This is to confirm that your Son or
Daughter was injured.
By a hostile explosive devise, booby-trap, or now known as (IED).
Poem by Dave Stromire
Echo 2/1 ’68-69
Crossing a river and checking the
tree lines.
As if hostile eyes were
watching my every move.
In one motion, one split second, it
happened.
Laying on the ground, ears deafened.
Help is on its way, it’s Corpsman
up!
In slow motion I am waving him off
The ground is unforgiving, ready to
explode once more.
Waiting for Doc Bo to trespass on
its hidden madness.
Carried to the safety of my brothers
in arms.
My legs are smoking, my boots are
gone.
What an awful odor, of burning
flesh?
Made more
offensive, learning it was my own.
What was left of the Camies,
were cut from my waist.
The Corpsman now nervously wrapping
my legs.
As though he was offended by my
nakedness the LT.
Threw a flak jacket over me to cover
his shame.
Screaming and cussing in
pain at what he had done.
The boot Lt.'s only remark
is, that's not called for.
My hero! Doc Bo just smiled
and said don't worry about it.
Out of his unit bag
he drew for the first time, the love of my life.
The Morphine reacted just as
fast as the ground who spit me up.
The words of going home, back to the
world, were clearly heard.
Laying on my back with many brothers
around.
The sky was blue with small white
clouds shifting in the wind.
As rapidly as my thoughts.
It seemed strange how this warm Sun
and blue sky.
Could be the same in two different
worlds so far apart by culture and water.
All my worries of watching the
ground, all my so very close calls.
Tripping duds and breaking wires,
rusted by the elements.
My battle with nature’s tampered
earth is now over.
That terrible ground, swallowed up
by man made destruction.
Ready to explode from beneath.
Taking an arm, a leg and even a
precious life of us who dared to take a worn path.
Instead of going the hard way
through brush and brier.
Its all over for me, my only luck of
the draw was being the first Medevac.
On
Would our brothers learn from
my mistake?
Or will they be more concerned about those eyes in the tree line?
Keeping our fears focused to the ground,
then there is death in the tree line.
In articles and
stories written of
I learned many brothers, came
back to the world, casualty’s of BOTH.
Just like
The ground is still very much angry
at those who tread the paved pathways.
War is so unfair with eyes
in tree lines and on roof tops.
Our younger Warriors must still
also face an unforgiving ground.
These new warriors have brave hearts
and a strong will, but even in war
in the shade of palm trees along
a busy down town highway.
They are not
prepared for the earth to rise up in black smoke and shrapnel.
DONT DLVR BETWEEN
YOUR ANXIETY IS REALIZED AND YOU ARE
ASSURED THAT
HE OR SHE IS RECEIVING THE VERY BEST
OF CARE.
HIS OR HER MAILING ADDRESS REMAINS
THE SAME. END ONE