“Make the Decision to Be Happy — What We Have Is So Rare” May 26, 1971 (4:45 AM)
Send us a text Sarah writes from Lackland Air Force Base at 4:45 in the morning, just off a night shift in the operating room. She’s been selected to assist with a cardiac surgery — one being scrubbed in on by the Surgeon General himself — and it’s clear: she’s not just a nurse, she’s exceptional. But this letter isn’t about accolades. It’s about love, perspective, and presence. In the quiet before sleep, Sarah asks her husband to make a decision — to stay happy. Even in a war zone. Even ...
Sarah writes from Lackland Air Force Base at 4:45 in the morning, just off a night shift in the operating room. She’s been selected to assist with a cardiac surgery — one being scrubbed in on by the Surgeon General himself — and it’s clear: she’s not just a nurse, she’s exceptional.
But this letter isn’t about accolades. It’s about love, perspective, and presence.
In the quiet before sleep, Sarah asks her husband to make a decision — to stay happy. Even in a war zone. Even when it’s hard. She doesn’t say it lightly. It’s a request rooted in devotion, resilience, and a knowing that feels decades ahead of its time.
Long before “mindset” was part of the cultural conversation, she understood the power of choosing joy.
She knew the kind of love they had — real, rare, once-in-a-lifetime love — and she wanted it to carry them both through.
This is not a letter about war.
It’s a letter about choosing to live,
and love,
in spite of it.
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.
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