The Infantrymen

( 11bravos )

Four Duece

Friendly fire..friendly fire..Please stop it God...Please try
Friendly fire..friendly fire....Jesus don't see me cry.

Pappa Tango Pappa Tango...Listen when I Yell...
Pappa Tango..Pappa Tango..Can't stand this time in Hell..

4 Duece 4 duece..hear the round..know the thump,I do
4 Duece 4 duece..never more...4 duece it was you..

Please now..let us get away..Please now let us be
Pappa Tango..Pappa Tango..Please God can't you see..

Breath of air, breath of air...muggy though it is..
Make him take one just for me...
Grant him!.... You know it's his.

4 duece 4duece...never more
Friendly fire kills quick
Pappa Tango...Not your fault
But you'll remember this.

11bravovet...9-23-99

This is a Poem I wrote in a chat.
Someone there started calling for a fire mission,
which is a call from field troops for Artillery Batteries support in times of War.
As is the case sometimes,
words stir Infantymen such as myself & Roy
into the actual battle over again 30 years later.
It so happens, a good friend of mine, Roy 22
(Roy Minier) was in the room at the time.
I wrote this poem non-stop without thinking and didn't even know Roy was writing along with me.
Roy was stationed at the very base ( Pleiku), that this mission originated from.
It is an awesome reminder of how close many Vietnam Veterans
are to the War every day!
I do not apologize for it's graphics..
It happened this Way!

"Fire Mission"

Red-leg RED LEG.. cease fire now...!
You hit my troops ..I don't know how..
(roy22) straight leg, straight leg, sorry my bro,
I didn't know you were there.

  Red leg ..Red leg You're cuttin limbs..
but now Red leg you're cuttin him.!
(roy22) straight leg, straight leg, we just did the coords,
packed the powder and fired the round.

  Red leg ..Red.leg don't you know?
Your short round fell and killed a Bro..!
Stop this shit ..We can't last
the guys and I are in the blast.
(roy22) straight leg, straight leg, our job is to kill,
we do our job very well,
but you my brother I didn't want to kill.!

  Medic..medic..over here..!
There's blood a pourin' from his ear!
(roy22) All we can do is fire the rounds,
adjust on command,
but we don't know where they are going land.

  Medic..Medic..we need some help..!
The short round...Blew this place to hell
(roy22) Oh dear God! did we blow a Brother apart again?!!

  Medic Medic..hear my cry!!
Red leg stop..They don't answer!.... why?
(roy22) Down on knees and crying again, God I hate this war!!!

  Send a chopper we need it fast..!
the brothers here can't even last!
Willie took shrapnel thru the heart,
and another blew his arm apart!
(roy22) When you unleash violence, people get hurt,
but why oh why our own!!?

    Red leg Red leg can't you hear..!?
Please stop now..I've only tears.
(roy22) CHECK FIRE!! CHECK FIRE!!!

And eternity settled over me..
Till night I sleep ..don't want to see.
Can't bear to hear that cry again!
Red leg Red leg..was no sin.
(roy22) A Bro is out in the bush,...
he needs support desperately!!

  Dave/11bravo vet
(roy22) But when we tried, all we did was hurt!
Not anybody fault.
(roy22) War is hell in many ways.
Thanks for stopping it Roy..

All's quiet................

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