Combat tours are not all blood and guts.  Some things happen that are worth mentioning, I'll give you an example.  In early December 1968 a couple of  Lieutenants came to see me.  They had a Santa Clause suit and wanted to do something for the troops ( I think Beebe was one of them).  As they had thought up the project, they would carry it out.  We collected enough money to buy two pallets of beer, got undeliverable magazines from the post office, and bought some cigarettes. Unfortunately operational commitments precluded the Santa Flight on Christmas eve but it went shortly thereafter.  Wish that I still had the letters that the squadron received.  They came from unit commanders, Pvts., Sgts., etc.  One that I remember came from a Capt. and he said, " I quit believing in Santa Clause a long time ago, but when I saw him coming down the ramp of one of your helicopters with a case of cold beer under each arm, I believe."   The  rules were that all deliveries had to be made to troops in the field with no more than two beers per Marine.  Didn't want them to get to happy.

Bud Statzer's interesting article on 364's Lieutenants', "Santa Helpers 1968," has a significant and tragic aspect I'd like to share.  That Santa coming down the ramp with a case of beer under each arm was Mike (White Whale) Nickerson who we lost in April on Charlie Ridge.  There were some wonder- ful pictures taken of this caper.  Mike had one set and the only other set I knew of belonged to Don Bosberry who we lost in April in a separate action.  The pictures would be priceless if we could find one of the other sets.