Christmas Eve.

I got mail today and it was just in the nick of time, as my morale had reached the bottom! This was the fourth day without mail (I thought). You see, my roommate was “helpful” and picked up my letter while I was on the hot pad and brought it to the hooch. So I thought I hadn’t gotten mail today. I was moping around at supper and then went to the movie. I got to the hooch and there was the mail on my bed! It was just as though the sun had come out, the way my whole day suddenly brightened!

This day could very well be the worst day of my life, I guess. I spent 12 hours on the hot pad, did not fly, missed lunch, missed seeing Bob Hope, thought I didn’t get any mail, and it’s been raining all day in this God forsaken place on Christmas Eve, 15,000 miles from my family!!!

I was told I got some packages today, but by the time I got off the pad tonight, the mail room was locked up with my packages inside. But, I got mail and I’m now very happy.

We had a good movie tonight. Ha. (a joke). It was entitled War Kill and was nothing but blood and guts killing of Japanese. Real appropriate for Christmas Eve.

We got word tonight that Da Nang was being hit real bad, and they started to launch the hot pad! The weather is so bad that the mission would be a sure DFC award or higher for the crews. However, at the last minute they decided not to launch them. Seems they couldn’t locate exactly where the rockets were coming from.

We had two planes divert to Ubon this afternoon and will most likely have more during the night.

Everyone got a gift package from the Red Cross today. It’s a kind of “ditty” bag, a small cloth bag with a draw string, with goodies inside. I got (in mine) a can of nuts, a can of hard candy, a penlight flashlight, a can of shoe polish, a pen with writing paper and envelopes, a wash cloth, a deck of cards, a few band aids, a few plastic bags, and some “wet naps”. A real nice package.

I may go to a missile shoot. It’ll be about a 4 day trip. A crew flies a plane down, stays about 3 days and comes back. I really don’t know if I’ll go, since I’m going to Okinawa for 2 weeks.

Bob Hope and his group were here this afternoon. I haven’t talked to anyone who got to see them perform. One officer saw them when they got off their planes, but that’s all. It’s real nice their coming here, but of course we can’t see them because we have to work all the time.

Contrary to belief, the war goes on, despite Christmas. The real spirit of Christmas is as far away as the States!! We just carry on as usual, and nothing special has been arranged for us that I know of.

Photo - Vietnamese children