Reflective Essay: My First Vietnam War

Where do I start? We have so much catching up to do since the last letter. My time spent fighting with the Union has been filled with chaos. We’ve been hiking through northern Mississippi for three days. The weather has been fairly good to us since the last few weeks were filled with snow. Without our intense training, we would have never made it this far. I remember marching through the ice cold rain and wanting to quit. But I remembered why I was fighting and how I wanted to make my country proud. Our uniforms are often varied due to the limitations of supplies. On the last day of battle I was shot. We won however! Luckily the bullet only grazed my leg. The doctors have made me stay in the infirmary. They think an infection might arise. With the quality of the this place, I’m surprised many of us are still alive. The operation tables are soaked with blood from the other wounded soldiers. The tools aren’t cleaned very often either. I guess I should just be thankful that I don’t need an amputation. Those who do are lucky to be alive. I’m currently out of the infirmary at a new camp in southern Mississippi. I’m also able to walk now. I do have a slight limp though. My dedication to the Union suppresses

Let them know that I’ll be able to see them again soon. Do they ask a lot about me? Tell them I’m doing fine and that the war will be over soon. I’m confident the Union will win this war. We’ve had better luck with food before this camp. The food here isn’t as good as yours. We often eat hardtack and were lucky if we get something else. I’ve gotten used to sleeping on not even a half full stomach. The fatigue is normal now. We do get pork sometimes, but that’s rare. The grease helps soften the hard tack which is nice. I think that’s what I miss the most. Sitting at the table and eating our family. I miss hearing the kids tell me what they did and reading to them before they go to bed. Everyday I feel like I’m missing a