Camp Holloway Discussion Forum Archive 02 - 05/07/01 to 02/28/03

Re: Guts.

** As I recall from 66-67 the rules were not posted, however if any one needed help a slick or gun was ready. The same was true for air crews if a gun was in trouble a slick was ready to help and the CROCs never let us slicks down. **

How right that is, Tom. Whatever year, from all I've been able to find. Thanks.

Know what, guys? We don't say it, even today we yuk around like we're doing now, but we all know that every damned one of us would have gone (and many did go) in after anybody who needed us; slick, gun, grunt, Army, Air Force... whatever. Somebody called, we went.

You remember getting calls that a fast-mover was down? Every ship that heard the call turned towards the 'chute. Remember?

You remember hearing that a lrrp team or a SF team was on the run, somewhere in radio range? Every ship that heard the call turned towards the trouble until they knew the situation was covered. Remember?

Remember the hot Tac-E single-ship night resupply missions? Being pissed off that somebody else got the mission? How nuts is that? It don't get no more nuts, bucko. Just try to explain that to somebody who hasn't been there.

Remember the hot extractions? The grunts in trouble? Seeing the tracers bouncing, the smoky LZ, the ground on fire, landing in the flames? Saying to yourself, "If I go in there, I will die there." ("Why didn't I fix that drip in that fuel drain last week?") Remember that? Then you made your decision and went in there anyway? To get guys out who you never knew, then or now. What kind of men do things like that?

Well, I remember, and I know you remember, and there is not a doubt in my mind that all of the men we went after for damned sure remember.

And I'll tell you what kind of men do things like that. Men like us. You. Me. Even Mixer. (Okay, okay. I'm sorry, okay? I needed to get one shot in. So shoot me.)

My point is that we were all, pilots, crews, maintenance, everybody, so good at what we did, even today we have little appreciation for what we accomplished. And how few of us there really were, by the way.

We weren't altar boys and we had more than our share of warts, but when called, we almost always did the right things for all the right reasons, and most of the time we got away with it. Even (aw, shucks) me.

I salute every damned one of us, and especially each of our pals who paid the price trying.

Thanks. Out.

Bob

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Re: Guts.
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