Dittybopper

Yeah, fuck war.

I myself protested the war when I returned to "The World," I had earned the right and felt deeply that the war was a bunch of bullshit and needed to end, I wanted my brothers home. I have seen the tunnel opennings but never went down in one - no F'n way. Admired those that did though, tough lil fuckers. I never witnessed anyone in a trap but have seen booby traps explode from a distance. My impression of Vietnam was that it could be very beautiful (especially from the air) but one didn't have much time to sightsee.

My dad was stationed in Germany as a US Army Sgt. in the late 1950s. I was 10 at the time; we kids would often find old munitions when playing in the woods near the base. We found a heavy round "iron ball" once, it had a U shaped handle, we promptly made it into a swing by tying it to a rope hanging from an oak tree. We swung on that thing all summer then kind of forgot about it. I decided to drag it home, and did so. I was dragging it up the three flights of stairs in the apartment complex, very earnest, the thing weighed a ton. Bump... bump... pause for breath, bump, up it went. I was rounding to the third floor stairs when I heard a yell "STOP, DON'T MOVE youngman, that is a German anti-tank mine!" An NCO, veteran of the war, had wondered what in hell he was hearing going up the stairs and opened his door to investigate. EOD was called, the complex evacuated, my new toy taken away. There was hell to pay when dad came home - he had been called in to his commanding officers office for a "conversation" about his dumbass son.

He and I still laugh about the day I "adopted" a tank mine.

Yes there was music but being in the field we didn't get to hear a whole bunch. We could tune in AFVN radio if we had a radio. I remember lots of MoTown, Elvis style rock and some of the newer rock, the beatles and such. Always like "Run Through the Jungle" by Creedence but don't remember if it was popular during or after my tour. That song said it for me, something spooky out there waiting for you. Loved Country Joe and the Fish's "Fix'n to Die Rag." The Beatles Sgt Pepper album came out while I was in-country but I didn't really get to listen to it until I returned stateside. Now Hendrix I loved, I actually met him a couple of times when he played at the "Boston Tea Party," a club I put on light shows at after returning from nam. Very nice fellow.

Getting a radio call from my commander telling me to come in on the next chopper cause my tour was over. I broke out a bottle of Old Grandad whiskey and began to drink. By the time I got back to BMB I was druck as a skunk. One other good memory was learning that a buddy of mine had survived a sapper attack on his base and was okay.