Letters From Vietnam
25 Dec 67
Hi! Buddy,
Merry New Christyear and Happymas to you and yours and theirs.
Boy! What a party! Plenty of booze but no broads. So all we could do was drink.
Would you believe that at 0200 hrs. this a.m. me and a couple of other nuts were out in the downpour firing the 16mm and 81mm mortars over the village? Illumination. (I hope) Did you know that if you take too many charges (actally referred to as “increments”) off the round and use too low of an elevation, the round will ricochet (SP?), and the flare will ignite on the way back up? Boy that's neat. Too bad these people don't have thicker roofs. It must be real exciting to have a mortar round ricochet off your bedroom floor and light on the way out. Surprise!!!! (So much for winning their hearts and minds.)
Just got off a great operation. We killed five NVA soldiers and wounded two more. Lost 2 CIDG with 1 wounded. (This was a joint operation with the 101st Airborne Division.)
