Fri.
Dear Maxie,
Am in the best mood I’ve been in since I got here. Just saw a movie that let me forget for a while where I am and it was a nice break from the routine. I need something like that to take my mind of being away from you. Otherwise I get to thinking and really get depressed at times – especially at night before I go to sleep. I think that the early evening when it’s quiet and a little cool is the hardest time to take because then I get to missing you so much that I can barely stand it. While I’m here the less I think about what I am missing, the easier it will be and the faster the time will pass.
I had been talking to another guy and decided that I’m mostly pretty lucky in my tour. At least I’m a Sgt, have a desk job and have about half a tour to do over here. I can imagine how I would feel if I had a full 13 month tour to do over here. Then I wouldn’t be coming home to you until next June and I really go nuts. Any tour over here is bad enough, but I guess I do have a lot to be thankful for, and besides, I have beautiful young wife to come home to. Can’t wait.
I haven’t gotten a letter from you since I’ve been here – and it may be another week before I start getting mail. It’s hard not hearing from you.
Did you get the package yet? Oh, by the way, I sent you something from Hawaii, let me know if you get it. Am sending a roll of film that you can get developed that has some pictures of the place around here. It’ll give you an idea of what a hole it is like here and what some of the guys look like. They’re nothing spectacular, just flics of the dull life around here. Hope you enjoy them. Take some pictures of yourself (a good trick) and send them to me so I can see how you’re looking. Are you still losing weight? Don’t lost too much and blow away. Just look beautiful like my Maxie. I want to recognize you when I get home.
Sorry if I got carried away in yesterday’s letter and said a few unnecessary things, but I was upset and it did me good to get it off my chest. There are a lot of things here that really burn one up – but I guess you gathered that from my letter. I can’t help it, I hate to see some of these guys who seem so young and so inexperienced in life get such a raw deal here when they could be back in the states leading normal lives. Especially when there are so many people who don’t serve at all, it hurts. Everyone I’ve talked to thinks this is a wasted war and would say either fight whole hog or get out. All we’re doing now is waiting for the NVA to come to us, which is a horrible way to fight and hell on nerves.
Hope I don’t bore you when I get to talking about the mess over here. If I do, forgive me. I’ll be so glad when I get a letter from you so I can hear what you’re doing, if you’re ok and just to know that you’re there. It makes it so much easier to know that you’re waiting for me and that coming home will have a meaning. So many of the guys have no one to really go home to and I feel sorry for them. They talk big, but it shows through and it’s pretty pathetic. I’m very thankful for you. For caring, for loving and love. I love you very much. Just keep yourself mine and I’ll be back.
Love,
Gary
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