The Nam

The Soldiers of Nam

The Land and People of Vietnam

Camping in Minnesota

Tip Top Lodge

Tourist

The Man I Hate

Bobby Jorgenson.  That was the dirty bastards name.  Rat Kiley was injured and was sent to Japan.  So this little unexpirenced guy name Bobby comes and tries to do Rat's job.  He had no idea what the hell he was doing.  He had never seen combat before and the sound of gun fire just about made him piss his pants.  So when I got shot in the ass it took him alomost ten minutes to work up the nerve to get his ass over to me.  By then I was delirious with the shock of the pain.  I kept trying to make my mouth speak. I wanted to tell him "Treat me for shock you bastard!" but my brain couldn't get a grip on itself long enought to send the message to my mouth.  Finally he had me bandaged up.  But after a while my ass started to fall away. It was sick shit.  I could peel the skin off with my  fingers.  I got sent to base and had to pretty much retire from my soldiering days. 

About a month later Alpha company came up to the base I was at.  I was dertermined to get that Bobby feller back.  So I devised a plan with Azar to scare the shit outta the kid while he was at his post.  We got home-made noise makers and flares and painted up a sand bag to look like a guy.  Scared him shirtless.  He shot the sand bag and jumped out of his hole.  He knew it was me after he saw the painted bag.  He came over to me and shook my hand and asked if we were even.  I said I suppose that we were.  I still hated him though. I hated him for taking my place amongst the men. I didn't feel like I was part of the family anymore.  I felt betrayed.  But there was nothing I could do about it....nothing at all.

Baby Water Buffalo

After Curt Lemon died, Rat went kinda crazy with grief.  The men roped in a baby water buffalo and lead it up to the camp.  Rat went over and pet it, just pettin' the damn thing at first, when when it refused the food he offered it, he must've gotten a little pissed.  Because then, he walked over grabbed his gun and stomped back over and shot the beast in the knee, sent it crashin' down, he wasn't tryin' to kill it, he was only tryin' to hurt it...  The kid was probably takin' his grief out on somethin' that couldn't fight back.  He kept on shootin' it.  The buffalo never made a sound.  Rat shot it 'till it couldn't get up anymore.  After he was sure it was dead, he just walked away.  But the baby buffalo wasn't dead, it was still just barely alive.  Crazy.  Some of the men grabbed it and threw it into a well.  Rat didn't ever mention that baby buffalo, probably never even crossed his mind, he was still in the grieving process.  He had lost his best friend.  He also tried writin' Curt's sister back home, called her a cooze when she didn't write back, ha ha not my choice of words, but Rat was not the cursing type I guess. 

I wonder if Elroy knew?

google.com/images 

As i drove north i decided to stop at this old fishing resort, consisting of a few beat-up lookin' buildings, the old man, ol' bastard had to be about 80 years old.  Elroy Berdahl was his name.  He lead me to one of the cabin and shoved the key in my hand.  Said dinner was at 5:30.  I had a feeling i shouldnt be late for this.  We had fish, pretty damn good fish too, the ol' buggar knew how to cook.  Tourist season was over, so it was just me and him at the resort, we had all the meals together, went hiking, he knew a lot about the land, doesn't suprise me, he had been walkin it for almost a centry. He never asked me what i was doin up there, a couple times it look as if he was going to ask me, but that man had great self control and never asked a word about where i was from or what my buisiness was up here on the border of Canada. I was starting to think the old man knew, espcially when he told me he owed me money for doin' some jobs for him, he called it my "Emergancy Fund".  I didnt want to take it, i didnt like taking money from the old guy.  So when i left the next morning i left the money on the counter and got into my car and drove south.  I was going to war.

I was drafted....

Its June 1968, and i have been drafted into a war that i do not support with all my person.  Not to mention, at 21 years old i have my whole life ahead of me, i do not want to be going to this war i find pointless.  i am considering going to Canada to dodge the draft.  im torn bewteen being a pussy for not going into this damn war and not standing up for what i belive in and not going.  Decisions Decisions.  I left work early today, i didnt want to be there, the house was empty when i got home, i stood there looking at all the things i have been looking at all the years i have lived here, all the shit that has added up over the years sitting on the shelves and counters.  the Christmas gift from my grandparents that was ugly as sin but my mom couldnt bring herself to throw the damn coo-coo clock away.  I packed my bags got into the car and drove north. 

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