In Country Memories

2/1 H&S CO 1970 - 1971
By Ken DeHaas

So Hot. So very hot. Way muggy hot. Nightmarish itchy, inflamed, rancid smelling, jungle humping,

jungle boot clad feet, ate up with immersion foot.
Underwear-less crotch rot. We scratched our inner thighs to an untouchable rawness.
Rice paddies and leeches. Fired up a smoke and gave those blood suckers the hot ass. End of nuisance.
Rain, rain, rain. Only a three month season. Yet seemed like it never gave up.
Oh Yeah. Forgot to mention the typhoons.
Two of them struck during my tour of duty.
Typhoon Kate, to name one.

Bob Hope. We Love and Miss you Bob.
Freedom Hill PX--Where I got my 35mm Camera
Dream Sheets
Ration Cards
Letters and Packages from Home
Razorback Ridge
F4 Phantoms
My Short Timers Calendar
Medevacs
Being Afraid of my Fear
60 Ft. Guard Towers
Piss Tubes
Fresca Pop
Endless Rain
Dive Bomber Mosquitoes
Grape Pop
CH-46’s
Mash and Kellys Heroes
Camp Reasoner
C-Rats and Long-Rats
Arizona Territory
1st Force Recon---My Bush Cover
2/1 Marines---My Helmut and Flak Jacket
Nui Kim Son
Warm Beer
Suffocating Heat
Booby Traps
My PRC-25
Hill 55
Camp Lauer
Funny Money
Bandoleers of 75’s
Medevac Request Procedure Card
P-38/John Wayne Can Openers
Marble Mountain
Being the FNG
Slicks
Obesital
Party Packs
The Freedom Bird

Rolled our shirt sleeves up or down.
Paid the price either way.
Down, and the heat threatened to suck the life out of us. And often did.
Up and the elephant grass sliced our stateside, pampered skin with razor like efficiency.

Our Music.
Far Out 8 track music:
Eric Burdon and the Animals
The Beatles----The White Album
Barry McGuire
Joe Cocker
Three Dog Night
Janis Joplin
Blood, Sweat and Tears
Jimi Hendrix
Peter, Paul and Mary
Santana
The Guess Who
Credence Clearwater Revival
Sgt. Barry Sadler
Grand Funk Railroad
The pre-disco Bee Gees
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
Those sounds were woven into my soul.

+ MEDEVACS *
Too many. Too often.
Booby Traps. Booby Traps. Booby Traps. And More.
Missing Lives.
Missing Limbs.
Missing Minds.
And For What ?????

As the Beatles would sing or say: My Guitar Gently Weeps-------------------------
We Luv Ya Bros and Broettes.
Ken---Out