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Poem

RECONNAISSANCE PATROL
by
JOHN M. ARRIBAS


Scheduled for patrol tonight, damn I got the point
We must secure at least one exiting point
I hate night patrols, transiting from cover to debouch
I might be leading my buddies straight into an ambush
I’m not sure but daylight patrols seem safer
Locating trip wires and mines, I surely prefer

Cloudy moonlit night need to avoid silhouetting
I’ve a hole in my stomach, I’m hyperventilating
Calm down: get totally focused on the mission
Got to think clearly and quickly on every decision
Men following are depending on my judgements
Assess the enemys location, avoiding assailments

Clean my weapon, oil it, grease the slides
Boy, my mom can bake deep dish apple pies
Can’t get distracted with personal thoughts
Thanksgiving she made a dessert using apricots 
Remove objects anything that might make noise
Nervous as hell, can’t show it, maintain my poise

We’re all assembled, this recon calls for eight
Should have taken cute little Gloria out on a date
Man has a cold: coughing, too risky, he’s excused
Dismissing the tail gunner, man I sure hate to lose
Recheck your equipment, blacken your face
Don’t bunch up, stay in line, keep up with the pace

Move out, no talking, til we accomplish the mission
Go together, return together, a silent supplication



I was inspired to write this poem by conversations I had back in the 1960s with a World War 2 veteran who served from D-day to VE-day and had gone on numerous night patrols. His wife, Gloria, told me they were married for more than ten years before he started sleeping without a light on.

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