This collection consists of letters, 1966-1968, written by U.S. Army Private First Class Stan Skalski to his fiancee Caren Brereton in Philadelphia, as well as biographic material. Earlier letters concern Skalski's basic training at Fort Jackson, Georgia and Fort Gordon, Georgia, and later his airborne training at Fort Benning, Georgia and Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Skalski describes various training exercises and his overall acclimation to army life, but also writes at length about personal matters. He frequently mentions family members and mutual acquaintances in Philadelphia, as well as wedding plans. Letters written during Skalski's service in Vietnam describe the activities of his patrol near the Phan Rang Air Base, located in then South Vietnam. Skalski discusses guard duty on base and encounters with the Viet Cong in the surrounding area. In addition to these written correspondences, the collection also includes biographic material, such as two postcards from Saigon and a boarding pass for the 8346th Air Division, tactical airlift to Phan Rang. A scrapbook maintained by Skalski contains photographs of his military training, including what appears to be a mock Vietnamese village, as well as service related ephemera and artifacts. The collection also includes a newspaper clipping from the Screaming Eagle, a publication of the 101st Airborne Division, which mentions the activity of Skalski's patrol.
