26 July 1970

Sunday
26 July 1970

I’m on the all night hot pad tonight - and we got scrambled after dark - which is very unusual.  We dropped bombs and napalm, after dark, on a place where enemy had been sighted just before dark.  So I got two hops today.

Tomorrow I’ve got to get my shots for R&R.  I think I’ll probably have to get a couple of shots and a PPD (T.B. test).  Needless to say I’m not looking forward to these shots.  I’ve become so neurotic about shots that every time I get a shot, I break out in a cold sweat and feel like I’m going to pass out.  Bad, eh!

25 July 1970

Saturday
25 July 1970

Today has been so long and tiring, that I’m more tired than I’ve been in a long time!!  I was woken up this morning at 0130 for a TPQ.  Then I had the morning hot pad and was scrambled two times.  Then I had ODO this afternoon, and then I had to write the schedule after dinner.  So - I’m pooped.  And I have to get up at 0500 tomorrow to go back on the hot pad.

I didn’t get any mail today, but I got three letters yesterday.

We had a very good dinner tonight.  Saturday is normally the night we have steak - but tonight they served “steamboat round.”  Very good roast beef.  One of our squadrons is leaving tomorrow for Danang so the group was having sort of a farewell party.  The squadron that is moving is an A-4 squadron and no one from the F-4 squadrons really care that they’re leaving.  Ha.

One week from today will be in Hawaii!!!  I can hardly sleep at night for thinking about R&R.  I just don’t know how I ever managed to put it off this long.  Now I know how people feel when they’re all pepped up for R&R and it gets put off for some reason.  If something happened now to cancel R&R I think I might go crazy!  I’m almost counting the hours!!!               

24 July 1970

Friday
24 July 1970

Today I got 3 letters and some pictures.  I haven’t received any kind of confirmation, yet, on hotel reservations.  Perhaps I will soon.

Regardless of that, I probably won’t be able to get the reservations extended to cover the 31st of July at this late date.  But that is not problem!

I flew only once today - and that mission was to that fire support base I wrote about yesterday.  Only this time, there were no Americans there - they had all been pulled out and our target was the base itself.  Apparently the army had evacuated in a hurry and had left some supplies behind and they wanted us to destroy those supplies.  I suppose you could call that operation a small victory for the enemy.

23 July 1970

Thursday
23 July 1970

Nine days from now will be in Hawaii!  That’s a week from Sunday.  It’s really hard to believe that after such a long time, it’s just a few days from now!

I got another can of cookies today.  I sure do appreciate it.

I was on the hot pad this morning, and got scrambled twice.  Both times we went to the same place.  The army has a fire support base that is surrounded and in a lot trouble - so they’ve been running air strikes constantly.  I flew a mission there yesterday and the two today.  I’ve developed sort of a personal interest in that place by now.  Most of the people in our squadron have flown in support of that base and everyone is talking about it.

I’m reading a very good book right now - The Fixer.  I saw the movie some time ago.  The book won the Pulitzer Prize and is quite good.

Marv Stacy from 513 checked in here today.  Even while we’re planning to pull troops out of Vietnam, they’re still sending new people over.  It’s so ridiculous I can’t even believe it!!  Of course that’s the way it was when I came over.  Sure looks like this mess could last another few years, at the present rate. 

I went to the movie tonight for the first time since before I got sick.  It was “Gaily, Gaily” - and was very entertaining.  We had the usual trouble with the projector - or rather the projectionist!  After 9 months of this type movie going, it’ll sure be great to go to a decent movie house.  Perhaps will do that one evening while in Hawaii.

There are many things I really miss - driving, good hamburgers, bottled cokes and Dr. Peppers, malts, etc, etc, etc,.

21 July 1970

Tuesday
21 July 1970

I have the all night ODO tonight, so I’m just relaxing and reading a good book.  There is nothing for me to do tonight except answer the phone.  You see, we have no missions at night anymore, unless we’re on the hot pad.  We used to fly at night all the time, back in December - Feb but that’s when we were bombing in Laos.

We go on the hot pad tomorrow, so the next 5 days will be bad - as always when we have the pad.

I’m feeling remarkably well, despite the 5 days I was sick.  I don’t even feel weak.  I didn’t eat much during those days, so I lost some weight, but I didn’t have any G.I. tract problems, so I wasn’t weakened as normal from sickness.

I now weigh a trim 160 pounds.  I’m unable to shed those love handles, however, - I guess they’re just to firmly attached to my waist.

20 July 1970

Monday
20 July 1970

I’m out of the hospital!  I was discharged this morning, early.  My temperature had been down to normal all night, so I guess the doctor figured it was a good time to get me out of his hair!  Ha.

They never did figure out what was wrong with me, and they did absolutely nothing to cure my illness. I just got well by myself.  So, you see, I could have just stayed in my quarters for those three days and just sweat it out.

Of course - if it had been malaria - well! 


Life over here is just hour by hour because you never know what’ll happen to upset your plans.  Just like my getting sick almost upset R&R - and I could get sick again, I hope not!

I’m not flying tomorrow because I want to make sure I’m well.  Instead, I’ll stand ODO, and just rest some more, and then start flying the next day.   Although I’m unhappy with the war, I do see the reason we’re here.  I just don’t agree with the way it’s being fought.

Sounds as if you really enjoyed your trip to Oklahoma and you sure got to see a lot of people.  I suppose we will go up through there on our way to Cherry Point.  I suppose you’ve already figured out by now that my squadron was not the one which went to Japan.  That squadron was a reconnaissance squadron with special F-4’s and A-6’s.

19 July 1970

Sunday
19 July 1970

I’m going into my third night in the hospital - and my “friends” at the squadron haven’t been over since the first day - so I haven’t had any mail for 3 days.  I also haven’t had a chance to do anything about the R&R orders.

My doctor told me today that if my temperature continues to stay down, he’ll probably discharge me tomorrow.  I think he’s finally decided I don’t have malaria, but he doesn’t know what I do have.  My temperature hovers between 99 and 100.  Actually, I’d be relieved if they would find I have malaria and then we could get on with curing it.  I suppose he’ll give me some antibiotic to try to take care of what I have.

Actually, malaria is not that serious a disease, as I see it, and I would have a good excuse for not ever giving blood.  Ha.  At any rate, I hope I’m out of this place by tomorrow night.

Things haven’t been so bad since they stopped taking blood samples.  I haven’t been “stuck” since yesterday morning. 

All I think about is R&R!!!  I was scared silly when I got sick fearing that I wouldn’t get well in time.  Although I’m not “well” yet, things look much brighter than a few days ago!