Episodes
October 22, 1971: My Parents, Their Letters, and Me
Send us a text On October 22, 1971, my parents had been married for one year, two months, and one day — and they were seven months into the pregnancy that would become me. My dad was in Vietnam, still flying missions, and my mom was in San Antonio, feeling her belly move and counting down the days …
October 21, 1971: The Home Stretch Before Home Leave
Send us a text Four weeks left. Sarah is restless in San Antonio, and Dick is marking the same days in Vietnam. Their letters on October 21 are filled with humor, longing, and the easy rhythm of two people who know exactly who they are to each other — husband, wife, lover, soon-to-be parents, and b…
October 20, 1971: Letters Without Fear
Send us a text Six months into their separation, Sarah and Dick’s letters reach a new kind of intimacy — fearless, playful, and full of trust. From tie-dye baby shirts and Mexican lunches in San Antonio to quiet nights on alert in Vietnam, they write with a freedom that only comes from knowing thei…
October 19, 1971: Thirty Wake-Ups and the Longing That Fills the Rain
Send us a text Dick is down to thirty wake-ups in Vietnam, filling his nights with letters, music, and a three-hour tape of The Rolling Stones, Tom Jones, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. In San Antonio, Sarah is still surrounded by rain — cleaning, planning, laughing, and missing him so much she can…
October 18, 1971: Thirty-One Wake-Ups and the Sound of Rain
Send us a text It’s mid-October 1971. Dick is counting thirty-one wake-ups until a short two-week leave home in November — a brief visit before returning to finish his Vietnam tour in the spring. In San Antonio, Sarah spends another gray, rainy Monday balancing dentist visits, friendship, and the s…
October 17, 1971: Eggs Benedict, Rain, and the Countdown Home
Send us a text On a rainy Sunday in San Antonio, Sarah plans Eggs Benedict and champagne for the morning her husband returns home. Across the world in Vietnam, Dick finalizes his leave — November 18 — and counts down the days. Between cookies, letters, and laughter, they dream of the same kitchen t…
October 16, 1971: Rain, Apple Pie, and the Kick That Moved the Paper
Send us a text While rain falls in San Antonio, Dick bakes an apple pie halfway across the world in Vietnam. Sarah stays home, feeling their baby move so strongly it kicks a piece of paper off her belly. Two lives divided by an ocean — connected by love, longing, and the quiet beginnings of a famil…
October 15, 1971: The Morning Letter I Missed
Send us a text Yesterday’s episode shared Sarah’s evening letter — the one where she joked about writing twice in one day. But there really were two letters that day. This is the one I missed — the first one, written that morning, full of errands, laughter, and small comforts that kept her steady w…
October 15, 1971: Letters in Tune Across a War
Send us a text It’s another day of distance — one letter from Vietnam, one from San Antonio — both written on October 15, 1971. He’s counting the weeks until his short trip home. She’s writing twice in one day, reaching acros...
October 14, 1971: Letters in Sync, Even in War
Send us a text Two letters written on the same day — one from a war zone, one from a quiet apartment in Texas. He finally has a date to come home. She doesn’t know it yet. Still, somehow, their words move in step — letters in...
October 13, 1971: Cookies, Cramps, and Counting the Days
Send us a text Three letters travel across the ocean in a single day — two from Sarah in San Antonio, one from Dick in Vietnam. Between them are sleepless nights, parties, laughter, a few cookies, and a love that refuses to l...
October 12, 1971: Cookies, Coke, and Blue Baby Gifts
Send us a text On October 12, 1971, Dick sat in his hooch in Vietnam eating Sarah’s cookies and drinking a Coke while balancing their checkbook and planning for their future. That same day, Sarah was in San Antonio — surrounded by blue baby gifts from her friends, cheering for her Pirates, and writ…
October 11, 1971 — A Scare, a Grape Soda, and Grateful Hearts
Send us a text On October 11, 1971, Dick writes from Da Nang without knowing that Sarah has just spent the night in the hospital. His letter is calm and full of everyday comforts — cooking, saving money, and sipping his wife’s favorite grape soda. Meanwhile, Sarah writes from San Antonio, home agai…
October 10, 1971: Trust, Distance, and the Strength to Tell the Truth
Send us a text While Dick settles into another ordinary day in Vietnam, Sarah faces a medical scare that leaves her hospitalized and alone in San Antonio. Their letters from October 10, 1971 reveal two sides of love and trust—one routine, one terrifying—and the power of telling the truth, even when…
October 9, 1971: Pitza, Lobster, and a Thousand Miles of Love
Send us a text A Saturday apart but perfectly in sync — Sarah eats “pitza” and beer for breakfast in San Antonio, while Dick sips Kahlúa after lobster and steak in Vietnam. Both write of laughter, longing, and the simple pleasures that connect them. One month since Hawaii, their love still feels fr…
October 8, 1971: “I Fly When Mechanisms Fix”
Send us a text In this episode, Dick’s letter from Da Nang brings the war into sharp focus. For once, he sets aside the jokes and daily chatter to describe a standoff with the Air Force — over a damaged rotor blade that could have cost lives. He flew the HH-43 Huskie, a rescue helicopter with lamin…
October 7, 1971: Surprise Calls and Painted Chests
Send us a text On October 7, 1971, Dick writes about a quiet day on base with Verl and Pie, a crowded phone line, and his love for Sarah. Meanwhile, Sarah is on cloud nine after a surprise call from Dick. She dives into painting their baby’s chest, baking cookies, managing finances, and gathering g…
October 6, 1971: Horny Letters and Baby Dreams
Send us a text On October 6, 1971, both Sarah and Dick wrote letters bursting with humor, sexual tension, and dreams of their baby and future together. Dick talks about sending home dice games for Christmas and making plans with Bill Cobbs. Sarah confides her rising libido, her nesting instincts, a…
October 5, 1971: Sexy Sarah, Steady Dick, and the Power of Love
Send us a text On October 5, 1971, Sarah and Dick both write letters that reveal the depth of their love. Sarah, pregnant and glowing in San Antonio, jokes that there should be “200 more Richard Allgoods” — not just in playfulness, but because she knows how rare her husband is and how many women go…
October 4, 1971: Piña Coladas, Fried Rice, and Forever Love
Send us a text On October 4, 1971, Dick writes from Vietnam about piña coladas with Pie, fried rice from their barmaid, and a night that ends with him a little drunk and a lot in love. Support the show The Allgoods: Vietnam T...
October 3, 1971: A Badass Pilot, A Great Cook, and Endless Love
Send us a text Two letters written on the same day — one from a rescue pilot in Vietnam, one from a pregnant wife in San Antonio. Together they reveal a marriage built on courage, humor, and more love than they even realized....
October 2, 1971: Hamburger Steak and Hungry Hearts
Send us a text On this day, Sarah and Dick wrote to each other about love, longing, and even desire — and in a small but striking coincidence, both mentioned eating hamburger steak for dinner. From thousands of miles apart, t...
October 1, 1971: Care Packages, Baby Plans, and Counting Down to Nove…
Send us a text On October 1, 1971, Sarah writes from San Antonio about baby stores, gossip among friends, and longing for Dick, while Dick writes from Vietnam about care packages, flying alerts, and dreaming of home. Both letters capture the rhythm of their separation — small daily details wrapped …
The Allgoods: April–September 1971 Recap — The First Five Months, Thr…
Send us a text In this deeply personal recap episode, I reflect on the first five months of The Allgoods: Vietnam Through the Eyes of Love — April through September 1971. I’ve now created 240 podcast episodes from about 500 letters, and I’m only halfway through the archive. For me, this isn’t just …