The price of water

We were on maneuvers in the lower valley area. There was lots of high elephant grass in the area we were in. It was hot, very hot and it was only mid morning.  

We had been out for a couple days and were out of water. So we set up a perimeter and called for a chopper to bring us water. Some of us took our rain ponchos and tied them to short branches for shade. 

When the chopper came in, about 20 feet from ground, one of the rain ponchos came loose and flew right into the tail rotor of the chopper. The tail rotor immediately flew off the chopper causing it to crash to the ground. Luckily no one got hurt. We got our water. It was in five gallon plastic containers. 

A chopper came out and picked up the two pilots and two door gunners and flew them out. After waiting several hours for a flying crane to come and pick up the chopper we received order to destroy the downed chopper, which we did. After doing that we hid the remaining water we had left a hundred yards or so from the wreckage which was in that five gallon plastic jug. We then left the area. 

A couple days later we came back to that same site. One of the men went over to were he had hid the water in the tall elephant grass. As he picked up the water jug a grenade went off that was short fused boobed trapped under it. It took John’s life. The NVA had been watching us a few days before. 

I missed John. He was a good man. I no longer wanted to get know anyone of my fellow men very well. God only knows how much longer any one of us is going to be on this planet. And when someone got hurt or killed, if you didn’t know them very well your hurt didn’t seem so bad. How to lose your compassion for your fellow man? 

Medals I received because of this incident: None, learn to have no feelings, get even!