In today’s episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes during a quiet afternoon, though the tone is edged with tension. The Viet Cong have been growing more active, and six helicopters from his platoon were damaged in a recent attack, yet thankfully, no one was hurt. Between missions and radio static, he’s listening to “Country Corner” on AFN and teasing Suzie about her clumsy bleach mishap. As always, the letter ends with love, longing, and a kiss saved just for her.

But much of today’s episode focuses on the second installment of "Fish, Pharmaceuticals, & Phil," a deeply personal narrative outside of Vietnam, told across several episodes this month. This part of the story picks up with Jessica, a woman struggling with mental illness, addiction, and motherhood. When tragedy forces her chaotic home life into the care of extended family, we witness how well-meaning relatives like Tim and Lisa face impossible decisions during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a story about family, survival, and the limits of love, told with empathy, complexity, and unflinching honesty.

What’s Covered:

• The May 7, 1965 letter from Bill Lowie
• A brief glimpse into rising VC activity and Popi’s reflections from standby
• The second installment of Fish, Pharmaceuticals, & Phil, focusing on kinship, foster care, and systemic failure during a crisis

📷 Featured Photo: A paved road running into a rural settlement, lined with wooden huts and power lines, with a mountain in the background — perhaps a scene like one Popi flew over while thinking of home.

🔔 If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe! I’ll be posting new episodes regularly, sharing letters and stories from exactly 60 years ago, as written by my grandfather.

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