Still Hanging in There

SGT Marvin Dale Miller to his mother, 8 September 1971 — five days after the company moved to FSB Jeffries, and a week before his 22nd birthday. News from home (Shirley's letter and photos of the children), the late-summer canning, the kids back to school, and a rare bright spot: a USO show.

8 Sep 71

Dear Mom,

How's everyone back home? I'm still hanging in there. It hasn't been too bad the last few days. The weather has been pretty nice and we haven't done a whole lot. I guess I spoke too soon, it just started to rain.

I guess by now you have most of the things canned you're gonna can. Hope you have a good many pickles canned.

I got a letter from Shirley a few days ago. Along with some pictures of Jimmy and Dean. They sure look cute! I'll bet they get into alot of devilment too.

I guess some of the kids have started school by now. They're all happy to go back I'm sure.

We had a USO show a few days ago. That was a nice change of pace. It's only the second or third I've seen since I've been here.

Well there isn't much to say so I'll close now.

Love Marv

Transcription Notes

• Date / filename: the scan's header reads "8 Sep 71." The source photo was filed as "3sept71," but the first numeral is an 8, not a 3 — this is a distinct letter from the 3 September 1971 letter already in the archive (which describes the move to FSB Jeffreys and the "days keep chugging by"). Two different letters, five days apart.
• Marvin writes "to" for "too" twice and "alot" for "a lot" — both habitual spellings also seen in the 14 Sep 71 letter.
• Blue ballpoint, two pages. All text clearly legible.

Archivist Notes

Family glossary: "Shirley" is the wife of Marvin's oldest brother, Don "Buss" Miller — confirmed by the 14 Sep 71 letter, which pairs them as "Shirley & Buss." "Dean" is a young nephew (per the established family glossary). "Jimmy" appears here for the first time, named alongside Dean in the photos Shirley sent: he is Dean's older brother, another of Marvin's nephews (a son of Buss and Shirley). Both new to the family glossary as a sibling pair.

FSB Jeffries: Written five days after the 3 Sep 71 move to FSB Jeffries. "We haven't done a whole lot" is consistent with the company settling into the new firebase.

Short-timer, birthday a week out: "I'm still hanging in there." Marvin's DEROS was 2 December 1971 — roughly three months away. His 22nd birthday (15 September) was a week off and goes unmentioned, the same understatement seen in the 14 Sep 71 letter written the day before it.

The schools: "I guess some of the kids have started school by now. They're all happy to go back I'm sure." This is set against the Armstrong School District teacher-strike backdrop documented in the 14 Sep 71 letter's note — the second strike began 30 August 1971 as schools were due to open in his home county. Writing from the field, Marvin assumes a normal opening; by the 14th he has heard of the "trouble with the schools." Noted as a light cross-reference, not overplayed.

USO show: A rare morale entry — "It's only the second or third I've seen since I've been here." A useful data point on how infrequently the entertainment circuit reached forward units like Cat Platoon.

Cross-references:

• 3 Sep 71 — previous letter (five days earlier); move to FSB Jeffreys
• 14 Sep 71 — next letter; packages from Mary Ellen and from Shirley & Buss; the cut thumb; "trouble with the schools"