20 September 1967 Letter

I have found that old letters can be a gold mine of information, and a little glimpse into life at that

Paul "Ozzie" Branyan

moment.  They can hold clues and provide missing pieces of a puzzle.  It can put personality to family members gone long ago.

This is a letter written by my maternal uncle to my paternal aunt.  He wrote it on 20 September 1967 from Vietnam and she received it six days later.  I know the date she received it because she wrote that date on the envelope.  A great piece of information to have!

My uncle opened the letter by inquiring how everyone was doing, asking if my dad, who was also in the army, had gotten to take leave yet, and how my aunt liked school.  I imagine my uncle was missing the every day life of home.

My uncle went on to briefly describe his trip to Vietnam on the USS General John Pope and how they stopped in Okinawa just long enough to refuel.  He wrote the letter while they were sitting in a bay in Vietnam, unloading equipment and some men.  He still had to spend a couple more days on the boat to travel up the coast.  He complained about the heat and that it felt like it was getting hotter.

He was looking forward to getting back home the following September, but would die in battle less than three months later.

Paul "Ozzie" Branyan's Memorial Page
Paul "Ozzie" Branyan on the Virtual Vietnam Veterans War Memorial