I like your poem, especially the second verse. We never do REALLY find someone we know we can trust implicitly, like we know we can be trusted by others. At least speaking for myself, I've NEVER fully trusted another human completely since Vietnam. No, I'm wrong, the day I went into the Inpatient Combat PTSD Program at the VA Hospital, I signed in, turned around, and came face-to-face with this DUDE, and we stared at each other, sizing each other up, knowing if we were gonna take control of this group, we were gonna be running up on each other. Then, we both smiled because we saw the other was having the same thoughts, and we shook hands and became best friends until he died from kidney failure associated with agent orange. He was a LRRP(Long Range Reconaisance Patrol) before the LRRP's were absorbed into the Airborne Ranger Company's. I was a member of the MONGOLS Motorcycle Club, and he was an ex member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. We were supposed to be bitter enemies, but we stood together, fighting a much bigger enemy, PTSD. I never doubted for a moment that he had my back. When he died, his Daughter called and told me. I took one of my Brothers over to his house, and two MONGOLS loaded up a Hells Angels motorcycle into the back of his pickup, for it's final journey back to San Jose, where he had started out from. My friends name was DAGO, aka Larry Orsua. We both spent two years fighting that war, not only cuz we LIKED it, but also to save some FNG's life who didn't have to go because we extended. We both believe the saying, "When I die, I'm going to Heaven, cuz I've spent my time in HELL" PTSD gave me the best friend I ever had.
Thanks for reminding me, Donna Lynne,
WarHippy1%