A Pilot Turns Vietnam Wartime Letters Into A Book

A promise made to a mom at graduation turned into a time capsule of war, grief, humor, and survival. I sat down with author Don Eggspuehler, a former US Marine Corps pilot and Vietnam veteran, to talk about Letters to Mom, a book built from real letters he mailed home week after week, long before email, texts, or video calls existed.  Those pages weren’t written with hindsight or a public audience in mind, which is exactly why they land with such force today.  Doug walked us through flying combat missions out of Nam Phong, Thailand, living in jungle tents, and heading into Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.  He shared what it felt like to run night missions into North Vietnam under total radio silence, and why fear often shows up after the mission, not during it.  We also talked about what happened after he came home: losing friends, feeling bitter, feeling unwelcome, and carrying survivor’s guilt for years, plus the unexpected relief that came from rereading his own words decades later.  If this conversation moves you, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow book lover. What’s one letter, journal, or memory you wish you could preserve before time reshapes it? Send us Fan Mail Support the show 📬 JOIN THE NEWSLETTER The Storyteller Quest is  a weekly letter on writing, publishing, and the business of books. Subscribe, and I'll send you Traditional, Self, or Hybrid? — 11 pages on what each publishing path really costs, plus a 7-question worksheet that tells you which one is yours. Subscribe here.