Letters to Vietnam

   We have an incredible family member who saves important links to the past and in doing so helps to preserve our family history. Recently, I was very honored when given a pack of letters that Dad wrote as a little boy to his older brother Dick who was over serving in the Vietnam War. I love history. War history grips me in a deeper way. And having family members tell stories of their personal war history is an entirely different experience all together.

  

   We have a family history that intrigues and sometimes elludes us when we are searching for answers to questions of our roots. We are confident that the ones who have gone before us have shaped who we are-sometimes in a good and sometimes in an awful way- to help make up our true selves. The true selves who we are still looking to discover as we live our lives everyday as an adventure. Not ever really knowing what we will find around the bend.



Dad around the time he wrote his brother in Vietnam

    Dad wrote this letter when he was somewhere around 11 years old. Sometime around 1967 or '68. I'll transcribe it with my personal thoughts on the subjects in parenthesis:

                                               Hi Dick  How have you been? I've been fine. I got out of school June 11. Yea(it's faded as though he didn't want the enemy to know he was not a fan of school) We had a field day friday. I took the shoot put. It weights 8 pounds. I throw it 26 feet 3 inches.(GO DAD!!!!!!!) I won second place.(Wow! Great job!) The ribons in the letter.(This is where I get teary) I was competing against seven graders. Were're making a base-ball team. It's called the "farmer's league". Were're going to play the Detroit Tigers. We'll bet them    Love Tim

                                  

That's why he could throw the shot put 26'3"! Notice his brother Mark in the background.




    So precious and such a treasure for me to look back at now. I hope you enjoy this as much as we do! Seek out your own family history and even though there might be some better left under the the rug.. you will find great inspiration in the good that you uncover!