I don't remember his name, just that we became good friends, he was
from somewhere in New York, maybe the city, and that he made a
living playing cards there. He wanted to teach me how he was able
to beat so many players, all his tricks, but I told him that I don't and
won't play cards. He was not with L Company very long, and soon
after these photos were taken up on the Rockpile he
tripped a booby trap on a patrol coming down the Razorback, and was in bad
shape, we had to get him out fast, I called for a medevack chopper,
it could not land to pick him up, so it lowered a basket for us to put him
in. We had a hell of a time with that basket, and the trees, and the chopper
not being able to hold a steady position. It must have been because I was
his friend that I was talking to him and helping to get him in the basket,
but I was covered with his blood. The rush to get him in the basket and
the chopper moving problem, we could not strap him in, so when the basket
was being raised up it would catch a tree limb, and the basket would tilt,
we thought that he was going to be dumped out and fall surely to his death,
but after a lot of fear and anger about the whole situation he made it up ok.
Not having any canteen water to spare, I tried to rub his blood off my
hands and clothes in the dirt, but they were still very sticky the rest of the
time we were out, having the blood of someone on you for a day, is
very hard to forget.
Well he made it out, but I would like to hear how he is doing today, so
if anyone, or better yet, if he could, please e mail me.