Letters to Connie Sleamon, August–October 1967

Abstract

First letter, undated, “My mother asks me if I wasn’t just a little scared about being so far north in Vietnam. I said ‘hell no, I’m sure I’ll make it because nothing could keep me from breaking a date with Connie.”

“…lost all my laundry…being washed in a village…and the vc hit it and burned the place completely to the ground.” Bitten by a poisonous spider and takes months to get better. Talks of difficulty of preserving their relationship through letters. “I will say that you are not the only girl I exchange letters with, but be assured of one thing, I look forward to your letters more than any other.” Gets tape recorders so they can send tapes to each other.

August

“We are about to move into our new Mars Station…mud getting deep…”

October 13

“…stupid army did yesterday…notified a guy’s wife that he had been killed in action which wasn’t true.”

Letters written by Fred Pernert of the U.S. Army to his girlfriend and family while stationed in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Fred lived in Holt, Michigan. His first name might be Maurice.