Dearest Suzie
The Story of An American Inheritance
We found 10 episodes of Dearest Suzie with the tag “arvn”.
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Episode 107: 1965-06-27 | The USO: A Home Away From Home
June 27th, 2025 | 9 mins 15 secs
1960s war correspondence, army, army history, arvn, asia, aviation, aviation history, bangkok, civil war, family history podcast, grandfather’s vietnam war letters, helicopter pilot, helicopter pilot war stories, huey, legacy of vietnam veterans, letters from vietnam, military, military history, military history podcast, personal vietnam war archive, pleiku, saigon, vc, veteran stories, viet cong, vietnam veteran memoirs, vietnam war, vietnam war diary, vietnam war letters, vietnam war oral history, vietnam war personal accounts, vietnam war photo archive, vinh long, war, war correspondence
In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Bill writes from Da Nang on June 27, 1965, using stationery supplied by the USO, which prompts a reflection on the organization’s unique role in the Vietnam War and beyond. While waiting on maintenance and new orders, he shares his appreciation for the Da Nang USO center, describing it as a welcome break from the intensity of life on base—complete with a library, café, movies, and pinochle games.
This episode explores the history of the United Service Organizations (USO), from its founding in 1941 to its pivotal role in Vietnam, where its entertainers and volunteers helped bring joy, connection, and comfort to troops stationed thousands of miles from home. We also unpack Popi’s speculation about being reassigned to the new air assault division forming at Fort Benning—what would soon become the legendary 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), led by figures like Hal Moore.
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Episode 106: 1965-06-24 | Oral History Hiccups
June 24th, 2025 | 8 mins 5 secs
1960s war correspondence, army, army history, arvn, asia, aviation, aviation history, bangkok, civil war, family history podcast, grandfather’s vietnam war letters, helicopter pilot, helicopter pilot war stories, huey, legacy of vietnam veterans, letters from vietnam, military, military history, military history podcast, personal vietnam war archive, pleiku, saigon, vc, veteran stories, viet cong, vietnam veteran memoirs, vietnam war, vietnam war diary, vietnam war letters, vietnam war oral history, vietnam war personal accounts, vietnam war photo archive, vinh long, war, war correspondence
In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes from Da Nang on June 24, 1965, after a long, grueling week of missions, including the evacuation of a town and a terrifying mortar attack while refueling. Exhausted but still counting down the days, he mentions finally catching some rest and responds to Suzie’s letter, all while quietly processing the loss of another fellow pilot in Vinh Long. He closes with humor and warmth, teasing her about the absence of photos and joking about missing his brother John’s wedding invitation.
Today’s episode reflects on the nature of oral history itself—how we tell stories, how we remember, and how the truth can shift depending on who’s speaking. The letter prompts a comparison between Popi’s own written account of a botched rocket mission and a decades-later retelling in a veterans’ oral history compilation, Knights Over the Delta. The discrepancy—different year, different name, different blame—reveals just how fragile memory can be. But it also reminds us that even with contradictions, oral history remains a vital and deeply human method of preserving the past.
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Episode 105: 1965-06-16 | Flying Sick in Da Nang
June 16th, 2025 | 6 mins 36 secs
1960s war correspondence, army, army history, arvn, asia, aviation, aviation history, bangkok, civil war, family history podcast, grandfather’s vietnam war letters, helicopter pilot, helicopter pilot war stories, huey, legacy of vietnam veterans, letters from vietnam, military, military history, military history podcast, personal vietnam war archive, pleiku, saigon, vc, veteran stories, viet cong, vietnam veteran memoirs, vietnam war, vietnam war diary, vietnam war letters, vietnam war oral history, vietnam war personal accounts, vietnam war photo archive, vinh long, war, war correspondence
In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes from Da Nang after completing his move north, catching Suzie up on mail, family updates, and a growing sense of fatigue, both physical and emotional. He’s sick with his first cold since arriving in Vietnam but continues flying missions daily due to a shortage of pilots. The letter is full of little domestic concerns, sending a hunting uniform to Al, asking for Bea’s ring size, and teasing Suzie about not sending slides from the camera he mailed her. But behind these day-to-day details is a clear sense of strain. He shares the news that another pilot from Vinh Long has been killed and admits he probably shouldn't have been flying while sick.
Set against the backdrop of Da Nang’s rapid militarization in mid-1965, this letter offers a glimpse into what it was like to be stationed there at a pivotal moment in the war. Just three months earlier, Da Nang became home to the first major deployment of U.S. ground combat troops. The city was transforming quickly: more helicopters, more personnel, more infrastructure, and more danger. Popi’s writing reflects that tension. His tone shifts between playful and heavy, the normal and the extraordinary sitting side by side.
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Episode 104: 1965-06-11 | Shooting an Elephant in Vietnam Pt. 3
June 11th, 2025 | 8 mins 41 secs
1960s war correspondence, army, army history, arvn, asia, aviation, aviation history, bangkok, civil war, family history podcast, grandfather’s vietnam war letters, helicopter pilot, helicopter pilot war stories, huey, legacy of vietnam veterans, letters from vietnam, military, military history, military history podcast, personal vietnam war archive, pleiku, saigon, vc, veteran stories, viet cong, vietnam veteran memoirs, vietnam war, vietnam war diary, vietnam war letters, vietnam war oral history, vietnam war personal accounts, vietnam war photo archive, vinh long, war, war correspondence
In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes from Da Nang on June 11, 1965, sharing that he’s finally made the move north after his sudden orders. He’s relieved to see familiar faces and to settle—at least for now—into slightly better quarters with hot water and decent food. But even this small reprieve is colored by uncertainty: mail delivery is unpredictable, orders are slow to catch up, and leave plans are constantly changing. He signs off with warm wishes for Suzie’s trip to New Jersey, a reminder that family remains his anchor in a world that feels increasingly chaotic.
Alongside Popi’s letter, this episode continues the fictionalized narrative of “Shooting an Elephant in Vietnam,” a creative reflection that blends fact, memory, and moral reckoning. Drawing on the Stars and Stripes article and George Orwell’s famous essay, this story imagines what it felt like for Popi—or any soldier—to confront the strange orders and expectations of a war fought both in the air and in the villages below. Here, we witness a village’s reaction to receiving elephant meat from American soldiers: the laughter, the confusion, the uneasy gratitude. The narrator wrestles with the conflicting roles—liberator, invader, witness—and realizes how America’s insistence on control often left soldiers trapped in a cycle of expectation and futility.
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Episode 103: 1965-06-07 | Shooting an Elephant in Vietnam Pt. 2
June 7th, 2025 | 9 mins 45 secs
1960s war correspondence, army, army history, arvn, asia, aviation, aviation history, bangkok, civil war, family history podcast, grandfather’s vietnam war letters, helicopter pilot, helicopter pilot war stories, huey, legacy of vietnam veterans, letters from vietnam, military, military history, military history podcast, personal vietnam war archive, pleiku, saigon, vc, veteran stories, viet cong, vietnam veteran memoirs, vietnam war, vietnam war diary, vietnam war letters, vietnam war oral history, vietnam war personal accounts, vietnam war photo archive, vinh long, war, war correspondence
In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes on June 7, 1965, with a heart heavy from homesickness. He had called home that morning, only to be met with the sweet but painful plea from his son Brian: “Please come home.” It hit him hard. But there’s no time to dwell—orders came in suddenly: pack up, move out. By tomorrow he’d be heading to Da Nang for a 30-day assignment, his platoon already on the move. Once again, the realities of war cut short any rest, any time for family calls or small plans. Even R&R plans to Nha Trang are scuttled—rules and logistics make it more complicated than expected. So instead, Popi focuses on the promise of a week in Daytona Beach when he gets home, trading one stretch of waiting for another.
This episode also begins the narrative of “Shooting an Elephant in Vietnam,” a piece of creative (non)fiction that explores the unsettling overlap between combat operations and cultural destruction. Drawing inspiration from George Orwell’s famous essay, the story uses a real-life Stars and Stripes article to dig deeper into what it means to be a soldier ordered to kill an elephant suspected of aiding the Viet Cong. In a place where everything felt out of place—from Martha Ray’s USO show to the sight of elephants in a clearing—Popi’s service intersected with moments that blurred the lines between duty and humanity. The piece invites listeners to confront the surreal moments of the Vietnam War that never made the headlines but stayed in the memories of those who lived them.
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Episode 102: 1965-06-05 | Shooting an Elephant in Vietnam Pt. 1
June 5th, 2025 | 5 mins 17 secs
1960s war correspondence, army, army history, arvn, asia, aviation, aviation history, bangkok, civil war, family history podcast, grandfather’s vietnam war letters, helicopter pilot, helicopter pilot war stories, huey, legacy of vietnam veterans, letters from vietnam, military, military history, military history podcast, personal vietnam war archive, pleiku, saigon, vc, veteran stories, viet cong, vietnam veteran memoirs, vietnam war, vietnam war diary, vietnam war letters, vietnam war oral history, vietnam war personal accounts, vietnam war photo archive, vinh long, war, war correspondence
In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes on June 5, 1965, from a moment of anticipation—he’s about to go on R&R in Saigon. But even that, he discovers, comes with its own tangle of logistics and disappointment. He’s learned that the free seven-day leave he’d hoped to take in Nha Trang isn’t available unless he leaves the country. Rather than burning precious leave time, he decides to stay put and promises to save that money for a future trip to Daytona Beach with Suzie and the boys. It’s another small window into the balancing act soldiers performed between downtime and duty, always trying to make the most of both.
Popi’s letter is paired in this episode with a Stars and Stripes article from August 30, 1965, that captures a surreal moment in the Vietnam War: the 114th Aviation Company’s Cobra Platoon—Popi’s unit—shooting an elephant being used by the Viet Cong as a pack animal. The story, complete with helicopter transport of the meat to a local village and the gifting of the tusks to the unit, reads like something out of fiction. Yet it’s real—another piece of the strange, sometimes shocking mosaic of Vietnam. The article’s mention of Popi’s own unit and familiar names like Molinelli and Cosimano ties the story back to his world and ours, offering a connection that bridges the lines between memory, history, and narrative.
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Episode 101: 1965-06-04 | In Search of a Vietnam Hero
June 4th, 2025 | 18 mins 26 secs
1960s war correspondence, army, army history, arvn, asia, aviation, aviation history, bangkok, civil war, family history podcast, grandfather’s vietnam war letters, helicopter pilot, helicopter pilot war stories, huey, legacy of vietnam veterans, letters from vietnam, military, military history, military history podcast, personal vietnam war archive, pleiku, saigon, vc, veteran stories, viet cong, vietnam veteran memoirs, vietnam war, vietnam war diary, vietnam war letters, vietnam war oral history, vietnam war personal accounts, vietnam war photo archive, vinh long, war, war correspondence
In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi’s June 4, 1965, letter is a short but telling glimpse into a week of steady missions and routine hardships. He’s worn out after long days, reflecting on the slow grind of war and the small comforts of home, a letter from Suzie, an update on car payments, and those custom shirts he finally managed to send out. Tucked in this letter is something that bridges Popi’s world with the larger conflict around him: a request for Suzie to track down a copy of Life magazine from May 28, 1965. Inside, on page 23, is a story about Lieutenant Dale Meyerkord, a man Popi called a friend. Meyerkord was killed in action and Popi wanted the article for his keepsakes. It’s a small but meaningful request, one that reveals the impact of loss, the ways soldiers carried each other’s stories, and how those stories became part of the archive of memory they would bring home.
The second half of this episode takes listeners deeper into Meyerkord’s story, an extraordinary tale of service, sacrifice, and humanity amid the chaos of war. We hear about his fearless leadership, his close partnership with his Vietnamese counterpart, and the quiet moments he shared with those around him. Through the words of the Life magazine article, and through Popi’s own memories, we glimpse the human connections that tie soldiers together. And then we step back, asking the hardest questions: How much can we really know a man through the words he left behind? How much can we really know ourselves? In the end, it’s a meditation on memory, connection, and the search for understanding that never truly ends.
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Episode 100: 1965-06-02 | Inheriting More Than Letters
June 2nd, 2025 | 9 mins 14 secs
1960s war correspondence, army, army history, arvn, asia, aviation, aviation history, bangkok, civil war, family history podcast, grandfather’s vietnam war letters, helicopter pilot, helicopter pilot war stories, huey, legacy of vietnam veterans, letters from vietnam, military, military history, military history podcast, personal vietnam war archive, pleiku, saigon, vc, veteran stories, viet cong, vietnam veteran memoirs, vietnam war, vietnam war diary, vietnam war letters, vietnam war oral history, vietnam war personal accounts, vietnam war photo archive, vinh long, war, war correspondence
In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes on June 2, 1965, sounding exhausted after another nine-hour day in the air. His letter is short but full of those familiar, loving updates, details about paying off a used car, finally mailing the shirts he had made for Suzie and the boys, and worrying whether they’ll fit. Yet beneath Popi’s routine worries and warm tone, there’s a deeper legacy at play, one he never wrote about in his letters but that still shapes our lives today: Agent Orange. In 1965, Popi wouldn’t have known the name or the dangers of the chemical. Like most soldiers, he thought of it as a tool to clear the jungle, to make his missions safer. But that chemical contained dioxin, one of the most toxic compounds ever created. Decades later, the true costs became clear: severe health issues for Vietnamese civilians and American veterans alike, and the heartbreaking realization that its effects didn’t stop with them.
This episode explores that invisible inheritance. It’s a story of how a defoliant used to strip away jungle cover has left an imprint in the DNA of families across generations. It’s about the real cost of service, the price paid not just by the soldiers who went, but by their families who bear the legacy. And it’s about the hard questions that come with that knowledge: What else did we inherit from Popi’s time in Vietnam? His kindness? His burdens? His regrets? It’s a reminder that history isn’t just something we study; it’s something we live with, long after the letters have stopped.
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All Episodes, May 1965
June 1st, 2025 | 1 hr 50 mins
1960s war correspondence, army, army history, arvn, asia, aviation, aviation history, bangkok, civil war, family history podcast, grandfather’s vietnam war letters, helicopter pilot, helicopter pilot war stories, huey, legacy of vietnam veterans, letters from vietnam, military, military history, military history podcast, personal vietnam war archive, pleiku, saigon, vc, veteran stories, viet cong, vietnam veteran memoirs, vietnam war, vietnam war diary, vietnam war letters, vietnam war oral history, vietnam war personal accounts, vietnam war photo archive, vinh long, war, war correspondence
In this special episode of Dearest Suzie, we look back on the letters from May 1965—a month marked by long flights, uneventful operations, administrative headaches, and the persistent strain of being far from home. Popi writes often about mail, money, and military logistics: insurance policies, bank balances, and the arrival of his 13th Air Medal. He jokes about being spoiled by Suzie’s steady letters and shares his excitement over new photos of her and Brett.
Across the month, Popi balances light-hearted moments with reminders of war’s constant presence. He reassures Suzie about his safety, shares his quiet frustration with Army bureaucracy, and reflects on the weariness setting in.
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Episode 099: 1965-05-31 | The Parachuting Monkey
May 31st, 2025 | 6 mins 52 secs
1960s war correspondence, army, army history, arvn, asia, aviation, aviation history, bangkok, civil war, family history podcast, grandfather’s vietnam war letters, helicopter pilot, helicopter pilot war stories, huey, legacy of vietnam veterans, letters from vietnam, military, military history, military history podcast, personal vietnam war archive, pleiku, saigon, vc, veteran stories, viet cong, vietnam veteran memoirs, vietnam war, vietnam war diary, vietnam war letters, vietnam war oral history, vietnam war personal accounts, vietnam war photo archive, vinh long, war, war correspondence
In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes on May 31, 1965, during a stretch of unusually quiet days. It’s Memorial Day, and though officially off-duty, the men are restless—itching for something to do. With no missions on the schedule, they head to the range just to kill time. Popi is still waiting on the custom shirts he had made for Suzie and the boys, hoping to get them in the mail soon. It’s a small moment, but it opens the door to a much larger story: the often-overlooked logistics of the Vietnam War, and how those quiet, personal acts—like mailing shirts home—relied on an immense supply chain that kept the war, and the families behind it, connected.
What truly makes this letter unforgettable is its strangest and most delightful detail: Charlie the monkey has officially become “airborne qualified.” Popi describes rigging a parachute onto his pet monkey and dropping him from the airfield tower—an event so popular, it drew a crowd of over two hundred people with cameras in hand. For years, this story floated around the family as a kind of myth, a funny memory that seemed too ridiculous to be real. And yet, tucked in among Popi’s slides was the proof: a blurry photo of Charlie mid-air, parachute deployed. It’s a deeply human moment—silly, pointless, and pure. The kind of story only a 28-year-old soldier with too much time and a monkey could bring to life.