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| Get Down- A sniper's round richochets to the right, where? Anyone got it? Off to the left, the tree line, eleven o'clock, no, to the front, rake the tree line, nothing, let's go, spread out, keep your distance- More harassment than anything, getting down in the dirt, sucking dust all afternoon--another round, another hundred yards, heavy pack, hot helmet, sweat pouring into the eyes, and they watch, unaffected by everything, dry dirt caking the sweat--wring out the sweat, watch for tripwires, a spider's thread in the sun, canteen half full, warm, not worth the effort-- Another round 2 3, AK by the sound, keep moving, keep awake up there, hold it, hold it! Movement, sleight of hand, what's up?, Get to the hamlet late afternoon, don't take crap, not today, too many days (exactly) like this, Hey!, Pump a 79 round over there 150 meters, edge of the dike, to the right 20 meters-- Another round zings in, the flash, the explosion-- Wait, get up, nothing, they're gone, Nobody's there except old women, kids, a few dogs, they were here dammit, can smell it, all that rice for the women, nothing, again nothing, Check that hootch, do it right this time, ain't no damn social call, burn it, two clicks and we're there, call it in, move it out, hear them damn birds, let's go, second squad mount up, Too tired even to sweat. |
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| --Dale Ritterbuch-- |