Friday, March 1, 1968

Mar. 1, 1968

at sea, Tonkin Gulf

Dear Mother & Dad,

Its Friday and just about 10 PM here. I am on watch now and thought I'd answer your letter of the 24th which I got this afternoon.

We refueled from an oiler tonight about 2000. It was pretty cold and windy up there but things went off okay. They sent some mail over to us and I got a paper from 11 Feb..

Yesterday a plane went down near us. In the afternoon we moved into the area but they only found the wreckage, no pilot. We have the remains of the plane and the helmet of the pilot on board. I took some pictures of it.

Twice this week we went to general quarters when they picked up MIG's on the radar, the closest they got was about 60 miles but we were manned and ready just in case. I suppose it was just an harassment because they stayed well out of our range.

You mentioned that Bill had said somthing about finishing up school. If he can't do it while he is in here, he can make use of the G.I. bill and get $130 a month to go to school on. I have been thinking a lot about this myself. I think I will go to a two-year technical school or a junior college and make use of the money. With what I have planned to save up, it should be no problem financially.

When you send the box I'd like some magazines to read. Newsweek, Look, Readers Digest, or Sports Illustrated is okay. They don't have to be new issues because I just want something to read and help pass some of the time. I could use a couple of jars of Fostex soap. They don't have any here on the ship and it works real good for me. Also how about a calender. I would like one about the size of a small wall calendar.

I would like to see Bill while I'm over here. It would probably boost our morale a little. Maybe the next time we are in Da Nang he might make it out to the ship somehow. I know we won't get liberty there, so its got to be up to him if he can make it.

Its been 19 continuous days at sea for us now. The 25th of March seems so far away when we go back to Subic Bay. There is very little to look forward to and when the mail comes it makes the day seem a little brighter. We haven't went on water hours yet which is a surprize to me. The food isn't too bad either but how can you compare it to anything else when thats all there is?

This seems to be David's best year in school so far. Maybe he is learning a little from the experience of his older brothers. Its good to hear that he is interested in his schoolwork and eager to get his homework done in school.

I suppose this is about all the news for now. I'll write again, bye for now.

Your son,

Mike