Vietnam In '68

Vietnam in '68 By Franklin Price 08/10/2020 January '68, I arrived at Cam Rahn Bay Found out this place, in Vietnam, was the best place I could play Ground bound, in the Air Force, and living on the beach, On a safe peninsula, we were almost out of reach The Koreans on the mainland, kept the enemy away White Horse, was their division, and they mostly had their say Hard to believe, we were at war, we seldom were alarmed No fireworks rained down on us, no one I knew was harmed Our hooch had slanted louvers, no windows or AC, Canvas roofs were overhead, it was camping out for me The showers and the shavings were cold water to begin Had six seat outhouses, with half drums, for going in When the drums were almost full, we pulled them from the cache Poured Av gas into them, and burned the crap to ash Spread the ash out on the ground, was not to fertilize We raked it in the white sand to keep away the flies Was in a GEEIA squadron, ground installation was its role Unless we went out TDY, were stuck in that beach-side hole Life in Cam Rahn boring, we raked sand every day I volunteered for TDY's so I could get away Volunteered for digging ditches, installing airfield towers, Performing installation surveys, running radios for hours, I needed to feel needed, after all we were at war To have a year's vacation, not what I went there for Vietnam, in '68, was the turning point of war Draft card burners screaming, “What are we fighting for?” We, who had enlisted, and not waited for the draft, Were considered, by those in Canada, as being rather daft Our leaders there, not in control, Washington knew more When the enemy was on the run, they shut the fighting door Along came the Tet offensive, showing us the war not through They still had fight left in them, now what were we to do? They over-ran the cities, for them was something new No longer in the boonies, they almost pulled a coup They could not overcome our might, but had not come to play Once we replied, to what was done, was hell for them to pay Tet brought on more casualties Than we ever had before The draft size was increased back home Feeding fodder to the war Soon over half a million Sent to level out the hill Even though the Tet Offensive Said we should have had our fill Back home, half a world away, Vietnam, was not the plight Civil rights were at the fore, A badly needed fight MLK was murdered Was the leader for the rights Riots came to Washington Fires burned throughout the nights Tents were pitched upon the mall Thousands camped there for the poor The nation ripping at the seams Against Washington and war RFK assassinated As he ran for president I think I was much better off To be where I was sent. I could continue on with this, And it's a shame to say Some fights we fought, in '68, Still going on today