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Garland of Brothers by Gary Jacobson © 2002 No greater fear has a young boy found Than death’s specter of war, Vietnam bound Men From New York, California, Tuscaloosa Cowboys from Montana to Texas Odessa Thrust suddenly into voracious jaws of abject death Barefaced fear in every breath Riding into the ravenous maw of flagrant death Inhumanity before them wolfish, covetous, overambitious Combined in this world of avarice Just boys living with unmitigated suffering Pure hate seen daily in faces malevolently glaring Gone far and away from "the world," mighty pretty Back home in Oklahoma City From Washington, Kansas, Kentucky Boys from Idaho to Arizona, hoping they're lucky Students, farmers, iron workers, carpenters Fishermen, miners, ranchers, brick layers Gone fighting in jungled pit with hatred's insatiable To contend with odds formidable Burdensome acts intensively abominable Formed this garland of brotherhood Combat’s bond sealed by sweat and blood Camaraderie with their lives to trust To make it past war’s hazardous lust Only way to hang-in was with each other Enduring to the end###undying together All for one, one for all, just hoping to stay alive Striving in every way, fated war to survive Formed a pact by battle’s passion Inspired by mankind’s grievous ambition Goaded by evil’s vile intoxication Brothers together in armed fellowship, terror seeing Unimaginable horror doing### Things perilous, graven, life-threatening Desperate men facing desperate odds Sowing and reaping whirlwinds of warrior Gods The best of men facing the worst of men Full-circle intertwined Bound with ties that bind Life and death contracts by flesh and blood signed# This garland of brothers supersedes all others Men in kinship with freedom’s founding fathers! Forget them...never! Remember this fraternal bond...forever!
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A peaceful scene? Snipers and booby traps lie quietly in waiting. I was Wounded in Action minutes after this picture was taken, patrolling with the 1st Air Cavalry near Phan Rang, Vietnam. Here in the opening we moved to form a defensive perimeter as we broke for chow, after a morning humping the booneys. A sniper had fired at me two separate times that morning, and I was scouring the treeline rather closely. I did not see the booby trap wire crossing in front of me at my feet, an almost invisible trip-wire that set off a grenade, that in turn set off an artillery round. It ruined my whole day. The war was over for me. This was the end, yet the beginning, of a long odyssey home. Thanks to Nancy Meek for the beautiful "Garland of Brothers" graphic. Song playing is, "Mull of Kintyre" |
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Through pictures and poetry take a walk in "the park" with the 1st Air Cavalry on combat patrol# Experience the chilling reality that will give you the taste of "the Nam" on your tongue, leave the pungent smell of "the Nam" in your nostrils, and imbed textures of "the Nam" in your brain as though you were walking beside me in combat#