Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions on personal use.

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Vietnam War comedic form letter for returning soldiers signed by Jackie Ford, C0385, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased by Lynn Eaton from Read'Em Again Books in May 2019.

Processing Information

Processing completed by Amanda Brent in March 2022. EAD markup completed by Amanda Brent in March 2022.

Historical Information

The Vietnam War, which lasted from 1954 - 1975, was a conflict between the Communist North Vietnam and U.S.-allied South Vietnam. U.S. forces assisted South Vietnam - also known at the Viet Cong - in their effort to fight against North Vietnam. The Vietnam War and its protest indelibly changed the culture of the United States, Vietnam, and the world as a whole. Millions of Vietnamese civilians and soldiers died due to the conflict, and over 58,000 U.S. soldiers died or were lost serving in it. Vietnam re-unified in 1975, ending the war.

Scope and Content

Content Warning: Racist undertones towards Vietnamese people and culture.

Form letter with a comedic tone announcing the return of the undersigned soldier from deployment in Vietnam, created circa late 1960s. The letter, which was originally typewritten and then copied for multiple people to use, describes what the returning soldier in question will need and be used to once back home in the United States. The letter jokes about the soldier behaving as if they were still back in Vietnam or reacting poorly to his family bringing up anecdotes about his life there, such as mentioning dehydrated military food or commenting on the soldier taking a bath in a rainstorm. The letter contains racist undertones towards Vietnamese people and culture. The letter is signed by "Jackie Ford."

Arrangement

This is a single item collection.

Related Material

The Special Collections Research Center holds many other collections, materials, and rare books on the Vietnam War and its protest, including the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Team 58 photograph collection, the General John Ruggles Military Assistance Advisory Group Vietnam photographs, the 'Trapped in a System' pamphlet by Carl Oglesby of Students for a Democratic Society, and the Edwin W. Lynch Vietnam War protest collection.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• United States. Army
• Vietnam War, 1961-1975