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Special Collections Research Center
William & Mary Special Collections Research CenterEarl Gregg Swem Library
400 Landrum Dr
Williamsburg, Virginia
Business Number: 757-221-3090
spcoll@wm.edu
URL: https://libraries.wm.edu/libraries-spaces/special-collections
Finding Aid Authors: Anne T. Johnson.
Administrative Information
Conditions Governing Use:
Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.
Conditions Governing Access:
Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.
Preferred Citation:
Fred Pernert Papers, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary
Acquisition Information:
Purchase.
Processing Information:
Collection was processed by Anne T. Johnson.
Administrative History:
Fred Pernert was in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He lived in Holt, Michigan. His first name might be Maurice.
Scope and Contents
This collection is composed of letters written by Fred Pernert of the U.S. Army to his girlfriend and family while stationed in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Letters discuss his job, the activity within his Division, a USO performance, Viet Cong attacks, deaths of friends and his friendship with a local Vietnamese family. Letters also show his growing feelings for his girlfriend, Connie Sleamon. A photograph album includes pictures of his buddies and shows the activities around his camp, which is a MARS station (Military Affiliate Radio System). The collection also includes a box of 20 insignia pins, 9 uniform stripes and badges, 3 slides, 1 signal mirror in a canvas sleeve, 1 cardboard box with description "dyed canvas case maintenance equipment M16A1 rifle." These artifacts are stored separately.
In one letter, he states that he is part of Americal Div, which includes 11th armored cav, 101st airborne, 11th army, 2nd Army and 196th plus INFBDE which includes HHC, 431, 1st 14, 156th sig, 2nd of the 1st and F troop.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- Correspondence
- Insignia
- Photographs
- Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Container List
First letter, undated, "My mother asks me if I wasn't just a little scared about being so far north in Vietnam. I said 'hell no, I'm sure I'll make it because nothing could keep me from breaking a date with Connie." "…lost all my laundry…being washed in a village…and the vc hit it and burned the place completely to the ground." Bitten by a poisonous spider and takes months to get better. Talks of difficulty of preserving their relationship through letters. "I will say that you are not the only girl I exchange letters with, but be assured of one thing, I look forward to your letters more than any other." Gets tape recorders so they can send tapes to each other. August: "We are about to move into our new Mars Station…mud getting deep…" October 13: "…stupid army did yesterday…notified a guy's wife that he had been killed in action which wasn't true."
November: "Sin…confessed you are much better looking than Mama-son his mother…One thing Mama-son has over you is that she painted her teeth black, which among older people is a very pretty thing to do." December 6: Moving into new modern Mars Village soon. "2 guys died from drinking beer in the village that had acid in it." The sister of the little boy in the village that he likes made Connie a piece of clothing. December 11: Typed copy of instructions on making a "Mars Call" to U.S.A. Makes first call through their Mars Station to his parents. December 22: "On the 26th…I'll be in Saigon to attend another Mars meeting."
February: Mentions that his Mars station is only station that can keep contact in the field and it is his idea that makes it work. He extended his tour of duty. February 3: "We've been hit real hard by the V.C. and have been on red alert until this morning…rocket attack 2 nights ago, wrecked everything including the Mars Station." February 8: "I'm in love with you…I stopped writing the other two girls…" February 15: In Saigon for a Mars meeting. Building a new Mars station. April 17: Moving soon to the DMZ. Talks about extending duty, "some day I won't have the damn army holding my immediate future over my head." May 7: "…located near Con Thien in the DMZ, can't go much further north as we can see N. Vietnam from this hill."
September 1967: "I am running the Mars radio station. MARS or military affiliate radio station is a convenience afforded to military personnel so they are able to call the states at little or no cost."1967 September 5: "I'm getting into radio teletype after all. I guess I am a little of everything, a guard, radio operator, radio teletype operator, carpenter and just plain old infantryman." Comments on the war and how officers don't care about anything but increasing their rank. May 1968: "I did extend until November 6." December: Talks of the Vietnamese family that works at camp.
News article on 523rd Signal Battalion and MARS (Military Affiliate Radio Station).
Bernard Busch of Minneapolis, Minnesota to his grandson, James Busch while stationed in Viet Nam. Family and neighborhood matters. Warns not to use dope because he heard of someone who returned from Viet Nam and they put him in a mental institution. 1970 August 20.
Photographs when stationed in Vietnam. Show his buddies, the camp plus his Vietnam friends. Album has index on first page which generally identifies subjects. Uniform badges and insignia are glued onto a few pages.