When It All Gets REAL

[11B CIB]

Mark Twain was one hell of a writer. This was one piece I had not read. Thanks for posting it.

About halfway through I was reminded of the movie "Born on the Fourth of July" for some reason.

The unspoken prayer part?

This scene from Full Metal Jacket, looking at the bodies of Lt. Touchdown and Handjob, sums it up:

"Better you than me."


I don't have the luxury of looking at it from any other way, anymore. There's only one side I can relate to and empathize with....and that's whatever side I'm on, I guess. It really is that simple... Things were NEVER more simple than they were "over there".

 

[SSgt75]

The unspoken prayer part?

This scene from Full Metal Jacket, looking at the bodies of Lt. Touchdown and Handjob, sums it up:

"Better you than me."


I don't have the luxury of looking at it from any other way, anymore. There's only one side I can relate to and empathize with....and that's whatever side I'm on, I guess. It really is that simple... Things were NEVER more simple than they were "over there".

I guess it's hard for civilians to fathom that concept, but you have to just harden up and keep going or you'll go crazy on the spot. Vietnam was different also in that the replacements came in one or two or three at a time. Not like whole units in the current war where you know everyone in your unit and have been with them for a long time. It wasn't unusual for a FNG to show up and not last a week. What really sucked was to do your whole tour of 13 months and then get killed the last week or last day before you flew out the next morning. I've got a friend from High School who is still MIA. He's been declared KIA-BNR, but nobody knows what happened to him. The other five guys in his squad were all found dead in a gully they had gone to search.

As far as things being "simple" we thought they were. We were told all the VC wore black pajamas and straw hats. Hell, EVERYBODY wore black pajamas and straw hats. You couldn't just shoot everybody. Of course a lot of the civilians during the day were VC by night. We had a fragging in the middle of Dogpatch between DaNang and 1st Division on Freedom Hill. A group of Marines standing in the middle of the street watched as a little 3 yr old in diapers came walking up to them, opened his hands and the spoon came off the grenade. Damn VC had used the little kid to kill 2 and wound 4. You can't trust anybody except the guy covering your 6. ISIS is doing the same thing in the ME with kids with bombs strapped to them that they can detonate remotely because they know Americans don't shoot women and children.

I pray and pray and pray that this too shall pass, but not my will be done, Lord -THY will be done.

All Gave Some.....Some Gave All.