Dearest Suzie
The Story of An American Inheritance
Displaying Episode 21 - 30 of 130 in total of Dearest Suzie with the tag “vietnam veteran memoirs”.
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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.
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Episode 098: 1965-05-29 | Knights of the Air
May 29th, 2025 | 6 mins 48 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 29, 1965, from a moment of rare quiet. There’s no mission that day, just rest and reflection—and a bit of flair. The letter comes on what he jokingly calls “sexy paper,” printed with silhouettes of a Huey helicopter and a white knight chess piece. These symbols represent Popi’s unit: the 114th Aviation Company, better known as the Knights of the Air.
Formed in 1963 and stationed at Vinh Long in the Mekong Delta, the 114th was one of the Army’s first helicopter companies to see sustained combat in Vietnam. They set the standard for modern air mobility: flying into hot zones, rescuing the wounded, escorting troops, and providing fire support across some of the most dangerous terrain in the war. After nine years of combat service, the unit was reassigned to Panama, where it continued operations in disaster relief, regional support, and humanitarian aid until its deactivation. Veterans of the 114th stayed connected long after, forming an association that keeps the memory alive through reunions, archival projects, and even a coffee table book—where Popi makes a brief appearance. In many ways, they were the unsung lifelines of the war. They got people in. They got people out. And then they kept flying.
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Episode 097: 1965-05-28 | When You’ve Seen One
May 28th, 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 with a tone that feels heavier, wearier. He opens with warmth, thanking Suzie for pictures of the kids and slipping in a flirtatious remark he quickly retracts. But the letter shifts quickly. He’s just learned that Ed Piper—a man Suzie knew—was killed in a mid-air collision at Quinhon. Popi doesn’t dwell on it, doesn’t dramatize. He just says it plainly, because by now, tragedy is “just about an everyday occurrence over here.” The mission tempo hasn’t slowed. He flew nine hours the day before and will likely fly more tomorrow. Even an upcoming awards ceremony feels hollow—he’s earned his 13th Air Medal, but the recognition doesn’t carry the same weight anymore. “They’re a pain in the neck,” he writes, adding, “when you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.”
Still, there’s a glimmer of hope. Popi’s looking forward to his three days in Saigon and planning to take his seven days of R&R in Nha Trang—a beach town, peaceful and quiet. He doesn’t want more spectacle. He wants rest.
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Episode 096: 1965-05-25 | It Won’t Be Long Now
May 25th, 2025 | 6 mins 9 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 25 with a rare sense of warmth and optimism—thanks, in part, to receiving two letters from Suzie in a single day. He mentions that his brother Jim, a Marine, is being sent to the Dominican Republic for a conflict unfolding at the same time as Vietnam acting as part of the wider Cold War logic that sent American troops around the world. Bill doesn’t linger on it, but the mention highlights just how deeply military service ran through families like his. One brother heading into Southeast Asia. The other into the Caribbean. For them, duty wasn’t just patriotic—it was inherited.
In between updates about long flying days and unit losses, Popi shares one of the more touching gestures we’ve seen: he had two photos of the boys—Billy and Brian—enlarged and framed. He writes with pride about how well they turned out, how much he wishes Suzie could see them. These photos become more than keepsakes; they’re anchors. Objects that carry home into a warzone.
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Episode 095: 1965-05-22 | A White Knight, Not the Snake
May 22nd, 2025 | 7 mins 3 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 about a surreal mission supporting South Vietnamese troops on a disputed island off the coast of Ha Tien. While the island was claimed by both Vietnam and Cambodia, the mission itself felt more like a break than a battle. Back at base, his thoughts turn to home: a surprise gift for Billy, who hasn’t missed a single day of school, and custom-made blue shirts for each of the boys and Suzie. Embroidered with initials and a white knight. Not a snake or a cobra, but a knight: a symbol of pride and care. And years later, those same shirts would reappear—found tucked away in Mema’s trailer, still intact, still meaningful.
This letter invites a reflection on what soldiers choose to bring home—and how those objects come to matter. In war, men like Popi weren’t just fighting. They were shopping, gifting, collecting. The shirts say something not just about the man who bought them, but about the craftsman who made them. About the little economies that bloomed around military bases. And about how, in the middle of a foreign war, a soldier could still act like a tourist, a father, and a man trying to hold onto home.
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Episode 094: 1965-05-20 | Fish, Pharmaceuticals, & Phil, Finale
May 20th, 2025 | 8 mins 22 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 Vinh Long on May 20 after a rare slow day, sharing simple pleasures and family pride. He compliments Billy’s school paper, jokes about toddler haircuts, and eagerly awaits new photos from home. With little news from the field beyond a trip to the range and an upcoming U.S.O. show, Popi admits there’s not much to write—but in that quiet, you can hear the subtle ache of distance, the strain of trying to stay connected with the ordinary world while surrounded by war. His closing remarks are soft, familiar, and full of longing: "I love you all very much and miss you same as always."
This episode also marks the final installment of Fish, Pharmaceuticals, & Phil. In today’s conclusion, Mary and the family’s frustrations reach a boiling point. As the state continues to offer no solutions, they begin looking beyond institutions—to charismatic outsiders and unlikely saviors. Mary’s faith in Dr. Phil becomes a symbol of desperation and parasocial trust, a last-ditch hope that someone—anyone—might care enough to intervene. The story grapples with Strongman fantasies, media exploitation, and what it means when a system fails so completely that even questionable public figures feel like lifelines. In the end, the narrator steps away from the table, but the weight of the family's pain lingers long after the fish is cleared.
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Episode 093: 1965-05-18 | A Quagmire on the Horizon
May 18th, 2025 | 5 mins 51 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 18, sharing a quiet day in Vinh Long marked by a short operation and a long-awaited letter from home. His tone is warm and affectionate, filled with light updates about insurance policies, family visits, and his role as an instrument instructor. Though officially recognized by the Army as an aircraft instructor, he jokes about being “scared to death” of autorotations. It’s a letter that captures the slow tick of time during deployment—no new orders yet, just steady anticipation and the emotional labor of staying connected across distance.
While Popi reflects on training, checks, and missing mail, the world around him is shifting. In May 1965, President Johnson temporarily paused Operation Rolling Thunder in hopes of bringing North Vietnam to the negotiating table. But behind the scenes, diplomatic efforts were unraveling, and military escalation was quietly accelerating. In China, Ho Chi Minh secured support from Mao Zedong—with conditions—and by the end of the month, tens of thousands of Chinese personnel were quietly assisting in the North. Meanwhile, in Washington, a now-famous warning appeared in a memo: if the U.S. went further into Vietnam, it risked stepping into a “quagmire.” That word would echo across decades of history, but in Popi’s letter, the future still feels uncertain and unwritten.
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Episode 092: 1965-05-17 | Fish, Pharmaceuticals, & Phil Pt. 5
May 17th, 2025 | 9 mins 21 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 a much-needed break after several intense flying days. He’s still receiving letters from home and sends updates about camera gear, anniversary gifts, and the lack of desire to ever extend his tour in Vietnam—"not for all the tea in China," as he puts it. Between updates about taxes, slide projectors, and tailoring concerns, he’s clearly trying to hold onto whatever sense of normalcy he can. His tone is light and even playful, but his remark about potential forced extensions quietly nods to the mounting uncertainty of war.
This episode also continues our serialized story, Fish, Pharmaceuticals, & Phil, with Part 5. Today’s section explores the crushing inertia families face when caught in the gears of broken institutions. Despite their best efforts, Tim and Lisa find themselves powerless as Florida’s foster care and child welfare systems shuffle court dates, misplace caseworkers, and leave the most vulnerable children adrift. Kid 1 and Kid 2 struggle deeply, their dreams colliding with harsh realities, while Mary clings to hope in the only way she knows how—by asking for help from Dr. Phil. The story touches on parasocial trust, moral optimism, and the desire to believe someone out there can fix what the state refuses to.