I Never Felt

by Patrick Camunes
© Copyright 1999

I never felt ...

The training and the

Torture I went through ...

Went with the torture that others suffered

And the pain and death I was taught to inflict.

I never felt ...

I could take a life ...

until a 15 year old VC girl crossed my path.

BLOW IT!... BLOW IT!... The orders came down,

The AMBUSH ... You MUST BLOW It!

I never felt ...

The taking of a life

And the spilling of blood

Would be what was expected of me ...

... But it was my duty to accomplish the "task."

I never felt ...

That what I was taught to do

Would cause so much anguish to my soul ...

And the taking of this single LIFE

Would be a torture and a nightmare ...

For the rest of my life!

I never felt ...


                           ... innocent


... or clean

... nor anything at all ...

'cept

fiend.

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May God Bless her soul for her beliefs ...
And forgive us both for what we believed at the time,
And may God Bless us all ... in the aftermath!

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APVNV Pat (Beanie) Camunes
D/4/31 196 Lt Inf Bde
TayNinh/ TamKy /1966-1967