Quy Nhon and the Tet Offensive

Quy Nhon and The Tet Offensive By Franklin Price 9/2/2018 Quy Nhon and the Tet offensive, more than fifty years ago That Chinese New Year changed our world and most its ebb and flow Until that day the boonies were the combat place of plan Tet brought the war to cities for every woman, child and man I was TDY to Phu Cat, spending the night on Quy Nhon base Staying in the transit barracks, was not too bad a place When darkness fell, a movie screen was set up on the site In the city there were fireworks, that were lighting up the night As we watched the movie, the sounds from town that we could hear Changed to heavy weapons fire to celebrate the coming year Wasn't hard to tell the difference, we were soundly qualified The noises unmistakable, they could not be denied I suddenly felt foolish for I did not have a gun All was quiet when I left Cam Ranh, didn't think I needed one A sergeant said, if you're unarmed, get up and follow me I have rifles with full magazines, you may borrow them for free. After we had armed ourselves, we headed for a nearby bunker The sandbags would stop bullets, seemed like a perfect place to hunker With bunker full, someone spoke out, in humor, with this greeting, “Are any of you curious, as to why I called this meeting?” Vietnam is in the tropics, the bunker soon was getting hot No slots for circulation, and no place to take a shot One grenade could get us all, so I left and laid on top The fighting now was heavier, would this battle ever stop? Could hear bullets hitting buildings as I lay there in the night Combat never came to us, we never had to fight Sometime after midnight I got into my bed Went to sleep immediately, with the sounds of war still in my head Rose early in the morning to break my fast was in the makin' Headed for the chow hall for SOS and eggs and bacon The cook said it won't happen, Vietnamese can't come on base, They're the ones who do the cooking, I only oversee this place If you want to help me, I will pay you for your time If you write about it later, will be a good poetic rhyme Myself and several others, fed the crowd, for all the day The army cook, true to his word, gave us a fair day's pay A photographer came in to eat, “can you fry some eggs for me?” Had some photos of the fighting, took them out for me to see. Some building down, some full of holes, dead bodies in the street Said the fighting's mostly over, the invaders in defeat. In the middle of the afternoon, heard gunships open forth Shooting missiles at the mountain, located to the north Went outside to watch the scene, as the helicopters flew, Only saw some grazing goats that were taking time to chew When the missiles hit, they ran so fast, 'round the mountain they would go Their feeding interrupted by the gunships and their flow Between attacking copters they would stop again and graze Could barely see them eating, hidden by the smoky haze Never saw a human being on that riddled mountain slope Even with eyes assisted by a ten times telescope My belief is they were hidden somewhere on that mountain face Now buried with their rockets meant to rain down on our base. Planes came in from Cam Ranh Bay to take the wounded there The doctors were awaiting to give life saving care I could not go to Phu Cat, the road was closed that way Got on a plane, for home in Cam Ranh, to try again another day.