I Was Young At the Time

I WAS YOUNG AT THE TIME.

IT WAS DECEMBER OF 1969.

I HAD SEEN THE DEAD ON TV

AND ENVISIONED ONE OF THEM TO BE ME.

I WAS ON MY WAY TO A LAND THAT I DID NOT KNOW,

REST ASSURED I DIDN'T SEE ANY SNOW.

I IMAGINED JUMPING OUT OF A PLANE,

BUT WHEN IT LANDED WE HEARD AND SAW THE PAIN.

IT WAS HOT, IT WAS HUMID, WE WALKED REAL SLOW,

THERE WERE BODY BAGS ON THE TARMAC, ALL IN ROW.

FRESH FROM A FIREFIGHT THE NIGHT BEFORE,

THEY WERE FROM A FIGHTING UNIT CALLED "RECONDO HARDCORE".

THERE WERE SMALL BAGS AND LARGE BAGS,

THEY WERE GREEN THEY WERE BLACK.

I COULDN'T GET IT OUT OF MY MIND I MIGHT GET ZAPPED.

WE ALL LOADED ON A DUCE AND HALF,

DROVE UP THE ROAD, ONE MILE AND A HALF.

WHEN I GOT OFF THE TRUCK I THOUGHT, "IS THIS IT!"

I WAS MISTAKEN AS I TOOK A SIP.

THE WATER WAS WARM BECAUSE OF THE HEAT,

IT DIDN'T QUENCH MY THIRST, I WAS BEAT.

THEY TOLD US KEEP GOING NO TIME TO REST,

WE'RE YOUNG AND MEAN AND WILL BE PUT TO THE TEST.

OFF TO A FIELD UNIT I WENT WITH SOME OTHERS,

WE WERE CALLED NEWBEES, THOSE MOTHER F_____S.

SOME GOT LUCKY AND WERE ASSIGNED TO THE REAR,

BUT THEY DID THE PAPERWORK FOR THOSE KIA DURING THE YEAR.

MY FIRST ATTACK CAME AT 2 IN THE MORNING, AND LASTED UNTIL DAWN THAT SAME MORNING.

THERE WAS A REGIMENT OF NVA WAITING IN THE TREELINE, MORE THAN 200 TRIED TO PENATRATE OUR BERM LINE.

MORTARS AND ROCKETS ALL OVER THE PLACE,

STORMING THE WIRE THAT WAS IN THEIR FACE.

THE QUAD 50'S BARRELS QUICKLY MELTED DOWN,

  IN A MINUTE OR TWO THEY WERE ON THE GROUND.

THE ENEMY HAD BROKEN THROUGH THE WIRE,

AND HAD SACHEL CHARGES ALL READY TO FIRE.

THEY WENT FOR THE ARTILLERY AND THE CP,

THE AMMO DUMP GOT IT DOWN BY THE TREE.

THEY WENT VERY QUICK THROUGH THE FIRE SUPPORT BASE,

HITTING THEIR TARGETS AT A QUICK PACE.

WHEN DAWN CAME AROUND THE SMOKE WAS CLEARING,

IT WAS VERY QUIET BUT YOU COULD HEAR SOME CHEERING.

WE COUNTERED THE ATTACK WITH THE HELP OF GUNSHIPS,

BUT SUFFERED CASUALTIES JUST AS THEY DID.

THEIR BODIES WERE LAYING ALL OVER THE FIRE ZONE,

WE KILLED 100 NVA, IT WAS ANNOUNCED ON THE PHONE.

WE HAD 10 KILLED IN ACTION; THEY WERE VERY BRAVE,

THEY DIED FOR THE FREEDOM, OF THE HOME OF THE BRAVE.

I WAS YOUNG AT THE TIME I WAS 20 YEARS OLD

I AGED 10 MORE YEARS DOWN IN THAT FOXHOLE.

Copyright 2003, Stephen R Henninger
 

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