VIETNAM DIARY FEB 9, 1970

February 9, 1970 Monday - We are moving around a lot and went back to Firebase Carolyn today on Huey helicopters. It was a 10 bird combat assault. Firebase Carolyn is really dusty and trashy with lots of rats. Most of the platoon took a bath in a bomb crater full of water. The water in the crater has a strong cordite smell and now so do all the guys that went swimming in it. Guess we can't be to fussy about when or where we get a chance to clean up. We got mail today which we all look forward to very much. Some of the guys got "care" packages. That's what we call a big package from home with lots of food and other goodies. Wouldn't have to be much to be something special here.

Started raining at 2030 (8:30 p.m.) and by my guard time it is pouring down. It is very hard to get much sleep when you are soaking wet. I am very tired from the heat and carrying my heavy pack through the jungle with vines catching on everything, sometimes making me trip and fall. We call them "wait a minute vines". They also get snagged on my helmet and pull it off so I have to stop and pick it up. If the jungle is real thick, sometimes when I get my helmet back on the guy ahead of me has disappeared. Have to hurry and try to be sure to follow the right openings in the jungle to catch up. If I went the wrong way, separating from the column, they might think I was the enemy and start shooting.

When we are moving through the jungle we have to stay spread out some so there won't be so many wounded at once from an enemy grenade or mine. Even though I get so tired and could sleep anywhere, the rain makes a big puddle of my sleeping position and then I have to get up to pull an hour or two of guard duty every night. When we are in the jungle I leave my boots on day and night in case of making contact with the enemy. It is blistering hot during the day but feels very cold at night when it is raining. Will try to write a letter to send to my wife when I get the chance.