I have transcribed all Peter’s letters that I could find.  There are 110 altogether.  The undertaking gave me a glimpse of how historians and biographers piece together a story from primary sources.

If any visitor to this site has any letters from Peter, please send them to me. jackmachen@me.com

Click on a date below to open the letter of that date.  Note: On some browsers, the letter dates below will not display properly. Run your mouse cursor below and click.   

No.     Date      To                                     Subject

1       2/?/69      Mom & Dad          Parris Island (first letter home, tough training, promises to write as much as he can)

2        2/?/69     Mom & Dad          Parris Island (short note, doing OK, info on April 14 graduation)

3        3/1/69     Mom & Dad          Parris Island (demanding training, misses home, family and friends),

4        3/9/69      Henry                    Parris Island (training with bayonets and rifles, promise of presents for little brother, guard duty from 3 to 5 am)

5       3/16/69     Mom & Dad         Parris Island (tense about rifle qualifying, 3 mile run at 4:30 before breakfast, sore muscles, 29 days to go, best platoon)

6       3/__/69      Family                  Parris Island (two weeks to go, qualified as Marksman, heat and sand fleas)

7        4/19/69       Dad                     Camp Lejuene (2 weeks of mess duty, but being treated like a human. Request for money)

8         4/23/69      Family                Camp LeJeune (one more day of mess duty, congrats to Jack for Princeton, thanks to Dad for the letter of fatherly love and pride) `

9        4/30/69     Mom & Dad        Camp Lejeune (quick note to say he’s fine)

10      5/3/69       Dad                       Camp Lejeune (getting ready for classes,  request for a camera)

11      5/20/69     Henry                   Camp Lejeune (encouragement to his younger brother on swimming lessons)

12      5/25/69     Mom & Dad        Camp Lejeune (spit shining boots getting ready for Sea School. Almost quit smoking)

13       6/5/69     Mom & Dad         Camp Lejeune (19 days to go.  Taking salt pills for the heat)

14      6/14/69    Dad                        Camp Lejeune (decision to turn down Sea School and go to Vietnam)

15      6/14/69    Mom                     Camp Lejeune (home soon and plans for Ocean City with Bill Sharp)

16      7/?/69     Mom & Dad          Camp Pendleton (heading for mountain training, California is beautiful, love and thanks to the family)

17      7/??69     Mom & Dad          Camp Pendleton (promoted to PFC, overseas in 10 days and looking forward to it)

18      8/3/69      Mom & Dad          Camp Pendleton (headed soon for Okinawa; confidence to the family that he is well-prepared and re-assurance that he can handle any situation)

19     8/16/69     Family                   Okinawa (likely will be near DMZ, jumped the fence for a wild time in the village, humid as a bucket of syrup)

20     8/17/20     Family                   Okinawa (flights to Da Nang delayed because they get hit coming in, on guard duty, bored and ready to go)

21      8/19/69     Mom & Dad         Da Nang (just arrived, very hot, two weeks of booby trap training coming up)

22      8/26/69      Dad                      Da Nang (in land mine school, growing mustache, bought a Kodak, waiting for mail)

23      8/26/69      Jack                     Da Nang (anxious, no mail in a month, feeling that no one else exists)

24       8/28/69      Dad                     Da Nang (short greeting card, going to Hill 190 next day, going to see Grand Ole Opree)

25      8/28/69      Mom                    Da Nang (hot and humid, no mail, US money no good, saw Grand Ole Opree at USO show)

26       8/28/69      Dad                     Da Nang (begging for help with unpaid bills)

27       9/2/69        Dad                     Hill 124 (sitting in a wet foxhole, naval artillery combing the area, view of the China Sea)

28       9/__/69     Mom & Dad        Vietnam (first patrol and firefight, gun jammed)

29       9/__/69      Family                Vietnam (filling sandbags in the rear, comic books for toilet paper, Hey Joe)

30       9/5/69       Mom                    Hill 124 (still no mail, out on a KT in the night, description of rock apes)

31       9/9/69       Dad                      Hill 124 (flood of mail arrived, need for Kool Aid for the water, description of Da Nang being hit at night, friendly contact with villagers, political opinions on the war, media has failed informing America what’s going on, rice grains taped to letter)

32       9/11/69      Mom                   Hill 124 (thanks for Kool Aid, word of ship out by October, met someone from Towson, being hit every night, NVA drafts between ages of 14 and 33, lots of mail)

33      9/11/69       Jack                    Hill 124 (thanks for Kool Aid, things are getting hot, advice to his brother on how to behave at college)

34      9/__/69      Mom                    Hill 124 (shopping list, request for bourbon)

35       9/14/69      Jack                    Hill 124 (how’s college, description of chieu-hoi, finding hidden rice, night ambush, need for US to stay the course)

36      9/14/69       Mom                   Hill 124 (description of chieu-hoi, enemy night terror tactics, letters to and from other family members)

37       9/15/69       Henry                Hill 124 (thanks for Kool Aid, description of Phantom jet strike on enemy)

38     9/19/69       Mom                    Hill 124 (thanks for the fantastic package, raining in buckets, [missing pages])

39       9/20/69    Mom & Dad         Hill 124 (graphic description of patrol, booby trapped body, difficulty working with S. Vietnamese, unofficial word of getting out soon, thanks for film, send cigarettes)

40     9/23/69     Mom & Dad          Hill 124 (got sick from the water, one month reduced from tour, Namo River operation coming up, caught small shrapnel from grenade, heard Colt game, send 6-12 repellant)

41      9/26/69        Jack                   Hill 124 (supposed to go afloat in a few weeks, Namo River operation tomorrow, send bourbon, complaints that other service branches get alcohol)

42      9/26/69       Dad                     Hill 124 (tomorrow going across Namo River by chopper, full mustache in, a month cut off the tour)

43      9/29/69       Dad                     Hill 190 (back from Namo River operation, description of night patrol on Hill 32, difficulty of working with S. Vietnamese soldiers, hacking in the bush every day but morale is high)

44      9/30/69      Mom                    Hill 190 (counting the days to go on ship, things not well, down from 43 to 35 men, problems with ARVON, day off and hot chow, living for letters from home)

45       9/30/69     Jack                     Hill 190 (thanks for the letters and Kool Aid, advice for his brother on girls, best wishes for a successful life)

46      9/30/69      Jack                     Hill 190 (ran NVA out of Hyoun Pass with artillery and air strikes, lost 7 men, Happy Birthday)

47       10/1/69      Mom & Dad       Hill 190 (got letter from Bill, payday, rain)

48      10/3/69     Mom & Dad         Hill 190 (rain, shot and carried wounded VC, captured AK 47, new captain, still in love)

49     10/4/69     Mom & Dad          Hill 190 (not going afloat, going to Namo Bridge, praise from the Captain, feels like he’s grown up, lots of letters to answer)

50     10/5/69      Everyone              Hill 190 (rain, rain, rain, no sleep, Charlie likes to fight wet, [after page 2 missing]) busted camera, built clubhouse from ammo boxes, fire set off ammo, going to Namo Bridge, reminiscing of past comforts, signed up for college equivalency, hoping rain stops)

51     10/7/69      Mom & Dad         Da Nang Hospital (lymph infection, medevaced after passing out on patrol, VC raising Hell, friend Nobels killed, looking for revenge, restless)

52     10/11/69     Mom & Dad        Da Nang Hospital (thanks for packages, feeling better, prescribed 2 weeks of light duty, learned card game Back Alley, making friends, met corpsman from Wyo., go Colts)

53      10/14/69       Jack                  Hill 190 (don’t worry about booze request, letter from Mary Armstrong)

54      10/15/69        Jack                 Hill 190 (overlooking rice paddies, walked back from hospital unarmed, listened to World Series game)

55     10/16/69      Mom                   Hill 190 (out of hospital, TJ and the gun, homesick)

56     10/17/69      Dad                     Hill 190 (comment on World Series, things not that bad, only one killed in Kilo Co., no booby trap deaths, light duty, swelling gone)

57     10/22/69      Mom & Dad       Hill 190 (out on patrol despite light duty order, found swimming hole, Hill 190 hit, saving $ for R&R, lost weight in hospital, fights with Mike Co., shaving cream gag)

58     10/22/69      Jack                     Hill 190 (out in the bush, saving for a car, Elephant Valley coming up, shaving cream gag)

59     10/27/69     Jack                     Hill 190 (two day R&R, Elephant Valley coming up, crabs and messed up feet

60     11/2/69      Mom & Dad        Hill 190 (thanks for package, chance of becoming team gunner, time is a passing fast, on bunker watch)

61      11/3/69        Mom                  Hill 190 (thanks for bourbon balls, got hit hard last night, found large food supply, moving soon to Namo Bridge, made team gunner and carrying 45 side arm, chest deep in rice paddies, X-mas list for others)

62      11/4/69      Mom & Dad        Hill 190 (enclosing pictures taken while on R&R)

63      11/6/69      Mom & Dad        Hill 190 (going on 3-4 day operation, send garbage bags to keep feet dry)

64     11/10/69      Mom & Dad       Hill 190 (back from operation, full and graphic description of sniper fire and hitting back, booby traps, pungie pits, rockets, examining bodies of enemy dead, steaks and beer on return, 3 nights of ambushes coming up then back, send film)

65      11/16/69        Jack                 Hill 190 (brief description of recent operation, hearing of DC demonstrations, saving up for Chevelle)

66       11/17/68      Mom & Dad     Hill 190 (finished Phase II of operation, no casualties, captured food and rockets, Namo Bridge tomorrow, tattoo confession, looking forward to tape recorder, letters from friends at home, complaints about demonstrations,

67        11/?/69       Henry               Namo Bridge (short post card)

68       11/20/69      Mom & Dad     Namo Bridge (finally arrived, decent hootches, misses raw oysters, reading New Testament, may get Polaroid)

69        11/20/69          Dad              Namo Bridge (need help with X-mas presents for family)

70        11/24/69      Mom & Dad    Namo Bridge (got tape recorder, good to hear voices from home, will send tapes, raining hard, USO show coming up, saving money for Chevelle)

71         11/29/69      Mom & Dad   Namo Bridge (thanks for bourbon balls, intelligence reports on Kilo Co. battle accomplishments, cold and rainy, appreciates the good life at home)

72       12/?/69         Family             Namo Bridge (X-mas card with original poem)

73        12/?/69         Jack                Namo Bridge (short letter, may go on operation to Arizona territory, put in for officer training, got Thanksgiving pictures

74       12/?/69      Mom & Dad       Namo Bridge (got pictures of Bill at Colts game, showing copies to Nickson, now team leader, things rougher, taking college equivalency, then maybe OCS)

75        12/3/69       Mom & Dad     Namo Bridge (had a few beers, resentful about third party advice on money matters)

76        12/5/69       Mom & Dad     Namo Bridge (dropped morale due to body bag duty, OCS possibilities)

77         12/?/69          Jack              Namo Bridge (got guitar tape, X-mas will be in spirit only)

78       12/13/69           Dad              Namo Bridge (enclosing Stars & Stripes article about Kilo Co. success)

79        12/20/69      Mom & Dad   Namo Bridge (expects to go back to Hill 124 in a month, misses everyone)

80      12/24/69       Mom & Dad    Namo Bridge (X-mas night will be in bush, very busy, gotten more packages than anyone in platoon)

81       12/27/69     Mom & Dad      Namo Bridge (spent X-mas eve in a drizzling ambush, saw Bob Hope at USO show on X-mas day, pinned down in attack night before, use of calling cards)

82     1/3/69     Mom & Dad            Namo Bridge (thanks for X-mas tapes, description of pacification operation)

83     1/6/70     Mom & Dad           Namo Bridge (leaving Namo in a week, moving to remote area, patriotism running out, lost good buddies)

84     1/8/70     Mom & Dad            Namo Bridge (looking forward to R&R in March, send cigarettes, hard to get to rear, word is they will be in US by April)

85      1/9/70     Mom and Dad        Namo Bridge (upcoming plans, nomad company, then Quam Nam, in the bush until March, very negative feelings about the war)

86      1/13/70          Dad                  In the rear (left Namo, truck accident, bruised with stitches, promoted to Lance Corporal)

87     1/15/70     Mom                      On Operation (tattoo regrets, word of pullout)

88      1/22/70     Mom                     Quang Nam (mail choppered in, helping villagers, soon moving to Ting Son, looking for info on who gets to leave, will visit Adams’ in Tokyo R&R, healed up from accident injury)

89     1/24/70     Mom & Dad          In the Rear (back for college equivalency test, village living is nice, concern over cost of R&R, more inquiries about eligibility for early return)

90     1/27/70     Mom & Dad         Quang Nam (came to aid of 2nd platoon in hand-to-hand combat in Tong Son, little time to write)

91     2/4/70     Mom & Dad            Wa Thon (girl friend, Tet offensive started, money problems)

92      2/7/70      Dad                        On Operation (request for Maryland flag, staying behind in village)

93     2/10/70     Mom & Dad         In the Rear (classes on CAP School, looking forward to getting back in the bush)

94      2/18/70     Mom & Dad         In the Rear (description of CAP school, thinking about college)

95       2/26/70      Mom & Dad       Taung Son (changing company, light action, need info for college admission, heat)

96      3/2/70      Mom & Dad         Taung Son (change of address, working hard with the locals)

97     3/5/70      Jack                        Taung Son (working with 20 man pacification unit, head of weapons)

98      3/9/70     Mom & Dad          Wa Than (moved back, much nicer, looking forward to Tokyo R&R, friendly village, minimal action, description of local food, getting short)

99      3/13/70     Mom & Dad        Wa Than (letter from Gov. Mandel, will call from Tokyo, heard about turmoil in Cambridge, MD)

100      3/27/70      Mom & Dad      Wa Than (back from R&R, light action, wants to come home)

101     4/3/70      Mom & Dad         Wa Than (got the Md. flag, description of time in Japan, home in 12 weeks)

102     4/6/70       Jack                     Wa Than (heard about Naval Intelligence making inquiries back home, time in Japan, V.D., brotherly advice)

103     4/22/70     Mom & Dad        Quang Nam (Nixon’s speech, rice harvest, wants out when tour is up, shopping list)

104     4/23/70     Mom & Dad       Quang Nam (ambush strategy, brother can’t keep mouth shut)

105     4/28/70      Jack                    Quang Nam (compliments to brother on guitar tape, heavy week of fighting, SDS commie commentary)

106      5/3/70     Mom & Dad         ? (Army in Cambodia, presents for Henry, 90 days to go, bad about writing letters lately, enclosed short timer calendar)

107      5/10/70      Jack                   ? (political commentary, why the student protests)

108      6/9/70      Mom & Dad        Elephant Valley (in operations, going with 12 miles of Laotian border, getting too short, thanks for packages)

109     6/14/70     Mom & Dad       ? (not supposed to talk about where he is going, out in first week of August, Mohawk haircut)

110     6/14/70      Henry                 ? (going on operation deep in mountain jungles, 48 days to go)

In October 2012, my cousin and good friend, Woody Bennett, called to tell me that he came across a letter from Peter in response to a letter Woody had written to Peter about participation in college anti-war demonstrations.   I have added it to this collection:

111    11/18/69    Woody Bennett    Near Da Nang.  Thoughts on the war

                                                             and college demonstrations.  Asian

                                                            grass and Hanoi gold.