One Of The Longest Nights

 

Yellow alert had its ups and its downs.
It brought its sorrows and its frowns.
It made your time go by faster when it was all done.

Yellow alert did also bring dangers your way.
As you listened to enemy sightings at guard mount each day.
Sometimes Charlie came and left and sometimes he stayed.
But yellow alert even could make the bravest afraid.

One of the bravest K-9 men of our day was a guy from Haysi, VA they say.

For night after night we expected them to drop in
By Tri Service down by the sea.
Where the bombs were stored in the jungle by the posts
Where we use to love to be.

These were the posts everyone use to love to get.
So you could be away from the lifers (sorry guys) and hassles
And not have to fret.

It could be peaceful out there away from the base.
Even the truck ride took you away from the hectic rat race.

This time was different, this yellow alert was unique.
For each night we were playing tag with Charlie getting
Alerts from War dogs that lasted all week.

You could feel the tension as each night wore on without an attack.
As it was back to the hooch's and a few hours to try and get some time in the rack.

TONIGHT was my turn as I climbed in the truck to leave.
My stomach was turning and I thought I would heave.
But someone else was going, someone I knew quite well.
His being there seemed to calm the terrors I felt were from hell.

Sgt. Joe Fuller was going out with me tonight.
This thought brought some peace if we did have to fight.
But even Joe felt this tension in the way I did as well.
I could see it in his face.. he didn't have to tell.

Everyone knew they were coming, if not tonight then real soon.
It could be in the morning, at night or at noon.
The bombs were stacked as far as the eye could see.
If even one sapper got through there wouldn't be any pieces left to find of me.

I looked at Joe.. he looked at me.. tonight's the night I can feel it.
They're coming in.
It won't hurt to talk to God about your sin.
We're all gonna die tonight, Steve, oh well. what can you do?
It sure has been mighty nice knowing you!

I guess it's not only me that feels that way today.
The fear is real, it might be the end of my way.
It does make you think a lot about home, God and stuff.
But dying so young is never easy, always rough.

All night we watched and all night we talked.
And at 2 AM we went out on an alert and we walked..
Up a path, through the woods and they didn't come in and I'm glad.
Though they did a couple days later and for those guys I was sad.

But coming back on the truck that night was great, like a new lease on life..
Once again I would think of going home to the family and my wife.

Yes yellow alert had its ups and its downs.
It brought its smiles and its frowns.
Hey Ike watcha doing with that pen over there?
We forgot to color in our calendar, hey getting SHORT..
68 days left to go.