Encoded for for the Veterans History Project, June 29, 2020.
All letters in the John Edward Fourt collection were digitized.
The following letters were transcribed from the handwritten originals by Veterans History Project staff. No alterations to this transcription has been made, although spelling errors are indicated with [sic]. Any special emphasis (i.e. underlining) is presented *between asterisks*.
8 January 1970
Mom & Dad,
I understand that yesterday was your 25th Wedding Anniversary. I wish I could have been there to celebrate it with you. Unfortunately the Army celebrated instead and sent me to the field. I am a couple of miles north of Cu Chi in firebase Patton. Incidently[sic] fire base Patton is one of the two firebases that Agnew visited on his trip to Vietnam. The word is out that we are going to abandon Patton to another unit and move across the Saigon river to another area of operation in the very near future – I have heard as soon as the fifteenth of this month. From what I understand this new area will have fewer booby traps but many more NVA which is all right with me because I am definitely afraid of booby traps
I am in very good health and feel great despite the fact that I am very much off balance because of all the moving and the strange situation. I don’t anticipated to much trouble adjusting ^to^ the living conditions – actually they are pretty good…showers, two hot meals per day, clean fatigues, socks, etc. periodically. However, there are a few things I don’t think I will ever get use to like the 155 mm cannons that fire day and night nearly drive me crazy. I jump every time one goes off. Of course going on patrols is something nobody ever gets use to.
I am certainly glad, to hear your trip came off O.K. Susie’s letters seemed to indicate that she thoroughly enjoyed herself. You can’t believe how much I would have liked to been there with you.
I was told that I would not have to go on patrol for the first two or three days so that I can have a little time to get adjusted. So today I have plenty of spare time to write letters and take it easy. However, in the future I am not sure how much time I will have available to write but I will try to get off a letter ever so often. I can’t think of too much more that I can say. Susie will be receiving some slides that I took around the Cu Chi area and I think you will probably be interested in seeing those.
Denny