The Prepper Broadcasting Network - Happy Veterans Day: Letter Home from Private 1st Class David Bowman 1968

Episode Date: November 11, 2023

This reading is from a book that every American should own The 50 Greatest Letters from America's Wars.

Private First Class David Bowman, writing home, 1968, Vietnam War. Dear civilians, friends, draft dodgers, etc. In the very near future, the undersigned will once more be in your midst. Dehydrated and demoralized to take his place again as a human being with the well-known forms of freedom and justice for all. dehydrated and demoralized, to take his place again as a human being, with the well-known forms of freedom and justice for all. Engage in life, liberty, and the somewhat delayed pursuit of happiness. In making your joyous preparations to welcome him back into organized society,

you might take certain steps to make allowances for the past 12 months. In other words, he might be a little Asiatic from Vietnamese Isis or overseas Isis and should be handled with care. Don't be alarmed if he is infected with all forms of rare tropical diseases. A little time in the land of the big PX will cure his malady. Therefore, show no alarm if he insists on carrying a weapon to the dinner table, looks around for his steel pot when offered a chair, or wakes you up in the middle of the night for guard duty. Keep cool when he pours gravy on his dessert at dinner,

the dinner of mixed peaches and Seagram's VO. Pretend not to notice if he acts dazed, eats with his fingers instead of silverware, and prefers sea rations to steak. Take it with a smile when he insists on digging up the garden to fill sandbags for the bunker he's building. Be tolerant when he takes his blanket and sheet off the bed and puts them on the floor to sleep on. Abstain from saying anything about powdered eggs, dehydrated potatoes, fried rice, fresh milk, or ice cream. Do not be alarmed if he should jump up from the dinner table

and rush to the garbage can to wash his dish with a toilet brush. After all, this has been his standard. Also, if it should start raining, pay no attention to him if he pulls off his clothes, grabs a bar of soap and a towel, and runs outdoors for a shower. When in his daily conversation he utters such thing as Jin Loy and Choi Loy,

just be patient, and simply leave quickly and calmly if by some chance he utters Diddy, with an irritated look on his face, because it means no less than get the hell out of here. Do not let it shake you up if he picks up the phone and yells, Sky King forward, sir!

Or says, Roger out, for goodbye, or simply shouts, Working! Never ask why the Jones' son held a higher rank than he did, and by no means mention the word, Extend. Pretend not to notice if at a restaurant he calls the waitress Noomboo One Girl

and uses his hat as an ashtray. He'll probably be listening for Homeward Bound to sound off over AFRS. If he does, comfort him, for he is still reminiscing. Be especially watchful when he is in the presence of women, especially a beautiful woman. Above all, keep in mind that beneath that tanned and rugged exterior there is a heart of gold.

The only thing of value he has left. Treat him with kindness, tolerance, and an occasional fifth of good liquor. And you'll be able to rehabilitate that which was once, and now a hollow shell, the happy-go-lucky guy you once knew and loved. Last but not least, send no more mail to the APO. Fill the icebox with beer, get the civvies out of mothballs, fill the car with gas, and get the women and children off the streets because the kid is coming home. Love, Dave. © transcript Emily Beynon