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The days of freedom were no longer a reality. The thoughts of home and family had been so quickly demolished and our only mission was to make it out of Vietnam alive. The straps on the bags had burnt away at my shoulders and had made the hikes even more excruciatingly painful. The sun shone down on the men of platoon 3 and slowed all progress down dramatically. Sweat gathered on each and every forehead bringing that nasty, salty taste to our mouths. The forest was dense in the Cambodian Incursion and every footstep was made even more dramatic thanks to the crisp leaves which were layered on the ground. However this wasn’t so bad, as it provided the troops with camouflage in the day and an extra blanket at night. I had been assigned one of the most tiring jobs in the squad. Not exciting like I expected the army to be when I signed up, but rather tiring. The mortars added even more weight and every stride felt like waking up with that hang over you can remember from 6 years ago.
At night the sky was aluminous with the visible heat from recently fired bullets. The noises seemed to comfort everyone in some way. For some it made them forget about the reality of what might be in the next bush or what lurked over the next edge and for others it simply got their adrenaline going. It was three fifty am. The squad’s determination had decreased after being informed that rendezvous was no longer an option for us until the next 24 hours. In a way, that was the only thing which kept us going. Knowing that we would be in a larger group soon and the chances of being in danger were less likely gave everyone the will power to just make it through that last night. Now that was gone. All hope was lost.
We set up for the night (in full camouflage) and rested our heads. Rest was vital to us poor men as without it even walking was a very uneasy task. There was one thing we all had to remember though. The one thing Sergeant said we must never forget. The thing that could save our life’s in those needed situations-our weapon. We must never sleep, walk, drink nor eat without it. According to Sergeant it was our ‘best friend’ and in case of an emergency, it must be with us at all costs. In my eyes, it brought memories of the kids with their teddies. I could see little Joe lying in his cot waiting for daddy to take him in his arms. This was what I had to work for! This is why I am here now….
It was at that specific time I heard the noises. Whispering was coming from just a few meters away. It was far too dark to even make out where my gun was, let alone see a few meters in front of me. The bayonet was shortly attached to the top of my M16. I made sure the ammunition clip was full without making any noise what so ever. The other lads had stirred, noticed the intruders and seemed to reflect my every move. We all slowly exhaled each breath to prevent giving our position away. The Chinese were now less than a few feet away in front of my face. They continued walking, over every limb of our bodies. It was now all down to luck. If they were to look down or even stumble and touch one of our thirteen comrades, all hope would be lost. Time seemed to being moving slower than ever and as the last of the Chinese soldiers passed our men, some idiotic fool made a noise with their gun. All hell broke loose in literally three seconds. Gun shots were being fired at random; men were falling to the floor like rain drops and the noise deafened both ears leaving just the bells of beyond noise ringing in your mind. The dark black surroundings had all returned after a few seconds. There were sounds of moaning and agony in the air and each remaining man got the whiff of blood through each nostril. It was clear now that two of the most respected men of the platoon were no longer alive. However we knew that in order to move on we had to leave times like this in the past, not letting those bad memories get in the way of those good dreams.
The usual trek had begun at six am. No one had managed to get much sleep and there was that certain uneasiness within the group, seeing as no one could forget about the last night. We had to continue in the most dreadful heat, place and time. Hours of hiking had been completed and yet still no positive communication had been made at all within the group. We had several short discussions about the two of the men lost that last night. I constantly asked the remaining men one question.
“What would they want us to do?” We all knew in our hearts that those men would have wanted us to continue our journey, but none had the courage within them to admit it.
By two pm we had managed to pluck up the strength and courage to climb up this first hill which would lead us to the main Chinese Outpost. Positions were constantly being arranged and sightings of enemy troops were regularly being reported on the portable radio. In the distance the deadly sound of mortars could be heard. All us men were quite sure that there was only going to be a few hours left before another shoot out would begin-and possibly our life’s would end. We were bound to be spotted. Once we had taken the positions for a quick break to have a swig of water, we spotted the most unusual thing. It seemed to be………..an unusual, secret tunnel. By now, all had been revealed. It was a secret way of getting to the Chinese forces without being spotted! No wander the Chinese had superb knowledge of where we were. Hope and faith had been regained. Signals were broadcasted on the portable radio and other platoons informed of this rare finding. The solid wood planks clearly represented the door to this underground passageway-the ‘secret way’. Lanterns hung from pins in the mud walls and small echoes could be heard throughout the whole of the tunnel. The tunnel ran in a straight line for the first 5 meters and only shadows could reveal what was behind the next corner. This was the stage at which most courage was needed. It was our job to make the descent….
At night the sky was aluminous with the visible heat from recently fired bullets. The noises seemed to comfort everyone in some way. For some it made them forget about the reality of what might be in the next bush or what lurked over the next edge and for others it simply got their adrenaline going. It was three fifty am. The squad’s determination had decreased after being informed that rendezvous was no longer an option for us until the next 24 hours. In a way, that was the only thing which kept us going. Knowing that we would be in a larger group soon and the chances of being in danger were less likely gave everyone the will power to just make it through that last night. Now that was gone. All hope was lost.
We set up for the night (in full camouflage) and rested our heads. Rest was vital to us poor men as without it even walking was a very uneasy task. There was one thing we all had to remember though. The one thing Sergeant said we must never forget. The thing that could save our life’s in those needed situations-our weapon. We must never sleep, walk, drink nor eat without it. According to Sergeant it was our ‘best friend’ and in case of an emergency, it must be with us at all costs. In my eyes, it brought memories of the kids with their teddies. I could see little Joe lying in his cot waiting for daddy to take him in his arms. This was what I had to work for! This is why I am here now….
It was at that specific time I heard the noises. Whispering was coming from just a few meters away. It was far too dark to even make out where my gun was, let alone see a few meters in front of me. The bayonet was shortly attached to the top of my M16. I made sure the ammunition clip was full without making any noise what so ever. The other lads had stirred, noticed the intruders and seemed to reflect my every move. We all slowly exhaled each breath to prevent giving our position away. The Chinese were now less than a few feet away in front of my face. They continued walking, over every limb of our bodies. It was now all down to luck. If they were to look down or even stumble and touch one of our thirteen comrades, all hope would be lost. Time seemed to being moving slower than ever and as the last of the Chinese soldiers passed our men, some idiotic fool made a noise with their gun. All hell broke loose in literally three seconds. Gun shots were being fired at random; men were falling to the floor like rain drops and the noise deafened both ears leaving just the bells of beyond noise ringing in your mind. The dark black surroundings had all returned after a few seconds. There were sounds of moaning and agony in the air and each remaining man got the whiff of blood through each nostril. It was clear now that two of the most respected men of the platoon were no longer alive. However we knew that in order to move on we had to leave times like this in the past, not letting those bad memories get in the way of those good dreams.
The usual trek had begun at six am. No one had managed to get much sleep and there was that certain uneasiness within the group, seeing as no one could forget about the last night. We had to continue in the most dreadful heat, place and time. Hours of hiking had been completed and yet still no positive communication had been made at all within the group. We had several short discussions about the two of the men lost that last night. I constantly asked the remaining men one question.
“What would they want us to do?” We all knew in our hearts that those men would have wanted us to continue our journey, but none had the courage within them to admit it.
By two pm we had managed to pluck up the strength and courage to climb up this first hill which would lead us to the main Chinese Outpost. Positions were constantly being arranged and sightings of enemy troops were regularly being reported on the portable radio. In the distance the deadly sound of mortars could be heard. All us men were quite sure that there was only going to be a few hours left before another shoot out would begin-and possibly our life’s would end. We were bound to be spotted. Once we had taken the positions for a quick break to have a swig of water, we spotted the most unusual thing. It seemed to be………..an unusual, secret tunnel. By now, all had been revealed. It was a secret way of getting to the Chinese forces without being spotted! No wander the Chinese had superb knowledge of where we were. Hope and faith had been regained. Signals were broadcasted on the portable radio and other platoons informed of this rare finding. The solid wood planks clearly represented the door to this underground passageway-the ‘secret way’. Lanterns hung from pins in the mud walls and small echoes could be heard throughout the whole of the tunnel. The tunnel ran in a straight line for the first 5 meters and only shadows could reveal what was behind the next corner. This was the stage at which most courage was needed. It was our job to make the descent….
The days of freedom were no longer a reality. The thoughts of home and family had been so quickly demolished and our only mission was to make it out of Vietnam alive. The straps on the bags had burnt away at my shoulders and had made the hikes even more excruciatingly painful. The sun shone down on the men of platoon 3 and slowed all progress down dramatically. Sweat gathered on each and every forehead bringing that nasty, salty taste to our mouths. The forest was dense in the Cambodian Incursion and every footstep was made even more dramatic thanks to the crisp leaves which were layered on the ground. However this wasn’t so bad, as it provided the troops with camouflage in the day and an extra blanket at night. I had been assigned one of the most tiring jobs in the squad. Not exciting like I expected the army to be when I signed up, but rather tiring. The mortars added even more weight and every stride felt like waking up with that hang over you can remember from 6 years ago.
At night the sky was aluminous with the visible heat from recently fired bullets. The noises seemed to comfort everyone in some way. For some it made them forget about the reality of what might be in the next bush or what lurked over the next edge and for others it simply got their adrenaline going. It was three fifty am. The squad’s determination had decreased after being informed that rendezvous was no longer an option for us until the next 24 hours. In a way, that was the only thing which kept us going. Knowing that we would be in a larger group soon and the chances of being in danger were less likely gave everyone the will power to just make it through that last night. Now that was gone. All hope was lost.
We set up for the night (in full camouflage) and rested our heads. Rest was vital to us poor men as without it even walking was a very uneasy task. There was one thing we all had to remember though. The one thing Sergeant said we must never forget. The thing that could save our life’s in those needed situations-our weapon. We must never sleep, walk, drink nor eat without it. According to Sergeant it was our ‘best friend’ and in case of an emergency, it must be with us at all costs. In my eyes, it brought memories of the kids with their teddies. I could see little Joe lying in his cot waiting for daddy to take him in his arms. This was what I had to work for! This is why I am here now….
It was at that specific time I heard the noises. Whispering was coming from just a few meters away. It was far too dark to even make out where my gun was, let alone see a few meters in front of me. The bayonet was shortly attached to the top of my M16. I made sure the ammunition clip was full without making any noise what so ever. The other lads had stirred, noticed the intruders and seemed to reflect my every move. We all slowly exhaled each breath to prevent giving our position away. The Chinese were now less than a few feet away in front of my face. They continued walking, over every limb of our bodies. It was now all down to luck. If they were to look down or even stumble and touch one of our thirteen comrades, all hope would be lost. Time seemed to being moving slower than ever and as the last of the Chinese soldiers passed our men, some idiotic fool made a noise with their gun. All hell broke loose in literally three seconds. Gun shots were being fired at random; men were falling to the floor like rain drops and the noise deafened both ears leaving just the bells of beyond noise ringing in your mind. The dark black surroundings had all returned after a few seconds. There were sounds of moaning and agony in the air and each remaining man got the whiff of blood through each nostril. It was clear now that two of the most respected men of the platoon were no longer alive. However we knew that in order to move on we had to leave times like this in the past, not letting those bad memories get in the way of those good dreams.
The usual trek had begun at six am. No one had managed to get much sleep and there was that certain uneasiness within the group, seeing as no one could forget about the last night. We had to continue in the most dreadful heat, place and time. Hours of hiking had been completed and yet still no positive communication had been made at all within the group. We had several short discussions about the two of the men lost that last night. I constantly asked the remaining men one question.
“What would they want us to do?” We all knew in our hearts that those men would have wanted us to continue our journey, but none had the courage within them to admit it.
By two pm we had managed to pluck up the strength and courage to climb up this first hill which would lead us to the main Chinese Outpost. Positions were constantly being arranged and sightings of enemy troops were regularly being reported on the portable radio. In the distance the deadly sound of mortars could be heard. All us men were quite sure that there was only going to be a few hours left before another shoot out would begin-and possibly our life’s would end. We were bound to be spotted. Once we had taken the positions for a quick break to have a swig of water, we spotted the most unusual thing. It seemed to be………..an unusual, secret tunnel. By now, all had been revealed. It was a secret way of getting to the Chinese forces without being spotted! No wander the Chinese had superb knowledge of where we were. Hope and faith had been regained. Signals were broadcasted on the portable radio and other platoons informed of this rare finding. The solid wood planks clearly represented the door to this underground passageway-the ‘secret way’. Lanterns hung from pins in the mud walls and small echoes could be heard throughout the whole of the tunnel. The tunnel ran in a straight line for the first 5 meters and only shadows could reveal what was behind the next corner. This was the stage at which most courage was needed. It was our job to make the descent….
At night the sky was aluminous with the visible heat from recently fired bullets. The noises seemed to comfort everyone in some way. For some it made them forget about the reality of what might be in the next bush or what lurked over the next edge and for others it simply got their adrenaline going. It was three fifty am. The squad’s determination had decreased after being informed that rendezvous was no longer an option for us until the next 24 hours. In a way, that was the only thing which kept us going. Knowing that we would be in a larger group soon and the chances of being in danger were less likely gave everyone the will power to just make it through that last night. Now that was gone. All hope was lost.
We set up for the night (in full camouflage) and rested our heads. Rest was vital to us poor men as without it even walking was a very uneasy task. There was one thing we all had to remember though. The one thing Sergeant said we must never forget. The thing that could save our life’s in those needed situations-our weapon. We must never sleep, walk, drink nor eat without it. According to Sergeant it was our ‘best friend’ and in case of an emergency, it must be with us at all costs. In my eyes, it brought memories of the kids with their teddies. I could see little Joe lying in his cot waiting for daddy to take him in his arms. This was what I had to work for! This is why I am here now….
It was at that specific time I heard the noises. Whispering was coming from just a few meters away. It was far too dark to even make out where my gun was, let alone see a few meters in front of me. The bayonet was shortly attached to the top of my M16. I made sure the ammunition clip was full without making any noise what so ever. The other lads had stirred, noticed the intruders and seemed to reflect my every move. We all slowly exhaled each breath to prevent giving our position away. The Chinese were now less than a few feet away in front of my face. They continued walking, over every limb of our bodies. It was now all down to luck. If they were to look down or even stumble and touch one of our thirteen comrades, all hope would be lost. Time seemed to being moving slower than ever and as the last of the Chinese soldiers passed our men, some idiotic fool made a noise with their gun. All hell broke loose in literally three seconds. Gun shots were being fired at random; men were falling to the floor like rain drops and the noise deafened both ears leaving just the bells of beyond noise ringing in your mind. The dark black surroundings had all returned after a few seconds. There were sounds of moaning and agony in the air and each remaining man got the whiff of blood through each nostril. It was clear now that two of the most respected men of the platoon were no longer alive. However we knew that in order to move on we had to leave times like this in the past, not letting those bad memories get in the way of those good dreams.
The usual trek had begun at six am. No one had managed to get much sleep and there was that certain uneasiness within the group, seeing as no one could forget about the last night. We had to continue in the most dreadful heat, place and time. Hours of hiking had been completed and yet still no positive communication had been made at all within the group. We had several short discussions about the two of the men lost that last night. I constantly asked the remaining men one question.
“What would they want us to do?” We all knew in our hearts that those men would have wanted us to continue our journey, but none had the courage within them to admit it.
By two pm we had managed to pluck up the strength and courage to climb up this first hill which would lead us to the main Chinese Outpost. Positions were constantly being arranged and sightings of enemy troops were regularly being reported on the portable radio. In the distance the deadly sound of mortars could be heard. All us men were quite sure that there was only going to be a few hours left before another shoot out would begin-and possibly our life’s would end. We were bound to be spotted. Once we had taken the positions for a quick break to have a swig of water, we spotted the most unusual thing. It seemed to be………..an unusual, secret tunnel. By now, all had been revealed. It was a secret way of getting to the Chinese forces without being spotted! No wander the Chinese had superb knowledge of where we were. Hope and faith had been regained. Signals were broadcasted on the portable radio and other platoons informed of this rare finding. The solid wood planks clearly represented the door to this underground passageway-the ‘secret way’. Lanterns hung from pins in the mud walls and small echoes could be heard throughout the whole of the tunnel. The tunnel ran in a straight line for the first 5 meters and only shadows could reveal what was behind the next corner. This was the stage at which most courage was needed. It was our job to make the descent….
You need to paragraph this properly.
Yes sorry. I originaly wrote this on word and the paragraphs were put in. When I pasted it to post on freeola the paragraphs did not appear as they should have done. However, thanks for telling me and it is now sorted.
hm. Only part of a story? Does that count?
Not big on war stories myself, but this was pretty well written and interesting enough.
Not big on war stories myself, but this was pretty well written and interesting enough.
Left it on a cliff hanger on purpose-more suspense I thought. Thanks though, PB
Verdict in a nutshell: The gun battle with the Chinese soliders seemed to end too abruptly. Other than that, I enjoyed. Decent use of the theme. A somewhat mysterious ending. 7.3 out of 10.