The Assault of P1 Hill

Finally back into the front line after my R & R....back to continue my 9th tour of duty....to join the troops for a final assault aka the final push on the notorious Vietcong stronghold.......P1 đồi( vietnamese for "hill" )......

Into thời kỳ vô cùng bi đát, thời kỳ gần kề cõi chết ( the valley of the shadow of death ) we walk, in single file, every sinew of muscle tensed, eyes and ears on full alert.....looking, listening....trying to search for the enemies clad in darkness.....the harbringers of death....

This is the scene that a lot of my colleagues face everyday at work.....one wrong step and BOOOOM....you're a goner. Despite the risks, my colleagues trudge on...one by one they fall by the wayside...some from sniper fire, some due to landmines, booby traps and even friendly fire ( shot in the back/ass ).

With every army there is the Leader or Head Honcho or General or whatchumacalit. The success of a particular army depends solely on their warfare planning. Thats what they are good for...planning and nothing else. Execution of the said planning are undertaken by Captains, Majors, Lieutenants, Sargeants, Corporals, Lance Corporals and the regular G.I. Joes. These guys are the ones ( aka donkeys ) that rush headlong first into battles...countless battles are won OR lost because of planning and execution.

In the assault of P1 Hill, the scenario is very funny...funny in the sense that :

The Generals wants us to capture the hill at whatever cost BUT they are unwilling to provide extra benefits to the ailing soldiers. Request of extra rations, bullets, etc are being questioned. Request forms has been rejected and blah, blah, blah....with nonsensical comments...WTF!

Are these our problems? From what was understood ( we have internet access even in the Killing Fields ), the problems surfaced not because of the donkey soldiers....its because of them Generals....their request are not clear, not transparent enough, etc. The Generals then pushed the shit to us....start questioning our request la. this la. that la.......as a form of payment and gratitude shown in return for our laboring and dying in the field for them.

Some Generals even blatantly disregard the troops as human being by showing favoritism to certain quarters....hey come on la...all of us fight la, some in the field, some in the medic tent, some in the armoury, some in the field office BUT ALL OF US FIGHT YOUR BATTLES FOR YOU....

How many battles can a soldier fight in such demoralizing situation(s)? The soldiers understand that being under constant stress and duress is part and parcel of the job......the very least that the Generals can do is to keep their promises la. Some even went to the extent of promising promotions if the particular soldier can perform well in this particular battle....TIUNYAMA...fighting countless battles is not enough ar? still have to prove our fighting capabilities ar?

Is the roof above your head, the luxury tanks that you drive, the soft cushion that you park your black ass on are not testament of our dedication and commitment towards your cause for living in luxury....if it is not then what is!!!!?? The meagre wages that the soldiers get is only enough for living...some not even enough to fuck and have kids...so go figure before rejecting request and so forth!!!!! The saying of "PENNY WISE, POUND FOOLISH" truely applies here..fuck me dead if it doesn't!!!

A lot of us foresee that the end is near, the end of fighting aimless, meaningless battles for a country that has its freedom and independence for 26 fucking years. A country that has lost its memory of where she came from...A country that has since forgotten to show gratitude to her soldiers that died fighting in order to sustain her life.

TRUST, GRATITUDE and BELIEVE ...without that, there is no point for the Generals to enlist new recruits OR maintain the current batch of Donkeys....

2 every1 his/her OWN........................