Remembering Vietnam

July 2, 2005 | self / vanity

[The Other Harry]

I never served there. I almost did, but I let myself get talked out of it. That was a mistake which I will take to my grave.

What with 4th of July and all, I have been thinking about those I know who did.

There was Mackey. He and I grew up together. He was the tough guy in the class. He and I got along well, even though we were different.

If I recall correctly, he enlisted in the Army in about his junior year. He came back several months later, walking with a cane. He was different. Subdued. He was not the same.

I never asked what happened to him. There are some things you do not ask.

Then there was Dwight. He was a killer. He flew a Cobra helicopter. He liked to fire nails at the “gooks”. He liked to watch them run as he shot them. He bragged.

Dwight was a complete a’hole. Still, I think there is a place for people like him.

I found this disgusting. It was especially disgusting because that was what I originally thought I wanted to do. He had pictures on the wall of his office,

Next there was Richard.

Richard was a piece of work. He was a very nice, very unassuming man who got drafted. One thing led to another, and the Army "voluntereed” him at numerous steps along the way until he ultimately became a medic in one of the front-line units. I don’t recall which – it may have been the 82nd or the 101st. Whatever it was was big time.

His first real assignment was to remove a leech from the penis of a fellow soldier, which he did,

Richard laughed about all this, but that was as far as he ever went in his stories. I suspect he did and saw a lot more than that. I also don’t think he found any of it funny.

There are others, but that will do.

My respects to our soldiers who are currently serving. I don’t personally agree with the war in Iraq, but I do hope they return home safely. My prayers to them. My heart to their families.

[Khurkris]

Poignant reflections Harry.

..damn..I actually used the word "poignant." Weird.