Smithsonian Magazine - 11.2019

(Joyce) #1
88 SMITHSONIAN.COM | November 2019

own to pass the letters on to, donated
them after reading about a speech Car-
roll gave in Milwaukee.
Carroll then turns to his computer, its
keyboard hidden under a pile of papers,
to play the fi rst audio letters the archive
has received. He’s still working his way
through the more than 50 hours of re-
cordings that George Patton IV’s son Ben
shared. He presses play on a sound fi le
from July 17, 1969, the day Patton arrived
in Lai Khê, Vietnam, to begin his third
and fi nal tour in country. Through the
static and constant interruptions, Pat-
ton narrates his experiences for his wife,
Joanne, who responds with stories of

family and friends. Over the months of
recordings, Patton is, by turns, effi cient
and refl ective, both consummate com-
mander and intimate confi dant.
“I’m coming home after 15 months
in this goddamn place,” he tells Joanne
in one of his fi nal audio letters. It’s well
after dark in Lai Khê on Sunday, March
23, 1970. For once there are no frantic ra-
dio transmissions, no incessant artillery
explosions. He is focused instead on the
logistics of his homecoming: moving the
family to Fort Knox, Kentucky, where
he will be stationed, and buying a new
Cadillac. He yawns, and liquid and ice
slosh in a glass. His voice dips: “I sat in
the chopper today and I just bawled my
goddamn head off ,” he confesses. “I’ll
just never have an experience like this
again....I’m sick of this war a little, but
leaving this unit is tough. That’s all there
is to it. It’s tough. And I can’t describe it
more than that.”

Million Letters
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

HE HAD WRITTEN TO
HIS FATHER ALMOST
EVERY DAY TO TELL
HIM OF FLYING OVER
“THE HUMP” AND
BUZZING THE TAJ
MAHAL.

15 -day HEART OF EUROPE® Circle Tour
featuring Germany, Austria, France,
Italy, Switzerland, Belgium & Holland

CST#2054949-40

Call for a FREE Europe Brochure


March, April & May 2020 departures. 21 meals,
13 nights hotels, air taxes, escort & transportation
in Europe, p.p. dbl. occ. Tour only is $2840.
Ask about air add-ons from your city.
Operated by Image Tours, Inc.


We also have tours to Scandinavia, Spain,
Italy, Britain & Ireland, and more!


ESCAPE WORLD TRAVEL

Mention code SM1119 when you call

From

Includes AIR from NEW YORK (JFK)

Savings of $1000/Couple. Book by 12/11/19

SMITHSONIAN; November 2019; Volume 50, Number 7.
Smithsonian (ISSN 0037-7333) is published monthly (ex-
cept for a January/February issue and a July/August issue)
by Smithsonian Enterprises, 600 Maryland Ave. S.W., Suite
6001, Washington, D.C. 20024. Periodical postage paid at
Washington, D.C. and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: send address changes to Smithsonian
Customer Service, P.O. Box 420300, Palm Coast, FL 32142-


  1. Printed in the USA. Canadian Publication Agreement
    No. 40043911. Canadian return address: Asendia USA, PO
    Box 1051, Fort Erie, ON L2A 6C7.
    We may occasionally publish extra issues. ©Smithsonian
    Institution 2019. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole
    or in part without permission is prohibited. Editorial offices
    are at MRC 513, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, D.C. 20013
    (202-633-6090). Advertising and circulation offices are at
    420 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10170 (212-916-1300).
    Memberships: All subscribers to Smithsonian are mem-
    bers of the Smithsonian Institution. Ninety-nine percent of
    dues is designated for magazine subscriptions.
    Back Issues: To purchase a back issue, please call or email
    James Babcock at 212-916-1323 or [email protected]. Back
    issue price is $7.00 (U.S. funds).
    Mailing Lists: From time to time we make our subscriber
    list available to companies that sell goods and services we
    believe would interest our readers. If you would rather not
    receive this information, please send your current mailing
    label, or an exact copy, to: Smithsonian Customer Service,
    P.O. Box 420300, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0300.
    Subscription Service: Should you wish to change your
    address, or order new subscriptions, you can do so by
    writing Smithsonian Customer Service, P.O. Box 420300,
    Palm Coast, FL 32142-0300, or by calling 1-800-766-2149
    (outside of U.S., call 1-386-246-0470).

Free download pdf