18 August 1970

August 18

Dear Happy family,

As I am waiting for the day to end, I will try and write a little note to you.  I guess it is official that I am Senior Advisor in charge of Training Aids and Laboratory.  That means that I supply the equipment that the instructors use in teaching.  I have 7 people working for me, 1 TSgt, 1 SSgt, 1 Sgt, 1 A/C, 2 VN women and 1 VN man.

We have 2 tape laboratories with 60 stations in each where we play tapes while they listen and talk back to the tape.  These 2 labs are operated by the women.  Then we have a supply room where we issue tapes and recorders to instructors for use in their classrooms.  We also issue tests, charts, maps, etc.  My office is in the supply room where the VN man works.  Then I have 2 repair shops where the G.I.'s work.  I am supposed to have 4 more V.N.A.F. men working in the shops and hope to get them in a few days.  We have 40 tape recorders, about 1500 reels of tape and 400 small dictionaries.  I am also part time supply Sgt and misc. other jobs.  My duty hours now are from 7 am to 6 pm but I don't have to be here all day, every day.

My boss is a real fine MSgt but the OIC is a Capt. like the south side of a horse but he only has 60 days to go and the major who will replace him is real great.

I think I'll like things here better than where I was.  It is all on the ground floor where the other was 6 stories high.  They are building a new building here that will be 3 floors.  When it is finished sometime in 1971 they will combine 5 parts of the school here.  It is on the edge of Saigon,near the country and about 3 miles from TSN airfield.

Working longer days should make the time pass faster.  I think I'll be fairly busy, not too much time to sit around on the job.  At least, there is a lot that I can do, if I want to.

I didn't get a letter from you today but I can't complain - I got 3 yesterday.

But the way, when I said check at Sears on a tape recorder, I didn't mean to get one necessarily.  If its going to be too much, I'd rather just forget about that idea and buy a big one that we can all enjoy after I get back.  I don't have a lot of faith in these small ones, even the best ones.

It has been real cool and pleasant all day with a good breeze and no rain.

I got a haircut on my lunch hour today and will I be glad to get a bath.  I think more went down my back than on the floor.

Well, time to go survey my domain (check that everybody is working) so I'll close for now.  I'll send a bunch of hugs and kisses to you all.  Divide them out evenly.

Love,  Daddy