October 17, 1968 -- October 12, 1971
By coyote
In '68 I got my orders--hello Vietnam, goodbye North Dakota.With eighteen months of surf and sandat Tuy Hoa the life was grand.I worked the nights and counted days,and then an added six month phase.From there to Beale, and hated it,so back to 'Nam (I needed it).I found Saigon (at Tan Son Nhut),I was a QRT recruit.But a drug bust up in Cam Rahn Baymeant I would soon be on my way.I left Saigon for later daysin a new assignment up the road a ways.Just six weeks later, up in old Cam Rahn,I saw Alvin's snake, then I was gone.'Six volunteers', the Sergeant sang,to move their butts up to Nha Trang.So off I went to see the sights.I slept the days and worked the nights.But time was passing, quickly so.The signs ahead said, 'Time to go'.And thirty years ago today,I left the 'Nam', no more to play.I wrote this back in March just for this occasion and nearly forgot it. Written October 12th, 2001 © on Oct 12 2001 03:36 PM PST 18 • 0 • 10
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"In '68 I got my orders--hello Vietnam, goodbye North Dakota.With eighteen months of surf and sandat Tuy Hoa the life was grand.I worked the nights and counted days,and then an added six month phase.From there to Beale, and hated it,so back to 'Nam (I needed it).I found Saigon (at Tan Son Nhut),I was a QRT recruit.But a drug bust up in Cam Rahn Baymeant I would soon be on my way.I left Saigon for later daysin a new assignment up the road a ways.Just six weeks later, up in old Cam Rahn,I saw Alvin's snake, then I was gone.'Six volunteers', the Sergeant sang,to move their butts up to Nha Trang.So off I went to see the sights.I slept the days and worked the nights.But time was passing, quickly so.The signs ahead said, 'Time to go'.And thirty years ago today,I left the 'Nam', no more to play.I wrote this back in March just for this occasion and nearly forgot it...."