Tuesday night
23 Dec. 1969

I’m beat! I haven’t slept the past two nights, I’ve flown all night both nights! I’ve had 4 hrs sleep since noon yesterday. Someone asked me if I wanted a hop tonight at 0200 and I said no! I’m going to get some sleep.

No letter today. Makes 3 days without a letter.

There’s nothing really to write about. I’ve had the usual day of flying (twice), the usual meals, etc! Our hot water heater has been broken for several days, so to get a hot shower (usually only warm) I have to walk down to the other showers. It’s not far, but is inconvenient.

We had a floor show tonight at the club. It was a Korean group and were quite good. We’ve now been entertained by Koreans, Filipinos, and Australians. We still have no word about when Bob Hope and his show will come to Chu Lai.

We go on the hot pad tomorrow, so if Bob Hope does come here some of us will not be able to see the show, for we’ll have to man the hot pad. I’d like to see his show, just so I can say I have.

We had a another pretty day, today. However, I fear bad weather is moving in again.

I did get a can of nuts and a Navy Times today.

Well, tomorrow is Christmas Eve and all my thoughts will be with family.

Photo - floor show at the Officer's Club

Monday night
22 Dec. 1969

No letters today. I did get a package of peanuts, bean dip, and candy. Boy was I glad to see the candy. I haven’t had any good chocolate in a couple of weeks and my sweet tooth was really beginning to ache! The peanuts are a bit overdone, but I’m able to pick out the less overdone ones and they are delicious.

My flu is just about gone now. I still have a nagging sore throat I can’t seem to shake, but I’m flying again anyway. I’ve flown 4 times in the past 3 days and still lead the “sortie race”. Russ is pushing for the lead, however!

It’s really hard to believe all the exotic places I’ve been, already, in only 2 months over seas! Just think, if I do get to Japan, I will really have some stories to tell! (Actually, I would have been just as happy to stay home and forget all the stories!!!!)

I flew a TPQ this morning at 0100 and didn’t get back and into bed until 0530! And I didn’t get any sleep prior to flying! When we got back from our mission (we dropped our bombs in the south half of the DMZ) the field was closed for 40 minutes. So we had to divert (again) to Da Nang and refuel. Then we came on back to Chu Lai.

I did get to sleep until noon, so I feel fairly rested. I have a 0215 brief tomorrow morning (tonight) for a BARCAP! I’m going to go to bed early tonight and try to get some sleep before the brief.

Photo - Buddhist temple in Thailand

Saturday night
20 Dec. 1969

My health is much improved tonight! I still have a lingering sore throat but I flew twice today anyway. I flew 2 TPQ’s. [ground radar controlled air strike]

We had a squadron formation tonight and they presented some Air Medals, but I didn’t get mine because they thought I would be flying at the time! So now I suppose I’ll have to wait until the next formation which will be a month from now I guess! It’s really unsat!

We had a pretty day today, for once. Only rained for about 5 minutes, and I was out in it! Without my rain gear.

This has been the kind of day I like. I flew this morning, got back in time to eat and brief for my next flight. I got back from that flight, and went to brief for another! The last hop was a BARCAP. We have to taxi three planes to the end of the runway, but only two of them take off, the third stands by in case one of the first two planes can’t complete the mission.

I was in the third plane and never did take off!

Then got my mail and rushed over to eat, then rushed to the formation! A busy day keeps my mind busy! The movie tonight was Where were you when the lights went out? A Doris Day comedy and very entertaining as usual.

Tomorrow’s Sunday, just another day in the week. Doesn’t seem possible that it was last Sunday when I was in Ubon! Time does seem to pass quickly! I’ve been here nine weeks! Seems like forever.

Photo - F-4 waiting for aircrew.

Friday night
19 Dec. 1969

No letters today, but I did get the Life magazine! I read the entire article about My Lai and I see, now, why the people back home are so upset about this episode. If the pictures and story are true then we should be upset.

This is the first time I’ve seen any of those pictures as they haven’t been published over here. There are a few discrepancies in the story that bother me, but not enough to mention. I’m especially disturbed that Life magazine has set itself up as judge and jury in a very serious matter.

It was great reading the magazine. I got a bill from Esquire magazine yesterday so I should start receiving it pretty soon. Esquire is a mens fashion magazine with articles for men. Something like Ladies Home Journal only opposite. I’ve always wanted to take it but it’s an expensive magazine.

I’m feeling much better tonight. All my symptoms are gone except for the sore throat. I started to fly a mission tonight but decided not to. There’s no sense getting in a hurry. I’m still ahead of everyone else anyway. I do plan to fly tomorrow. The RIOs are doing a lot of flying right now. Seems like we’re short of them for some reason.

The FAC school starts on January 6, so I’ll probably leave here on the fourth. I have to go to Da Nang, then to Okinawa. The school is held at Camp Butler, where I stayed on my way over here. I’m looking forward to it.

I won’t be able to get my mail there, so that will be bad!

Well, duh! The only thing I can think of to write about is the weather! And that is boring now!!.


Photo - part of my motor pool

Thursday Night
18 Dec. 1969

I have (am) been sick. I started a cold about 3 days ago, but yesterday I got to feeling worse, so I went to the Doc. Looks like I have the flu! I have fever, very sore throat, muscle aches and cold chills! I went to bed early last night and didn’t get up until 1400 this afternoon. I still feel bad. I’m grounded which means no flying for a few days.

The weather finally lifted a bit today and it’s the first flying anyone’s done for three days. I also have a severe headache and no appetite! I didn’t eat breakfast or lunch and not much dinner! I hope I get over this tomorrow so I can get back to flying!

I feel so bad I can’t think of anything else to write.

Photo - Buddhists monks in Thailand

Tues. night
16 Dec. 1969

I have now seen more rain than I’ve ever seen before! We’ve had constant rain (not drizzle) for the past 3 days! My hooch has started leaking in places it’s never leaked before.

The hop I was to fly last night was cancelled, as were all the other flights, because of the weather. All the missions in the whole group were cancelled! I don’t think any flights were flown today either. My roommate and Russ Fyke diverted to Ubon the same night I did and still haven’t come back!

Guess what, I have a bad cold. It had been developing for a couple of days, but this morning it was bad! So bad, in fact, that I didn’t go to the orphanage because I would have been out in the rain all afternoon! I wanted to go, but the rain was just to bad.

I’ve been informed that I’m going to FAC school in January! Most people dread this news, but I’m glad. It’s a two week school in Okinawa!! They haven’t been sending RIO’s to FAC duty because there’s a shortage! So I’ll get to go to the school and won’t have worry about going FAC.

The reason I was chosen was because our Squadron was given a quota of three for the school. The qualifications were such that they could only find two pilots, so they picked me for the third. O.J. is one of the pilots. Even if I do go FAC duty, it’s only for three months and would probably be Feb - April. I wanted to be a grunt anyway.

I’m listening to the president’s speech (replay)! I heard it live this morning at 0700. I was disappointed that he only announced 50,000 by April 15. We’re all very anxious to find out who is leaving!

I found out yesterday that I have eleven points toward my third air medal! I have 41 missions and 51 points. So far I have seventeen missions this month and that’s three more than the next RIO!

Maj. Gibson, my pilot, has the most among the pilots. He has about twelve, I think. I can’t believe how I was so excited about getting that first twenty points, and now they really don’t mean that much! I wish they’d give me my medal, though!

I’m really proud to have the most missions! That means, sort of, that I work more. Maybe that’s why their sending me to FAC school! The school starts on the fourth, but I don’t know exactly when I’ll leave Chu Lai.

I haven’t done a thing all day except sleep. I had so much sleep to catch up I didn’t want to get out of bed. Also the rain wasn’t to conducive to getting out!

Photo - Buddhist monk in Thailand.

Mon. afternoon
15 Dec. 1969

Things still continue to be very hectic here!! I flew twice yesterday afternoon, and the second time, we had to divert to Ubon (hooray, finally!) because of low fuel and bad weather at Chu Lai!

We got to Ubon about 1930, spent the night and came back this morning at 1000. The bad thing about it was that I didn’t have any money and had to borrow some from the skipper who was leading the hop. We ate dinner at their beautiful officer's club. I had a delicious sea food platter!

Then we went shopping at a jewelry shop that sells real fine jewelry at a good price. But I didn’t have the money to buy anything. I did buy a tapestry thing for my wall for $2.00 just so I’d have a souvenir of Thailand. I’ve been scheduled for another “manual” mission tonight which will divert if it goes out.

The weather is really bad and these "manual" missions are flown so far away that we get too low on fuel to come back here. If I do divert again tonight, I’ll have to borrow more money. I’m going to pay it back at the end of the month.

Ubon was just great, from the stand point of not being in country. The AFB itself is real nice with all luxuries! The town itself is kind of ratty. We stayed in town at the Ubol Hotel because they don’t have facilities on base for visiting officers like us! I really don’t want to go back tonight because of the money it takes and also because I’d miss our squadron party tonight. However, if I go to the party, that will also cost me a lot of money!

I didn’t get any mail yesterday, and the mail hasn’t come yet today. I’m writing this now, while I’m ODO.

I haven’t been in my hooch since noon yesterday! So I haven’t shaved or brushed my teeth since them! If I fly tonight, I intend to take my divert gear with me! I.e. shaving gear, toothbrush, etc.

I didn’t go to the orphanage today, because no one went because of the bad weather and operations being so messed up.

The reason things are so hectic is because hops are being “held” because of bad weather which throws everything off. Take yesterday morning! I got up at 0430 for a 0530 brief (after 4 hrs sleep) but we didn’t get to fly until afternoon! We were on a weather hold all morning long. Weather is really bad news in this business!

Mail just came and I got 2 letters. Also got cookies and myself and 5 guys here in the ready room ate all but 4 of them in 15 minutes! Everyone raved about how good they are!! They taste just as fresh as if I’d eaten them at home.

Photo - Thailand barber shop.