HAVE TO BE GOING HOME
IT WAS ON AN OPERATION LONG AGO
THAT IT ALL HAPPENED WITHOUT THE KNOW
TANKS ASSIGNED TO OUR PLATOON
WERE SETTING OFF MINES AS IF TO A TUNE
THE TANKS WERE WITHOUT DAMAGE
BECAUSE THE MINES WERE NOT FOR THEM TO MANAGE
YOU SEE - THEY WERE FOR PERSONNELL LIKE YOU AND ME
THEY WERE MADE TO MUTILATE HUMAN FLESH
NOT STEEL AS THE TANKS WOULD BE
WE WALKED IN THE TRACKS KNOWING WE WERE SAFE
AND NOT ONE OF US WOULD MEET AN AWFUL FATE
AS WE CLOSED IN ON THE END OF THE PENINSULA
THE ORDERS WERE GIVEN - THE TANKS WOULD NOT BE WITH US
THE REST OF US STARED IN DISBELIEF
AS WE WERE TOLD TO GO ON LINE AND SWEEP TO THE EDGE OF THE SEA
WE SWEPT FORWARD KNOWING DEATH WAS KNOCKING AT OUR DOOR
AN EXPLOSION SOUNDED NOT FAR FROM WHERE THE SEA MET THE SHORE
AS I RAN TOWARDS THE EXPLOSION, I YELLED AT THE OTHERS TO KEEP THEIR POSITION
AND I THOUGHT OF THE MESS I'D FIND AT THE OTHER END OF OUR LOCATION
WHEN I REACHED THE AREA AND LOOKED ACROSS THE FIELD
THERE WERE CASUALTIES WITHOUT APPENDAGES
WHO ESCAPED DEATH BUT FELT NO ADVANTAGES
ONE HEROIC MARINE, WITHOUT HIS VALUABLE LEGS
WAS TRYING TO HELP HIS BUDDY WHO FELT HE HAD TO BEG
AS I PLACED THE TOURNIQUETS ON THE CAUTERIZED STUMPS
MY ONLY FEAR WAS THAT I'D HEAR ANOTHER "WHUMP!"
THE SOUND OF DEATH AND CARNAGE WOULD AGAIN HIT ME IN THE FACE
AS MY BROTHER MARINES LAY DEAD AND DISFIGURED NOT KNOWING THEIR FATE
WHILE THE OTHER CORPSMEN AND MARINES LIKE NICK , COOKMAN, SMITTY , AND TEX
LOADED THESE POOR MARINES ONTO THE CH-46'S
WE ALL FELT FORTUNATE TO BE STANDING ON OUR OWN
KNOWING WE WOULD NOT YET "HAVE TO BE GOING HOME"
By: HM2 Doc "Rocky" Miller
Kilo and H&S Co."s
3rd Battalion/ 26th Marines
RVN - 1968 - 1969
This poem is dedicated to my brothers: Nick Kosturos, Dennis
"Ski" Kwiatkowski, James "Tex" Evans, Tom "Fitz" Fitzgerald, Michael "Sugar Bear" Douglas,
and Anthony "Tony" Cusumano (KIA - 1 Feb 1969). These men were and are
among the finest Marines this country has ever had.
