War is Hell

by Elaine Jones

(Photo credit: Horst Faas) Source.

How I want to hold you in my arms.
And be enchanted by all your charms.
But that will never be,
For they were taken from me.
Oh, this damnable war.

I want to dance with you one more time.
And claim you to be just mine.
But with only one leg.
I must beg for a memory instead.
Oh, this damnable war.

To look upon your face,
Would make my heart race.
What joy to behold,
Many memories would unfold.
But sight left with that terrible blast.
Oh, this damnable war.

I think of you every day
While in this bed I lay.
I’ll never be whole.
Except in my soul.
My love for you will never fade,
Until I’m put into the grave.
Oh, this damnable war.

_________________

PFC Michael J. Mendoza (Piedmont, CA) uses his M16 rifle to recon by fire. Earlier, the company received sniper from the valley below. His company; Company A, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, was moving to a mountaintop to secure a landing zone. This mission was part of Operation “Cook” conducted in Quang Ngai Province, Republic of Vietnam. Mendoza was also known for his helmet graffiti “Goin-home!! California”. 8 September 1967 Source.

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.