Guys, this is another one of many letters that my uncle George Carmel wrote to his family in 1964-1965 while stationed at Camp Holloway with the 119th Av Co. I have other letters from his basic training at Ft. Dix and from his advanced training at Ft. Rucker Alabama. Any comments in brackets are mine.

Dear Folks,

Well I finally got to good old Pleiku and am settled. Yesterday they issued me my field equipment and an M-14 and 5 clips of ammo (100 rounds). Today I went to the flight line but I haven't yet started any work. Tomorrow I'll get my tool box. I was already assigned to one of the maintenance crews. I'm so glad I'll be working with the choppers. And besides that I'll be working on the HU-1A (Iroquois). Thats the turbine engine 'copter that was at the entrance of Fort Rucker, that I liked the best of all. [George's family had made a visit to Ft. Rucker from Southbridge, MA while he was there for his advanced training.]

And besides that, GREG PALMERINO is only about 200 feet from where I am. My hooch (that's what they call the building we stay in) is only about five skips and a hop from his. About as far from our house to the Gobielles. I've seen him every night so far, but tomorrow he is duty driver for his company. It's so good (and lucky) to be so close to him. I've made good friends in the army but it's never the same as someone you've grown up with.

I got here Tuesday afternoon. I got my bedding then processed. My date for leaving this place is Feb. 22, 1965. I'm sorry to say I'll miss Christmas and New Years but I'll be home for Easter, which I'm missing so far. So, if I stay as lucky as I have been, I'll be home next Feb.

I think I'm going to like it up here much better than I would have in Saigon. The days are very warm, but no so bad as down south. The nights are very cool and comfortable. The town of Pleiku is about the size of Dudley [a neighboring town in Massachusetts]. Saigon was almost as big as Worcester [third largest city in Massachusetts].

The hooch I sleep in is about 30-35 feet long and 20 feet wide. There are six guys including myself in the room. They all seem like nice guys and have helped me out very much. Our wall lockers are 6'x4' wooden cabinets with shelves on the bottom. two men are supposed to share one but since there ae five on them in here, the old timers get to use one by themselves. Until they leave and I'm a senior I'll have to share one.

There in no K.P. here. We have guard duty and other details though. We all chip in each onth to pay the K.P.'s. We also have a house boy who is paid about $2.00 a month by each of us to come in eah morning to shine our boots, wash whites clothes, and clean the barracks.

One bad thing about this place is the dust. It's about 10 times worse than Locust Ave [the street he grew up on] and Oak St. in the middle of the summer when people came tearing down the road. When one of the Huey's (knickname for the HU-1A) take iff it kicks up a cloud that you must be able to see for miles..

Water is scarece up here since it is the dry season. They turn the water on only three times each day. After every meal. Up here we have hot water though, which we didnt have in Saigon.

It's now been 19 days since i've heard from home excet for a few telephone calls. So if you want to, please hurry and write. My address is: Pvt George L. Carmel RA 11430981 119th Avn. Co. - Box 3 APO 95 San Francisco, Calif.

Pass this address around to everyone and tell them to please write even though I may not be able to write them right off. I'm going crazy not hearing from anyone. Thats why I'm glad I've got Greg up here.

Well I'll write again soon. I hope to get a letter from you in about 8-10 days. Maybe sooner.
Your loving son and brother, George