RVN Poetry Page 4

1st Battalion 22nd Infantry

RVN Poetry

by William Hodder

A Company 3/187^th Infantry 101^st ABN DIV

B Company 1/22^nd Infantry 4^th INF DIV

Republic of Vietnam

November 1968 / November 1969

11 BRAVO
LET ME
TAKE YOU
BACK

GRAB A BEER AND LIGHT ONE UP"

CLOSE YOUR EYES

AND WALK THE TRAILS

OR JUST SIT UPON

A SANDBAG,

WHAT'S THAT SILLY

GRIN FOR!

SEE, YOU HAD

SOME GOOD TIMES

OVER THERE,

SOME FRIENDS,

THEY HAVE FORGOTTEN YOU

NOW OPEN UP

YOUR EYES AGAIN,

YOU THOUGHT THAT

I FORGOT YOU...

YOUR BEER IS WARM

YOUR SMOKE IS BURNT,

MAYBE YOU SHOULD

TRY THAT MORE OFTEN...

**********************

I ONLY WRITE THE

SH** I SAW,

MY BOOTS WERE MINE

TO WEAR,

MY FELLOW BROTHERS

HANGIN ON THE WALL,

IF PHOTOS COULD TALK

THEY'D TELL YOU SO,

OF THE HELL WE ENDURED,

WE'D GO TO SLEEP

ALL GREEN AND DRY

AT MORNIN LIGHT

ALL BROWN FROM MUD,

BUGS TOO MANY TO

TALK ABOUT,

AND RATS SMELL LIKE SMALL CATS

SHARED OUR LIVING SPOT.

IT DON'T MEAN NOTHIN NOW

JUST MEMORIES FROM OUR PAST,

AND A GOOD ONE IT WAS.

WE HAD A SAYIN

WAY BACK THEN,

"TAKE TWO SALT TABLETS

AND DRIVE ON"...

**********************

"BEFORE YOU GO - GO"

AS THE BEADS OF SWEAT,

BEGAN TO FORM,

AND RUN DOWN MY FACE

AND NECK,

AS WE WAITED

WITH GREAT

ANTICIPATION

OF THE HORROR

WHICH WAS ABOUT

TO TAKE PLACE

OUR HEARTS WERE A POUNDING,

OUR BREATHING INCREASED,

AND OUR MOUTHS WERE

DRYER THAN DIRT,

AS CHARLIE

APPROACHED

THRU THE BUSH,

THEN A TAP

FROM BEHIND...

HONEY TIME TO GET UP

FOR WORK....

**********************

HELPING HANDS

THE SUN COMES UP ACROSS

THE LAND

FOR MANY ONLY DARKNESS

SILENCE CAN MAKE

LIFE DEPRESSING

YOUR THOUGHTS

MUST COME ACROSS

YOUR LIPS

THEN SEND THEM

TO YOUR FINGERTIPS

YOU MAY HAVE

BUT JUST ONE VOICE

BUT WE ARE

MANY SHOULDERS

BROTHERS HELPING

BROTHERS..

**********************

THE OLD RUGGED FLAG

ON A FIRE BASE IN NAM

COVERED WITH SANDBAGS AND WIRE

IN THE CENTER "OLD GLORY" WOULD FLY

YOU KNEW YOU WERE CLOSE TO THE TOP

WHEN "OLD GLORY" YOU'D SPOT

BUT YOU KNEW YOU WERE JUST HALF-WAY THERE

THEN THE WIRE YOU WOULD SPOT

THEN YOU'D HEAR "HALT WHO GOES THERE"

YOU'D RESPOND "OUT OF MY FACE

YOU FNG, DO I WALK AND TALK LIKE I'M VC".

YOU WERE TIRED FROM THE CLIMB.

**********************

CLUMP OF DUST

WE REALLY SMOKE

THEIR BUTTS, THAT EARLY MORN

SUN WAS LONG IN COMING UP

I SAW THEM RUNNING ALL AROUND

I LEVELED MY 16 AND BEGAN TO RESPOND

DAWNS FIRST LIGHT TOLD THE STORY

HOW THE VC FOUGHT AND DIED

BUT NOT FOR GLORY.

BUT WE SURVIVED

THE FIRE BASE WAS JUST A "CLUMP OF DUST"

THE STAINS ARE GONE, THE WIRE JUST RUST..

**********************

HE STARTED AS A "PFC"

GROUNDPOUNDER, GRUNT, 11B.

HE WASN'T A NINETY DAY WONDER.

OR A SHAKE AND BAKER.

HE WAS LIKE YOU AND ME.

SHOWED GREAT LEADERSHIP,

UNDER HEAVY FIRE,

TOOK CHARGE WHEN OTHERS FAULTED.

YOU MIGHT HAVE WENT TO BASIC WITH HIM.

HE LED US THROUGH THE THICKEST JUNGLE,

BROUGHT US THROUGH SOME HEAVY S-H-I-T,

COUNTED HEADS WHEN ALL WAS THROUGH,

NOT A ONE,

WAS LOST OR WOUNDED,

LIKE A BAND OF GYPSYS,

WE TRUDGED THROUGH THE BOONIES,

VERY CAUTIOUSLY, BUT HIS WAY.

A SEASONED VET,

JUST TWENTY.

**********************

Or did he...

HE KICKS BACKJN HIS EASY CHAIR,
AND SLOWLY FALLS ASLEEP,
WITH A SMILE UPON HIS FACE,
MUST BE BACK IN THE SIXTIES,
CHASIN CUTIES ALL AROUND.
THEN HIS BODY,
STARTS TO TWITCHIN,
OH HELL,HE'S BACK IN NAM,
THEN A SMILE.. .AND CALM
COMES OVER HIM,
MUST BE THAT FREEDOM BIRD.
THEN TEARS FALL DOWN HIS CHEEKS,
GUESS HE'S VISITING THE WALL...
THEN ONCE AGAIN,
HE'S SMILING.. .TEAR FILLED EYES AGAIN,
MUST BE DREAMING OF PAST REUIONS,
OR JUST GLAD THAT HE SURVIVED...
OR DID HE.

**********************

Still livin
In his shell.
Then one day,
He checked his mail.
Something about
A reunion.
Hell... he said
It's been over forty,
Days gettin shorter
Nights gettin colder
And these old bones
Just gettin older.
Someplace in Georgia
that's where it's held,
Haven't seen
My brothers
For over forty.
Down the hall
And threw the doors
The shell was cracked
Nothing but good memories.

**********************

He played army,
When he was young.
Twelve years of school,
then they sent him
A letter.
And he was chosen,
He raised his right,
And took an oath,
Then sent him off
For all his training,
Then once again,
Across the pond.
We missed all the holidays,,
Many metals,
On his chest.
When he returned,
The world had changed,
But he held his head up high,
An as the years,
Have passed so fast,
He still loved America,
Even more.
For his little,
Part he played,
Fighting for freedom,
Is the only way.
He didn't run.
He played the game.
They sent him off,
Fighting for freedom
Fighting for America.
Now they carried him away,
Placed a flag,
With all it's glory.
His picture hangs
Up on that wall,
All that's left are memories,
And a long black wall,
With all his brothers

**********************

FOR THOSE THAT PROTESTED

YOU'VE BEEN WATCHIN IT FOR YEARS,

ON THE TV AT NIGHT.

JUST OF OUT OF SCHOOL, HAD A JOB,

IT PAID FOR GAS, SMOKES,

AND A FRIDAY NIGHT,

WASN'T MUCH, BUT YOU WERE HAVING FUN.

THEN ONE DAY, YOU CHECKED YOUR MAIL,

LONG WHITE ENVELOPE, WITH YOUR NAME ON IT,

OH SH**.

KEG PARTY THE NIGHT BEFORE YOU LEFT,

BEER SHAMPOO, AND LOTS OF KISSES.

PLANE RIDE SOUTH, PLANE RIDE WEST,

THEN A LONG PLANE RIDE WEST.

THREE HOT MEALS EVERYDAY, IN THE SUMMER HEAT.

OH WE HAD HOT MEALS EVERY NOW AND THEN.

WE TRAMPLED THROUGH THE MUD,

SLEPT IN THE RAIN, WOKE WITH THE SUN.

TOOK OUR DAILY-DAILY, WEEKLY-WEEKLY,

HUMPED THE BOONIES, LOOKING FOR CHARLIE,

THEN CAME HOME, TO A HALF EMPTY COUNTRY,

**********************

FOR THOSE THAT PROTESTED

THE LORD GIVETH, AND THE LORD TAKETH,
AS WE DEPARTED, ON OUR CHOSEN DATES,
WE ARRIVED AT OUR DESTINATION,
ONLY ON DIFFERENT TIMES.
SOME WERE GOOD, SOME WERE BAD,
MANY OF US, JUST YOUNG LADS.
KEPT IN THE DARK, FOR MANY DAYS.
SEEMS THE GOOD DIED YOUNG,
BUT THAT'S NOT TO SAY...
MANY MORE CAME HOME,
TO TELL THEIR STORY.
ADJUSTMENT FOR SOME, NEVER.
TEARS WILL FALL FOR MANY-A-YEAR,
FOR THOSE THAT PROTESTED,
MAYBE H-E-L-L

**********************

33 SHORT YEARS

ON A STAR LITE NIGHT
ONE SHINED A LITTLE BRIGHTER,
AND CUT A PATH.

HEAVEN'S CHILD, WAS BORN THAT NIGHT
A SON TO JOSEPH ALSO,
BUT HE WAS SO MUCH MORE,
WE ALL SHOULD WEEP WITH WONDER.

A GOD WAS BORN,
ON THAT STAR FILLED NIGHT,
HE WOULD LOVE AND HURT LIKE OTHERS.

MARY DELIVERED,
SO WE WOULD BE DELIVERED,
BELIEVE WHAT YOU MUST,
IN YOUR OWN WAY,
BUT MOST OF US KNOW BETTER.

HE GIVES US SIX DAYS,
TO ROMP AND PLAY,
AND TOAST ONE TO
US BAND OF BROTHERS,
I GIVE ONE BACK ON SUNDAY.

**********************

"SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS"

SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS,
SURROUNDED BY WIRE.

PULLED FROM THE BOONIES,
WITH A HALF FILLED CANTEEN.

WE ALL SIT ON THIS HILLTOP,
JUST WAITIN FOR DARK.

THE MAIL WAS DELIVERED,
WITH GOODIES FROM HOME.

TORE OPEN THAT PACKAGE,
AND PASSED IT AROUND.

THE TREE, WELL THERE AINT ONE.
JUST OLD GLORY FLYIN.

ANOTHER DAY CLOSER
TO GOING HOME.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY,
FROM THE BOY'S IN THE NAM.

**********************

YOU'RE NOT ALONE

NOW WE WALK, THE LONG BLACK WALL,

LIKE WE WALKED THE TRAILS,

LOOKING, LOOKING HARD.

TRYING NOT TO TEAR UP,

TAKE SOME DEEP BREATHS,

BUT THAT DON'T HELP .

THEN YOU LOOK AROUND,

YOU'RE NOT ALONE.

THEN YOU LOOK AGAIN,

AND SEE ALL THE FREEDOMS,

THEY DIED FOR,

THEN TAKE ANOTHER DEEP BREATH,

IT'S OK TO SHOW YOUR TEARS,

FOR THEM.

**********************

THEY TOOK A YEAR AWAY FROM US,
A YEAR FILLED WITH FEAR AND HORROR.
SOME PASSING, AS I WRITE THIS.
WE WON'T KNOW THE TOTAL LOSS,
OF THOSE LOST FROM THE NAM.
THE CANCER STARTED WITH THE FIRST SHOT FIRED.
IT'S IN OUR SUB-CONSCIOUS MIND.
AS WE GROW OLDER,
BROTHERS PASS,
AND IT'S SAD FOR THE HELL,
THAT WE WENT THROUGH.
BUT WE LIVE,
TO TELL OUR STORIES,
AND HELP THOSE IN NEED.
STRESS AND FEAR, ARE IN YOUR HEAD.
TALK TO A FELLOW VET,
THEY'LL SOOTH YOUR STRESS,
AND CALM YOUR FEARS,
AND YOU'LL BOTH,
BE HELPING ONE ANOTHER