Remembering Vietnam in my dreams
"Aftermash"
I woke with a start at the noise the Huey made as it lunged towards the ground, the constant whoosh, whoosh; whoosh of the blades was replaced by a screaming sound of metal long overheated trying to hold together as the Helicopter descended into the hot afternoon jungle. I was bathed in sweat and thought at first I had an accident of incontinence.
Within minutes of being shaken awake the ride was over. We were landing on the Helipad at Da Nang's Triage where my next two years would be spent tending the wounds of the less fortunate Soldiers who forgot to duck. As I climbed out onto the Tarmac I felt the day's heat release into my feet all at once. My Sea bag seemed as if it was now one hundred pounds heavier.
I was greeted by a first class pett
y officer who was the right hand man of the Executive officer General Raeford. I don't know what I was expecting but a little fanfare would have been nice. I was told to report to the Administration H.Q. immediately for further assignment and found myself walking behind and in step with the Yeoman. When we entered a large tent with a few desks in it I had a bad feeling. If this was the H.Q. then what was my quarters going to look like!
A short balding man in his fifties dressed in shorts and a Hawaiian print shirt stood up and announced himself as General Raeford but that I could call him GR. He proceeded to make some weird joke about GR of the ER, but I was not really listening and he seemed to be aware of it as he commented."Boy, you look like you're about ready to shit yourself. You need to use the latrine first?"
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I woke with a start at the noise the Huey made as it lunged towards the ground, the constant whoosh, whoosh; whoosh of the blades was replaced by a screaming sound of metal long overheated trying to hold together as the Helicopter descended into the hot afternoon jungle. I was bathed in sweat and thought at first I had an accident of incontinence.
Within minutes of being shaken awake the ride was over. We were landing on the Helipad at Da Nang's Triage where my next two years would be spent tending the wounds of the less fortunate Soldiers who forgot to duck. As I climbed out onto the Tarmac I felt the day's heat release into my feet all at once. My Sea bag seemed as if it was now one hundred pounds heavier.
I was greeted by a first class pett
A short balding man in his fifties dressed in shorts and a Hawaiian print shirt stood up and announced himself as General Raeford but that I could call him GR. He proceeded to make some weird joke about GR of the ER, but I was not really listening and he seemed to be aware of it as he commented."Boy, you look like you're about ready to shit yourself. You need to use the latrine first?"
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Tags & Keywords : Veterans, Vietnam, M.A.S.H, Medics
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