This song was originally written and recorded by Hoyt Axton. Steppenwolf covered it in 1968...
(VIET NAM 1967) I caught a ride on the resupply truck out of Con Tien, where the day before that hill was bombarded by over 1,500 rockets. Con Tien was set up on what was called the McNamar line, a Marine outpost overlooking the DMZ (“Demilitarized zone”) - the artificial line created in 1954, it divided North and South Vietnam. The hill and area around it had been sprayed heavily by “Agent Orange” to kill all the foliage so that the Marines could observe the NVA (NORTH VIETNAMESE ARMY) when they crossed into S.Vietnam...
Anywhoo, I was gonna get my young ass off that hill. I told the “Gunny” I was Catholic, I had to get down to Dong Ha, I had to go to Mass as it was Easter Sunday, a Catholic holy day. Gunny was pissed, but being he couldn't do anything but let me go, I grabbed my shit and M-16 (worthless piece of shit rifle) and headed down to the water point.
The water point is where a resupply truck would bring in a fresh Water Buffalo, exchange it for the empty one, drop ammo Cs and whatever else the “GRUNTS” had ordered, and sometimes a Sandbag of GOODIES to a young “Grunt” who stuck it under his “FLACK JACKET” (a vest-like device with plates of fiberglass, supposed to stop shrapnel). Happy to be leaving the “Hill Of Angels”, I helped out with the off loading and loading. Another Grunt and I boarded the Deuce in a Half.
“Hang on,” said the driver. “I gotta go like hell till we get over that Ridgeline. The NVA gunners got it sighted in!” Great! I then understood the skeletal remains of trucks I'd seen on both sides of the dirt potholed road. We topped that hill as fast as that 2 and 1/2 ton would go. Empty water buffalo bouncing along, as we crested the ridge, the driver slowed down and said “We made it. Gonna take it easy. Be in Dong Ha in 30 minutes. Anybody need a Head Call?” After the Head Call, the driver introduced himself as “Crazy”. “I'm a Florida Swamprat !” he declared. The canvas cab top had been removed to expose the driver, so talking was easy. “I make this run everyday. Lost three trucks so far. Busted axels outta 5 'Buffalos'. I smoke a little 'Merrywanna'”, he said as he tossed a bag of 5 tailor made back to us. They looked to be the size of Camel cigarettes.
I had not yet smoked any pot, usually saying “I'm a Alky” when offered. But riding along, sitting in the Sun, I reconsidered. “It relaxes me,” the Driver said. I opened that plastic bag and lit up. I smoked it down to a butt. A feeling of relaxation, along with an “I don't give a fuck” feeling overwhelmed me! ”Damn this shit is good” I said, sitting on the sandbagged bed of that truck. I felt relaxed and calm FOR THE FIRST TIME since I got to Vietnam.
As we arrived at DONG Ha, Crazy stopped the truck. “This is the main road. You can find where your going if you stay on this!” “Hey where is everybody?” “Probably in their Bunkers, that's INCOMING! BEST FIND A BUNKER! SEE YA!” Crazy yelled as he sped down the hill. Look, here's a trench. Jumping over the dirt pile into the flooded trench, we both yelled Fuck! Pulling our soaked selfs outta the trench we spotted a sandbagged bunker. Sprinting up to the entrance, we shouted “Marines comin' in!” Once inside, we sat near the door of the blacked out bunker, huffing from our run.
“Damn you Marines stink” we heard from the dark interior. “We are soaked from that trench” I said. “Never use them. Besides being full of Binjo water, they are full of snakes”.
A siren signaling all-clear sounded. We crawled out of the bunker into the sunlight. Everyone took off. Easter Sunday services were not gonna be held as the NVA were firing 122 MM ARTILLERY ROUNDS, harassing the Marines in what the grunts considered the rear. Dong Ha was a combat base with an airstrip, hospital, ammo dump, and armory. Being a supply base, it also had a small PX. Cigarettes, Playboy magazines, cans of sardines. The biggest seller was SGT.ROCK comics.
After filling out our order, we were leaving when a 122 mm round came crashing into the Ammo Dump up the Hill. As the Hill exploded, the blast knocked us off our feet. Holy Fuck! I'm Dead I thought. I gathered up my gear, M-16, helmet - where's my helmet? Seeing it rolling down the hill I ran after it. Picking it up, I noticed that the bag of “tailor mades” were still stuck inside the helmet liner. Putting the helmet on my head running for the bunker where I was met by a Marine who said “keep going! This whole fuckin hill is going to blow”. As I reached the crest of the next hill, I found an unoccupied bunker. Throwing my gear on the bunker roof, I dug out my 35 mm. I took a roll of film of the Ammo Dump Blowin up. I lit up a joint and watched what looked like the 4th of July!
Fuck it! I'm gettin' short! 89 and a WAKEUP! Be goin' back to the world!
Rat
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