In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes on August 6, 1965, just two days before he’s set to return to Vinh Long. His mission up north, “a mess” as he calls it, is finally over, and with less than two months left in Vietnam, his thoughts are turning homeward. He shares a small victory: tired of waiting for supplies, he buys a Vietnamese four-color pen in town. He wonders where Suzie is, whether she’s safely back in Florida, and whether Brian still asks about his “old man.” There’s a tenderness in his questions, a softness that’s only grown stronger the closer he gets to home.
This episode reflects on the quiet space between action and return. Popi writes shorter letters now, saving stories for when he can tell them in person, stories he never ends up sharing. The pen becomes a symbol of that tension: his need to write, his reluctance to relive, and the knowledge that some memories can’t, or shouldn’t, be captured in ink. In the background, war still looms, but for Popi, the countdown has begun, and the ache of distance now carries the shape of home.
What’s Covered:
- Bill’s letter from August 6, written in four different ink colors
- Reflections on the everyday details that mark the end of a long deployment
- The emotional weight of unsent stories and memories left unspoken
- A grandson’s reflection on what gets remembered and what doesn’t
📷 Featured Photo: A street scene in a Vietnamese town. Bicycles, puddles, shop signs, and a barefoot child fill the frame. Perhaps this was the corner where Popi found his pen.
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