10/19/1967 Postmark Bobby's Sister Elaine to Bobby

Thursday, Oct. 19
Dear Bob, We were so glad to get your letter
and know that everything is as well as can be
expected. Keep good spirits and time will pass
a lot faster. We are dickering with carpenters
over our den. Jim has decided he needs to become
one in order to make some money. We hope to have
the work completed sometime during the next 2
weeks. I sure do hope it will be as pretty as
I think it is going to be.

"Zim" sure is rambunctious in the cool weather.
When you on him he really goes. Butch is still
having a possum a day. I think his philosophy
is a possum a day keeps the doctor away. He is
also helping us rid ourselves of our gopher rat
situation.

We took the mower off of the tractor the other
day and hitched a plow to it. We have planted
our plowed field with year round green grass.
I hope it will be pretty.

Gayle and mother and Daddy came for a birthday
dinner last night. I am going to help Gayle
paint Saturday. I'm sure we'll get more paint
on us than the walls. Jim is taking water to
the barn. He says it's a drudge but I think he
really does enjoy his nightly adventure.

We are anxious to get your pictures. I can't
comprehend the real extent of the monsoon
season. Does it rain constantly? Jim does
remember the Bridgeman boy. What is his first
name? Are the beaches there anything like the
Atlantic coast or the Pacific coast? What kind
of waves? Have you been swimming yet? Aren't you
glad you have hot water? I can't imagine how on
earth you will get clean without it. Do you have
indoor plumbing?

Well, I guess I had better close now and wash my
hair. Write soon. Love, Elaine

10/19/1967 Postmark Bobby to Gayle

Thursday 19 oct. 67
Hi Sweetheart, I just got up. It's about 2pm and
hot as blazes. It was cool when I went to bed
this morning though. Lord, I wish I could see you.
I dreamed about you when I was asleep. I miss you
so badly all the time I'm thinking or you. I love
you so much. I just hope and pray I'll be able to
come home soon or when our baby is born.

I sure hope I get some mail this afternoon. A lot
should be coming in any day now. I think it takes
5 days for a letter to get to Chattanooga and
5-7 days to get back here. It's so bad here with
no mail. I'll keep trying to write you 2 times
a day. But I for sure will write you at least 1
times. It's all going to depend on how busy I am.
After I write you tonight I'm going to write
everybody. This letter will go out this afternoon
and the one I write tonight will go out tomorrow
morning, so I don't know if you will be getting 2
letters a day or not.

Well, I'd better run take a shower and shave. I'll
write again tonight. Darling I love you very, very
much- more than anything. Please take care of
yourself and Little Bit and I love you. All my
love always, Your Bobby
PS Happy Birthday.

10/19/1967 Postmark Bobby to Gayle

Oct 19, Thursday
Happy Birthday Mouse, I sure hope you do have a
happy birthday. I just wish I could be there, but
I guess I will be there next year. We got a
typhoon warning yesterday. They said it was about
600 miles out and coming in at about 10 mph. I
sure hope it doesn't get here, because we are
about 1 block from the ocean and a big wave would
probably knock over the building I live in.

It's been rather cool today. My interview with the
Col. went pretty good I guess. I still don't know
if I'm going to get promoted or not. This is an
entirely different army over here than it is in
the states. It's very sure that a 2nd Lt. will
make 1st in 12 months over here. I don't why it
is that way but it is.

You just wouldn't believe how tired I am. My head
is about to split open. I think it's caused by
being tired and being nervous. I stay scared all
the time here. I just don't trust any of these
people here. Qui Nhon is having some kind of an
election here and there are political rallies
all over the place. Qui Nhon has been put off
limits until these elections are over.

It has seemed like the longest 2 weeks since I
left you in Atlanta. I just can hardly wait until
I can come home again. Lord, I hope and pray it
will be soon. It's terrible over here. I just
hope when I get home I don't run into those
cousins of mine. You can hear artillery going
off every night. It sounds like it's about 10
to 15 miles off and that's about as close as I
want to get to it.

They have television programs on over here. They
run about all day and to about 10 at night. They
have a variety of different programs. The army
has a TV station right here in Qui Nhon. Tonight
I watched Andy Griffith, Bewitched and Gunsmoke.

Our company has an IG inspection tomorrow. I'm
going to sleep through it because of working
all night. They let us sleep during the day. I
like working at night. It seems to make the time
go by faster- if it's possible for it to go by
faster.

I sure hope I get some mail soon. It's about to
drive me crazy. I know you are writing everybody,
but it seems like it would get here faster than
it does. It really does make you feel good when
somebody comes in with more time to do than you
do. You know that club of wives that have husbands
over here? Well each month you go there will be
somebody there that will have more time to wait
than you do. That's one way to look at it.

I wish this year would hurry up and end. Time
goes so slowly over here and I miss you so much
I am just miserable. I love you so very much.
I am just miserable. I love you so very much.
It keeps growing more and more each day. The
saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder
is very true. Because each day I am away from
you I just keep loving you more and more.

Well, I've got to go out and check the guards now.
I'll write more tomorrow. Darling ZI love you
very, very much- more than anything. Please
take care of yourself and Little Bit. And please
let me know what Dr. Demos says and have a happy
birthday. I love you very, very much, All my love
always, Your Bobby


20 October Postmark Gayle to Bobby

October 19, 1967
11:30 pm
My dearest husband, Here it is- my 21st birthday.
It's sad because I had so many plans for us tonight.
And though I miss you all the time, an occasion
makes it even worse. You know, phone bill or not,
I wish you could call me. Honey the days are so
messed up for me. Some days I do a lot and
they're fast, then other days I do a lot and
they are slow. Then, the same thing about the
days I don't do much. Tonight I went to mom and
dads for dinner. We had steak, salad and baked
potatoes. Then mama and I went to Eastgate. I
bought a crib mattress; sheet and pillow case
and mattress cover for less than $15 at Penney's.
Is that good? I thought so. I'm going to paint
the crib and chest this weekend. I bought the paint
this afternoon. I had to go to the Norge place and
do dry-cleaning. I got a baby shawl with Top Value
stamps today. It cost 15cents. That was good too.
I'm so proud of myself. I just wish you were here
to help me. Honey, I'm sending you your xmas in a
couple of weeks. It will only be small things,
but I'm getting you a gift certificate later.
That will be for xmas. - your big present anyway.
It's just that I have no money next month- unless
I sell Tupperware. or you increase my money here.
At least 'til I get straightened out. Of course by
then the baby will be here and I'll need even more.
It's a mess.

Brenda still hasn't had her baby yet. I wish she
would in a hurry. I'm going crazy. I go to Dr. D
in the morning. I'm going to finish this letter
when I get back from there. My apt is at 9:30, so
I'll mail it the regular time. This is going t be
fairly long 'cause I have a lot to ask you, etc.
I love you my angel Wolpf!-Mouse

Hi! Lord, I had so much to do today. I went to
the Dr. He said I'm doing good. He's proud of my
weight and isn't going to put me on a diet. I have
to buy some cotton panties 'cause he said it would
help the hemorrhoid situation I've had. Also, I've
had some pains that he said were adhesions from
surgery, as the baby is pushing everything up it
will hurt a while, but not severely. But thank
goodness I'm not on a diet- yet. Just think when
I see him next I'm half through the pregnancy!
That's better sounding isn't it? Brenda and I went
to town and I had the water put in our name and all.
And, everybody I know had to pay a deposit but us.
Isn't that heaven? Brenda and I are taking care of
Sonja's children today and tonight because her sister
in Knoxville is real ill and they don't know what's
wrong. So, Sonja went up there and will be back
tonight. I paid the furniture bull today. #1 Do you
ealize we'll own it when you get home? That's all
that's been going on, except Daddy's sick and so is
Randy. Tonya got bitten by a cat and they had to
send its head off to see if it was rabied. So Tonya
may have to have those shots!

Say, you'd better quit apologizing for your mama san
in every letter or I'll think something's up!?
I'm kidding- I know better. How does your radio
work? Hey honey, the best I can figure is that
$130 is your re-location [not dis-location] pay
for the time in October you're there. In Nov.
surely you will get a lot more. Have you got the
check I sent you? I'm [or us here] really hurting.
I'm going to Eastgate today and I'm sending you
washcloths, a promotion gift and hangers in one box.
I love you. Anyway, when you went up that Mountain,
did you have a gun? I was scared to death when you
told me that. I'm so glad you like the people you
work with. do you have rats where you live? At least
you have hot water! It sounds like the food's fine.
Thank you so much for the pictures. What was all of
this about the Vietnamese funeral? The monsoons sound
like hell. Did you get drunk at the Hail and Farewell?
Why do you think you'll land in Seattle? I haven't
got your present for me yet, but I do hope you didn't
spend a lot- you sweet ol' monkee. What's ever
happened to that guys who was going to kill himself?
Tell me about your "hell's angels" friends. I hope you
get to be their friend.

What's wrong with your promotions? It's a mess isn't
it? This is one time I'm gland you're e working
such long hours. Any other time - forget it! Are
you able to sleep for the noise?

Well, honey, I've got the Royal and Kelly children
and we've got to go to the bank. I love you- forever
and always. Take care of yourself. All my love,
Your Gayle
[I think our baby might look like this picture]
THE MOUSE!




Thought today: An open mind is sometimes too
porous to hold a conviction.

Hint today: Rust rings, such as those from
shaving cream cans, can easily be removed
from vanity tops by pouring some cola on the
spot. Just let it sit for 5 minutes then wipe
with a damp cloth. The phosphoric acid in
soda swiftly dissolves the iron oxide particles
in the rust.