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Ode to the Medic 
Ode to the medic, who never stood so tall As when bending to help brothers who by enmities anger fall For these combat physicians feel the spirit of duty's call To administer aid in succor to those in suffering pain To comfort in solace those whose souls nagging battle stain Regardless of man’s wind and fire and pouring rain. 
Holds a brother’s hand in soothing caresses Praying withering fire for one moment be suppressed Applying a healer's hands to mend the sore oppressed Feeding a brother’s soul in times by the angel's blest Helping God guide a dying brother to his final rest. Medic, O medic Racing to hover o’er a buddy with such unmitigated dread Lay your therapeutic hands upon a brother's head Bring this soldier back from dark lands of the dead Breathe life into this dusty mass burned motley black Stifle life's blood seeping from every fissured crack. 
Restore a body like charcoal ash flaking “Doc, I’m too pretty to die. That a tear in your eye?” Said a soldier through thin lips distorted in pain Felled by a cruel war abiding insane. And even God Almighty won’t stop the monsoon rain. “You just might make it,” Doc lied grimly “You get aid quick enough,” he whispered sincerely. “I’ll breathe sweet life back into you, you’ll see.” But saw his brother's legs were blown away Only bloody nubs remaining, pink and gray Smells of charred flesh permeating desolate day. A wounded warrior moans in dying rhapsody Hurt, afraid, by war cankered bloody One severed leg lay beside him... Mid smoke and cordite smell motley grim... Boot and pant leg intact Blood-stained remnant of the grim attack. Somebody had found his limb in battle's light dim Lying his leg beside him. Perhaps thinking "Doc" could simply plug it back in Like sis’s Barbie Doll when losing an arm, leg, or head Plug up the holes leaking crimson red Using some miraculously healing med. Doc worked, with one eye on his buddy The other watching the bushes for recalcitrant Charlie Working despite threatened harm He put a sling on his friends shattered arm Doing his job where men did their worst in vile anger Where violent danger was no stranger. Doc put pressure on a wound where a bullet hadn't missed Exiting a hole twice the size of your fist That bullet designed to tear and twist To turn and rip on impact To leave an excruciated body by torment racked Shattering mortal bone. “I gonna be okay, Doc?" he asked with frightning tone. “O God, I'm scared, cold and alone.” "You’ll be alright," Doc lied I get this anguished bleeding stopped curdling inside.” Doc pulls the tape tighter around the splints Looking away so the eyes don’t give away hints. “Brother, you’ve lost a leg, but your life’s impearled You just won a one-way ticket back to the world?” “Oh God, it hurts. It hurts so bad. Doc, why do you look so sad? Where am I? I feel like such a bonehead!” Fitfully he screams in blinding shock “Can’t you give me something frightful pain to block? God, I've never felt more pain in my life Why are you cutting me with that cold knife? “Doc, where am I? What happened?” Said Doc's friend through lips battle blackened “Cutt ... is Cutt all right? he quietly whispered Through body heaving, so badly fractured. I saw him fall ... Cutt make it through the fight? Oh what tales we’ll tell when I see him tonight.” "Yes, he's fine," Doc lied. "He's just resting." "Doc, I saw the VC supply depot exploding Doc, did we get some? Damn ‘em! "Yeah, we got some," Doc said His hands holding his brothers covered sticky red. "I could see it in crescendo burning... All night raining molten fire exploding I could feel its heat my skin scorching. Doc, how many were there? I saw VC falling everywhere.” Doc, my mouth feels dry like chalk. How soon can I get back to the battle walk?” Doc calms a brother's flashbacks hallucinating, Reliving old remembered stories past dreaming Doc just goes along. Better for him he keeps talking Keep him from thinking From on the truth dwelling. “Doc, must have been two companies come charging? God, they’re coming at us from two directions killing... God, kill 'em, kill 'em, Oh God, kill 'em! "Doc, 'A' Company, hundred and ten men ... good men! Fifty percent annihilated ... mowed down, mutilated. Doc, we don't have enough ammo. They just keep coming. Oh Doc, I don’t wanna fight no mo’.” Doc, it hurts. It hurts so bad to the bone!" "I'm here," said Doc. “I won’t leave you alone.” Hold a dying brother, trying hard not to cry, Choking through a mouth bricky dry, “Oh Doc, we've got to get reinforcements... We need more men, more ammo, more armaments.” “Doc, I want to rise ... so hard to stay still So much I need to finish, in that brush to kill Damned Charlie... How dare he kill me! Death can’t now my victory rob. He began to sob. Gotta fight til the fighting’s done, it’s a grunt’s job.” “Oh God, It’s not fair ... it’s just not fair. "Doc, We got into more trouble than we could handle Got ourselves into one hell of a muddle! Now I’m here 'tween heaven and hell astraddle On the battlefield lying With the last breath in me crying Before the gods of war dying. "Doc, what happened? Who else is there? Who else did a bullet with their name on it dare?" Doc bit down hard on barbed-wire lips As life’s fluids slowly from a brother's torn body drips. "Just you,” Doc lied, as with rivers of tears he cried. For Doc saw in his brother's eyes the final pride. "I'm going home to the world with a Purple Heart. Mother will be so proud ... O the bragging she’ll start. Purple heart ... George Washington ... he’s the best Be proud to wear George on my chest George Washington ... he was a bad mothah." "Yeah,” Doc said, “George was a bad mothah." Purple heart’s for soldiers wounded in action hostile" That a warrior's rusty blood rile... Oh God, I'm dead." "You're not dead. You're not dead,” Doc said “Believe me now in my warrior’s word... Still in your heart the ireful sword.” "Doc, I don't wanna go back to 'the world,' They don’t wanna see this warrior’s spirit unfurled. They won't like what I’ve become when I get back Living with the demons souls constantly attack. Doc, tell them I'm no damned hero! I’m just another grunt sent this verdant land to furrow Planting seeds of peace to grow." "My mother won't like me. I'm scared as shit." "She'll be glad to see you. She’ll understand a bit.” "Doc, she won't understand." "You're her son. She loves you! She'll understand!" "She don't know I'm a killer ...haunted by men I've killed. By the Nam forever drilled." "Christ, ev'ryone's done that," Doc did impart "But I'm a killer, in my heart. Killing’s the only thing I know how to do good Rousting the neighborhood with the brotherhood. Am I too hard, Doc? She won't like me bein' so hard. But I just did my duty, 'cause I'm no coward." "She tol' me her friends don't like hearing about the war. Says my brother's friends protest the war. They say his brother is a 'baby killer.' She told me if I talk about the killing she won't be writing. She writes stuff like that ... letters wet from tears she’s crying. Doc, It's like she can't handle thoughts of me dying.” “Oh God, I’m sore afraid ... it hurts!" "Don't talk like that, for fear the will-to-live subverts You're gonna make it. You're one of the lucky ones. You're gonna be all right ... I feel it in my bones. Just rest now, everything's okay. You won the lottery Won a Purple Heart and ticket home today. "Doc, I can't feel anything ... is my leg still there? I don't wanna die, Doc, please don't let me die here. Mother's convinced herself I'm just off to college, see Pretending I'm on a foreign vacation spree ...just not here. Maybe it would be better for us all if I die here.” "You're gonna be just fine," Doc, humoring him lied Making a brother's last minute easy as possible while he died Though calming assurance his tortuous inner grief belied All keeping Doc from screaming was his pride. Though he was glad it wasn't him there dying Fighting rising guilt within him building. "Am I dead? Am I dead? Please, tell me if I'm dead. Will I die from sore foul wounds I’ve bled?” I don't wanna die in no damned jungle. Leave my blood with this alien land to mingle. Don't let me die in no damned jungle, God." Don't want my blood nourishing Vietnam sod.” Doc watched the lights go out, Looking heavenward, felt inside the primal shout. Sometime later, drawn, melancholy and blue Slumped sick and weary of war, and its dying too Doc watched through an opening in the jungle canopy Tired and chock out of all charitable philanthropy. Doc watched for the dustoff medevac to come To take another brother home! He knew he couldn't save them all For him the order was too tall He could but do what he could do To save lives mid jungle damps and dew To bring a dollop of comfort where he could To ease the suffering of the brotherhood.  If you approve of this site, please show your approval by clicking above graphic...which will enter your vote for "Vietnam Picture Tour," as a top military site! Please Be Kind and my Guestbook sign, |
