Dearest Suzie

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, we reach the final stretch of Popi’s tour. August 1965 was a month of counting days, packing bags, and fighting nerves. Stationed in Da Nang, Popi spent most of the month in limbo, flying only a handful of missions while waiting on official word of his return home. His letters are full of restlessness, doubt, and fatigue, but also humor, tenderness, and hope. He c...

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, I write not just about Popi’s time in Vietnam, but about everything that’s come after. Sixty years after his letters home, I’m the same age he was in 1965 and I took the time to write him a letter of my own, describing my experiences working on this show. This isn’t a scripted history lesson or a dramatic retelling, it’s a conversation across time. I share what li...

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes an undated letter from Vietnam. Charlie, his mischievous monkey, has finally been locked up after stealing candy from a care package. His cage now sits just outside Popi’s hootch, becoming a regular attraction on base. But even this lighthearted story carries weight, about control, comfort, and how we try to make chaos manageable. The letter shifts une...

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes on August 16, 1965. His orders still haven’t come through, but the destination is set: Fort Rucker, Alabama. He’s already packed, ready to ship his belongings, and growing restless as the end of his tour draws closer. Though he isn’t thrilled about the post, he admits there are worse places, and at least they won’t have to move far. He jokes with Suzie...

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes on August 13, 1965, from a villa in Saigon. He’s groggy, hungry, and still waiting on the orders that will send him home. But in between complaints about raunchy coffee and missing breakfast, there’s something else stirring: thoughtfulness. With only weeks left in-country, he’s begun souvenir shopping, jewelry boxes for the grandmothers, cloth for his...

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes on August 9, 1965, just after returning to Vinh Long. It’s his final stop before heading home, and the tone of the letter reflects that shift, lighter, focused, and filled with anticipation. He’s back at his own desk, finally able to write with ease. His first priority? Packing. He describes buying a large trunk in Quang Ngai and quickly realizing it’s...

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes on August 6, 1965, just two days before he’s set to return to Vinh Long. His mission up north, “a mess” as he calls it, is finally over, and with less than two months left in Vietnam, his thoughts are turning homeward. He shares a small victory: tired of waiting for supplies, he buys a Vietnamese four-color pen in town. He wonders where Suzie is, wheth...

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes on August 2, 1965. He’s still stuck in limbo without orders, unsure where to send his letters, New Jersey or Florida, and frustrated by the instability of his temporary base. Writing with a pencil instead of his usual pen, he reflects on how hard it’s been to write while on the move. With less than two months left, he’s counting down the days and think...

In this compilation episode of Dearest Suzie, we revisit the letters of July 1965—a month of unbearable heat, long missions, and mounting exhaustion as Popi enters the final stretch of his tour. Stationed between Da Nang and Quang Ngai, he writes of 36-hour shifts, bad food, absent mail, and growing uncertainty about where he’ll be sent next. Amid the routine, he dreams of home, R&R, and board...

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes on July 24, 1965, during a rare day off. He’s not sure where Suzie is, in Florida or still in New Jersey, so he’s sending his letters home and hoping they find her. There’s still no word on his orders, but he’s hoping to leave Quang Ngai by August 8. The delay matters not just for him, but for Charlie, the monkey he hopes to send home before the weathe...

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes on July 22, 1965. He’s still living out of a duffle bag, waiting for orders, and counting down the days—just 62 left in-country. Suzie’s letter has arrived, and he’s glad to hear she’s enjoying her vacation despite everything. Things have been quiet for the moment but there’s a big operation planned for the next morning. The uncertainty is wearing thin...

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes on July 19, 1965. The Viet Cong have been active, and he’s running on little rest. He’s relieved to hear Suzie is feeling better and jokes about the boys going to Baptist Bible school, a light moment that reflects the mix of his Southern Baptist background and Suzie’s Northern, Catholic roots. With 60 days left, he’s still waiting on official orders, a...

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Bill writes from Quang Ngai on July 13, 1965, reflecting on the grind of daily missions and the long shadow of homecoming. He’s finally received mail and it comes as a massive relief. He’s been worried about Suzie's health and the boys and he’s already thinking ahead to a real vacation together. He still has no official orders and there are rumors about the dissol...

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Bill writes from Quang Ngai on July 8, 1965. He’s recently been relocated and is settling in for what he assumes will be a 30-day extension. Still no mail has arrived, and the heat is nearly unbearable, so intense he nearly collapsed from heat exhaustion. But despite all that, this letter carries a more playful tone. Bill daydreams about sitting on the front porch...

In this extended episode of Dearest Suzie, we take a deep dive into one of the most unsettling intersections of memory, military routine, and moral reckoning. Sparked by a real Stars and Stripes article from August 1965 and shaped by Popi’s letters and postwar reflections, “Shooting an Elephant in Vietnam” uses fiction to get closer to a kind of truth that memory alone can’t always reach. What beg...

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Bill writes on July 6, 1965, after completing a brutal 36-hour stretch of non-stop duty. He’s exhausted, running on fumes, and facing a major disappointment, what should have been a return to Vinh Long has turned into another 30-day extension. Instead of heading home, he’s being sent to Quang Ngai, an even more remote and dangerous assignment. His tone is weary bu...

In this special episode of Dearest Suzie, we turn the page to June 1965—a month that captures the emotional, physical, and moral exhaustion of war. From routine missions to the haunting fallout of Agent Orange and battlefield guilt, June gives us one of the most layered portraits of Popi yet. It’s the month he leaves Vinh Long for Da Nang, starts counting down the final weeks of his tour, and quie...

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Bill writes on July 2, 1965, sharing a short note from Da Nang. He’s still flying missions from dawn until dark, suffering through the relentless heat, and counting the days until he returns to Vinh Long. He mentions a surprise Viet Cong bombing on the airfield and notes that their unit still hasn’t received new orders. This letter frames a different kind of story...

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Bill writes to Suzie on June 30, 1965, from Da Nang, exhausted from a grueling work schedule that has him flying from dawn until after dark. Though short and weary, his letter offers updates on family finances and hints at a possible return to Vinh Long by early July. What stands out most, however, is the contrast between the simplicity of this note and the deeper...

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Bill writes from Da Nang on June 27, 1965, using stationery supplied by the USO, which prompts a reflection on the organization’s unique role in the Vietnam War and beyond. While waiting on maintenance and new orders, he shares his appreciation for the Da Nang USO center, describing it as a welcome break from the intensity of life on base—complete with a library,...

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes from Da Nang on June 24, 1965, after a long, grueling week of missions, including the evacuation of a town and a terrifying mortar attack while refueling. Exhausted but still counting down the days, he mentions finally catching some rest and responds to Suzie’s letter, all while quietly processing the loss of another fellow pilot in Vinh Long. He close...

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes from Da Nang after completing his move north, catching Suzie up on mail, family updates, and a growing sense of fatigue, both physical and emotional. He’s sick with his first cold since arriving in Vietnam but continues flying missions daily due to a shortage of pilots. The letter is full of little domestic concerns, sending a hunting uniform to Al, as...

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes from Da Nang on June 11, 1965, sharing that he’s finally made the move north after his sudden orders. He’s relieved to see familiar faces and to settle—at least for now—into slightly better quarters with hot water and decent food. But even this small reprieve is colored by uncertainty: mail delivery is unpredictable, orders are slow to catch up, and le...

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes on June 7, 1965, with a heart heavy from homesickness. He had called home that morning, only to be met with the sweet but painful plea from his son Brian: “Please come home.” It hit him hard. But there’s no time to dwell—orders came in suddenly: pack up, move out. By tomorrow he’d be heading to Da Nang for a 30-day assignment, his platoon already on th...

In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes on June 5, 1965, from a moment of anticipation—he’s about to go on R&R in Saigon. But even that, he discovers, comes with its own tangle of logistics and disappointment. He’s learned that the free seven-day leave he’d hoped to take in Nha Trang isn’t available unless he leaves the country. Rather than burning precious leave time, he decides to stay...