Episode 086: 1965-05-05 | Finding Popi’s Camera

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, we hear from Popi as the rainy season begins in Vinh Long. His letter is calm, full of updates from a quiet day — a trip to the range, a short note about mailing gifts, and a few thoughts on the Hong Kong R&R he’s decided not to take. The real excitement in today’s letter, though, comes when he casually mentions picking up something new for himself: a camera. It might not seem like much at first. But for this podcast, for this project, that camera is a big deal. In today’s episode, I tell the story of how I tracked down Popi’s original camera model. What began with a grainy black-and-white photo and a dead end at the family’s digital point-and-shoot eventually turned into a multi-month search through online forums, PX catalog archives, and military issue equipment lists, all of it in pursuit of a single, tangible object: the same kind of camera Popi once held in his hands while serving in Vietnam. Thanks to a bit of luck (and a surprisingly helpful conversation with ChatGPT), I finally identified it as a Petri 7s, a compact 35mm rangefinder camera from the early 1960s. In this episode, I break down what made the Petri 7s so popular and why it was the perfect tool for a soldier who wanted to capture moments in between missions. What’s Covered: The May 5, 1965 letter from Bill Lowie Reflections on memory, materiality, and archival work A technical deep dive on the Petri 7s camera A personal story of discovery and connection across generations 📷 Featured Photo: A black and white snapshot labeled “The gang,” with Popi and three fellow soldiers standing together in front of water. In his hands: the Petri 7s. 🔔 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 #BillLowie #Petri7s #VintagePhotography #WarLetters #FamilyHistory #OralHistory #MilitaryArchives #DearestSuzie #InheritTheStories #CameraHistory #1965Vietnam