[Stick]

As you know, I read every post on this site and this perticular post eats at me the most. I try not to remember and I was a REMF so I certainly can't have had any close calls could I?
Just a few months after arriving "in country" I was assigned to a guard bunker about 30 yards from the rear gate of the airfield. It was about midnight when I saw a very young boy walking up the road toward the gate. The boy had something wraped around him and I called the Sgt. of the guard to ask what I should do? I was asked if the boy was armed? How the hell should I know, but he was at easy range and I could have taken him out right there and then. I was told not to by the sarge as I watched the boy get close to the gate and turn into red mist. He took the gate off its hinges and took out the 2 MP's that were at the gate at the time. I easily could have taken the kid out and regret to this day that I didn't. Two names are on the wall today because I didn't protect them but instead followed orders.
A couple of months later, February 2, 1968 a grenade was tossed over the fence of the airfield and into the rear flap of the detachments tent. I was on the top bunk, second bunk in. The guards that were on the bottom bunks were blown away as I quickly rolled off, pulling my matress along with me, hitting the floor with the matress on top and praying like I've never prayed before. Moments later the Sgt. of the Guard crawled into the front of the tent and ordered "everybody out, we're being hit." Duh! like we didn't know that. I was taken from the tent to post #2 which was over the taxiway to the Air VN terminal where I kicked a deadman out of the tower. Two hours later after listening to the ZZZT, ZZZT, ZZZT of AK-47's go by my ears the good Sargent crawled to the bottom of the tower and ordered me to get out of the tower. I was not about to climb down the ladder because I knew that Charlie would have only climbed his 762's up the ladder, instead I jumped on a dead man tearing the cartilage and breaking my left knee cap. I feel that still today. I was moved from post #2 to post #6 where 11 hours later I pulled the triger on an M-60 and dumped a full can through it without letting off the triger once. Whah-Lah, no more ZZZT, ZZZT, ZZZT passing my ears. Sargent told me not to return fire then too but instead I had to call for a replacement barrel for that trusty 60. Oh well!
August 21, 1968, DEROS in 3 days. Scheduled for Seperation physical at the 85th Evac accross the steet from the airfield and walking to make the appointment. Hear it coming and then the BOOM. Mortar round goes off jus a short way away and I catch 3 pieces of shrapnel in that same left knee. Finish my trip to the 85th in the back of a 3/4 ton ambulance. Three days later I'm Med-Evaced to Camp Oji, Japan and eventually to Valley Forge Army Hospital in Pa. where they teach me how to walk again.
Gonna be a tough day today but I got it off my chest and I'm sorry that you had to hear it. Close calls happened but we made it through.