Now, you’ve never seen a rat, until you’ve seen a Vietnamese rat. That’s unless you include some o the politicians who push to keep this war going at the same time they are helping their own sons escape the draft.

It’s the moment I’ve waited for, for an entire year. My feelings are welling up inside of me as I bounce up the stairs and into the plane. As I look back I see a solid line of green uniforms going from the gate to the plane. 400+ individuals with a single thought-HOME! I’m actually going back home.

Then you fall into this area of numbness I call “I don’t care about all this stuff, I’m going to live or die, but not in fear.

The only thing war will ever do (and do well), is decrease the world’s population of young men.

Sorrow is also a terrible weapon of destruction, one that kills from the inside out.

The one certain thing In the Army is – nothing is ever certain.

In Vietnam, particularly in the boonies, you are your brother’s keeper – and he yours.

You come from a nice home and family and had a comfortable life. You had a nice warm, dry bed to crawl into every night and the last thing on your mind was being bombed, rocketed, mortared or generally physically endangered.

That shot helped to fracture the chain of command within the enemy ranks and signaled the beginning of the end for the ambush. He gave his life to help others live…. that’s a hero.