The things we carried.

[Gimpy]

A friend of mine sent me this. Thought you folks might like to read it.
**************************************
THE THINGS THEY CARRIED:

They carried P-38 can openers and heat tabs, watches and dog tags, insect
repellent, gum, cigarettes, Zippo lighters, salt tablets, compress bandages,
ponchos, Kool-Aid, two or three canteens of water, iodine tablets, sterno, LRRP-
rations, and C-rations stuffed in socks.

They carried standard fatigues, jungle boots, bush hats, flak jackets, and
steel pots.

They carried the M-16 assault rifle.
They carried trip flares and Claymore mines, M-60 machine guns, the M-70
grenade launcher, M-14's, CAR-15's, Stoners, Swedish K's, 66mm Laws,
shotguns, .45 caliber pistols, silencers, the sound of bullets, rockets, and
choppers, and sometimes the sound of silence.

They carried C-4 plastic explosives, an assortment of hand grenades,
PRC-25 radios, knives and machetes.
Some carried napalm, CBU's, and large bombs.
Some risked their lives to rescue others.
Some escaped the fear, but dealt with the death and damage.
Some made very hard decisions, and some just tried to survive.
They carried malaria, dysentery, ringworms, and leaches.
They carried the land itself as it hardened on their boots. They
carried stationery, pencils, and pictures of their loved ones - real and
imagined.

They carried love for people in the real world, and love for one another.
And sometimes they disguised that love: "Don't mean nothin'!"
They carried memories!
For the most part, they carried themselves with poise and a kind of dignity.
Now and then, there were times when panic set in, and people squealed, or
wanted to, but couldn't; when they twitched and made moaning sounds and
covered their heads and said "Dear God", and hugged the earth and fired
their weapons blindly, and cringed and begged for the noise to stop, and
went wild and made stupid promises to themselves and God and their parents,
hoping not to die.

They carried the traditions of the United States military, and memories and
images of those who served before them.
They carried grief, terror, longing, and their reputations. They carried the
soldier's greatest fear: the embarrassment of dishonor.
They crawled into tunnels, walked point, and advanced under fire, so
as not to die of embarrassment.
They were afraid of dying, but too afraid to show it. They carried the
emotional baggage of men and women who might die at any moment.
They carried the weight of the world, and the weight of every free citizen of
America.

THEY CARRIED EACH OTHER

Author Unknown
Remember them always

***************************

[SEATJERKER]

...are sent from one soldier to another...

...By their caring, and knowledge,

...Thank you Gimpy for the reminder of why we care about each other so much in this land, we might argue tooth, and nail over certian elements of infrastructure, but the core of it all is "the things they carried"

[blues clues]

yeah what seat said.
razz

[exlrrp]

I carried KoolAid and some of that great Louisiana Red Devil Hot Sauce also
It's good to see you again, Gimpy, long time no see

James

[ArtySgt]

I carried a crucifix made of Plam from Plam Sunday mass in my steel pot my wife sent to me. It lasted quite a long time in that climate.

[xgrunt]

That is from the book'The Things They Carried" by Tim O"Brian or O'Brien not sure of the spelling as I lent DMZ-LT my copy. :cl:

[Andy]

When I saw your name attached to this thread I was sure you were going to mention a few other things that some grunts carried.
I'd add to the list my St. Christopher's medal. Kool Aid and hot sauce, they were as important to us as LSA and a P-38.
Won't tell you all the other things that us Mech Infantry guys carried, but cases of beer would be included on the list.

Stay healthy,
Andy

[xgrunt]

Kool-Aid and Lemonade were definately high on my "make sure I had enough" list when I was packing the ruck for a jaunt thru the jungle. Always envied you" Riding Grunts" for the x-tras you could throw on your vehicles. I know when I was cherry and packing the Prick-25 the noise I would make when 2 team members would help me to my feet might be where the term GRUNT came from much earlier in the war. Stay healthy and if Fetch, Barf and Itch comes around to ask you about your library books I'm using your name on my card. Selah Frank :cl:

[Boats]

Still carry and sometimes use my P38. Very handy little piece.

[Boats]

I also remember carrying a photo of my wife and ST. Christoper medal and a large knife (pig sticker they call it).