Hans Ebner
LIEUTENANT

I didn't read his eyes
we were riding in a jeep
outside a hamlet near Bon Son
a sergeant drove, the lieutenant
sat in the jump seat
me and another grunt in the back
the lieutenant called it recon
this village belonged to the VC
at least at night
it was dumber than dumb
to drive around in a jeep here

the lieutenant was fat
and cherry and here
all three were bad news
I myself was too short for this shit
the sergeant just kissed ass

we saw no men
just women and babies and girl children
then an old papa san
stepped out of a hooch
the lieutenant turned to me and said waste
him
papa san was 30 feet away
I leveled my M-14
and without even thinking was ready
to pop him
when the brown bar grabbed my piece
and said, "just joking. I wondered
if you'd do it."
I lost it then
and jumped out of the jeep
and leveled my weapon at him
and even though I really, I mean
really wanted to light him up
all I did was say,
"you son of a bitch".

If I had I would have
never got home


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