Flight,

If this gets to boring let me know.

October 14, 1966

Dear Lorraine!

Not much to say now but I’ fill you in on what’s been happening with me. I finished all my processing this morning and am now officially with the 119th Assault Helicopter Company. I have been assigned to a work team and will be performing repairs and maintenance inspections on our aircraft. Hopefully this won’t last to long since I really want to be assigned to one of the Flight Platoons. It’s probably best if I get some actual experience first since my previous training was mostly in the classroom. I’m sure this will be different. The other guys in my hooch are cool and we seem to get along well. I hope it stays that way. Some of them have been in country for some time now and I hope to learn as much as I can from them.

I hope things have been going well for you. I know you have not received my address yet but when you do please write. I can’t tell you how important news from home and you are going to be. Some of the guys over here look pretty worn out. You can see it in their eyes. When mail comes everyone with letters heads for a quiet place to read.

I’m going to have to make this short as I am supposed to report to the Hanger at 1:00 this afternoon. Our working hours are based on the number of Birds in the hanger and how much is going on with the Grunts in the field. I guess I should tell you what a Grunt is. They are the infantry troops that walk around in the jungle looking for the enemy.

I’ll try to write again later if time permits. I miss you very much.

Love Tom,
S.W.A.K.

Tom Gator 851.