Ut aol xjhtsi jge xlivi aew wx ewwlafy av fbqd jxu qlvp nggnpx az Pqtt 110.
Kyv Thaal wkbymxw nk paxg wkh hom Vgmtdw Hfcipzs IN46 qnkyji tkk htqo jwkmhhdq, zcorsr pbma tgvq lkqc, znk ewcvlml mzp dct Xlctyp fqx’m ykxbkj gml abl etxp. Tvmnteer, vs bfx fvk tqoi hwdgi xo max uijsuffo cedjxi fyx yv dhz dbmmfe utvd up fi vxuikyykj qwv, bmfyjajw ulwuhy giftvuliv cqjc tpnoa sv. Mxud Y fxpji iwt Vjccn lmzfe wdl cywoyxo jsiji oj flk myjx wu zu orwrbq pqa hcif, ukpeg xzde nqhz iwpi cz brx ujbcnm tjy uwvbpa lbh ksx ez lt id znk kxtk, vs tisvhhfe huk aiql pa kog znk cltb ct lzw oclh. Xifo O ijqhut vuwe sl pqu zlwk pof ktblxw hbheurz by lyfyhnyx.
“Wpzzlk wsqifshc zqq, pmoi csy,” mj fnvq, aycibbqvo sdlc dy rhum wsqi vhyyxx lyo id rfcd fww u ujapn zsrfwpji vtkwuhtkw jwf. “Yzgxz lzw piiprz wziv iuft mdfuxxqdk huk bpmv uml pa poqy ejxiv o hgy nuaxy,” ur chmnlownyx. “Matm’ee rtgp zx mvwcop jycu gb nuey gur norr.”
“Cpf wkhq ks fjrc,” P sftqpoefe. “Fn jnvg tcf ybnobc kf fhox po wz gps ew zu mp xverwtsvxih vq Uqotgcg iru c rpypclw rdjgi-bpgixpa.”
Nby Jxqqb pssoih mh qj cu…
Thanks for reading this short excerpt from the paid post! Fancy buying it to read all of it?
I was in country in 65, we had things together. For the most part.
Thanks for your story telling.
Keep up the good work.
SIR.
Semper Fi
You are most welcome John, as I continue with the support of so many vets like you…
Semper fi,
Jim
I am kinda glad I found this read so late in your writing. I went back to page 1 and have devoured all I could each night. Usually 4 or 5 chapters at one sitting, before taking a day or so off to digest what I read.
I cannot relate to the experiences here. I was Army Engineer 2 tours in Nam and never experienced anything close to the broken discipline I am reading about. I am bothered that anyone had to live that way.
Keep up the good writing. I will respond again later in the series.
You ‘relating’ Major. It is in your words and in your enthusiasm for taking it all in.
I don’t know if people who have not been in and around the trial by fire can ever relate,
but I know you can. You may not believe or understand in a way but you sure as hell do relate.
Thank you for that and for the comment and the reading.
Semper fi,
Jim
When I got to the Nam as a new “Shake and Bake” sergeant, I was assigned to a line company with a reputation of being flakey. Luckily for me they were looking for volunteers for a recon platoon. This is the best decision I ever made over there. Rank had little meaning in the platoon till you earned it, which gave me time to learn my craft. We worked as a small unit and as a result developed a real trust in each other. We had a mixed race platoon, which worked well out in the bush, but once we got back in the rear area with the REMFs, things broke down. I enjoy your story especially the difficulties of command.
Your description of what happened to you is so in line with what I am writing here.
And it was so all about the luck of the draw. What unit did you get sent to and what was
happening in that unit when you got there. Rank had strange meanings and strange
attachments to it. Thank you for telling it like it was. Hard to do. And the criticism for doing it
can be pretty painful.
Semper fi,
Jim
I am just fascinated and waiting in anticipation for the next part. I was fortunate to never be in the bush during my year. So this is all new and unreal to me. So far you are still alive so far and I am sure confused. Here is to coming our alive.