Home in Time for Deer Season

SGT Marvin Dale Miller to his mother, 20 August 1971 — the longest letter in the collection, written with 105 days left in-country. The short-timer's arithmetic, a vivid run of hunting talk that squares with what his lieutenant later said about him, and a full sweep of family news: Judy's new baby boy, Buss's porch, huckleberry pie, and Steve and Evelyn's flight to Maryland.

20 Aug 71

Dear Mom,

I got a letter from you yesterday and I'm glad to hear everyone is doing alright. I'm okay over here. Things don't change much and it gets kind of boring at times but still the days go pretty fast. I got 105 days left. I might come home before that but I can't say for sure. No one seems to know much about anything.

The weather is still pretty good. It still rains just about every day but it doesn't seem too bad. Maybe I'm just getting used to it. The rainy season should be just about over in another three months. I remember it rained in Bien Hoa the first few days I was there when I first got over here.

I hope I make it back in time for deer season. Even if I don't make it for the first day. I hope Rudy got that deer rifle so he'll stop pestering me for mine. What gun does Dan use to get them groundhogs with? Some day when he gets 3 or 4 he ought to have a picture taken and send it over. I'd like that pretty much. And I should be getting some scenery pictures of this Fall pretty soon shouldn't I?

Well how's Judy getting along with her new baby? Is he going to have red hair like Julie? Or is it too early to tell. In any case I'm sure she's happy with her little boy.

I'm glad to hear you're getting some berries picked. I would like to have some huckleberry cake and pie when I get back. They don't have that sort of thing over here.

Well I hope Buss can get his porch up without too much trouble. Wish I was around to help him. Shirley will be happy when he gets it done I'm sure of that.

If I ever get a chance to see the finance people again I'll send home a money order so the living room floor can get done. And maybe some of the attic too.

So Steve and Evelyn flew to Maryland. That isn't the first time either of them rode a plane is it?

It's getting kinda dark. It might rain pretty soon.

Well I got a few things to do so I'll get this letter ready to mail. Besides, I've run out of things to say.

Love Marv

Transcription Notes

• Four pages, blue ballpoint; the longest letter in the collection. A faint red "186"-type notation appears at the foot of the last page — an archival/handling mark, not part of the letter.
• "too" is written "to" in "it doesn't seem too bad," consistent with his habitual spelling.
• All text is clearly legible.

Archivist Notes

Short-timer arithmetic — DEROS corroborated: "I got 105 days left. I might come home before that but I can't say for sure." Counting 105 days from 20 August 1971 lands on 3 December 1971, within a day of his recorded DEROS of 2 December 1971 — an independent, in-his-own-hand confirmation of the rotation date (which is properly governed by his DD-214). "I might come home before that" reflects the common practice of early drops; "No one seems to know much about anything" is the short-timer's standard uncertainty.

Arrival routing — Bien Hoa: "I remember it rained in Bien Hoa the first few days I was there when I first got over here." Corroborates the documented in-processing routing (Cam Ranh Bay → Biên Hòa → forward), placing him at the Biên Hòa replacement area in his first days in-country (December 1970).

Hunting — primary source for the Romani testimony: A sustained run of hunting talk — hoping to make it back "in time for deer season," Rudy's deer rifle, "What gun does Dan use to get them groundhogs with," wanting a photo of Dan's groundhogs. This is contemporary, primary-source evidence of the deep hunting background that Lt. Val Romani later identified as the source of Marvin's effectiveness in the field (reading terrain, moving quietly, patience, comfort in low light). Where the Romani anecdote is post-war testimony, this letter shows the same man, mid-tour, with his mind on the Pennsylvania woods and the fall season. See the romani-testimony anecdote and MDM-FAMILY-BACKGROUND (rural Armstrong County, hunting from a young age).

Family news:

• Judy's new baby — Mark: "how's Judy getting along with her new baby? Is he going to have red hair like Julie?… I'm sure she's happy with her little boy." Judy (Marvin's youngest sister) has had a boy — Mark — a second child after his niece Julie (the red-haired one). The pregnancy was foreshadowed in the 22 Mar 71 letter ("you said Judy was going to have another baby already"); this letter documents the birth, by August 1971. Mark is a nephew not yet listed in the family-background table.
• Rudy and the deer rifle: Rudy was Marvin's brother-in-law, married to his sister Carolyn. He had been "pestering" Marvin to borrow his rifle and was getting his own for deer season.
• Buss's porch: Buss (Don Miller, oldest brother) is building a porch; Shirley is his wife. Marvin wishes he were home to help.
• Steve and Evelyn: "Steve and Evelyn flew to Maryland." Steve Kovalchik was the husband of Marvin's sister Evelyn (her married name, "Kovalchik," is his); the couple later divorced (late 1970s, an acrimonious split).
• Home front: huckleberry cake and pie, berries being picked, and home-improvement projects funded by a money order home (living-room floor, the attic) — the same domestic supply line that runs through the letters.

Promotion unmentioned: Marvin had been a Sergeant for about two weeks (date of rank 4 Aug 1971) and does not mention it, true to form.

Cross-references:

• 22 Mar 71 — Judy's pregnancy foreshadowed ("another baby already")
• 24 Aug 71 — next letter, four days later
• romani-testimony anecdote — hunting background and field performance
• DEROS 2 Dec 1971 (per record); "105 days left" corroborates