An Khe, VN, 16 July 1969 (LZ Uplift, in the field)
Dear Mama,
Good that you received the poem. I shall throw out the first draft I have been keeping until you got it in a letter.
I have to tell you a beautiful thing that happened here yesterday evening. I was reading your letter which was making me very happy and I happened to look out the door. The sky was all shades of lavender, red, blue, orange and some colors that traditionally aren't in sunsets. It was like a mad painter with a runaway brush had painted the sky. It lasted for about 15 min. As do all sunsets here and me without my camera .
The bible IS a second is come way &emdash; if it is difficult to find that is fortunate. The Bible Standard said they were imperfect in some way and that is why they were one half price. That one should have sold for $20.00 but was $10.00. No, don't send it here. I have grandpa's.
I haven't written Bro. Jolly yet (but I will soon) for fear that the change for the batter was only for a day or two. Now that it has been a while I can tell him the only sure thing there is here: History.
What do I do when I am down? I work in the aid station a very ...
... batteries are free.
I left all my books except the Daily Manna and the Bible in Moscow not knowing what to expect over here.
This is where I got the Vitamin D but not the book.
I am listening to the launching of Apollo moon ship 23 min. into mission
I can get along without my book but I think yours will have to wait until I remember the name or get there.
It is nice that space junk ends so beautifully.
I will write again soon but must show and go to bed.
God be with you.
Love John.
P.S. Nothing on our move yet.
An Khe, VN, 20 July 1969 (LZ Uplift, in the field)
Dear Mama,
Since I last wrote I went to the Hawk's Nest and was sent back to Uplift because I would not pull guard. (which is as it should be with the Army regs.) I am now going back to C Co. for how long I don't know.
I have been thinking for a while about what it says in the Bible about "make it plain upon tables". I feel the need for drawings of the times of God's 7000 year plan and for that reason I think the tables have not been made yet. I think one could make a time line using 1/100th of a foot for each year (a year would be a little over 1/10th inch) and very carefully plot almost all of the dates in the bible on it. It would then be 70 feet long and perhaps a foot wide. Something that just popped into my mind today was that if it was wound around a drum that made the 1000 year marks fall one under another perhaps some new alignment could be discovered. At any rate I think it would make a lot of things clearer to one who haven't seen the "plain" before.
We are moving, as you know, but what you do not know is it is name, Bay Loc, and is about 60 mi. from where Chester is. Perhaps I will get to see him. We will move in the next few days, 10 or 20. I think I will wait until I get to C Co. before I write Bro. Jolly. Perhaps I should just keep him informed every so often but I don't know how much time he has to read the letters and would he feel obligated to use valuable time in answering each letter or what? I am going to write to the Ft. Lewis. Post locator now and see if I can find Toni.
God be with you,
Love John.
20 July 69
To whom it may concern:
I have been unable to contact an Antonia A. Carrington
at the above address.
Has there been a forwarding address given or can you give me any other clue as to where she is. Her home address I have as
Thanking you in advance for your help.
Sincerely,
Reply follows
An Khe, VN, 24 July 1969 (LZ Uplift, in the field)
Dear Mama,
I am now out on the bridges with C Co. It is fairly nice except that it is hot at night sometimes. I do get to see the people that pass on the road and we have a good place to swim under our bridge. I have one of the V.N. boys that help us around here leaning on my shoulder right now - they are very nice boys &endash; about 10 years old.
I guess we will be moving in about a week which will be interesting if I can take the pictures when we move.
We get to go to the mess hall (of the Corps of Engineers) and get our supplies to eat so we can fix them any way we want.
Things are usually with nothing more to do that eat and sleep but last night I called dust off for a fellow who was passing out and losing his vision, I don't know why.
Will write more later.
Love, John.
An Khe, VN, 28 July 1969 (LZ Uplift, in the field)
Dear Mama,
I got your letter of the 16th a few days ago on the same day that I had written you so I haven't answered till now. I have been moved again (yesterday) and may have to move today or tomorrow.
Each time I move I have to build a place to live. When I moved up here yesterday I went to work and built a stone and timber house but it isn't done yet and I don't know if I will get a chance to live in it let alone finish it.
I am sending two rolls of film which I put through my camera. Both of them were experiments of one sort or another. The one of the girl sitting on the bridge was shot at F1.4 and one half sec and was just sitting (camera) on the bridge so I don't know whether it is OK or not. Give me a rundown on the others as to exposure, focus, movement, composition, etc. Just mention the ones that were bad in some way and which ones there are OK. Two that are almost identical except when you look closely at the clouds. One pic Is polarized and one not.
I am going to have to get a tripod and a shutter release cable and take some night pictures. I am also gong to take some pics of where I am now.
The 2 rolls I am sending are all take within a short distance of bridge #2 where I was for a week (which is the bridge in the picture).
Did you send some vitamins from Moscow? I have not received any - even the package that Anne sent had none.
You made a funny slip in your last letter and everybody got a chuckle out of it. "Anne and Don are coming down from tomorrow..." I hope Pat and Tam get a "hi" second hand from me. See if you can send me a print or 2 of the Hatch house as it comes along.
I hope you get some help on the yard, either heavenly or earthly.
I am trying to learn some Vietnamese so I can at least say "hello" to the people I meet. If I stay here there is a V.N. Lt. who can help me.
By the way all these moves I am making are within the 1/50 - the 1/50 hasn't gone anywhere yet.
God be with you,
Much Love, John.