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It also reminds one of an event in the night.
When I was 'bird dogging' (just tagging along) on a patrol, so I was towards the end of the patrol.
We had travel a couple hours, I heard a loud explosion and than some loud screams.
On hearing that I made my way towards the front of the patrol, on coming on the radioman and the Corpsman, who was treating the patrol leader, a young Lance Corporal, who had taken the full blast of a booby-trapped hand grenade in the face.
I also got the smell of a lot of cordite.
I requested that point to come back in my direction.
I than ask; in relation to where we were heading, where are we?
He than told, we're very close.
With that information, I got on the radio and requested a medvac.
The chopter got there in about 13-15 minutes.
As we were getting the wounded Marine aboard the chopter, we started getting incoming rifle fire from across this river that was close by.
So I got on the radio again to request artillery fire from our battary to suppress that rifle fire.
My commanding officer told me that he couldn't fire because it was out of area of responsibility, but he also told me to whatever I had to do to suppress that rifle fire.
We had a 60mm mortar and a 60 Machine Gun, I had them both fire some rounds than I had the rest of patrol move back to lay a base of fire, so the mortar and the machine gun could move back towards where we were located.
We were out of range, so the rifle fire came to end.
After a few more hours, we came back to the arty battery that we were supplying security for.
Soon after I hear my name to report to the commanding officer of our infantry company.
I had a feeling that he was going to chew my rear end, which he did.
I than told him what he had said to me over the radio, and that I had got all the patrol, minus the Lance Corporal back safe and sound.
And that I was willing to lose rank, if that was required.
He just told to get out of his office.
So years removed from that event, whenever I get the smell of cordite from fireworks, it triggers a flashback to that night and all the screaming.
Which in turns reminds me of 18th October 1967, when my infantry company 'Golf Company 2nd Battalion 1st Marines and Hotel Company 2nd Battalion 1st Marines' were traveling out of this national forest in Quan Tri province in I Corp of South Vietnam.
We (Golf) had the point and Hotel was bring up the rear of our two companies column.
We had to travel on a trail because the vegetation was too thick to cut our way through.
In fact we were inserted by helicopter because the vegetation.
The NVA (North Vietnamese Army) let us through and fired on the last platoon of Hotel.
While fire some mortar rounds in our direction.
The mortar fire went across the trail we were traveling on about a hundred yards in front of where we located.
If they had walked those rounds down the trail, we too would have got hit.
It was ciaos but as soon as our platoon was together, they ordered us to go back for the wounded than the dead and to bring them back to a landing zone (LZ) that they were clearing.
We broke down into teams of 4 men, then we traveled back down the trail to pick up our fellow brothers.
I think we made about 4 trips, the first Marine died before we could get him out, one of dead, I will never forget, he must have taken 7-8 rounds from a AK-47.
The wash from the rotor blades, open the poncho we were carrying him in, the crew chief of the chopter had his mouth wide open, at that time we were taking rifle fire as they did whenever a chopter landed, because they knew Marines would be near by.
Years removed, I read postings of Marines about different races, which in itself is not keeping with the Marine Corps Core Values, that Marines hold to.
That day, we were Marines of different nationalities but all we could see was Marine Corps green, and it was surprising that we didn't notice if we were tired.
Sometime after, I started shaking, it must have been the nerves kicking in.
Tomorrow, I'll be leaving for the VA in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and on the 9th I'll be having surgery.
With that said, I'll close for now.
Where do soldiers go when they die?
Do they sail away across a patriot sky?
Or drift on the breeze of the lie
That killed them?
-John Cory
"corruptio optimi pessima,
The corruption of the best is the worst."
TO THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES'
AND THOSE WHO SERVED BEFORE,
THAT OTHERS MAY SAY PROUDLY
I AM A MARINE!
Semper Fidelis
Ricardo
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" Duty is the most sublime word in the English language.
"Excellence doesn't just happen.
"To control the past,
"They were the best you had, America,
and you turned your back on them". ~ Joe Galloway ~ Speaking about Vietnam Veterans
You can never do more,
you should never wish to do less."
~ Robert E. Lee writing to his son ~
It must be forged, tested and used.
It must be passed down.
And woven into the very fabric of our souls.
Until it becomes our nature."
~ General Charles C. Krulak ~
31st Commandment of the Marine Corps
Is to give meaning to the present,
And direction to the future."