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50 years ago today I lost a friend in Viet Nam
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50 years ago today I lost a friend in Viet Nam


May 28, 2020, 8:19 AM

Before he lost his life he might have saved mine. We were on patrol along a river in Quang Ngai province, the birthplace of Ho Chi Minh, and came upon the site of a former village only recognizable at its entry point by 2 stone columns connected at the top by wrought ironwork. Four of us were about to go through the columns to check out the area when my friend asked me to stand behind one of the columns and cover them as they went forward. Just a few seconds after they went past me, a tremendous explosion filled the air with the blackest of smoke, dirt, and flame. Arturo had stepped on a "booby trap", as IED's were called in those days, and died instantly(we never found his right leg). The other 2 guys were seriously injured but survived, but I was protected by the stone pillar. I screamed for the radioman to call for a "dust-off" chopper as soon as it happened and several guys behind us thought I was the one who was injured. Later in that same day my machine gunner stepped on another device just feet from where I was standing - it was much smaller- just a 12 ounce ginger ale can filled with shrapnel and explosives but opened wounds from his feet to the upper part of his face. It didn't look extremely serious at the time but we got the word the next day that it was 50-50 that he would survive. Fortunately, he made it and got to go stateside to recover. Those 2 were my best friends over the first 3 months I was there and were the first serious injuries my platoon had in that time span - I was careful not to develop close bonds with anyone else the rest of my time there. The irony of the timing of that incident is that Memorial Day occurs very close to or right on May 28 as a reminder each year.

Message was edited by: clover65®
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