25 December 1970-6 January 1971

25 December 1970

Everything was quiet for Christmas.  The Red Cross gave everyone presents.  I got a knife flashlight, cards, wash rag, toothbrush paste, and a can of peanuts.  These all came form a family named Hoerman. I was the first to write them a thank you note.  They had been doing this for many years as a service to the men fighting in Vietnam.  I never got to meet the Hoerman alive.  We did exchange many letters, and I did call them as soon as I got home.

28 December 1970

There was a rumor that our base was closing, but it never did while I was there.

30 December 1970

I got a job in the armory, issuing weapons, cleaning, and keeping everything in stock.  It got me out of the bunkers and towers.  The best job I've every had.  A guy named Fox helped me to get the job, I worked there the remainder of my time.  My main job was cleaning the pistons of M-60 machine guns, which I still have one that hung on the mirror of every car that I have owned.  Phu Cat had had a rocket attack on Deemer 2, just two days before I got there.  There were holes in the armory walls, as the rocket had hit just a mere 100 feet form it with guys laying on the ground.  One guy got hit just as he was getting out of the truck.

1 January 1971

At this point, I haven'g been sick, but later on there were many close calls.

4 January 1971

I took the job as chief clerk, which involved typing and pushing pencils and working days.  I had to fill out expenditures, however it was short lived for the guy who had one it before had the records in such bad shape that I went back to being an armory.  I never have realized it, but I almost got sent back to the line, bu the guy I worked for, Sergeant Jackson, liked my work, so I stayed on.

6 January 1971

We started playing football, and we played for the next six months.  Dad sent me a new football, and we wore it out.  I left it over there along with a good pair of shoes.