War Letters, Past and Present - Part III

"The following letter comes from a website called “War Letters: Rochester Writes Home.” It was written from Vietnam by a man named “John.”


March 4, 1971

Dear “Mom” and Crew,

Yesterday, we medivac’d a pair of young girls for multiple fragmentation wounds of the body. One of them was hit in the legs, abdomen, arms and feet! She was 19. The other girl was about 12 years old and had frag wounds in the head, neck, chest, and abdomen. We got them out of here alive but found out today the younger one died on the operating table. All of us on the team (MAT 56) prayed for her but I guess it was her time. I feel bad because I couldn’t do anything to help her.
The wounds were from a booby trap."
Wordsmith at War