Wednesday, May 6, 2015

My Little Brother Dead in Vietnam



Ron Alexander
If we only knew before you went,

Dear Barry, however we were so innocent.

To think that war was time well-spent.

I would have taken you over the border.

I would have sailed you across the sea.

I would have made sure we were free

From our country’s blood-thirsty insanity.

Yet there when you realized how crazy.

You made a fateful choice not to hurt but to help.

You courageously piloted an unarmed redcrossed chopper

Into the heat of a battle to rescue the wounded

and bring home the bagged-up dead.

Your comrades called your copter a target,

And you dear Brother an Angel.

I was in training to be an officer in the conflict.

Thankfully you sent me a warning letter.

Don’t come over here, things are very bad

Especially for lieutenants in the infantry.

About the same time, I saw a documentary –

propaganda from North Vietnam, shown to us

in Officers’ Candidate School – why I am not sure?

But that and your cautionary letter convinced me

That I had rather be a private than a ranked soldier.

The furious commander furiously tore off my 5 stripes

And told me “not only are you going to Nam, but as a buck private.”

Still, I felt so relieved, and reported for my next duty station.

There I was told that they could not send me to combat

Because of the two brother rule. Instead they sent me

From the deep South base in December to Alaska

There, they transferred me to the medical corps-much

more sanity than the infantry.

I worked hard for this new privileged military role.

And met only one soldier who favored the war.

He was going back because of all the money he was making there.

The rest of my comrades in Alaska all thought of Nam as a fool’s errand.

Then came a day, thinking of dear Barry, I lost my temper

And tore up the barracks, being understood by my mates

Who helped me clean up the mess.

Three days later the chaplain came in to tell me of

the solemn news of Barry’s death trying to rescue soldiers

In the heat of the battle exactly three days earlier.

Somehow, I knew and calmly prepared to fly home

to help bury dear Barry – my heroic Angelic Brother.

If we only knew before you went,

Dear Barry, however we were so innocent.

To think that war was time well-spent.

I would have taken you over the border.

I would have sailed you across the sea.

I would have made sure we were free.

From our country’s blood-thirsty insanity.


 
  •  
    Jeeni Zucchini Tears...
     

  •  
    Darlene Mitchell Davis Giving honor and love to your brother Barry; thank you Ron for sharing this beautiful loving memory and tribute. Tears are flowing. You and your family are blessed with the beautiful spirit always of your brother Barry.💕
     

  •  
    Mitchell Warrick Heartfelt condolences.
     

  •  
    Shel Kent That's the time frame I was there providing support from Okinawa. Things were very wild! Radio channels sounded like trucker CB with all the cursing. Sorry for your loss war is always such a waste.
     

  •  
    Evelyn Leonard Wright Blessings for you and for your brother, Ron ...but remember, before he ever entered human form as your brother, he chose his Soul Path; ever sacred, ever powerful, despite it appearing otherwise, even now, after all these years...your brother made a powerful statement both with his life...and with his death. He would ask that you not remember so much how he died, but the joy with which he lived...as you know, there is no death, only transition. He is with you every moment, every day

  •  
    Nancy Odle Wow...so sorry for you loss.
     

  •  
    Robyn Summers-Shelley God speed his love xx
     
  •  
    Janet Alfieri· Friends with Tom Turnipseed
    I saw this film two years ago - I think I got it from Netflix. It demonstrates how the soldiers themselves were a major force in extricating us from that insane war.
    http://www.sirnosir.com/the_film/synopsis.html..
    Sir No Sir! - About the Film

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