1967 2 19 Walter J. Schnack to Olive Schnack

My father writes from Vietnam to his mother in upstate New York. He mentions operations Attleboro, Cedar Falls, and Junction City in this letter. 

Family names in this letter and their relationship to my father are:

• 'Mom' was Olive Letha Rose Schnack, his mother
• 'Irene' was Irene Orvetta Cole Schnack Speer, his wife
• 'Dad' was Jochim Walter Schnack, his father
• 'Chuck' is Charles Elbert Rose, his cousin
• 'Katie' was Katharine Rose Schnack Jones Gall Hammon, his sister
•  'Eddie' was Edward Alexander Schnack, his brother
• 'Elsie' is Elsie Loraine Smith Knapp Schnack, his sister-in-law
• 'Viv' was Vivian Eleanor Schnack Cope, his sister
• 'Jake' was Walter J. Schnack, himself and author of this letter

19 Feb 1967

Dear Mom,

Well, I guess its time I answered some of your letters.  I know you worry about me and would like me to write more often but time will hardly permit it.  When we get done work and cleaned up, you're ready for sleep right then, but I do have to write Irene and I suppose I could take time, but you know I'm really not a letter writer.

I have 5 letters of yours here and they go back quite a ways; surely I've written you.  We have been on one operation after another since November 4; Attleboro, Cedar Falls and now working Junction City.  I don't go to the field but it makes things twice as busy then because I'm usually operating the base camp end alone.  I'm glad to hear Dad got some skiing in.  From what we hear, there should be plenty of skiing

or didn't you get all the snow and cold the news talks about?

Mom, I'll tell you what I think happened to your letter.  I gave it to Father Du and I think he misplaced it or lost it because every time I ask him, he gets a sad look on his face and acts disgusted, so I really think its him and I know its not the kids.  I may come up with something yet, though.

I got your letter from November out and you say we're right in the middle of the fighting.  We are but all we can do is get mortared, or have mines used against us, or sniped at; not like crawling through the jungle or tunnels.  Tay Ninh is right in the middle of a lot of VC and an ideal place for them because of the jungle all around.  When Chuck gets back, which should be in another month to six-weeks,

he can give you a run down on how it is.  I saw him for about an hour last week.  He's at our base camp temporarily but he's busy and so am I so we don't get to see much of each other.

I hope Katie and hers are OK now.  They sure have a rough road.  I'm ashamed I haven't written Eddie and Elsie yet and thanked them for the good chow.  If you see Eddie, tell him there's still half a pail of peanut butter to go.  Say hello to Viv and all for me.

Well, I'll sign off before I don't have anything left for Irene.

Love to all,
Jake

Personnel in Vietnam had only to write the word "Free" in the upper right hand corner of the envelopes containing their letters to friends and family.  They would give them to the company clerk who would forward them to the 'Army Post Office' (APO) and would then be sent to Travis Air Force Base, near Fairfield, California, where they would then enter the U.S. Postal Service.  The same would occur in reverse for mail going to personnel in Vietnam.