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bounds pass on fourth down to stop the clock； but he actually give the ball to curtis who run it in
for the winning touchdown。 that will give you some idea of jus how crafty coach bryant is。 he
done already figgered them geeks from mississippi is so dumb they will assume we is stupid
enough to make the same mistake twice。
i'；m real happy bout the game； but i'；m wonderin if jenny curran is watchin； an if she is
thinkin of me。
as it turned out； it don'；t matter anyhow； cause a month later we is shipped out。 for nearly a
year we has been trained like robots an are going to somewhere 10；000 miles away； an that is no
exaggeration。 we is going to vietnam； but they says it is not nearly as bad as what we has gone
thru this past year。 as it turn out； tho； that is an exaggeration。
we got there in february an was trucked on cattle cars from qui nhon on the south china
sea coast up to pleiku in the highlands。 it wadnt a bad ride an the scenery was nice an interestin；
with banana trees an palms an rice paddies with little gooks plowin in them。 everbody on our side
is real friendly； too； wavin at us an all。
we could see pleiku almost haf a day away on account of a humongus cloud of red dust that
hovered over it。 on its outskirts was sad little shanties that is worst than anythin i seen back in
alabama； with folks huddled neath cloth lean…to'；s an they ain'；t got no teeth an they children ain'；t
got no clothes an basically； they is beggars。 when we get to the brigade headquarters an
firebase； it don'；t look real bad either； cept for all that red dust。 ain'；t nothin much going on that
we can see； an the place is all neat an clean with tents stretched far as you can see in rows an the
dirt an sand aroun them raked up nice an tidy。 don'；t hardly look like a war going on at all。 we
might as well of been back at fort benning。
anyhow； they says it is real quiet cause it is the beginning of the gook new years— tet； or
somesuch— an they is a truce goin on。 all of us is tremendously relieved； because we is
frightened enough as it is。 the peace and quiet； however； did not last very long。
after we get squared away in our area； they tell us to go down to brigade showers an clean
ourselfs。 brigade showers is just a shallow pit in the groun where they has put three or four big
water tank trucks an we tole to fold our uniforms up on the edge of the pit an then get down in
there an they will squirt us with water。
even so； it ain'；t haf bad； account of we been for nearly a week without a bath； an was
beginnin to smell pretty ripe。 we is assin aroun in the pit； gettin hosed down an all； an it is jus
bout gettin dark； an all of a sudden there is this funny soun in the air an some jackoff who is
squirting us with the hose holler； 〃inin；〃 and everbody on the edge of the pit vanish into thin
air。 we standin there butt neckid； lookin at each other； an then they is a big explosion close by an
then another one； an everbody start shoutin and cussin an tryin to get to they clothes。 them
inin explosions fallin all aroun us； an somebody shoutin； 〃hit the dirt！〃 which was kind of
rediculous since we was all press so flat in the bottom of the pit by now we resemble worms
rather than people。
one of them explosions send a bunch of shit flyin into our pit an them boys on the far side
get hit with it an start screamin an yellin an bleedin an grappin at theyselfs。 it were all too
apparent that the pit was not a safe place to be hidin。 sergeant kranz suddenly appear over the
edge of the pit； an he holler for all us to get the hell out of there an follow him。 there is a little
break between explosions an we haul ass out of the pit。 i e over the top an look down an
godamighty！ lyin there is four or five of the fellers who was squirtin the hose on us。 they is
hardly recognizable as people— all mangled up like they has been stuffed thru a cotton baler or
somethin。 i ain'；t never seen nobody dead； an it is the most horrible and scary thing ever happen to
me； afore or since！
sergeant kranz motion for us to crawl after him； which we do。 if you could of looked down
on it from above； we must of made a sight！ a hundrit fifty or so fellers all butt neckid squirmin
along the groun in a long line。
they was a bunch of foxholes dug in a row an sergeant kranz put three or four of us in each
hole。 but soon as we get in em； i realize i'；d of almost rather stayed back in the pit。 them foxholes
was filled waist stinkin deep with slimy ole water from the rain； an they was all sorts of frawgs an
snakes and bugs crawlin an leapin an squirmin aroun in them。
it went on the entire night； an we had to stay in them foxholes an didn'；t get no supper。 jus
afore dawn； the shellin eased up； an we was tole to haul our asses outta the foxholes an get our
clothes an weapons an prepare for the attack。
since we was relatively new； they was really not much we could do— they didn'；t even know
where to put us； so they tole us to go guard the south perimeter； which is where the officers'；
latrine was located。 but it were nearly worse than the foxholes； account of one of the bombs has
hit the latrine an blowed up about five hundrit pounds of officer shit all over the area。
we had to stay there all that day； no breakfast； no lunch； an then at sundown they
menced shellin us again so we had to lie there in all that shit。 my； my； it were repulsive。
finally somebody remember we might be gettin hungry； an had a bunch of c…ration cases
brought over。 i got the cold ham an eggs that was dated 1951 on the can。 they was all kinds of
rumors goin on。 somebody said the gooks was runnin over the town of pleiku。 somebody else
says the gooks got a atomic bomb an is just shellin us with mortars to soften us up。 somebody
else says it ain'；t the gooks shellin us at all； but austrailians； or maybe the dutch or the
norwegians。 i figger it don'；t matter who it is。 shit on rumors。
anyhow； after the first day； we begun tryin to make ourselfs a livable place on the south
perimeter。 we dug us foxholes an used the boards an tin from the officers'； latrine to make us little
hooches。 the attack never e tho； an we never saw no gooks to shoot at。 i figger maybe they
smart enough not to attack a shithouse anyway。 ever night for about three or four days they
shellin us tho； an finally one mornin when the shellin stops； major balls； the battalion executive
officer； e crawlin up to our pany mander an say we has got to go up north to help out
another brigade that is catchin hell in the jungle。
after a wile； lieutenant hooper say for us to 〃saddle up；〃 an everbody stuffin as many c…
rations an han grenades in his pockets as he can— which actually present sort of a dilemma； since
you can'；t eat a han grenade but you might nevertheless e to need it。 anyway； they load us on
the heliocopters an off we flew。
you could see the shit third brigade had stepped into even fore the heliocopters landed。
they was all sorts of smoke an stuff risin up outta the jungle an huge chunks had been blown
outta the groun。 we had not even got to earth afore they menced shootin at us。 they blowed
up one of our heliocopters in the air； an it was a dreadful sight； people set on fire an all； an nothin
we could do。
i am the machine gun ammo bearer； cause they figger i can carry a lot of shit on account of
my size。 before we lef； a couple of other fellers axed if i would mind carryin some of their han
grenades so'；s they could carry more orations； an i agreed。 it didn'；t hurt me none。 also； sergeant
kranz made me carry a ten…gallon water can that weighed about fifty pounds。 then jus fore we
lef； daniels； who carries the tri…pod for the machine gun； he gets the runs an he can'；t go； so'；s i got
to tote the tri…pod too。 when it all added up； i might as well of been toting aroun one a them
nebraska corn shucker jackoffs as well。 but this ain'；t no footbal