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To know me, is to understand me.
In 1968 I had the privelege of seeing
man's inhumanity to man. The Vietnam War
was in full swing.
The stench of war was
everywhere. There was no escaping it
when you arrived. As a Laboratory
Technician, I was about to embark on a
very different avenue of life. There are
tens of thousands who had it worse than
I as far as conditions. I only had to
see the carnage as it rolled into our
Hospital. I didn't have to see them
killed and maimed in action. Yet to my
soul, it hurt just as badly to see the
suffering on both sides.
DODGE.. we
called this 9 yr old Vietnamese boy by
that name because he was run over by a
Deuce and a half (2 1/2 ton army truck).
He had two spots exposed where I could
draw blood for his lab tests, the rest
was covered in bandages and casts. His
eyes teared whenever he saw me coming,
because he knew I was going to take a
blood sample. None of us wanted to see
his name come up on our daily round
ticket. We knew how painful it was for
him.
Yet thru all that pain, Dodge could
still laugh and he did get through all
that broken body to go on. I wonder
where Dodge is now? I wonder if his eyes
would tear as he saw me?
INCOMING CASUALTIES!!!
A head screaming through the partially
opened door of the lab, late at night. I
don't even know what time it is. How
long have I been asleep on this cot? I
was hoping to make it through the
graveyard shift tonight without any
work.
Simon and Garfunkel, "Bookends", was
playing on my reel to reel tape player.
I knew every word to that album. Just
start the 6 hour reel and fall asleep.
You know the songs by heart after a
while, it's imbedded in your
subconscious after listening to it in
your sleep night after night..
We sleep in our clothes on night duty.
You have to be ready to run anywhere,
anytime.
I grabbed my blood drawing tray and
headed down the sidewalk towards the
Emergency Room. A Chopper has landed and
its' noisy blades fills the air like
thunder. Over the top of the ER shed, I
can see lights lined up. A couple more
Choppers are waiting to unload their
human cargo. Opening the door and
walking into the ER it is mayhem.. Most
of the triage beds are filled. People
are rushing all over. No one seems in
charge yet. I don't remember if a Dr. or
Nurse told me go to over to this one bed
or not. I was just there.
You don't draw blood in the ER. Needles
aren't necessary. You just hold the tube
under the wound. It fills on it's own.
If they are in shock, you will never hit
a vein, they have collapsed, and there
is no blood pressure to get one up. Just
look for a wound to capture the blood
pouring out.
Walking up to the bed, I see a kid,
about 8 to 10 years old. A civilian.
Seems the VC hit a village for ratting
on them, and there are no GI's in this
group. All civilians in the wrong place
at the wrong time. He looked at me, and
never took his eyes off me. Just a blank
stare, no emotion at all shown from that
little boy. A pathetic old man, had to
be his grandfather, stood behind him at
the head of the bed. The old man never
said a word through it all, his face
showing no emotion. As if he'd been
through this before, or knew what was
coming. The boy couldn't see him and I
don't know if he knew he was there at
all. I figure the old man had to be
injured some way, or he'd never have
gotten on the Chopper to begin with. But
the child was my concern. His neck was
bandaged and soaked with blood. The
bandage had slipped down and blood was
flowing out of the side of his neck. The
bed was beginning to soak with it.
I reached out and grabbed the boys hand,
it's so cold! He isn't going to make it.
His blood loss has been too much for
that frail little body. All I can do is
smile at him, this is my only
contribution as no nurses or doctors are
going to take the time. If my eyes said
"Don't be afraid of death, go gently.",
then it may have helped him. The eyelids
closed slowly and his breathing stopped,
a limp little hand no longer holding on
for life.
Grandfather knew what had happened,
still stony in his appearance. Someone
shouted for help, and I had to move on.
The rest of the night was a blur and I
don't even remember what else happened.
29 Years
Later
Sitting beside his bed.. just me and
him. A cold hand lying ever so lightly
in mine. His eyes very heavy... soul
slipping..
My eyes glued to his face and slow
heaving chest. Finally no movement...
God! Not again?
Dad? Dad?
I died once more, but more painfully.
Let's go back
Home!
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