“Mainly Lover and Possible Daddy” — May 20, 1971
Send us a text In this second letter from May 20, 1971 — his 27th birthday — my dad, Dick, writes from Vietnam late at night, having just finished letters to everyone else. But this one? This one is for my mom. He writes to his “wittle chick-a-dee” and imagines he’s sitting beside her, just talking. He’s flown that day, but all he wants is to stay connected to her through words — and love. He confesses that before he left, he may not have been the most practical husband, but he was focused ...
In this second letter from May 20, 1971 — his 27th birthday — my dad, Dick, writes from Vietnam late at night, having just finished letters to everyone else. But this one? This one is for my mom.
He writes to his “wittle chick-a-dee” and imagines he’s sitting beside her, just talking. He’s flown that day, but all he wants is to stay connected to her through words — and love. He confesses that before he left, he may not have been the most practical husband, but he was focused on being “a good husband and lover — mainly lover and possible daddy.”
The letter is deeply intimate, but not in a grand, performative way. It’s full of little thoughts, gentle honesty, emotional vulnerability, and a longing for closeness. He asks about her money, checks in on her business affairs, and promises to support her even from across the world. And then, in the most tender closing, he asks her to love him, dream of him, and keep him in the center of her life — because that’s where he always keeps her.
Reading it now, as their daughter, I see just how much these words meant. How love this steady, this open-hearted, is a rare kind of legacy. And it’s one I’m so grateful to carry forward — one letter at a time.
The Allgoods: Vietnam Through the Eyes of Love is a personal podcast project based on real letters exchanged between Capt. Richard Allgood and Capt. Sarah Allgood during the Vietnam War. Photos of the original letters, family snapshots, and behind-the-scenes commentary are available for supporters.
Support the show:
Recurring support through Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2489476/support
Join our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/TheAllgoodsLove
Visit the official website: https://www.theallgoodslove.com