* When I had first arrived in Nam, it was on Operation Meade River. We got into a firefight and a Marine was killed. The choppers couldn't get in to medevac the body. Seven other Marines and myself were new in country so we got the details that others didn't want - this time it was carrying one of our own. At the time it was raining, and to this day I can still feel the cold, and the ground being so slippery. We had carried him so long that our arms were about to fall off.. I remember us cussing him for getting killed. I remember crossing creeks and climbing hills while carrying him. Finally we were told to set in for the night and I remember us laying his body down, covered with just a poncho because we had no body bags. Myself and the others got under our own ponchos, but it was raining so hard I was still getting soaked to the bone. Finally I went to sleep and awoke a few hours later. I remember waking up and looking over at his body. His poncho had blown off his head and his eyes were wide open. I felt so sorry for him that I almost cried. I remember going over to him and covering his face up and staying awake the rest of the night to make sure the poncho didn't blow off of him again.
S/F,
"Tex" Evans
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* Note - This true story is also told as a prelude to the poem "No One was Left Behind".
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