You know what might've made this seem more realistic? WWII soldiers had parts of their letters blacked out with marker. Current soldiers have their emails screened. Maybe this guy is trying not to give too many details so that the letter won't get thrown out by the censors.
He gives a lot of battle details, but there isn't much personal stuff. He doesn't talk about his wife or his feelings about her or the war he's fighting. He doesn't ask about anyone back home. The Civil War letters were full of stuff like that.
The addendum does have an air of a general writing to a soldier's family, though.
Author\'s Response: Well, this isn't really a "good show" by me. This was typed for a class, and I decided to just toss it in.Although, about personal details, he had just gotten through a taxing ordeal and he wanted to just talk about things, so that's why I had him a little impersonal.My other stories are more of "my" style, without limitations.