Contact

“Break squelch twice if all is clear.”

Silence is important, Charlie may be near.

“It will be an easy mission,” the OP’s Sergeant said.

Three days out, you have three dead.

Listening posts in, claymore’s all set,

RTO’s sending traffic over the net.

Movement spotted, all men on guard,

The ground for a seat, it’s always rock hard.

Words passed on, “Gooks in the wire.”

They probe all night, they never tire.

Flares go up; they light up the sky,

You or the enemy, one must die.

All hell breaks loose; you fire up your share,

It’s over quickly; all you can do is stare.

RECON goes out, not a word is said;

Charlie drags off their wounded, also their dead.

You rebuild your position, start over again;

If war isn’t hell, it is a sin.

Michael D. Monfrooe

February 1986