Poetry Written By and For Veterans
Poetry Written By and For Veterans
Enemy Pointman
Each night another part of the outer base we take.
And watch for Charlie and simply wait.
Your mind can play tricks when you're in such a state.
You're alone, afraid, far from home and it's late.
Shadows seem like men and movement coming my way.
Does the next battle include me at
Cam Ranh North Bay?
It's silly, it's nothing at all you see.
It's only my imagination, my fear, it's just me.
I've never seen a snorkle tube in the water..
what's this?
How long should I watch, or just fire at will.
That tube is now blocked by a tree, now a hill.
Does he get away, are there many or just a few.
I wonder, what, just exactly what should I do?
A platoon now may be forming, out of the water and ready to fight.
Any moment now they all could be in my sight.
What to do..I know.I'll pop a flair in the direction.
I do and the man at (radio) control
asks what is your location.
All secure I routinely say as many a time before,
But I'm wondering if soon fighting will be at the door.
Was it a shadow or really a sighting,
Was it the wire or only the lighting?
Maybe somewhere an old Vietnamese soldier reflects and is writing about me,
When he probed the American base in his country,
And a flare was sent up that changed his direction,
As he writes his war journal and shares his reflections.
By Steve Janke
3/25/99
Poems From a Vietnam Dog Handler
11 seconds in Hell
Rumor had it
A combat helicopter doorgunners'
Life expectancy was only 11 seconds
In a Hot LZ (landing zone)
Being a Combat Assault Gunner
That's 11 seconds in hell
Muzzel flashes, an no enemy in sight
Explosions from rockets and mortars
Impacting all around
Letting go with my machinegun
Barrel turning red hot
Grunts departing my chopper
We're taking fire, We're taking fire
Someone calls out, I'm Hit, I'm Hit
Oh Shit was that one of my pilots
Or my crewchief?
Fire and smoke and bullets rittling thru
The Grunts are out, Lets Go!
Clear Right!
Rumor had it right
Fred died that night
11 seconds in Hell !!
KLB gunner
Vn 69-71
FLAG DAY
This is our Pride
You cann't take a free ride
Not on my colors
My Flag isn't just cloth
It's a symbol of Valor,
Pride, Freedom and the
Right to Life, to Speak freely
To be Proud of Those who carried
Her into Battle and Victory
Today is Her Day to fly high and free
To acknowlege the Free
To inspire the Brave
To lead the futures' way
God Blessed this country and
Those he blessed came together to unify
Themselves under this one Flag
Our Glory , our story,
May She forever wave
Never to be mistreated
Never to be Forgotten
Never to fall to a Foreign land
Unless they remove our hands
The Flag of the United States
Stands for us All.
KLB Gunner
Vn 69/71
FREE RIDE
Some say if you're on welfare
Social Security Disability or
Veterans Sevice Connected Disability,
You're takin a free ride
Well now, as I see it some are and some aren't,
or to be Politically incorrect, Some ain't
Here's where I draw the line,
Cause most people are of the
Unintelligent kind
So when they hear or see
A veteran on disability
They feel the irritability
Don't raise Taxes, they say
Just cut these freeloadin veterans away
They're old and dying and
Always crying for more pay
So this Veteran replies Today
Who wants to fight for your
Freedom anyway??
Not I again
Besides it's a Sin
KLB Gunner
Vn 69/71
GREEDY PEOPLE
The right to need
To know
To own
To be strong
To live long
To be the best
To kill all the rest
The need of greed
Is to be more than
You have a right to be
Maybe you're the one
Who should be laid to rest
We don't need people
So Selfish
KLB Gunner
Vn 69-71
C/4 1/46 1st SFG MAC-SOG 69-70
281 AHC Intruders 2nd plt Bandits 6-11/70
DELTA-AIR sup. 5th SFG, Nha Trang
155 AHC Stagecoach 11-12/70 BMT
48 AHC Blue Star 2nd plt Wild Deuces 12/70-6/71 (Lam Son 719)
a christian soldier with the armour of Christ
Kill'm All Let God Sort'em Out
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Poetry, Page Two
Poetry, Page Three
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Poetry, Page Four
Poetry, Page Five
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Poetry, Page Six
Poetry, Page Seven
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Poetry, Page Eight
Poetry, Page Nine
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Poetry, Page Ten
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