05-16-2021, 05:59 PM
This was us, my Wobblies Mr. MaGee and Kato, my Crew Chief Mike Raney from Utica NY. I was a door gunner in Company D in the second platoon. Every day we would fly
And every day we would pray. It started with fear when I first became a Gunner, then quickly Jaded to Hate. A Hate you could not escape, no letter from home could fix, no Joints could calm, a life of deprivation and constant awareness you were a trigger pull from death.
I too went to the Republic of Vietnam in 1970, in August, just a few month later. 19 years old, from Southern California, now I had become Death, much like Robert Oppenheimer had said of the bomb he created. I really only had four friends while there, well five with my Crew Chief, and if you counted my wobblies who were officers that we were seperated from as policy between officers and enlisted. Wobblies were another name for Pilots and Co-pilots. We had a few die. I remember Owens and JJ incinerated in a Loach by a rocket the NVA fired at them. That same day, or evening rather, my one friend Cricket from Barstow Ca. picking shrapnel out of my side and arm pit, pieces of copper. It went on... the war didn't stop for that little nuisance. There was Cricket, and Pete, they both went through Basic and Advanced training with me, then in Vietnam there were two 'Lee's' , my hooch maid and a Cambodian Scout named Lee. I grew to be Very attached to both and heart broke I could not bring them back to the world with me. The rest all made it back to the world, Cricket first, then me, then Mike and later the wobblies. By then if you crossed me I could waste you for very little provocation. I later learned to tame my anger and hostility.
The Elephants........ that hurts, even now...
And every day we would pray. It started with fear when I first became a Gunner, then quickly Jaded to Hate. A Hate you could not escape, no letter from home could fix, no Joints could calm, a life of deprivation and constant awareness you were a trigger pull from death.
I too went to the Republic of Vietnam in 1970, in August, just a few month later. 19 years old, from Southern California, now I had become Death, much like Robert Oppenheimer had said of the bomb he created. I really only had four friends while there, well five with my Crew Chief, and if you counted my wobblies who were officers that we were seperated from as policy between officers and enlisted. Wobblies were another name for Pilots and Co-pilots. We had a few die. I remember Owens and JJ incinerated in a Loach by a rocket the NVA fired at them. That same day, or evening rather, my one friend Cricket from Barstow Ca. picking shrapnel out of my side and arm pit, pieces of copper. It went on... the war didn't stop for that little nuisance. There was Cricket, and Pete, they both went through Basic and Advanced training with me, then in Vietnam there were two 'Lee's' , my hooch maid and a Cambodian Scout named Lee. I grew to be Very attached to both and heart broke I could not bring them back to the world with me. The rest all made it back to the world, Cricket first, then me, then Mike and later the wobblies. By then if you crossed me I could waste you for very little provocation. I later learned to tame my anger and hostility.
The Elephants........ that hurts, even now...