Episodes
February 29, 1972: A Leap Day
Send us Fan Mail February 29, 1972. Twenty-one days until Dick leaves Vietnam. A leap day. In 1972, it was just another day in the final stretch— a cold, a vaporizer, a restless baby, and letters moving back and forth across the world. But this date would come to carry more weight. For now, they ar…
February 27, 1972: Twenty-Three Days and Counting
Send us Fan Mail February 27, 1972. Twenty-three days until Dick leaves Vietnam. A quiet Sunday at home. Another day closer. There are baby routines, errands, and small decisions—but everything now lives inside the countdown. They’ve done this before. They counted down to Hawaii. They counted down …
February 28, 1972: Into the Last Month
Send us Fan Mail February 28, 1972. Twenty-two days until Dick leaves Vietnam. One more day—and he enters the final month of his tour. At home, it’s a full day—appointments, errands, baby routines, and small purchases that start to shape the life waiting for him. Overseas, it’s quieter. A day on al…
February 25, 1972: Two More Weekends
Send us Fan Mail February 25, 1972. Twenty-five days until Dick leaves Vietnam. Another Friday. Another weekend apart. But after this one, only two more remain. The countdown is no longer abstract. It’s measured in weekends now. In routines. In nights spent alone. Two letters. One day. And the spac…
February 26, 1972: Three More Weekends
Send us Fan Mail February 26, 1972. Twenty-four days until Dick leaves Vietnam. Another Saturday. Another weekend apart. Only three more to go. The countdown is tightening now — not just in days, but in weekends, in routines, in real life unfolding on both sides. Two letters. One day. And everythin…
February 23, 1972: Twenty-Seven Days and Counting
Send us Fan Mail February 23, 1972. Twenty-seven days until Dick leaves Vietnam. On the same day, Sarah writes from home with their newborn daughter, and Dick writes from Vietnam—both counting down, both moving toward the same moment. Two letters. One day. The final month continues. Support the sho…
February 24, 1972: Three Weeks From Tonight
Send us Fan Mail February 24, 1972. Twenty-six days until Dick leaves Vietnam. Three weeks from tonight, they believe they will finally be together for good. On this day, Sarah writes from home—managing the baby, the house, the money, and the countdown—while Dick writes from Vietnam, marking anothe…
February 20, 1972: Thirty Days and Dry Cereal
Send us Fan Mail February 20, 1972. Thirty days remain. From Vietnam, Dick writes after a lazy day off alert, wondering if his daughter’s milk troubles came from him and counting down to the moment he boards the “big bird” home. In San Antonio, Sarah spends a slow Sunday with baths, laundry, doctor…
February 21, 1972: Strollers, Smiles, and 29 More Days
Send us Fan Mail February 21, 1972: Strollers, Smiles, and 29 More Days Description February 21, 1972. Twenty-nine days until Dick leaves Vietnam. Thirty until he is home. On opposite sides of the world, Sarah and Dick count down in different ways — one through flight schedules and alert days, the …
February 22, 1972: 48 Years Later
Send us Fan Mail February 22, 1972. Twenty-eight days until Dick leaves Vietnam. On this same date, forty-eight years later, he would take his last breath. But in 1972, this was just another day in the final countdown — ham on rye in Bien Hoa, a new baby formula, a tiny hernia, late-night love note…
February 18, 1972: Big Bird and 32 Days
Send us Fan Mail February 18, 1972. Thirty-two days. From Vietnam, Dick counts alerts, confirms his job with Bill Cobbs, and dreams about boarding the “big bird” home. In San Antonio, Sarah manages bloodwork, BX purchases, baby gear, birthday gatherings, and her very real sexual frustration. The mo…
February 19, 1972: Four More Weekends
Send us Fan Mail February 19, 1972. Four more weekends. From Vietnam, Dick writes after an average alert day. He’s tired of the job. He’s ready for it to be over. He’s thinking about taxes, blenders, and the last weekends of separation. In San Antonio, Sarah spends a slow Saturday with a sleepy, pe…
February 17, 1972: Nine Alerts and Thirty-Three Days
Send a text February 17, 1972. Three letters. One day. From Vietnam, Dick counts down in alert tours — nine remaining. Later that evening, he writes again, tired of slow mail and ready for the day when there are no more letters to write. In San Antonio, Sarah counts down differently — thirty-three …
February 15, 1972: Planning Daddy’s Homecoming
Send a text February 15, 1972. The day after Valentine’s Day. From alert duty in Bien Hoa, Dick writes about studying, planning Miami, and counting the days. From San Antonio, Sarah manages formula changes, vaporizers, laundry, dieting, and a newborn adjusting to the world. An ordinary Tuesday. And…
February 16, 1972: Thirty-Four Days
Send a text February 16, 1972. Thirty-four days remain. From Vietnam, Dick reassures Sarah about loyalty, counts down the days, and looks ahead to Miami and a new life for their family. In San Antonio, Sarah juggles visitors, strict dieting, exhaustion, and a growing concern about their newborn’s w…
February 13–14, 1972: Will You Be My Valentine?
Send a text February 13 and 14, 1972. Valentine’s Day arrives in the final stretch of waiting. Phone calls are planned. Diets are started. Slim-masters are rented. Bank checks are accounted for down to the penny. In these letters, Sarah writes from San Antonio about sore arms, baby formula, flowers…
February 10–12, 1972: In the 30s Now
Send a text February 10, 11, and 12, 1972. They’re “in the 30s now.” The countdown is no longer abstract. It’s measurable. Weekends are counted. Phone calls are planned. Flight dates are fixed. In these letters, Dick writes from Vietnam about briefings, poolside gin and tonics, and the simple ache …
February 7–9, 1972: The Days Are Numbered
Send a text February 7, 8, and 9, 1972. As the countdown tightens, the letters grow more specific. Dates appear. Flights are assigned. The distance becomes measurable. In this episode, three days are grouped together — not to rush the story, but to stay with it. First, Sarah writes from San Antonio…
February 4–6, 1972: Three Days at a Time
Send a text February 4, 5, and 6, 1972. As February moves forward, the pace of the letters increases. Rather than rush through them or skip days, this episode brings together three days at a time — allowing the story to continue with integrity and momentum. First, Sarah writes from San Antonio — na…
February 2, 1972: Another Day Closer
Send a text February 2, 1972. Dick writes from Vietnam after coming off alert, filling an ordinary day with meals, letters, and plans for R&R. Sarah writes from San Antonio, home with their newborn daughter, marking time through feeding schedules, soap operas, exhaustion, humor, and longing. Tw…
February 3, 1972: Off to a Growing Start
Send a text February 3, 1972. Sarah writes from San Antonio with news for Dick — measurements, milestones, visitors, routines, and the early realization that their daughter is already growing fast. Dick writes from Vietnam after a day on alert, sharing small pieces of base life, gossip from home, a…
February 1, 1972: The Last Full Month
Send a text February 1, 1972. The first day of the last full month. Dick is still in Vietnam, flying rescue helicopters. Sarah is home in San Antonio with a newborn daughter. Only one letter today — from Sarah — written in the middle of early motherhood, desire, friendship, worry, and the ordinary …
January 31, 1972: Ten Months In, Another One Knocked Off
Send a text January 31, 1972. The last day of the month. These are the final letters of January. Dick writes from Vietnam after receiving a stack of delayed mail, marking another month off his calendar. Sarah writes from home with a three-week-old baby, marking the same day through routine, weather…
January 30, 1972: Counting Time, Holding On
Send us a text January 30, 1972. Two letters written on a Sunday at the end of a long month. Sarah writes from home with a three-week-old baby, moving through loneliness, humor, exhaustion, money, and desire — marking time as January slips away. Dick writes from Vietnam, filling the hours, watching…