Vet's Day Memory...

[azskyman]

The sound was deafening. It was just two hooches away. Two, not just one, mortar rounds had just found their way into our compound.

From sound asleep to heart-pounding fear in less than 3 seconds.

Off went all the lights in Camp McDermott. The sirens wailed in the otherwise silent blackness of night.

Grabbing my M-16, throwing on my flack jacket, and planting the helmet squarely on my head, I moved downstairs and out of the barracks.

It was less than 50 yards to Morales' Palace, our otherwise friendly mess hall. Only this time, I knew there would be some casualties. As "casualty reporter" for the battalion, my job was to meet there at the mess hall as any casualties were brought in. I'd assess their injuries and then contact the 21st Signal Brigade with my report.

On this night, two young lads, both barely 20, had been shredded by shrapnel from the sheet metal roof of the building. Not life-threatening, but bleeding a good deal, they were in shock as the medic tended to their wounds.

In the midst of their pain and injury, they joked with one another....how they were pissed off that Charley had screwed up their tape of Credence Clearwater Revival. "He'll pay for this, dammit. He will pay for screwin' up that tape!"

Within minutes, flares were falling gently from the sky outside the perimeter. Gunships were combing the area...and then, with bursts of fire so loud you could hear it inside, the sky lit up with tracers and rounds from Snoopy...the gunship's affectionate name.

Help came soon for those two guys. Night turned into day. And we were all reminded that none of us were truly safe. Vulnerable to the winds of the war machine.

But lo and behold, out of the ashes of that room where the two had been sleeping were heard the sounds of Credence.

Loud and clear as if to proclaim victory.

And we had won a small victory with that music.

1970 was the year. Nha Trang, Vietnam, was the place. A long long time ago. But not so very far away from Baghdad it seems.

Probably some John Mayer playing in Iraq as I post this memory tonight.

Hats off to all vets on this day...and to those who keep the peace today as well.

[streetsoldier]

And a belated Happy 228th Anniversary to all the Marines out there...have a tankard of green beer at Tun Tavern on me!

[azsnowman]

I enlisted in the Navy the year Vietnam was declared over, never saw any action myself other than one of our F-14 Tomcats from VF-45 (squadron) shot down over Lybia in 1978.

My hats off to all the other veterans out there!

Dennis