57 years after Chicago soldier recorded 8,600-word letter from Vietnam, Smithsonian preserves his voice and the sound of a passing helicopter

In March 1969, Frank A. Kowalczyk recorded an intimate 43-minute audio letter from Vietnam for his mother, sharing vivid family updates and personal experiences from his military service. The tape not only conveyed daily life but also highlighted the stark difference between his existence amidst helicopter sounds in Vietnam and his family back home.