Episode 078: 1965-04-21 | The Viet Cong Rest Area

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes on April 21, 1965, during a lull in operations. The letter itself is quiet — just a few notes about office renovations, a short range trip, and his ongoing frustration with the mail system. Still, even in a slow week, he finds ways to stay connected to home. He ends the letter with a simple dream: when he returns, he wants to pack up the family, grab a few fishing poles, and spend a day down by a creek doing nothing but relaxing together. Today’s episode includes a special archival reading from the Chicago Tribune, which published a piece mentioning Popi a month after this letter was written. It offers a rare glimpse into the public-facing version of the war — the kind of article that hometown papers might run, describing missions in sweeping terms and sometimes including photos of the men involved. Popi makes a passing mention of this in his postscript, asking Suzie to keep an eye on the Orlando newspapers. “Our Information Officer sends a lot of pictures of us to our hometown papers,” he says, as if he knows just how far from home he feels. What’s Covered: Popi’s letter from April 21, 1965 A reading from Arthur Vesey’s Chicago Tribune article Reflections on how soldiers were represented in the press Popi’s desire for stillness and family time after the war 📷 Featured Photo: A shot believed to be Popi’s operations office, with a U.S. flag, a desk, and planning maps or mission boards on the wall. 🔔 If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe! I’ll be posting new episodes regularly, sharing letters and stories from exactly 60 years ago, as written by my grandfather. Follow Dearest Suzie on social media: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1GwqPyO061k0iaQRKwfjoQ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dearestsuziepodcast/ X: https://x.com/DearestSuziePod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dearestsuziepodcast 📧 Have a story to share or want to reach out? Email me at [email protected] — I’d love to hear from you! VietnamWar #HueyPilot #MilitaryHistory #WarLetters #InheritTheStories #FamilyHistory #OralHistory #MemoryAndMyth #ChicagoTribune