I DEROS'd from Da Nang Air Base in 1966. My four years of USAF
were at an end. One day I was patrolling with Blackie, my K-9, in
Da Nang's ammo dump ... and a few days later, cruising through old
high school hang outs in California. No debrief. No war. No more Vietnam.
Just a dream that began and ended with a sudden startling wake up,
as if I were falling asleep on post ... and being wide awake
I had the feeling that I couldn't find my uniform and I wasn't
ready. Years passed. The war continued. The dream continued.
Decades passed. One long weekend my three brothers asked me to
go hunting with them. Sounded like fun, so I said okay, and went out
and bought a set of cammies. Went hunting. It was fun. Hung the cammies
up in the closet---and never ... had ... the dream ... again.
The cammies are still hanging in the closet.
