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DUSTOFF
They come
in fast and furious
Sliding in over the top of a tree
A better sight on all this earth
Believe me, you’ll never see
Dropping
into a hot LZ
Taken’ fire from the ground
Scoop up their cargo and lift off
Dust flyin’ all around
Hovering
over triple canopy
Dropping a penatrator device
Or lowering down on swampy field
Where locals grow their rice
These guys
must have nerves of steel
As they do this dangerous chore
Pulling wounded out of harm’s way
In this god forsaken war
The crews of
these Dust Off birds
Are the cream of America’s crop
They’re the best of the best anywhere
Their courage you cannot top
They don’t
carry bombs or rockets
They don’t have time to fight
They have to carry their special cargo
On their speedy, life saving flight
I’ve seen
them after landing
And delivering the wounded men
Cleaning the blood and gore from the bird
Then ready to go again
For the
action these men went through
They paid a terrible price
Each time they lifted off the pad
Was like a throwing of the dice
Many men
were lost in that war
As crews of the Medivac
But I would venture, if you ask
Most would volunteer to go back
They never
got the recognition they deserve
For their courage, which they are due
So, for the pilots and crews of Dust-Offs
I wrote these words for you.
#
Copyright © 2003 Stan Hutchison
MSG, US Army (ret)
RVN 1968-1969
Poet's Bio:
Assigned HQ, MACV Office of the AG, Admin Machine Branch, Personnel Accounting
Section. MOS 74C30. SSG E-6, From Nov, 1968 to Sept, 1969
Retired MSG E-8 in 1986. Now live in Deer Park, WA. Presently involved in
veteran's political issues locally. Also produce my own CD recordings of my
Vietnam & Patriotic poems.
To Contact STANLEY E HUTCHISON
E-mail: nighthawksh@msn.com
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Stan Hutchison
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