19 Mar 91
Kuwait City, Kuwait
Dear Nikki,
Well, the Army finally gave me your first letter today (a Valentine’s card). 
You do ask alot of questions! Even more than your mom.
I heard that you visited my mom. She really liked you, your sisters, and your mom.
At home my favorite hobbies are computers and watching sports (mostly football and boxing), but since I am in the Middle East I don’t have a computer or TV. That means I read alot.
I guess my best friend is your mom.
My favorite color is black, but my favorite color for clothes is blue.
I picked this unit for practical reasons: It was close and they had an opening.
What do I look like? I guess I’m the best looking guy in the world. If you think I’m lying, just ask your mom.
Naw, I’m not afraid. The Iraqis never once scared me. The only time I was scared was driving from Jubail to Kuwait City (and that was only because the soldier who was driving the truck I was riding in was a very poor driver).
I gotta go now. Tell Cathy thank you for signing the Valentine’s card too.
McMurry’s Notes
- Nikki, Cathy and Connie were the daughters of my girlfriend Donna. At the time, Nikki was 8, Cathy was 6 and Connie was 3.
- This letter was originally dated “19 Feb 91”. I suspect it was actually March for three reasons: One, Kuwait was still in Iraqi hands until the end of February. Two, mail was always at least several weeks late; there’s no way a Valentine’s card would have arrived by mid-February. (Indeed, I was I was still getting Gulf mail several months after I returned home.) Finally, three: Keeping track of the passage of weeks and months is very confusing without all the social reference points — ball games, birthdays, etc. — of one’s work-a-day life. This wasn’t the only time I would misdate a letter.
| Letters Main | 19 Mar 91 | 5 Apr 91 |
