RVN Poetry Page 6

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

WHILE OTHERS

HE HOBBLES OUT OF BED EACH MORN,

HE HAS TO MAKE HIS FORTY,

MORE DEPENDABLE THAN THE YOUNGER,

HIS KNOWLEDGE LOCKED INSIDE,

HE SERVED HIS COUNTRY LONG AGO.

SNOW MIGHT BE ON THE ROOFTOP,

BUT THE FIRE STILL BURNS WARM INSIDE.

AS CONFLICTS FLAIR AROUND THE GLOBE,

HE LIVES HIS LIFE FOR FREEDOM,

WHILE OTHERS TRY TO MOCK HER.

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

NAM

TRAILS ALL OVERGROWN

WITH VINES,

BUNKERS JUST THE SAME,

ALL THE TRAILS

THAT LED SOMEWHERE

ARE LEADING NOWHERE NOW.

WIRE SO RUSTY,

IF THERE AT ALL.

FIRE BASE TOPS

ALL GROWN WITH TREES.

BUT THE SWIMIN HOLE REMAINS.

BARRIN CAMP SITES

FROM THE PAST,

MEMORIES OF THOSE

THAT HAVE SEEN THEM

STILL REMAIN.

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

ON A HILLTOP NOT FAR FROM EVANS,
RESTING IN A BUNKER, OUT OF THE HEAT.
A ROUND GOES OFF, WHAT THE H-E-L-L,
DO WE HAVE INCOMING,
A MORTAR ROUND, PLACED IN A BURN BARREL,
GOES OFF.
A YOUNG LAD LAYS FLAT ON HIS BACK,
HIS INSIDES ON THE OUTSIDE,
I HOPE HE SURVIVED,
THAT WOULD BE A HELL OF A WAY TO DIE.
WELCOME TO VIET NAM,
AND IT ONLY STARTED, BUT.
WE RE-LIVE THESE MEMORIES,
OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

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

THEY THOUGHT THEY

CAUGHT YOU NAPPING

BUT YOU JUST

DREW THEM CLOSER

MORTAR ROUNDS

AND AK SOUNDS

THE SMELL OF FRESH

GUN POWDER

YOU POP YOUR SMOKE

AND COVER YOUR ASS

AND JUST LIKE THAT

IT'S OVER

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

Till I see you...
I felt your warmth,
As you touched my hand.
I felt your tears,
Upon my face,
I saw your pain.
Many came to view me,
Not the last time,
That I'll see them.
Then it all went dark,
They covered me with Glory,
They folded Glory,
You received,
With trembling hands,
Tears fell again,
On Glory.
Many red roses
Placed upon me,
Rifles firing.
Then the field,
Went empty
Maybe when we next meet,
Will be at the long Black Wall.

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

AND WE THOUGHT OUTLOUD....
I'VE SEEN BROWN JUNGLE HILLS...BURNT VILLAGES TOO
I'VE SEEN THE GLOOM.. .FREEDON FOR ME AND YOU,
AND WE THOUGHT OUTLOUD.. .WE CAN SURVIVE ANYTHING.
I'VE SEEN SKIES FILLED WITH SMOKE...CLOUDS SO BLACK
RAIN FILLED DAYS...DARK SCARED NIGHTS
AND WE THOUGHT OUTLOUD...WE CAN SURVIVE ANYTHING.
THE COLORS OF THE FLAG...RED-WHITE AND BLUE,
AND THE NAMES ON THE WALL... SO COLD, WARM TO THE TOUCH,
SEEN HUGGING VETS...SAYING "WELCOME HOME",
INSIDE SAYING...WE SURVIVED,
AND WE THOUGHT OUTLOUD...WE CAN SURVIVE ANYTHING.
I'VE SEEN BABIES CRY...WATCH THEM MATURE,
HOPE THEY LEARNED FROM THE PAST... AND BUILD A BETTER WORLD,
AND WE THOUGHT OUTLOUD...WE CAN SURVIVE ANYTHING.

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

Re: VETERANS DAY"

TEARS ARE FALLIN

FROM ABOVE

THE SOIL ABSORBS

IT'S MOISTURE,

MY SKY BELOW,

WELCOMES YOUR

PRESENCE,

I ENJOY THE

FLOWERS AND THE FLAG,

YOU PLACE ON

ME EACH HOLIDAY,

THERE'S A LOT OF

BROTHERS

IN THIS FIELD

BUT I NEVER SEE

MANY VISITORS,

YOU MAKE ME

PROUD, WHEN YOU

VISIT THEM,

BROUGHT FLAGS

FOR EVERYONE,

STAND TALL AND

PROUD

MOM AND DAD

ONE DAY WE'LL

BE TOGETHER...

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

"AND THOSE CHOSEN FEW"

I HAVE THE PHOTOS

THAT I TOOK IN NAM

AND THEY LOOK REALLY GOOD

BUT WE WERE ONLY KIDS,

THEN THERE WERE THOSE SONGS YOU'D SING

THE'RE PLAYING IN MY HEAD.

AND HOW YOU TALKED OF HOME,

AND THEN THEY SPLIT US UP

I WENT TO THE HIGHLANDS,

THEY SENT YOU TO THE VALLEY,

A HILLTOP WITH THREE NUMBERS

AND THEN JUST WALK AWAY...

WHEN YOU LOSE

A FRIEND IN COMBAT

IT'S HARD TO REPLACE

WITH ANOTHER,

LIKE CUTTING OFF

A PART OF YOU

AND YOU KNOW

IT WON'T GROW BACK.

LEM, SMITTY, GREEN, SUGAR BEAR

SEE YOU LATER...

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

"THE LETTER" WAS THE LAST TUNE I REMEMBER

DIDN'T HEAR MUCH FOR THE NEXT EIGHT WEEKS,

UNLESS,YOU VISITED THE LOCAL PX.

PAY WASN'T ALL THE GREAT, $99.00 AND CHANGE.

PARADE GROUND CAME, BUT RATHER SLOW.

A PLANE RIDE TO ORD,

AND, "WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE",

BACK IN THE BARRACKS THE E-5'S WERE PLAYIN,

THE 5™ DIMENSION.

THEN CROSS THE BIG WATER,

AND ALL THE GREAT TUNES,

THEY PLAYED IN YOUR MIND,

AS YOU LAY IN THE JUNGLE.

IT WAS BACK TO THE WORLD,

CHRISTMAS OF 69,

THEN ON TO FORT HOOD,

AS I WALKED UP THE SIDEWALK,

COULD BE HEARD,

"AND SHES BUYING A STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN"

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