whole rest of the year mapped out in front of him, the rotation schedule, Thanksgiving dinner squeezed into three hours in the rear, the “school” that is a farce but keeps him safe through New Year’s. The quiet headline is the role change: Charlie is now the platoon radio operator, which takes him off patrols. It’s the first move in the slow drift out of the field that ends, three months later, at the Camp Eagle clerk desk.
Transcription
Nov 23
Dear Terrie,
I got 2 letters from you today. Nice to know you got a raise at the library. Yes I guess B’s are better than C’s.
Well I basically know my schedule for the rest of the year. We leave this firebase Nov 24 and Nov 26 come back to the rear for 3 hr for Thanksgiving dinner. In 15 days we will then come back here for another 5 days then back to the lowlands til Dec 19. Dec 19 I guess we go back to the mountains. Dec 27 we go to the rear for a “school” for 1 week. It is a farce but at least I’ll be in the rear til Jan 2 and that is about as far into the future that I can project.
[page 2:] At this time I’m now the platoon radio operator so I don’t have to go on any patrols. I only have to move once a day and I’m in a relatively safe area. It is bad but it isn’t that bad. Right now I believe it is raining in the mountains but it isn’t here. Yes it gets cold here but never below 50° or so and if and when the sun comes out the temp goes up very fast to 80°-90°.
I don’t know what is happening to the mail but I hope my letters are coming regularly. I doubt if you will get them much more than 1 every 5-7 days or so. On your packages please don’t send much by [can]. Also send delicacies, not main course meals. I’m not starving all the time.
I love you.
Love Charles
What the letter records
Platoon radio operator. The role change that begins Charlie’s drift out of the field, off patrols, moving once a day, “a relatively safe area.” The RTO carried the platoon’s radio (and its weight, and its risk), but it took him off the line patrols; it’s the first of the steps that lead to the Camp Eagle clerk job in February.
The whole year, scheduled. The detailed rotation, firebase to rear to lowlands to mountains to “school,” is the closest the field letters come to a calendar. The “school” on 27 December that’s “a farce but at least I’ll be in the rear til Jan 2” is the small con of a short-timer optimizing for safety.
“Send delicacies, not main course meals.” The package economy, refined: he’s not starving, so what he wants from home isn’t food but treats, the small comforts. The flip side of the package-and-list thread running through the November letters.
Scans
