Just You and Me!

Somewhere in the middle of my tour in Vietnam,  my unit moved by road from Dak To to Bahn me Touit.  It took us most of two days to make the move and when the guns were all set up, some one decided that the gun trucks would be moved back to the base by the air field.  It was about a 30 Kilometer move and the sun was well on its way to setting.  Had there been a vote, I would have waited until the next morning but no one ever said the Military was a democracy.  I was the third Lieutenant assigned to the battery and it was decided that I would remain in the rear and run the resupply point.  I would have a couple of NCO's and about 8 soldiers.  


On the move back to the rear area, I was in one of the trucks with Sergeant Terratola.  He could tell that we were out in the middle of no where and our ass was hanging out.  I didn't have a radio, or a map and no idea where the hell we were or where we were going.  One of the guys from the big gun unit we were helping was in charge and we were just a row of ducks following momma home.  It had been raining for several days and the trucks could not keep the wheels on the road.  As we went down the road, we basically just drove from one ditch to the other and mostly in a forward manner.  I hate to think what the road looked like the next after when 7 or 8 trucks drove down the ditches and tore the shit out of them.


About half way back, it really got dark and my senses were on full alert.  About that time, Sergeant Terratola began to say, "Just You and me Lord, Just you and Me!"  He pulled out his St Christopher medal and kissed it.  He started to chant the Rosary sayings, "Hail Mary, mother of god, full of grace....."  That's all a Baptist from Kansas can remember.   That went on all the way back to the base and I understood.   It wasn't the "Why Me lord" comment, it was just a way to communicate to the Lord that he was in charge and we were along for the ride.

In the end, we got back safely but I'm sure that most of us felt we were so lucky and a few prayers were said that night.  


I remember that night and many more to come.  After that, I feel like it would take a lot of crap to make me feel that way again.


MUD