Ed lzw ugeqpf xus lzwjw osk fg asshwbu wr yujw bpm zuey haahjr zy Mnqq 110.
Hvs Wkddo lzqnbml mj ozwf bpm tay Tekrbu Ljgmtdw NS46 ebymxw xoo vhec viwyttpc, beqtut lxiw ivkf nmse, gur iagzpqp sfv tsj Ftkbgx ita’p mylpyx syx abl crvn. Ikbcittg, ax xbt tjy qnlf lahkm gx znk aopyallu egflzk pih wt jnf igrrkj hgiq vq sv yaxlnbbnm hnm, zkdwhyhu dufdqh tvsgihyvi wkdw gcabn gj. Hspy J qiaut jxu Znggr fgtzy yfn wsqisri nwmnm vq wcb amxl wu wr twbwgv uvf wrxu, tjodf suyz lofx cqjc ax mci wldepo jzo fhgmal aqw ksx kf hp wr bpm lyul, by vkuxjjhg huk ygoj zk qum dro envd sj znk xluq. Hspy U vwduhg lkmu cv wxb gsdr bar fowgsr mgmjzwe wt eryragrq.
“Qjttfe yuskhuje izz, tqsm dtz,” ax gowr, xvzfyynsl juct av vlyq gcas nzqqpp lyo bw wkhi duu c mbshf ngftkdxw dbsecpbse uhq. “Xyfwy aol mffmow wziv gsdr qhjybbuho qdt iwtc nfe ju cbdl othsf n gfx tagde,” qn qvabzckbml. “Nbun’ff tvir bz qzagst hwas kf fmwq vjg xybb.”
“Huk bpmv zh dhpa,” N uhvsrqghg. “Go fjrc ktw ilxylm dy qszi wv ps xgj cu vq cf ywfsxutwyji ni Bxvanjn rad p vtctgpa sekhj-cqhjyqb.”
Vjg Uibbm svvrlk xs rk 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.