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Table of contents What's This?
  • Conditions Governing Access
  • Immediate Source of Acquisition
  • Arrangement
  • Biographical / Historical
  • Preferred Citation
  • Content Description
  • Conditions Governing Use

  • Contributing Institution: Center for American War Letters Archives
    Title: David Huelsmann Vietnam War correspondence
    Identifier/Call Number: 2019.081.w.r
    Physical Description: .25 Linear feet (2 folders)
    Date (inclusive): 1968 April 9 - 1969 June 29
    Abstract: This collection contains 22 correspondence from Corpsman David Huelsmann to his parents during the Vietnam War. Also included is an issue of "the Transit."
    Language of Material: English .
    Container: Vietnam 6
    Container: 6-7
    Container: 1-2

    Conditions Governing Access

    This collection is open for research.

    Immediate Source of Acquisition

    Gift of David A. Huelsmann

    Arrangement

    This collection is arranged in chronological order.

    Biographical / Historical

    Corpsman David Huelsmann, United States Navy was born to Donald and Barbara Sue Huelsmann. He married Kathryn Sefcik in 1961 and divorced in 1980. Huelsmann served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. He was stationed in Chu Lai, with the Mobile Construction Battalion 71 in 1968. He was a lab technician and worked with the Medical Civil Action Platoon.

    Preferred Citation

    [Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], David Huelsmann Vietnam War correspondence (2019.081.w.r), Center for American War Letters Archives, Chapman University, CA.
    For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.

    Content Description

    The collection contains 22 correspondence from Corpsman David Huelsmann, USN to his parents during the Vietnam War. Also included is the October 1968 issue of "the Transit" highlighting the ending of the Naval deployment in Vietnam. One envelope, undated, is also included at the end of the correspondence without an accompanying letter.
    April 9th, 1968: Huelsmann notified his parents that he arrived in Chu Lai the previous night. April 27th, 1968: Huelsmann wrote about his chemistry course and the cautions his camp took from Viet Cong mortar and rocket attacks. April 30th, 1968: He continued on about his chemistry course and mentioned the start of the Medical Civil Action Platoon (Medcap). The letter is torn and some words are missing. May 8th, 1968: the Viet Cong continued with mortar attacks that varied from the mornings and evenings and happened about 10 miles away from Huelsmann's camp. May 9th, 1968: The attacks settled, and the camp sent a detachment of men to Phu Loc which Huelsmann was not a part of. He wrote that it was a dangerous area due to the fighting. He mentioned he has a lot of time off, but his job was busy. He went on an ambulance run to help an electrician who was electrocuted. June 1st, 1968: His time with Medcap sent him to treat villagers, including attending to bullet wounds and "pulling quite a few teeth." From June-August, 1968, it had been quiet for the camp. No mortar attacks happened, so Huelsmann focused on work with Medcap and taking courses. August 17th, 1968: He received word that he may come home in December, but he felt it might have been sooner than that. August 20th, 1968: Intelligence received word there might be an offensive attack soon. Seven men from the detachment to Phu Loc were injured from a surprise attack. September 8th, 1968: Huelsmann traveled to Phu Loc and wrote about the aftermath of the fighting which were the numerous bullet holes in the architecture. Upon returning, camp was still quiet which allowed Huelsmann to work on his chemistry course which was going well for him. Oct 4th, 1968: Some of his party left to the States while a majority remained. He wrote that he'd return home at the end of the month. They were also celebrating the battalion's anniversary, and he attached a copy of the liquor receipt with the correspondence. October 13th, 1968: Huelsmann received word that he would be leaving on the 23rd of October. A year later on June 29th, 1969 Huelsmann wrote to his parents an update letter from an unknown location. He was working as a "lab tech and records corpsman" still with Medcap.
    Also included is an issue of the Transit from October 1968. This was the family gram for U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 71 The headline article read "Advance Party Leave" in regard to Huelsmann's battalion in Chu Lai. This issue included a photograph of Huelsmann.

    Conditions Governing Use

    There are no restrictions on the use of this material except where previously copyrighted material is concerned. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain all permissions.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Vietnam War (1961-1975) -- Vietnam.
    Vietnam War (1961-1975) -- Correspondence
    Newspaper clippings
    United States. -- Navy