From the Top of the Hill

By Stephen R  Henninger - VN 69-71

 

From the top of the hill we spotted the enemy

Our job was nobody’s envy

We started to count the targets and their equipment

Which our artillery would annihilate in a minute

We made mental notes of our environment

And planned our escape which was our requirement

We radioed in for a “Fire Mission”

And the coordinates followed without remission

We saw the first round hit center but short of the target

And requested an increase of 50 and got it

By this time the targets were scattering for cover

When the second round hit we soon discovered

We made the final call “Fire for effect”

And all hell broke loose too late for regrets

We saw trucks tumbling and flying up in the air

With some of the personnel still in there

We saw men being blown apart in a single shot

One minute there and then not

The artillery came with unending revenge

And continued the damage until the end

This “Fire Mission” seemed like it took forever

But it was only seconds after we endeavored

We high-tailed it out of there pretty quick

Before we were spotted and they return our chip

We annihilated the targets and body count was high

And when I think about it today I could cry

To be put into a position that is them or us that have to die

 

Stephen R. Henninger, Copyright 2005

 

 

Return to Poems Page