RVN Poetry Page 3

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

HOW ABOUT YOU...

MY FIRST FIRE-BASE
IN THE NAM,
WAS NOT THAT FAR, FROM CAMP EVANS,
YOU COULD SEE IT ON THE DARKEST NIGHT,
THE FLIGHT BY HUEY, JUST A FEW MINUTES,
MY FIRST AND NOT MY LAST,
MORE FUN THAN A RIDE AT KENNYWOOD PARK.
DIRT AND DUST WHEN IT WAS DRY,
THOUGH SMALL IN SIZE, THEY HAD A TWO-SEATER.
THIS WAS OUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME.
THEY EVEN SERVED HOT CHOW.
OFF TO THE WEST, WAS VERY GREEN AND FLAT,
THE EAST AND NORTH, THE BOONIES,
IT WAS OUR MINI-AIRPORT, TO HELL AND BACK
AND MORE.
THE EAST THERE WAS A RIVER, NOT FAR FROM ATOP.
WE PATROLED THERE ONCE, CAME UNDER FIRE,
OUR OWN FIRE BASE, WHO ELSE,
THE RUCKS WERE LIGHT ON THAT DAY,
AT LEAST I THINK THEY WERE,
WE HAD LP'S ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH,
AND A QUAD 50 JUST IN CASE,
THE STUMPS WERE BLACKENED BY FIRE
LONG BEFORE MY ARRIVAL.
AFTER MONTHS OF CALLING IT OUR HOME,
WE HUMPED DOWN IN THE GREEN, GREEN GRASS,
A MOUND OF DIRT IN NO-MANS-LAND,
BUT STILL NOT FAR FROM EVANS.
CHUCK HIT US ON OUR SECOND NIGHT
WE KICKED HIS ASS, WHAT ELSE.
THEN THEY SENT US TO THE VALLEY,
BUT I DIDN'T STAY THERE LONG,
WE FOUND SOME WEAPONS EVERYWHERE,
TONS, NOT JUST A FEW,
THEN ORDERS FOR THE "REGULARS",
AND THE "CENTRAL HIGHLAND ZOO"
HOW ABOUT YOU...

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

GIVE ME A SMOKE

AND A CUP OF IT BLACK.

A WARM BREEZE

FROM OUT OF THE SOUTH.

I CAN MAKE YOU SMILE,

SCRATCH YOUR HEAD,

BUT I CAN'T MAKE YOU HAPPY,

CAN TAKE YOU DOWN TRAILS,

LEAD YOU RIGHT INTO HELL,

IF YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES,

YOU CAN SMELL.

THE HORRORS AND MEMORIES

ARE STILL IN OUR HEADS,

SOME ARE LOCKED AWAY,

NEVER TELLIN.

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

"WEEP NO MORE MY BROTHERS"

WEEP NO MORE MY BROTHERS

AS I SIT

BESIDE THE CROSS

THE LORD, REACHED OUT

HIS MIGHTY HAND

AND LEAD ME TO

THE PROMISED LAND

THE DEMONS IN MY

SOUL HAVE STOPPED

SO PLEASE DON'T

SHED ANOTHER DROP

PROUD TO CALL YOU

MY BROTHERS

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

WHY ARE....."

WHY ARE SOME
ALWAYS BITTER!
DIDN'T SPEND
ENOUGH TIME ON
THE MORNING SH**ER!!!
COFFEE TOO COLD!
OR JUST TOO BITTER!
THEIR METAMUCIL WENT
DOWN THE WRONG PIPE!
OR WAS IT
THEY FORGOT TO WIPE!!!
OR WAS THE SUPPOSITORY
TOO COLD!
YOU ONLY LIVE THIS
LIFE ONE TIME,
IT'S MUCH EASIER
TO AGREE,
BUT IN YOUR MIND
YOU DON'T...

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

"THE NAM"

WE WERE YOUNG AND FOOLISH
WITH FIRE IN OUR EYES
OUR LAST DAYS OF SCHOOL
WERE BEHIND US.
THEN A LETTER
FROM SAM
WOULD SOON CHANGE
OUR PLANS.
IT WAS THE HONORABLE
WAY TO GET THRU
THIS LIFE.
SO THEY SENT US AWAY
HALFWAY
AROUND THE WORLD
TO THE LAND
WE JUST CALLED
THENAM....

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

"TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE.

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE...

ON A ROCKY, DUSTY HILLTOP,

THE CANS IN THE WIRE

HAVE STOPPED CLANGING

CAUSE THE WIND HAS

SUBSIDED,

OUR SOCKS WERE A DRYIN

FROM YESTERDAYS' PATROLIN,

THE MESS TENT WAS EMPTY,

THE COFFEE AND GOODIES' WERE READY,

FRAGS WERE ALL LAID OUT,

"60" WAS OILED AND READY,

BUNKERS WERE EMPTY

TWAS A DRY NIGHT,

THE SUN HAD JUST

DISAPEARED INTO LAOS,

THE STARS TWINKLED

OVER HEAD WITH DELIGHT,

IN THE DISTANCE WAS

CAMP EVANS,

THE FLARES WERE A FLYIN,

BUT CHUCK WAS ASLEEP,

FOR SANTA HAD BROUGHT

WAS A PEACEFUL NIGHT,

AND I TURNED OVER

AND WENT BACK TO SLEEP...

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

MY FIRST THANKSGIVING IN THE...
NO PILGRIMS DID WE SPOT,
OVER HILL, OVER DELL
JUST ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE,
THANKSGIVING , ROUND THE CORNER,
PUSH ON THRU THE BUSH
UP A HILL,
THEN THERE'S A CLEARING,
RADIO "SQUAWKING"
MAKE LZ SECURE
POP SMOKE,
HOT CHOWS ON THE GROUND AND GONE,
GRAB YOUR TIN,
AND WAIT YOUR TURN,
LOTS OF TIME
TO READ THE MAIL,
TRUSTY 60 AT YOUR SIDE,
CHATTER ALL AROUND
OF HOW IT WAS
BACK HOME.
WHAT WAS THE FUN NIEST
ON THIS DAY,
WE WERE JUST A
HUNDRED YARDS
OUTSIDE THE WIRE,
HOT MEALS, MAIL AND AN AMMO....

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

FACES

TO EASE YOUR THOUGHTS

TRY TO REMEMBER

REMEMBER AS MUCH

AS YOU CAN

YOU SEE FACES

BEFORE YOU,

WITHOUT NAMES,

THOUGH YOU'VE SEEN

SO MANY TIMES

YOU HAVE PHOTOS OF THEM

YOU LOOK NOW AND THEN

JUST FACES WITHOUT

ANY NAMES

YOU POST,

FROM COAST TO COAST

BUT STILL NO NAMES

DO APPEAR

JUST FACES

IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE

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

GRUNT

I STILL CARRY MY DOGTAGS AND P-38

MY BOOTS, THEY HAVE LONG BEEN DISCARDED

BUT I STILL REMEMBER THOSE DAYS OUT IN THE BUSH

WE'D WALK DOWN THEIR TRAILS AND IT WAS THEM WE COULD SMELL

I REMEMBER THAT DAY, WE WERE CHERRIES NOT FNG'S

A BURST CAME FROM THE FRONT

THE POINT MAN, HE FELL

THE BURST WENT PAST OUR EARS

IT WAS TOO LATE TO GET DOWN

THE SARG TURNED TO ME

ALL YOU COULD SEE WAS HIS EYES

THE GRUNT JUST IN FRONT OF US

TOOK ONE IN THE HELMET

HE'S NOW GLAD FOR HIS BAD HABIT

BUM'D FROM US THE REST OF THE DAY...

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

YOU LEFT THIS

WORLD TOO SOON

I MISS YOUR

SONG AT TWILIGHT

THOUGH I HUM

THEM NOW AND THEN

YOU TAUGHT ME

SURVIVAL

IN THOSE FEW MONTHS

TOGETHER

WHICH I CANNOT

REPAY.

I READ IN THE STARS AND STRIPES

THAT YOU HAD

PASSED AWAY

YOU SINGING

FOR THE LORD NOW

I HEAR IT IN

THE WINDS

WHO'S GONNA FILL HIS SHOES

WHO'S GONNA SHOW ME LOVE

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

BREATH DEEP

I HEARD THE CRACK, THE AK MAKES,
THE THUMP OF A MORTAR ROUND,
I'VE SEEN AND HEARD, THE FLASH AND NOISE
THAT THE ROCKETS MADE,
THE SOUND OF A SATCHELL CHARGE,
THE SILENCE THAT THE SUNRISE MADE,
AND THE SETTING MOON,
BUT,
WE NEVER HEARD,
THE CRIES AND WHIMPERS,
THAT OUR PARENTS MADE.

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

I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
WITH EACH LETTER THAT I READ,
UPON OPENING EACH, I INHALE THE WORLD,
WON'T EXHALE TILL WE RETURN,
WE CAN PLAN ON THAT,
WE HAVE NO SNOW OR MISTLETOE
ONLY SANDBAGS AND LOTS OF WIRE,
CHRISTMAS EVE, WILL FIND US
ALL HUNKERED IN A BUNKER
WHERE OUR BROTHERHOOD WILL GLEAM,
WE'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
BUT ONLY IN OUR DREAMS,
OPENING UP THE WORLD AGAIN
I SMELL YOUR APPLE PIE,
CAN'T WAIT, TILL I CAN EXHALE,
BUT ONLY IN THE WORLD...

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

BE SWIFT ABOUT IT"

WE WALKED IN JUNGLES

PLUSH AND GREEN

SOMETIMES THE ENEMY

WE NEVER SEEN

WE DID OUR YEAR

WE BITCHED A BIT

AND THEN CAME HOME

TO FACE SUCH SH**

FIELD OF HEROS

HEADSTONES PURE

AND WHITE

DOT THE SOILS

OF FREEDOM

TAKE BACK THE WORDS

YOU SAID OF US

OR BURN IN HELL

FOREVER...

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

T'WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE

T'WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE DAYLIGHT

THE FIRE BASE WAS STILL

THE STARS IN THE SKY

WERE A DANCIN

THE CLAYMORES AND

TRIP FLARES WERE SET,

WAITING FOR

GUEST TO ARRIVE,

AS I LAY DOWN MY HEAD

ONE EYE AT A TIME.

THE LIZARDS WOULD START

DOING THEIR THING

YOU COULD HEAR A CRACK

OF A TWIG,

OR A WHISP OF THE WIND,

ONE EYE WOULD CRACK

AUTOMATIC,

YOU GREETED THE SUN

BEFORE IT GREETED YOU,

AS IT BROKE THRU THE FOG,

YOU'D AWAKEN YOUR SQUAD

AND DO IT ALL OVER

AGAIN...

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

WITH GUNSHIPS FIRE'N

OVERHEAD

ROCKETS BURSTING JUST AHEAD

WE CROSSED THE FIELD

SO GREEN,

A SOUTHERN BOY YELLED OUT

I GOT ME ONE YA'LL,

WAS THIS A SHOW

FOR BLACKJACK, '

OR WAS THE JOKE ON US,

THE VC HAD BEEN DEAD

FOR DAYS,

A SHOW OF FORCE

UN-NECESSARY,

NO BOUNTY PAID

THAT DAY..

WE SNAKED THE TRAILS

LIKE DAYS BEFORE,

THIS DAY BROUGHT ANGER,

ROUNDS WERE FLYIN

THROUGH THE AIR,

JUST PAST THE EARS

OF YOUR'S TRULY...