The content of the mail came in different forms. For me, besides the standard letters, it was packages of goodies (cookies, fudge, packages of Koolaid and anything else that was hard to find "in country". Any sort of seasoning or sauces that could change the taste of the c-rations were favorites too. Needless to say, the content of the packages didn't last long after sharing with the rest of the guys.
My sister Sharon and her two sons, Chris (age 5) and Brad (age 2), would cut out the comic strips from the local newspaper, paste them on construction paper and make a booklet out of them to send me. A lot of guys received a subscription for their hometown newspaper (some only received the sports page). These were much cherished because they were the only link to what was really going on back home. It assured you that things were still going on as usual and that when you got back, you could step back in and not have totally lost a year of news and activities.
The photo at right is of SSgt. James Patrick Francis (KIA May 27, 1969) taking a few minutes out of the day to catch up on what's going on back in his hometown of Napa CA by reading the local newspaper. There is more to this photo than what meets the eye. What I see, is a young man making a connection to a time when things were simple in a place he'd much rather be.
Photo courtesy of Mary Lesch (Pat's sister).
