In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Bill writes from a quieter moment in Vietnam, just days after attending memorial services for three fellow soldiers killed in action. One of them was Ray Rupcic, a pilot from Lorain, Ohio, and a member of Popi’s original unit. His death, and the absence of his recovered body, hangs over the letter with a quiet weight.

Amid this grief, Popi describes how the platoon coped — heading into town, drinking Vietnamese beer that “tastes like embalming fluid,” and doing their best to forget the pain for a night. The letter reflects the strange and complicated ways soldiers processed loss, especially in a war that didn’t allow much room for mourning.

Bill also shares the outcome of the operation that cost them those lives: a decisive tactical success with hundreds of Viet Cong killed or captured. But his tone stays subdued. “That doesn’t make up for the men we lost,” he writes. It’s a reminder that victory on paper can feel hollow when measured against the people you never get back.

What’s Covered:

• Memorial services for fallen pilots


• Popi’s reflections on grief and camaraderie


• Tactical success versus personal loss


• Everyday moments of emotional recovery in Vietnam

📷 Featured Photo: A shot from inside the cockpit of a combat helicopter, showing Vietnam below and the rocket systems in the foreground — a view that echoes both the power and the weight of the missions these men flew.

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