11.00 SUN 2 APR.

My Darling Girls.

Another nice letter (19 MAR) last night. We had to go out at 7.30 P.M. The VC hit the RD team of HUONG TRA again They lost 4 dead 5 wounded we got back about 8.30 this morning we stayed with them all night as they were a bit shook up. I've cleaned up had breakfast now I'll write to my lovely wife and then do my monthly report to TRIPP and get all the paper work up to date - and Charles permitting this afternoon I'll lie on my bed and read and sleep - sounds wonderful. I can think of things I'd much rather be doing - but you're back there so they'll have to wait until July my pet. What a lovely gesture for the little girls to get the sponge for you and fill it. They are such wonderful little sweeties - just like their mamma-san. I'm glad your friends like the material. I did or I wouldn't have bought it. Our airborne op has been deferred until tomorrow - we were due to kick off today By a coincidence you wrote about seeing War and Peace and I'm halfway through reading it - heavy but interesting. I do hope old Susy had a good birthday. I'm sure she did with Neisi the party Queen running it. If you send a tape I can listen to it privately as the tape recorders have earphones that you can put on and they cut out the loudspeaker part and you are the only one to hear. So I would like you to send back the little tape very much my darlings. Stinking hot up here reached 102° yesterday and I believe it. Talk in the Army papers that Australia will be an R & R centre from JUNE on, the stinkers they wouldn't make it one before this so that I could have come home for a leave. Did I tell you Col Graeser has been reposted to HAWAII so we've got an invitation to go there on leave. Just depends on how well you think you can paddle a canoe. You're the old Quaro expert my darling so start practicing in the swimming pool. One of the compound chaps drowned yesterday while sailing in the little sail boat they have here in the HUE river what a way to go in the middle of a war. I've got two rolls of slides finished but I've had them for 3 weeks - I can't get the special envelopes you buy that also cover the cost of developing - very frustrating I've got another dull package of books to send off - The cigarettes in this one are gift CAMELS - and are so marked. They are from the US equiv of the RSL so don't let Mac pay for them. I'm off to HUONG DIEN tomorrow to get the op under way. I don't think we'll stay for long - probably just one or two days then come back. I'm with the HQ on this one to train my new CAPT & SGT so it will be a milk run I'll be sitting on my bottom in HUONG DIEN compound That's about all the news my darling except that I happen to adore you and I'm looking forward so very very much to coming home to my lovely young wife and those three little sweeties. Our holiday will be just perfect my darling and every day is one closer to 23 JULY. Take very good care of yourself - for my sake. I love you little Neisi - don't ever forget that my wonderful wife

Petie