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HELL'S GATE I remember my gut wrenching and how my skin began to boil. When I landed and first stepped onto that hellish foreign soil. Before me stood the devil, the sight that I recall too well. There in Southeast Asia I entered through those Gates of Hell. I was just someone's 'replacement' to take an unknown soldier's place. Live his Hell a little while until my own replacement showed his face. There I lived, but there too died watching young men come and go. Like brothers sharing common goals, fear of growing too close though. Like the little boy with a puppy dog that gets ran over by some car. Much too young to understand death as it leaves a huge unhealing scar. We each counted our days hoping our 'big day' soon would come about. We all prayed for D.E.R.O.S. and rejoiced when someone made it out. Eventually my days added up to a year. I was going to make it out alive. I saw fear in these young replacements hoping they also might survive. Home was looking pretty good, I'd finished my long torturous year. But these friends, my replacements faced a job I failed to finish here. Finally I approached my chopper as a few veteran troops began to board. We had faced the devil, but did we win? "Hell, I knew we hadn't even scored!" I shook hands and said 'good-bye' as soon we were cleared to evacuate. I waved the Huey on and turned back to re-enter, Hell's Infernal Gate. |
Additional Notes:
D.E.R.O.S.
DATE
EXCEPTED to
RETURN
OVER
SEAS.....What every troop looked forward to!
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