| Nam Phong,Thailand |
| October 13, 1972 |
| Dear Mom & Dad, |
| Sorry I haven't written sooner
this week, but the last few nights I've been going to bed early
and haven't gotten around to writing.
I'm fine and don't really have
anything to complain about. All we can read about in the papers
is Kissinger and the peace talks that are taking place in Paris.
I'm afraid we're getting our hopes up even though we're trying
not to.
I've thought about it quite a
bit, and if I had to do it all over again, I'd still volunteer to
come over here. If the war is ever going to be over, it will be
because we are bombing North Vietnam. McGovern and his big mouth
make me sick.
I was pretty sure I'd
registered to vote, but I need you to send me an absentee
ballot.
The papers indicate that the
Aggies aren't doing too well in the football department. From
what I've been reading, the prospects for beating Texas this year
are slim.
Well, it's time to shower and
turn out the light. Give Karoni a kiss for me.
|
Love,
Ron |
| Bangkok, Thailand |
| October 19, 1972 |
| Dear Mom & Dad, |
| Hi. I'm back in Bangkok for
two more days. Right now, I'm sitting by the pool at the
President Hotel enjoying the sun. It's an entirely different
world here than at Nam Phong. It's really nice to have hot water
to shave with.
Time is really flying. It
doesn't seem like a month since I was here before. I read in the
papers that Kissinger went back to Paris last night. Although
we've been trying not to, everyone really has their hopes up that
the war will be over before the election. It's a commonly shared
feeling around here that if it's not over before the election, it
will still be going strong when it comes time for me to come home
next summer.
I've had two letters from Larry
and Kay since I answered them. I need to take care of that, but I
just haven't been in a letter writing mood lately.
I haven't flown nearly as much
this month as last. I get quite a bit of satisfaction out of the
completion of a good hop, but I'm just been taking my turn this
month, instead of asking for someone else's hop. With the
prospect of peace so close, I don't feel like taking unnecessary
changes.
I guess I better close. Give
Karoni a kiss for me.
|
Love,
Ron |
| Nam Phong,
Thailand |
| October 21, 1972 |
| Dear Mom & Dad, |
| I just got back from
Thailand.
You can quit worrying about me
when you read about a plane getting shot down. You'd know about
it before it came out in the paper. I didn't plan to tell you
about it, but since you read it in the paper, I'll tell you what
I know about it, which isn't much.
The crew was two of my
roommates, Rob Peacock and Marshal Price. They were both in the
same squadron with me at Cherry Point. They were both great guys
and good friends of mine.
The launched out on a single
plane night mission in North Vietnam and never came back. They
had radio contact with an airborne FAC in the area around Dong
Hoi. Eight minutes later the FAC saw a large explosion and
couldn't re-establish radio contact with them. We'll probably
never know what actually happened to them. My guess is that
neither one of them got out of the airplane.
Pray for peace, and give Karoni
a kiss for me.
|
Love,
Ron |
| Nam Phong,
Thailand |
| October 23, 1972 |
| Dear Mom & Dad, |
| Hi. How are you both doing ? I
have good reason to believe that by the time you get this letter,
the war will be over. I know that would make life a little more
pleasant for you and me both.
I got a letter from Don the
other day. He said that mother was nearly a nervous wreck from
worrying about me. Even if the war is not over by the time you
get this, quit worrying about me. I'm well trained, I know what
I'm doing, and I'll be alright. At least, have a little faith.
God is not going to let anything happen to me that He doesn't
want to happen.
It sounds as if Karoni is
really getting alert. I bet she's close to being spoiled rotten.
I sure do miss her.
I owe Granny a letter. I'd
better get to that. Give Karoni a kiss for me.
|
Love,
Ron |
| Nam Phong,
Thailand |
| October 25, 1972 |
| Dear Mom and Dad, |
| I guess the info we received
about the war drawing to an end was in error. From my point of
view, it looks like the fighting will go on for six months or
longer.
I can't complain. I'm doing
what I came over here to do so I should be happy, but we sure had
our hopes up. We thought the war was going to be over.
I flew my 26th mission today.
The ones over South Vietnam aren't that bad anymore. I haven't
been shot at in over two weeks. I'd like to think that the NVA
are running out of ammunition.
Give Karoni a kiss for
me.
|
Love,
Ron |
| Nam Phong,
Thailand |
| October 28, 1972 |
| Dear Mom & Dad, |
| Well, it looks like the cease
fire is on again. I wish they would hurry up and get this thing
settled. It's hard to make yourself want to fly when it looks
like the war might be over tomorrow. One thing is for sure, the
N.V. gunners on the ground are still shooting real bullets, and
it's not worth two cents to you, knowing they might quit tomorrow
when they're shooting at you today.
I need only two more points to
get my second air medal, which means only one more mission in
N.V. or two in S.V. I'd just as soon not get the second one. I'd
like for the war to end tonight.
Thanks but there is no sense in
getting me anything for Christmas this year. There's no way to
know what size clothes I'll wear when this is over. I'm down to
163 lbs. now. The dust, heat, and humidity would probably ruin
anything else you might send.
If you see that Karoni has a
Merry Christmas, that will be more than enough of a present to
me. Guess I'd better close and get some sleep.
Give her a kiss for
me.
|
Love,
Ron |
| Nam Phong,
Thailand |
| October 31, 1972 |
| Dear Mom & Dad, |
| Today is the day the war was
supposed to be over, but I'm on the schedule again tomorrow to
fly my 29th mission so I've got the idea that the war may still
be going.
I got enough points for my
second air medal in North Vietnam last night. I started the month
off pretty slow, but I've flown about ten missions in the last
two weeks.
I really enjoyed hearing about
the way Karoni is talking. She sounds like she is really getting
smart. I sure do miss her. I'll probably stay in the Marine Corps
for a year after I get back, but I'm not sure I can handle being
away from my family one year out of every three or
four.
Take care. I miss you. Give
Karoni a kiss for me.
|
Love,
Ron |
| Nam Phong,
Thailand |
| November 3, 1972 |
| Dear Mom & Dad, |
| I flew my thirtieth mission
today.
The time I've spent over here
has made me a better person and a better Christian. I've learned
to appreciate the little things I once took for granted. You
really don't appreciate life until you're afraid of losing it.
All of a sudden, the material things you consider important don't
seem worth two cents.
Being here has made me a better
Christian. Everytime I strap into the airplane, I rely on God to
give me the strength and courage to encounter the problems I'll
be faced with.
Don't worry about me. I'm in
God's hands. Give Karoni a kiss for me.
|
| Love,
Ron
|
| Nam Phong,
Thailand |
| November 5, 1972 |
| Dear Mother & Dad, |
| I heard on the radio that the
Aggies beat Arkansas. I guess that surprised quite a few
people.
If the war ends, the squadron
would probably go back to Japan and pick up the nuclear
commitment they had before deploying down here. That being the
case, I'll be over a complete year.
I've had a long day so I guess
I'd better close. Give Karoni a kiss for me.
|
Love,
Ron |
|