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"I guess it is a little too early to start counting the days but nevertheless I am certainly looking forward to being home in September." (Letter to parents, 1/3/1970)

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   Dennis Keith Martin
Image of Dennis Keith Martin
Dennis Martin in uniform, with a pack, Vietnam [ca. 1970]
War: Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Branch: Army
Unit: Company A and Company D, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment and 1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division
Service Location: Fort Polk, Louisiana; Oakland, California; Fire Base (FB) Patton, FB Devens, FB Jackson, FB Kontum, Sugar Mill, Cu Chi and Dau Tieng, Vietnam; Cambodia
Rank: Corporal
Place of Birth: IN
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For Corporal Dennis Martin, drafted into the Army in 1968 and serving in an infantry platoon near Cu Chi and Dau Tieng, Vietnam, the letters he exchanged with his family served as a critical way to bridge the distance between them. When he was killed in action on July 11, 1970, the letters received and kept by his family became even more treasured and poignant. His sister, Barbara Martin, donated the collection to the Veterans History Project as a way to ensure that her brother’s voice would endure. Says Martin, "Somehow Denny’s death [has] some meaning if his letters could be a part of history. I wanted others to know how he felt about being in Vietnam."

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 Personal Correspondence
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»Vietnam War: Looking Back, Part 3
 Personal Correspondence (21 items)
Letter to grandparents [Feb. 18, 1969] Letter to grandparents [Dec. 17, 1969] Letter to parents [Dec. 22 1969]
Letter to parents [Jan. 3, 1970] Letter to parents [Jan. 8, 1970] Letter to parents [Jan. 24, 1970]
Letter to parents [Jan. 28, 1970] Letter to parents [Feb. 5, 1970] Letter to parents [Feb. 11, 1970]
Letter to parents [Feb. 20, 1970] Letter to parents [Mar. 6, 1970] Letter to parents [Mar. 11, 1970]
Letter to parents [Mar. 22, 1970] Letter to parents [Apr. 1, 1970] Letter to parents [Apr. 8, 1970]
Letter to parents [Apr. 20, 1970] Letter to parents [May 4, 1970] Letter to parents [May 17, 1970]
Letter to parents [May 23, 1970] Letter to parents [June 9, 1970] Letter to grandparents [June 19, 1970]
  
 
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  The Library of Congress  >> American Folklife Center
  October 26, 2011
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