Monday, May 13, 1968

May 13, 1968

Tonkin Gulf

Dear Mother & Dad,

It's Monday evening here and about 7:45. Yesterday I got your letter, just one week to the day after you wrote it. I was glad to see the clipping of Bill and me.

Last night I got your package. We refueled from an oiler and they sent over third and fourth class mail. The Newsweek magazines were interesting reading for us. I guess the rioting in the big cities was really something. The paperbacks should be good reading during some of the hours up here. As for the pens, I can always use them. Thanks for everything.

I got a letter from Bill two days ago which he wrote on April 24. How about that service, 17 days to get here. He described an attack they had there and maybe this was the one you read about in the paper.

There was a destroyer hit up here by gun fire off the mainland. They were south of us and one day last week came up to our area. It wasn't too much and only one guy was injured. Maybe you saw it in the paper too. But that is what happens when they start cruising in too close to the beach.

The other day I got 20 newspapers. I read every one of them believe it or not. Three also came last night, the latest dated April 19.

I bet you are glad that school is almost over with all the trouble they have been giving you. And I thought things like that could only happen to a person in the Navy. I guess civilian life has a few bad breaks too.

Tell David to be expecting a letter from me in a day or so. I'll see if I can talk him into reforming a little.

Yesterday was a nice day and gave us a chance to do some sunbathing during holiday routine. I don't spend much time topside so its necessary to go out and get a little sun on your own.

I am really glad you are enjoying and using the tape we made. Don't wear it out though, because we didn't have a chance to play it back. I hope we didn't slip up on anything when we made it. Everytime you mention it I am so glad we took time to make it.

We got parts in for our radar this afternoon and I helped put them in. Right now we are letting it warm up and will be trying it out in a few minutes.

I hoped I would have got another tape from you by now. You said you would send a blank one in the package but must have forgot. At any rate I'll pick up some cartridges in Hong Kong and send a tape from there.

We have been getting quick news releases on the baseball scores. It looks like the Cardinals are hot again this year, the Cubs aren't too bad either but I wish they could at least play .500 ball. Its early in the season and a lot can happen to change the standings. I hope I can take in a few games at L.A. and would like to spend a weekend in San Francisco when I get back.

Well I had better close here. So long for now.

Your son,

Mike