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-The Warrior In me-

I stood there, at the door of the chopper.
The door begins to open, my heart
was pounding my hands were sweating.
It was my first command, As I looked over to my men
I realized that some would die.
Suddenly the door opened,
the bullets started flying.
Dashing quickly yelling to get off and get down!
I started Firing rapidly shooting
at the enemy that we couldn't see.
Standing next to the door jerking my men off the chopper
one froze in the doorway.
I turned to him and before I grabbed him
the sudden crack of a rifle sounded off.
He fell face forward, looking down at him
I realized that he died, under my command.

The sense of anger rushed over me as I ran ahead of my men.
Yelling to them telling them the command
to charge into the woods ahead!
As I got in the edge of the woods,
I came upon a young man,
as he turned at me I realized then at that moment
that he wasn't the evil monster I hoped to see
yet a young man, just as I.
His rifle turned towards me
and I saw the same emotions of anger on his face.
I knew then that I had no choice yet to kill him.
Tapping the trigger as the bursts went off,
Every thing seemed to stop,
as the sight of blood shot from his body I knew then at that moment
that I had killed a man.
I turned around to see my men were standing behind me.

I knew that the only way to win was to spread out
and give them less to shoot at.
So I did, I told my xo to take half of the team with him.
As the words finished out of my mouth I saw him fall.
A sniper had gotten him, then another and another.
"GET DOWN!" I yelled as my men started to take cover,
then something stopped my words.
A sharp pain ran up my body,
I lost all my leg strength and I fell,
attempting to sit up I realized that I had been hit.
I looked and the site of blood covered me.

The bullet was stopped by the gear and nearly went all the way in.
Pulling it out and getting back to my feet
I yelled for my men to move out.
With every step the pain shot up my spine.
I heard the common scream that I knew all to well.
It was the sound of the mortars,
I realized that I was no longer back home
It was coming for me this time.
Explosions went off every where's,
my men were dying and we still had not reached our objective.
Running ahead with what was left of my company we charged forward.
Shooting and shooting we all soon ran out of ammo.
A blast went off behind me,
I turned around to see none of my men were alive.
I was alone,
alone in the woods with no ammo.

Wanting to just give up and lay there and die I fought my feelings.
Grabbing my knife running harder.
Soon the enemy was around me,
I started to jump after them stabbing them!
I couldn't stop,
I was no longer controlling myself,
something was in me
something called a WARRIOR!
Grabbing their rifles as I killed them
I started shooting back.
Soon the jungle was silent,
I looked around like in the Vietnam movies
I saw that I was in war!
Running hard to the other side of the jungle I heard the choppers!
It was my men they were there for me.
I stopped at the edge of the woods.
The chopper looked all to easy, they were out there waiting for me.

I laid down with the blood covered rifle,
looking around knowing that a sniper was out there,
waiting for me.
Looking across the open area I saw a man lying down.
Holding down the trigger I started firing at him.
I jumped up and started to run,
I got closer to the chopper and closer.
I leaped forward and dived in, and as the chopper left the ground
I realized that I cheated death and was all for nothing.
Throughout it all I met a new friend,
and that friend was ....... "The warrior in me"!

Copyright © Derek Faircloth
19 Oct 00

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