The Days Keep Chugging By

SGT Marvin Dale Miller to his mother, 3 September 1971. The primary source document confirming the move to FSB Jeffreys. Marvin had approximately three months remaining in-country. His birthday — his 22nd — fell twelve days after this letter was written.

3 Sept 71

Dear Mom,

Well here it is September now. The days keep chugging by. I don't like to think about it too much, the time doesn't go as fast then if you're thinking about it all the time. I guess my birthday this month too.

The weather really changed over here. We had it pretty nice for awhile but it really changed about a week ago. That one day it rained so hard I just couldn't believe it. It might be changing again now. Last night was clear and so is today so far.

We moved to another base. It's called Jeffreys. It's not very far from a Vietnamese village.

Well there sure isn't much to write about, but I thought I better write to let you know I'm OK. Hope [crossed out word] everyone is feeling alright back home too. Maybe I'll be able to think of more to write tomorrow.

Love Marv.

P.S. I didn't know if I had any money left or not. So go ahead and use it for the film or anything else you need.

Transcription Notes

• Page 2, line 4: "Hope [crossed out word]" — Marvin wrote a word then crossed it out before writing "everyone is feeling alright." The crossed-out word appears to be "all" or possibly "an." The strikethrough is deliberate.
• "Jeffreys" — Marvin spells the FSB name as "Jeffreys" (with a y). This is the first primary source confirmation of the spelling. WO1 Gabriel A. Jeffries Jr., for whom the base was almost certainly named, has his surname recorded as "Jeffries" on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. The variant spelling is consistent with how FSB names circulated verbally in the field.
• "the film" in the PS — refers to photographic film. He maintained a balance of money that his mother managed on his behalf, and is authorizing her to use it.
• All other text is clearly legible.

Archivist Notes

Date context: September 3, 1971 — this letter is the primary source document establishing the movement timeline entry for that date: "3 Sep 1971 — Moved to FSB Jeffreys, not far from a Vietnamese village." Marvin had approximately three months remaining in-country (DEROS December 2, 1971).

Short-timer psychology: The opening paragraph is the most psychologically revealing passage in any letter in the collection so far. "The days keep chugging by. I don't like to think about it too much, the time doesn't go as fast then if you're thinking about it all the time." This is a precise description of the short-timer's cognitive strategy — deliberately not counting the days, because counting makes the waiting unbearable. A soldier who knows he's close to going home and is managing that awareness carefully.

Birthday: "I guess my birthday this month too" — written with characteristic understatement, almost as an afterthought. SGT Marvin Dale Miller was born September 15, 1949. He turned 22 years old on September 15, 1971, twelve days after writing this letter, while stationed at FSB Jeffreys in Long Khanh Province, Vietnam. He would be home by December 2.

FSB Jeffreys — confirmed and named: This letter is the primary source document establishing that FSB Jeffreys existed and that Delta Company was there on September 3, 1971. The proximity to a Vietnamese village — "It's not very far from a Vietnamese village" — has potential geographic value; FSB locations near villages can sometimes be identified on period maps using village locations as reference points.

Recent promotion: As of September 3, Marvin had been a Sergeant for exactly 30 days (date of rank: August 4, 1971). He does not mention the promotion in this letter.

The PS and the financial arrangement: The postscript reveals the domestic financial arrangement consistent throughout Marvin's tour. He kept approximately $10 per month for personal use and sent the remainder home to his mother, who managed it on his behalf. He writes "I didn't know if I had any money left or not" because he was not managing the balance himself. He explicitly names "film" as the first suggested use — photographic film, consistent with his being an active photographer. His mother was apparently his supply channel, purchasing film with his allotted funds.

Cross-references:

• MDM-LETTER-19710824 — previous letter in sequence (eleven days earlier), contains fuller account of photography logistics
• Unit History: September 3, 1971 — Move to FSB Jeffreys (this letter is the source document)
• Unit History: April 24, 1971 — Huey crash, WO1 Gabriel Jeffries Jr. killed (FSB named in his honor)