A Grunt

Trudging along in the muddy jungle floor

A foul smell of rotten vegetation and musty slime

Leaches, bugs, mosquitoes, snakes, and worse

Midnight dark at noon

Water dripping from the canopy above

Steam from the heat and wet leaves

Only a compass and direction

On which to lean

Each of us praying that we were on the right azimuth

Each step deeper into the marsh and slime we went

The darkness was like a cloak or shroud

That covered the entire jungle.

Every noise was a haunting and startling cannon roar

For within the jungle darkness no one is safe

Slowly moving with the agile cunning of a great cat.

The NVA would surely like to catch us here.

No radio, for fear of being heard

No cigarettes, no stopping for food or water.

No time for rest if we wanted to live.

Confidently we moved remembering the training we had.

Inch-by-inch, foot-by-foot, yard-by-yard

One foot after the other, one brother following another

Point man was dangerous and was changed often

Every man depending on the other to get them through

After two days and nights

Finally light, a clearing maybe a break

But don’t be hasty; the enemy knows that we are in the area

The clearing would be a typical place for an ambush.

We hesitate at the clearing edge

Spread out and take cover while making sure it is clear

A large clearing in the jungle made an eerie sight as the trees and vegetation were all dead.

What could have done this? Killed this area of all the foliage?

This is 1967 and these areas are becoming more and more common

A strange smell is on everything we touch

A bittersweet smell of some type oil

Another mystery of Viet Nam

Now with the watch set and after a proper search

We seem to be alone, no enemy found

Food, rest, cigarettes, and a short radio message

A new azimuth a new mission and a new deadline

So goes the day until there is the roar of a grenade

Then nothing but fire from hell

The enemy has found us but we are as prepared as we could have been.

We return fire immediately, I’m so proud of my men.

“RTO, call in for Artillery support” I yell.

No FO with us this trip, so I call in the fire mission

Those Artillery boys are a great bunch.

In no time, they have rounds on the way.

First round Willy Pete,

Second round HE Aerial burst

Then fire for effect

Then come the choppers, what a beautiful sight.

A short brief second to thank God

Then its time to get back to the job at hand

Those choppers and the Arty have saved our bacon again.

Thank you God for those wonderful brothers.

We load up in the choppers and are on our way out

Looking back, we can no longer see the opening

We still wondered what made those dead clearings

Later, much later, too late for some we find out Agent Orange.

Not much of a story huh?

That is the way it was, not much of a romantic life as seen in the movies.

If the environment didn’t get you, nor the enemy,

Agent Orange surely will. And does every day.

©David R. Alexander

September 15, 2003

** Just so you know **

FO - Forward Observer  (Artillery ground support person that sometimes went with us)

Willy Pete - White Phosphorus Artillery round

RTO - Radio Telephone Operator

HE - High Explosive Artillery round, aerial burst, was used against ground troops, it exploded at a set distance off the ground.

NVA - North Vietnamese Army

Grunt - Infantry Soldier