I was a young butter bar on my first tour in country. The platoon sergeant was an old and bitter vet of two tours. I suspect he wasn't nearly as old as he looked, but the war had a way of aging one in a hurry and stealing your youth and innocence. I was fresh out of Quantico and thought I new it all when it came to war, I soon found out this war wasn't like any I studied in Virginia and I doubted any ever were. I learned alot about war, death and what can't be killed in the Nam.

We had been taking heavy casualties and morale was at an all time low. The men of coarse blamed me for their pals deaths, what can I say maybe I was to blame but I had my orders too and we all lost people we cared for over there. I was taking the situation pretty hard and was re-thinking my families traditional career path.

It happened on may 29,1967 while I was doing duty at our platoons C.P. The duty NCO was asleep at his post and this irritated me no end but I knew the lads had been through alot in the last week and any respite from the war was welcome so I let him sleep. I was studying a map of our proposed patrol route when I suddenly felt cold. This in itself is strange in Nam in the end of May but what happened next left me in utter shock. I distinctly heard a voice I thought to be that of the duty NCO asking me what I was going to do about this jug F**K patrol. I had heard the men using similar descriptives but applied to me mostly, but none had ever done so openly in my presence. I turned around to see Cpl Scott still asleep but shivering at his post.

In the corner crouched in the gloom of 0200hrs was a officer dressed in olive drab battle dress, not the same as ours but definitely American. I struggled to make out the rank insignia and name tape but couldn't seem to get my 20/20 vision to focus. The officer barked bake at my lack of response with I asked you a question Lt. and I damned well deserve an answer. I stammered an apology and said it was what the old man had ordered, and it wasn't my position to question it just get it done. That's Bull shit and you know it son use your head or alot of boys will die out there for your stupidity and pride. I didn't know what to say but I did notice that his brain bucket was an old WWII issue and that as he talked he seemed to flicker. I responded that I must carry out my orders and recce the trail. The officer rose and stepped into the light of the lantern and I could clearly see through him. For gods sake man the mission is a death trap the way it stands no one will walk out of the silent green and you'll never rest. Pull your head out of your ass and use the brain son. What ever you do stay of the path of light. The apparition started to fade but I heard him say don't go into the light.

The next thing I knew I was being shaken awake by Cpl. Scott. He said sir its sure cold tonight but you'd best stay awake incase radio traffic came in. I thought the whole thing was a dream until the day of the patrol came around that is more specifically the night of the patrol.

I had the sarge saddle up the platoon and I briefed them out by the wire to save on time. I was unusually nervous this time into the breach, the dream of the other night wouldn't leave me. We followed the assigned rout out of camp and into the jungle. All went wrong right from the start but I kept to the game plan. By that evening we had lost 3 men to a booby trap and I was feeling pretty low. As we crouched in the jungle and the medics did what they could to help the one survivor of the three I started to shiver despite the 80 degree temperature. The sun had sunk below the horizon about 20 minutes ago and the evening was dark below the jungle cover. The wounded mans screams could have woken the dead and did. I heard the familiar voice from my dream saying don't go into the light, don't do it son. I think I heard it say stop feeling sorry for yourself and save these boys they need you to be strong.

I looked around but could see no one but my radio man. did you hear anyone talking just now I asked him. No sir he said just Denny screaming. Call in an evac i said lets get him home. The wasn't to be because just as he called it in we came under fire but it wasn't even close to our position. I told the men to pull out and meet at the RV point as per orders. Just as I did so I saw Officer standing in the middle of the jungle path that was to be our route to the RV in the glow of the full moon. I remember thinking that it was strange that the moon could penetrate the trees if the setting sun couldn't. I remembered the Officers warning stay off the path of light. Halt I ordered we're going to return fire on those bushes where the gun fire had come from. The Sergeant said that's not in the orders we are to break contact if compromised. I f**kn well know what the orders said but ain't none of us getting out of here alive if we don't. I then saw a GI standing over by a clump of bushes pointing at it he didn't seem to care about the bullets that were ripping his flesh apart. I ordered the SAW to concentrate fire on those bushes and they did. I saw the pointing figure look at me and it seemed to smile as it faded I realized it was the Officer from my dream.

The body count was high that night but they all wore black pajama's and we only lost 2 KIA and 2 wounded. I never knew how to classify the other casualty the Officer who stood in front of a full ambush and pointed to the target. I never saw him again but often felt his presence and wisdom guiding me to the right choice. Afterward back at camp after getting a blast of shit from the Old Man for not pulling back as ordered I found the men had a new respect for me. They even asked me to join them in a beer. I casually asked if any one had seen the VC before shooting at the bush and they all said no. The Sarge asked me how I knew the VC were in that area because it was so dark he couldn't see a thing until you ordered the SAW to open up with tracers. He said but in the first few seconds of tracer fire he thought I'd made a huge mistake because he could have sworn that he saw an American soldier standing in the line of fire. I didn't tell him that he did, some things just can't be explained in war... I guess some things never were meant to be explained but when I got home from the Nam my Aunt had passed away and had left my Uncles WWII foot locker.

My uncle had been KIA in Italy but was decorated for valor many times before his death as well as post humously for his actions in taking out a machine gun after his platoon had come under fire on a road he had been ordered to take to the companies rear for R &R... The road was allegedly secure... but I didn't know this until I read the commendation that went along with the silver star he was awarded. No one made it to the scheduled R&R that night... May 29th 1947, under the full moon.