[Troy]

Hacking through the elephant grass with a machete, making so much noise it would wake the dead, while trying to hide from the enemy. Following a trail through the jungle because the growth is too thick to move along off the trail, just knowing that the enemy could booby trap the path or ambush at any moment.

Moving silently through the jungle where there are no trails and the growth is just open enough that you can see a few yards ahead, trying to stay in visual contact with the soldiers on the left and right.

Sweat dripping from every pore. Pack straps cutting into every shoulder. Vision obscured by ill fitting steel helmets. Skin itching from dirt and insect bites. The aroma of bug repellent and sweat and urine.

Hungry, always hungry. Thinking about the next step and about the friend we medivaced a few hours ago. Thinking about home and how no one even thinks about the war unless they are protesting. Thinking about wives and sweethearts and children and families. Thinking about the enemy who is trying to kill me.

AND THE VIOLENCE... EXPLOSIONS ALL AROUND ... GRENADES, MACHINE GUNS, RIFLE FIRE ... and the sound of a rocket propelled grenade swooshing past my head. The snap snap snap of bullets clicking through the air. Tracer rounds cutting through the jungle darkness. Yells. Orders. Commands. Cries of pain. Cries for more ammo. Running. Falling. Dodging trees and bushes. Looking for cover. Looking for the enemy.

I GOT THAT SUCKER. I GOT ANOTHER ONE. WATCH IT WATCH IT ... HE'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU ... POW POW POW. sob won't be sneaking up on anybody else. hahahahahahahahah.... got 'im.

Gun ships are inbound, but the fight is over before they arrive.
Artillery is ready to fire the targets, but we do our work before the first rounds are called.

Wait.. wait, cease fire. Listen. 1st platoon...stay here with the wounded and the medics -- make a perimeter. 2nd platoon -- go around that way a hundred yards. 3rd platoon ... move off to the left front a hundred yards. Sweep the whole area. Make sure we don't have anybody playing possum.

All clear.

Medivac inbound ... ETA 45 minutes. Make sure they have the seat on a cable to get down through this triple canopy. How'r these guys doing? They gonna be ok? Tourniquets. Bandages. Splints. Morphine. Prayers. Groans. Screams. *tears and RAGE at the enemy, and at those who put us here

Somebody hears movement and throws a grenade at it. Another soldier sees the bushes move and fires 20 rounds just to make sure. Get that machine gun over here to help guard these guys with the medic.

And the jungle silence returns. No birds. No insect sounds. Silence except for the fractured breathing of the wounded, and the low talk of the medic. "Gimme a hand with Jose, we've gotta stop this bleeding." "Can somebody give Big Joe some water?" "Tighten up that tourniquet on Chief!" "Easy, Bobby, you're gonna be ok; just lay back there. Choppers on the way."

*tears

Teenagers in the jungle with guns, hunting each other. Killing each other. For the benefit of some political hack in some far off place, some power hungry visionary whose pile of gold is worth more to him than the lives of these teens. RAGE!

Chopper is couple minutes out. We can hear him coming. He's got gun ships for protection while he works with us. "Somebody shoot a flare so they can find us" ... "I see your red flare"

"Red it is. Let's work fast. The dinks are still around here. OK. You're right over us. Let the seat down."

"Roger roger, here it comes." ... And the air blast from the helicopter blades pushes back the jungle growth and we see the chopper up there and the medics hanging out the door to guide the seat down through the canopy.

And pretty soon, all the wounded are aboard and flying away to safety and hospital care. And the silence returns.

Get organized. Send out patrols in every direction to make sure we are not about to be attacked. Pick a new direction of travel and brief the platoon leaders. Give them a few minutes to pass the word down the line.

"OK, 3rd platoon ... you're on point, move out.

And we move again, waiting for the jungle to explode.

[(JD)]

well written.