Dearest Suzie

Episode 005: 1964-10-12 | Jet Fuel and the Delta

October 12th, 2024  |  7 mins 35 secs

1960s war correspondence, 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 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 Lowie recounts his first flight over the lower Mekong Delta, where he experiences the unsettling reality of conducting military operations in a region largely controlled by the Viet Cong. During a three-hour flight, Popi's helicopter stops at a dirt strip to refuel, only to be tasked with transporting a new advisor to a remote outpost surrounded by dense trees. With the constant fear of enemy attack, he reflects on the paradox of relying on fuel transported by civilians who pay "road taxes" to the Viet Cong. This uneasy cooperation, in which the Viet Cong could halt military movements by stopping fuel deliveries, exemplifies the complexities and contradictions U.S. forces faced in Vietnam.

Episode 004: 1964-10-10 | Screwdrivers to Saigon

October 10th, 2024  |  7 mins 1 sec

1960s war correspondence, arvn, asia, 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 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 recounts a challenging day filled with the recovery of a downed Huey helicopter, the long wait under the scorching sun during a formal medal ceremony, and a disturbing injury that reflects the psychological toll of war. I also provide some background on another helicopter.

Accompanied by a photograph of soldiers standing at attention among U.S. state flags, today’s episode offers a glimpse into the daily challenges of military life during the Vietnam War.