Wartime Letters Home: A Search for Jorge

2021-06-11T09:48:28-04:00

The relevance of this letter is arguably disturbing, yet with my right hand on my Bible, I attest to its authenticity. Found among the trove of letters in my mother’s attic, which led me to write “77 Letters, Operation Morale Booster: Vietnam,” this note from Jorge H. Hernandez grabbed my heart and pulled on several heartstrings, compelling me to share his thoughts with you.

The first heartstring echoes a somber tune, perhaps in a similar vein to Don McLean’s American Pie, “So, bye-bye, Miss American Pie, brought my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry…” This metaphor, of course, reflecting the downfall of his birthplace island of Cuba. What once was as beautiful as a pageant contestant, Cuba was now dry and void of freedom and thus void of life.

The second heartstring plays more the patriotic melody of our National Anthem, “O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.” Immediately upon being welcomed to America, Jorge joined the Army to gesture gratitude to the country of hope, prosperity, and the freedom to pursue happiness. I quote his letter below, “I feel it is my duty as a soldier and an American to be fighting for what my country believes… and I believe: for the right of FREE people to make a better world for all to live.” What is this freedom? Freedom to live one’s life how they see fit as long as they are not hurting someone else. FREEDOM to be educated, FREEDOM to earn an income, FREEDOM to speak your mind, and FREEDOM to worship—among other metrics of liberty.

The third heartstring leads me to a call to action. Just days after the birth of Pierre, his youngest child, Jorge was deployed to Vietnam, serving for the 2nd/7th -1st Cavalry Airmobile. He wrote this letter on the 20th of April 1966, and my mother mailed a response just six days later. I have reasons to believe he received her letter but did not survive much longer after that. If this were indeed some of the last thoughts written by a husband/father, it belongs to them: his wife and children: Jeanette, Jorge Jr., and Pierre. By the grace of God and your help, maybe we can circulate this blog and have this search find its way to Jorge’s family. I would love to send his original letter home to his family where it belongs. Please share this entire blog (so they know who to reach out to) on your socials. Miracles like this happen enough to believe it is possible to get this letter home to his family where it belongs.

An Khe
April/66

Dear Mrs. Hunter,

I am very sorry I couldn't answer your letter sooner, but we have been swamped going from mission to mission in the field and going through the hardships of an infantry soldier. We are dirty, filthy, and have no water to drink most of the time and are just trying to stay alive one more day. It is dreadful here, but the American people don't know it, but God knows the truth.

I was born in Havana, Cuba, but came to America to seek freedom from government tyranny. I am a regular soldier, so I volunteered to go to Vietnam. I feel it is my duty as a soldier and an American to be here fighting for what my country believes; that all men are created equal and that all mankind deserves to be free and this freedom is the only way to make the world a better world.

We will stop communism here to prove they won't take over the world, little by little, as they say, they will do.

Cuba was once a beautiful island, but the communists took it over, and now it is a place where people who were once free, are no longer free. The communist government feels their people are only bodies with no feelings and no rights because they belong to the party-state. This philosophy is why people escape Cuba by the hundreds every day, seeking a place to live free and be happy again. Additionally, it’s why so many Cubans have come to America, the “land of the FREE” and “home of the BRAVE.” Once they have the opportunity to live again and be happy and work for a new way of life, many of them join in the Army and volunteer for Vietnam to fight and die under the American flag because they are proud to fight for a country that embraces freedom and pursuit of happiness.

I have been in the Army for fourteen years, and I have been to many countries, and there is no place in the world like the GOOD USA, America, the Beautiful… but sadly, Americans don't realize this.

Please tell the students that we read all their letters at the Cambodia border. Although we had to bury them there, they did boost our morale. It is good to know people care for us in the States, so thank you again.

We lost a few boys at the Cambodia border, and our platoon leader and 2nd Lieutenant got hit pretty bad. We head out again on the 23rd to back to Bong Son, where we lost seventeen men last February. The majority of them were Hispanics from Texas; this is where I am from as well. They are all very young, but none of us complain. Live or die; we know we are fighting for a good cause; freedom for mankind. If I live through this war, I can go home proud because I fought for my country, America! I have three children: Jeanette (13), Jorge Jr. (8), and Pierre (5 months)-he was only a few days old when I came here.

Well, thank you again for your letters of support. We appreciate them more than you can imagine. Please say hello to your husband.

Sincerely,
Jorge

Response by Lt Col Charlie Brown made Jun 11 at 2021 9:54 AM

2021-06-11T09:54:53-04:00

Oh wow...I will get this up on FB if I can.

Response by SFC Chuck Martinez made Jun 11 at 2021 12:15 PM

2021-06-11T12:15:55-04:00

Thank you for sharing Susan, as an 18-year-old combat infantryman, I would never tell mom or dad what was happing in Vietnam because I did not want them to worry. My letters were short and simple, I found no pleasure in telling my parents the truth about the war. They did however found that I was not the same young man that left home to go to a war they knew little about. My mom was a very loving and caring mom, may she RIP, my dad on the other hand was angry at me for volunteering to join the Army at 17 years old and volunteering to go to the Nam. There were 18 juveniles that were KIA in Vietnam. 5 were 16 years old, 11 others were 17 years old, and one was only 15 years old who forged his birth certificate., an Afro-American. 13,103 were 18 years old and 8,793 were 19 years old. I just wanted to share this because I was wondering if you knew these numbers. Over 21,000 young men who never had a chance to live life and died in those miserable triple canopy jungles, mountains, and rubber plantations with the heat index always over 100 degrees. It was a hell hole and the bottom line, all died for what??? We did not accomplish a dam thing. In 1995, Vietnam released its official estimate of the war dead as many as two million Vietnamese civilians, 1.1 million North Vietnamese soldiers, and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers, plus our own KIA and MIA about 60,000. What a waste of human lives, this is the reality of the Vietnam war!

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Jun 11 at 2021 2:55 PM

2021-06-11T14:55:53-04:00

Thank you Susan Hunter for posting the background at letter from Jorge to you.
My darling wife was born in Cuba and escaped with the help of her parents at age 14.
Thank you my friend Lt Col Charlie Brown for mentioning me.

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Jun 11 at 2021 4:23 PM

2021-06-11T16:23:37-04:00

wow, gives you goosebumps to read that

Response by 1LT Voyle Smith made Jun 11 at 2021 8:33 PM

2021-06-11T20:33:47-04:00

The letter says the writer is from Cuba but it reads like he could have been in South Texas. Pulls at my heartstrings. God rest his soul and comfort his family.

Response by SPC Jeff Wobrak made Jun 11 at 2021 10:37 PM

2021-06-11T22:37:45-04:00

Wish I could have met this awesome American. Here's to you Jorge with deep respect. I hope your children enjoyed a full rich life. God Bless you sir. I will remember you.
I plan on getting a copy of this letter and posting it everywhere I can. I would like to see it read every Memorial Day, Flag Day, and Veterans Day by our VFW.
It is a shame that what Jorge escaped, an American political party is trying to recreate here.

Response by SPC Jeff Wobrak made Jun 11 at 2021 10:56 PM

2021-06-11T22:56:45-04:00

Susan, thank you so much for this. I have read many battlefield letters from the Civil War to Vietnam and I can't remember another one that has had such an effect on me. I hope the letter finds its way home.

Response by CPL Douglas Chrysler made Jul 12 at 2021 5:29 PM

2021-07-12T17:29:58-04:00

Maybe a copy should be sent to Jane Fonda and public school boards throughout the US.

Response by SGT Thomas Seward made Aug 3 at 2021 6:17 PM

2021-08-03T18:17:10-04:00

For some reason I’ll never understand my wife still has the letters I sent her from boot camp when she was still in high school, from my tour in Germany, from Desert Storm, Honduras (where I also called her using the old MARS shortwave system). Damn I feel old.

Response by 1LT Voyle Smith made Nov 8 at 2021 3:22 AM

2021-11-08T03:22:03-05:00

Ma’am, I also served in the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam, but about a year later than Jorge Hernandez. I’m searching the Internet for Jorge and have found a man who might be the one you seek. Your Jorge would be about 55 years old if he was born in 1966, and this man is that age. His name is Dr Jorge A. Hernandez and he is a pediatrician. I’ll make some additional notes and post an update later. Thank you for your diligence in searching for him. My name is Voyle Gilbert Smith. I’m 80 years old and live with my wife Debra in Boerne Texas. I’ll be back in touch.

Response by LTC David Brown made Nov 8 at 2021 5:21 AM

2021-11-08T05:21:20-05:00

Very poignant, thank you for a share.