L/Cpl Ronnie Baldwin - Putnam

The following is a letter from L/Cpl Ronnie Baldwin, son of Mrs. Lorene Baldwin who is stationed in Viet Nam but is presently confined to a hospital in Da Nang:  Sept 17, 1966

– Dear Mom and Sis: Our BN is definitely getting the __ ? __?  Kicked out of them up at the DMZ.  I feel kind of bad not being there.  I feel bad being here too though.  I’m back here at NSA Hospital for suspected malaria.  I don’t feel half as bad this time.  Now anyway, when I was up N. at the DMZ, I felt bad for 2 days.  Had a temperature of 108 and was freezing.  I just left there (DMZ) Yesterday and got here last night.  If I do have malaria I won’t have to go out in the field anymore.  Just as I got on the coper yesterday I saw another one get shot down.  I left at 1:00 and we had already been mortared 3 times.  When I got on a plane to come here 6 guys from my Pit were on it. They said right after I left a mortar swound landed right in the gun-pit with them.  I really feel a lot better now.  I just have a headache and small temperature now.  I’m really disgusted with myself for being here.  I wish I was up there with the guys where I belong.  There’s a lot of malaria cases coming from up there.  It’s mostly jungle there.  This is the last of my paper so if Betty and Ed call will you let them know I’m alright.  Love and Miss You All – Ronnie