Thursday night
20 Nov. 1969

It seems like the weeks just fly by over here, but the months drag! I can hardly believe that tomorrow is Friday.

General Walt, the assistant commandant, visited Chu Lai this morning for about thirty minutes. I saw him drive by in a jeep and that was all. He presented a squadron here, VMFA-314, with a trophy for being the best fighter-attack squadron in 1968. The guys in that squadron really think they’re hot stuff. But we do just as much in 122. Gary Fabrizio is in 314.

Flew my 20th mission this afternoon, a TPQ. It wasn’t very exciting at all. Just “old-hat.” I’ve finally done some straightening up in my room! I’d been living like a pig, because I thought I was going to move soon, but no. (To another hooch.)

The laundry is really bad over here! The base has a laundry service that is free, but everything seems to come back dirtier than it was, literally! And it smells worse! But it’s free. One of the Vietnamese waitresses at the o’club has a private laundry service, but it costs money. So far, I’ve only sent one set of utilities there (cost 40 cents) but if my clothes get any worse, I may have to send them to her. I haven’t sent any of my civilian clothes to the laundry because I’m afraid they’ll ruin them.

I bought a knit sport shirt and two pairs of shorts while I was in the Philippines. One of my neighbors in this hooch left today for home. He’s going to Longview, Texas then on to Beaufort. [Marine Corps Air Station at Beaufort, South Carolina] Boy, I can hardly wait until I leave for San Juan, Texas! But I hope I don’t go to Beaufort.

It’s so strange not knowing or having any idea at all where I will live next! Always in the past I sort of knew. I sure would like to go to Glynco, I think. [Glynco Naval Air Station, Glynco, Georgia]

I understand that the astronauts are on the moon, but the radio reception has been so bad today, I haven’t been able to listen to any news at all.

Photo - A pilot and a RIO in deep conversation.

Wednesday night
19 Nov. 1969

I have the duty tonight so I’ve nothing to do except write letters and read. The latter I’ve been doing all day. I started a new book today. I finished, finally, that boring book, and it had one of those sad endings that leaves you with a hollow feeling in your stomach!

I flew a close air support mission this morning and we had a good target, but got a poor BDA! It was a village and Viet cong had been seen there this morning and we suspected there was a tunnel complex there. Anyway, we got credit for three hooches destroyed, 70 meters of tree line destroyed, and one secondary fire.

All the trouble we go to, just to destroy shacks! Of course, there may have been a tunnel complex and VC killed that we may never know about!

O.J. Riddell was given credit, today, for killing a Viet cong, in a village near where we were bombing.

I’m flying once every day, and now have 19 missions. We fly a little less each day, it seems, and I don’t know how much longer they can afford to keep us here for what little we are doing. I see so much money wasted over here, it’s pathetic. I don’t feel the least bit sorry that I won’t have to pay income tax while I’m here.

I got my slides back that I took in Okinawa and here.

Photo - hanging out on the flight line.

Tuesday night
18 Nov. 1969

This has been one of those days that leaves me with nothing to write about.

I flew this morning, a TPQ because of bad weather, and was through by noon. Russ is going to teach me how to play bridge, and I had my first lesson after lunch today. It’s a quite complicated game and I think I’ll enjoy it very much, once I understand it fully.

I’ve been reading a book called the Torch Bearers, and it is unbelievably dull. The only reason I’m plodding thru it is because I don’t have another book right now! They have a few new ones at the PX, so I’ll probably buy a new one tomorrow.

This is the eighth book I’ve read since I left home! I figure, at this rate, I’ll read about 100 books while I’m over here!! Despite all the reading, my spelling and grammar is getting worse, if possible!

It’s still early, but I’m so tired, I’m going to sleep.

Photo - Bridge over the swamp. Officer's club in background.

Monday Night
17 Nov. 1969

I got two letters today! The squadron didn’t fly today at all. We had a stand-down to give the air crews a rest and to perform necessary preventative maintenance on our airplanes. We have two stand-downs each month.

Since there was no flying today, the day was particularly long! I stayed in bed until after 1100!! Then I read al afternoon, then watched the movie tonight. We had two lousy meals today! I’m afraid I’m going to gain weight, unless I start working out. The only food they feed us that I like, is meat, potatoes, and gravy. So, I’m bound to gain weight. But I’m to lazy to do anything about it.

There has been so much static and interference on the radio the past two days, that I haven’t been able to hear any of the football scores from Saturday. It’s really irritating to not even be able to get one decent radio station. We have a television station in Chu Lai, but the nearest radio station is in Danang, 40 miles away.

I’ve thought of something else I’d like to have for Christmas. A pocket size flashlight that can be plugged into a wall outlet to recharge the battery. When there’s no moon out over here, it’s pitch black out. (No street lights). So it’s difficult to walk at night.

Photo - metal grate walkway in lower right hand corner of photo.

Saturday night
15 Nov. 1969

I got back to sunny Chu Lai at 1700 and it is good to be back!! When people ask me how the trip was, I just say okay, because they think I’m crazy if I say I didn’t like it!

I hit the jackpot on mail!! Four letters and a tape.

We get two points for missions that require us to fly outside of South Vietnam. I’ve flown three of these missions, but I can’t say much about them. These include the BARCAP missions up off the coast of North Vietnam. So three missions out of country and one mission where we were shot at, give me four extra points.

We had a squadron formation tonight and several air medals were given out, but I didn’t get mine! The formal citation has to be signed by the wing CO and that takes a long time. Russ Fyke just got his air medal tonight and he has already earned several.

Russ has also been recommended for the DFC. (Distinguished Flying Cross) for a mission on which he flew about a month ago. All four people in the flight were recommended for the DFC, but probably only the pilots will get it. Usually the RIO gets the next lower medal, in this case would be the Bronze Star, or a single mission air medal. Sometimes they award an air medal for only one mission if its real good, but not good enough for DFC. The DFC is the fourth highest award in the Marine Corps. Mike Sharbaugh had one and Major Heald had one or two.

Two more days and it’ll be one month since I left the states. And it seems like ages!

They have two survival schools in the Philippines. One at Cubi Point NAS for one day, run by the Navy. Another, at Clark AFB for ten days by the Air Force. There is also a water survival school at Okinawa. O.J. is going to that one in about a week. I don’t know when I’ll get out of country again.

It has just started raining! Looks like it’ll never stop.

Photo - Go Go dancers at the officer's club, Chu Lai

Saturday
15 Nov. 1969

I’m sitting by the pool killing time until time to leave. The bus is to pick us up at 11:45 to take us to the air terminal. I’ll be glad to leave here!! This place is so depressing. See families living here, carrying on normal happy lives.

I spent yesterday getting packages mailed, reading, sleeping, and sun burning!

The money here in the Philippines is the peso and is worth 25 cents. I’m keeping some of this money for my collection! I’m going to get some money from every country I visit.

I haven’t taken any pictures here, but I will before I leave. This bay, Subic Bay, is a very pretty place. The bay is completely surrounded by low mountains, except for the inlet out to sea. It’s all jungle here and very green.

The aircraft carrier USS Ranger was in port here when we got here Wednesday. It sailed out Thursday on it’s way to Vietnam. This port here is really a big one. It’s a natural place for a port and there are all kinds of navy ships and freighters tied up here.

I watched Apollo 12 launch last night. It was 12:22 this morning when they shot off. The television coverage over here was via satellite and was a fairly good picture. I hope everything goes alright on this flight.

It’s so pretty here. Of course the town is a real dump, but the base is nice.

Photo - Bachelor officers quarters at, Subic Bay, Philippines

Friday
14 Nov. 1969

Greetings from hot, muggy Philippine Islands. The humidity is much worse here than in Chu Lai and the BOQ is not air conditioned. So I’ll be glad to get back to my air conditioned hooch!!

We had the survival course all day yesterday and finished it in one day, so I’ve today and tomorrow morning free. The course included learning about survival signaling devices, how to hide in the jungle, how to ride rescue devices lowered from helicopters, and how to survive in the jungle. We spent yesterday afternoon out in the real jungle learning the various trees and vines which can be eaten and give water.

Rick Holt is here!! He is down on a two week deployment, practicing bombing, like we did at Yuma! We ate dinner together the past two evenings, then went out to town to see the sights and do some shopping. It’s sure been good to see him again!

The town here is Olongopo, and is a dirty, poor little town much like some of the towns in Mexico. I got my pocket picked as I walked down the street. Some guy bumped into me, and took the money out of my shirt pocket. Didn’t even know it until later. About the only decent merchandise they have out in town is wood carvings.

Photo - catching a little shut eye on the flight line, Chu Lai.