In this compilation episode of Dearest Suzie, we revisit the letters of July 1965—a month of unbearable heat, long missions, and mounting exhaustion as Popi enters the final stretch of his tour. Stationed between Da Nang and Quang Ngai, he writes of 36-hour shifts, bad food, absent mail, and growing uncertainty about where he’ll be sent next. Amid the routine, he dreams of home, R&R, and board games with Suzie, even as a Viet Cong sapper attack and the arrival of the 1st Air Cavalry remind him that nothing is guaranteed.
But July isn’t just about what happened in-country. This episode moves between 1965 and decades later, when a Fourth of July evening in Georgia stirs memories Popi thought he’d left behind. From monkey troubles and heatstroke to reflections on faith and trauma, these letters reveal the quiet toll of war on both sides of the world—and the ways Popi kept loving, writing, and holding on.
🔔 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!