This collection consists of letters, 1966-1968, written by Stan Skalski to his fiancee Caren Brereton in Philadelphia. The majority of the letters concern Skalski's basic training as a Private First Class for the U.S. Army at Fort Jackson, Georgia and Fort Gordon, Georgia, and later his airborne training at Fort Benning, Georgia and Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Skalski describes various training exercises and his overall acclimation to army life, but also writes at length about personal matters.  He frequently mentions family members and mutual acquaintances in Philadelphia, as well as wedding plans.  The nine months worth of letters written during Skalski's tour in Vietnam describe the activities of his patrol near the Phan Rang Air Base, located in then South Vietnam.  Skalski discusses guard duty on base and encounters with the Viet Cong in the surrounding area. He received two promotions between April and June of 1968, eventually making the rank of sergeant.  In addition to these written correspondences, the collection includes a newspaper clipping from the Screaming Eagle, a publication of the 101st Airborne Division, which mentions the activity of Skalski's patrol; two postcards without writing from Saigon; and a boarding pass for the 8346th Air Division, tactical airlift to Phan Rang. A scrapbook maintained by Skalski contains photographs of his military training, including what appears to be a mock Vietnamese village, as well as service related ephemera and artifacts.