This is Post #13 in the new Series “Going to Afghanistan”.

Air tissue writing paper:

Kabul, Afghanistan
Wed. 1 Oct. ‘58

My Darlings,

Here I am in Kabul!  I was met at the airport by Mr. Snyder, Mr. Swanson, Mr. McGuire and Mr. Sharma.

I’m temporarily housed in the V.I.P. quarters of the Staff House.  The evening meal was good so I think everything will be all right.

Everyone is friendly.  Mr. Swanson’s coming to the airport was an excellent beginning!  I’m quite tired as the days of waiting in Amritsar were strenuous.

Friday is the Muslim Sunday as you know so I hope I’ll then have time to write my Amritsar story to you.

Kabul is just as I anticipated.  All ready I feel at home in the high dry climate with the vivid stars and the crisp night.  In fact the night is so cool with no fire I’ll have to go to bed to get warm.

Wish you were here!  However, we’ll have fun anticipating your coming.

Good night.  All my love,
Fred and Father.

All the dates are of course wrong, but the letter and the 150 Afs. are a nice touch.  The letter is individually typed, but is still just a form letter.

In the upper left hand corner is the (even then) almost ubiquitous logo for the American presence in Afghanistan - the U.S. Shield with the clasped hands of unity and friendship.  It took many a long time to realize that it was substantially borrowed from the AFL-CIO logo.

Afghanistan required a permit if one were to take pictures in the country.  Fred’s was already processed before he got there - through the “Afghan Tourist Organization”.

You can tell by the number how many people were taking photographs of the country then.

[First posted:  2010.03.04 / Thursday - I am in Kabul!]