The Allgoods: Vietnam Through the Eyes of Love

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In this letter from May 16, 1971, Dick Allgood—an HH-43 Pedro rescue pilot stationed in Vietnam—writes to his wife Sarah with pure joy after learning he’s going to be a father. He’s on alert, ready to fly into danger at a moment’s notice, but in the quiet moments he’s trying—repeatedly—to place a phone call across the ocean to reach her.

This wasn’t just a slow day in the war. It was a day of effort: coordinating calls, writing letters, and bracing for missions in sweltering heat. Though he had the relief of air conditioning—a rare comfort compared to troops in the jungle—it was because pilots like him had to stay ready to launch without warning to save lives.

At the center of this letter is a line that now means even more: “I just love the thought of being a pop.”

He didn’t say “dad.” And after I was born, I never called him that. I called him Pops. Reading this as his daughter, it hits me harder now. I didn’t know he said that before I was born.

I imagine my mother, alone in San Antonio, probably worried sick—pregnant and counting days—and my father, half a world away, doing everything he could to comfort her. These letters aren’t just a record of love; they’re a lifeline across time.

And we’re just at the beginning. These letters span from April 27, 1971 to April 5, 1972. What you’re hearing now is only a tiny percentage of what’s to come. I’m on this long journey with you—and it’s getting harder, and deeper, with every page.

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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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https://buymeacoffee.com/theallgoodslove

Visit the official website: https://www.theallgoodslove.com

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In this unforgettable letter, Dick writes from Vietnam late at night, his heart overflowing with joy after finally learning the news he’s been hoping for—Sarah is pregnant. The call comes while he’s on duty with the Pedro unit, flying HH-43 helicopters for the Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron. Overwhelmed with love and hope for the future, he imagines Father’s Day cards, their child’s birth, and a life filled with family. He’s miles away from home, but completely present in this moment of pure happiness.

Support the show

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:

https://buymeacoffee.com/theallgoodslove

Visit the official website: https://www.theallgoodslove.com

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Dick writes from Vietnam after a hectic day flying training missions with his Pedro unit—the HH-43 helicopter crews of the Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron. He’s worn out, longing for rest, and desperate to connect with Sarah, having already spent hours trying to reach her by phone. Back home, Sarah is continuing her work as a military nurse, carrying the early secret of her pregnancy—a life-changing moment he has yet to learn. In this letter, Dick reflects on the deep comfort her letters, cards, and books bring him, and the love that binds them across the miles.

Support the show

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:

https://buymeacoffee.com/theallgoodslove

Visit the official website: https://www.theallgoodslove.com

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On May 14, 1971, Dick writes from Vietnam with a letter that is equal parts playful, protective, and tender. He jokes about Sarah’s doctor getting a little too familiar with her “nice boobs,” expresses real concern about her health, and shares his growing emotional fatigue from being apart. Amid R&R planning and confusion over time zones, he reflects on how every day feels like Monday without her. His love is constant, his tone is raw, and this letter reminds us again of the deeply human side of war.

Support the show

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:

https://buymeacoffee.com/theallgoodslove

Visit the official website: https://www.theallgoodslove.com

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In this May 13, 1971 letter, Dick writes from Vietnam with a mixture of relief and longing after receiving a batch of letters from Sarah. He responds to her stories—some we haven’t yet read—which reminds me that a few letters might still be waiting in the stack or possibly lost to time. In typical Dick fashion, his words are unfiltered, affectionate, and sometimes difficult to read as his daughter. But they’re also deeply human.

He reflects on missed mail, delayed surprises, and shares plans for R&R in Hawaii. He talks about desire—his for Sarah, and only Sarah—and how making love with her is what he misses most. These letters continue to paint a picture not just of war and waiting, but of devotion, intimacy, and the deep comfort of knowing someone is on the other end of your words.

Support the show

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:

https://buymeacoffee.com/theallgoodslove

Visit the official website: https://www.theallgoodslove.com

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It’s May 12, 1971, and Dick has just returned to Biên Hòa Air Base after completing jungle survival school in the Philippines. This letter marks a moment of transition: he’s no longer in training, but he hasn’t yet flown any Pedro rescue missions. For now, he’s back on base—and finally receiving Sarah’s letters, numbered 10 through 13.

He calls himself “the travelest son of a bitch on the earth,” jokes about becoming a “warrior” in his freshly altered jungle fatigues, and offers sweet, practical advice about checking their bills back home. But tucked into the humor and logistics is something tender: he’s starting to feel close to her again, now that her words are in his hands.

He also tries to decode something she’s written—“133”—a message scribbled on the back of a card that he doesn’t yet understand. It might mean “I love you,” or something even more personal.

This is a letter about coming home in small ways, even while still far away.

Support the show

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:

https://buymeacoffee.com/theallgoodslove

Visit the official website: https://www.theallgoodslove.com

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It’s May 11, 1971, and Sarah’s letter arrives just after Mother’s Day weekend—a date that feels especially poignant as she quietly suspects she may be pregnant. She hasn’t received confirmation, and Dick still has no idea. None of her recent letters have reached him yet, including the one where she first shared that she missed her period. Still, she can’t help but daydream aloud about baby clothes and what might be coming next.

Meanwhile, his return address now confirms he’s flying HH-43 helicopters with the Pedro rescue team—Detachment 6, 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron—placing him in an increasingly dangerous role that she doesn’t yet fully grasp.

In this letter, Sarah wraps the day’s chores and comforts—laundry, a bacon sandwich, and a visit from Jan—around a deeper undercurrent of hope, love, and uncertainty. A quiet, pivotal moment unfolds… one that only she knows is coming.

Support the show

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:

https://buymeacoffee.com/theallgoodslove

Visit the official website: https://www.theallgoodslove.com

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This is letter number 18, written by my mom, Sarah Allgood, to my dad, Dick, on May 10, 1971.

The more I read these letters, the more I believe they saved them for a reason—not to be shared in the moment, but to be read long after they were gone. Maybe even by me.

Because what they had wasn’t ordinary. It was rare. It was true. And I think they both knew that kind of love deserves to live on.

In this letter, my mom is exhausted after a long day of surgeries and stress, but still finds the space to write to Dick with humor, affection, and—maybe—some life-changing news.

Support the show

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:

https://buymeacoffee.com/theallgoodslove

Visit the official website: https://www.theallgoodslove.com

Send us Fan Mail

In this May 9th letter, Sarah writes late into the night after a long day of cleaning, sorting, and keeping herself busy in his absence. She’s exhausted but thoughtful—asking about stereo equipment for a friend, wondering if she should look into a surgical job closer to Vietnam, and confessing how deeply she misses him. As always, she signs off with love, humor, and a little cartoon to bring a smile across the world.

Website: theallgoodslove.com

Support the show: patreon.com/TheAllgoodsLove

Support the show

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:

https://buymeacoffee.com/theallgoodslove

Visit the official website: https://www.theallgoodslove.com

Send us Fan Mail

On May 9, 1971, Richard finally receives his first letter from Sarah — Number 11. While she’s written many times since he left, this is the only one that’s made it to him so far.

Now back in Vietnam after jungle survival school, Richard shares updates from Saigon with his signature blend of humor and heart: a tour flight, a supper of sauerbrat and onions, and a prediction that he’ll be “farting all night long.”

But what grounds this letter is his love for Sarah. He calls her his “wittle chick-a-dee,” praises her as his greatest love, and signs off as “your lover and husband.”

He may have only one letter in hand, but his devotion is crystal clear.

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Support the story at patreon.com/TheAllgoodsLove

Support the show

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:

https://buymeacoffee.com/theallgoodslove

Visit the official website: https://www.theallgoodslove.com