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12/15/01
ONE EVENING WE LEFT THE BASE CAMP ABOUT 10 P.M., DARK. WERE GIVEN THE MISSION TO GO OUT INTO THE OUTLYING AREAS AND SEARCH FOR V.C. IN THE NUMEROUS SURROUNDING VILLAGES, SLEEPING WITH THEIR WOMEN. WE MOVED ALL NIGHT LONG, QUIETLY WALKING INTO THE HOOTCHES, SINCE THEY HAVE NO DOORS. I VERY WELL REMEMBER 'RAPPING' WITH FORREST ALL NIGHT ABOUT "THE WORLD", THAT'S WHAT WE CALLED THE GOOD O'LE U.S.A. OUR CONVERSATIONS WERE ALWAYS THE SAME, HOW WE COULDN'T WAIT TO GET BACK TO OUR FAMILIES, WHAT KIND OF "RIDE" WE WERE GOING TO BUY AND OUR FUTURE PLANS WHEN WE RETURNED HOME. THE HOOTCHES WERE VERY PRIMATIVE, MADE OUT OF BAMBOO POLES WITH NIPPA PALM LEAVES FOR THE ROOF AND WALLS. THE GOOKS WERE USUALLY ASLEEP AND NEVER KNEW WE WERE THERE, SINCE WE WERE EXTREMELY QUIET, YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT. I WAS 'ALWAYS' RIGHT BEHIND FORREST, SINCE HE WAS THE SQUAD LEADER AND WHAT A LEADER HE WAS. ALL THE MEN IN THE UNIT TRUSTED AND RESPECTED HIM SO MUCH. THEN RIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE MORNING, WHEN YOU CAN BARELY SEE A "SLIGHT" CHANGE IN THE DARKNESS, DUE TO THE SUN STARTING TO COME UP, BUT THE BIRDS WEREN'T EVEN CHIRPPING YET. WE WENT INTO THIS 'LARGE' HOOTCH, IT HAD 4 ROOMS IN IT, SEPERATED BY THE NIPPA PALM LEAVES. AS WE WALKED INTO THE HOOCH, I WAS AN ARMS LENGTH BEHIND FORREST. HE WENT INTO THE RIGHT ROOM AND I WENT INTO THE LEFT ROOM. THEN AS I WAS LOOKING AT THE SLEEPING GOOKS ON THE GROUND, FORREST YELLED, "WATCH IT, THIS ONES GOT A GUN". THOSE WERE HIS LAST WORDS. IMMEDIATELY AFTER HE YELLED, I HEARD A BURST OF GUNFIRE FROM AN AK-47, AN ASSUALT MACHINEGUN, THAT ALOT OF THE V.C. CARRIED. I IMMEDIATELY HIT THE GROUND, IT GOT "ERIELY" QUIET, THEN I HEARD A BURST FROM AN M-16, YOU COULD DEFINETLY TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO. AGAIN IT GOT "ERIELY" QUIET. I THEN HEARD WOMEN SCREAMING AND CRYING A SHORT WAYS FROM THE HOOTCH. I THEN GOT UP AND WENT OUT THE BACK OPENING OF THE HOOTCH (MOST HAD NO DOORS) LOOKING FOR FORREST AND THE SCREAMING WOMEN. A SHORT WAYS DOWN THE JUNGLE TRAIL, I CAME UPON THE WOMEN AND THE V.C. THAT HAD SHOT FORREST. WHAT HAD HAPPENED, AFTER THE GOOK SHOT FORREST HE RAN OUT THE BACK AND THE PLATOON LEADER, LT. GRANT, I BELIEVE THAT WAS HIS NAME, SHOT THE GOOK IN THE LOWER SMALL OF THE BACK AND KNOCKED HIM DOWN. HE WAS HIT PRETTY GOOD, BUT STILL ALIVE. I THEN CALLED OUT TO FORREST, "OVER HERE", BUT HE DIDN'T COME. I THEN RAN BACK TO THE HOOTCH AND FOUND HIM LYING AT THE FRONT OPENING (DOOR). THAT WAS WHEN REALITY HIT ME. I KNEW RIGHT AWAY HE WAS GONE. I TOO WAS SOMEWHAT IN SHOCK, BUT HAVING SEEN OTHER BUDDIES WOUNDED AND KILLED, I COULD STILL FUNCTION, BUT THIS WAS MY FRIEND THAT I REVERED MOST, THAT HURT THE MOST. I CLOSED HIS EYES WITH MY HAND AND HELPED CARRY HIM TO THE MEDIVAC THAT WAS CALLED IN FOR HIM AND THE WOUNDED GOOK, THAT I PERSONALLY FELT WOULD NOT SURVIVE EITHER. WHILE CARRYING FORREST, I ONLY NOTICED ONE WOUND FROM THE AK-47. A ROUND HAD HIT HIM RIGHT BELOW HIS LEFT SHOULDER BLADE AND MUST HAVE GLANCED DOWNWARD TOWARD HIS HEART OR VITALS. I DID NOT NOTICE AN EXIT WOUND. I ASKED THE OTHER FELLAS IF FORREST HAD SAID ANYTHING AND THEY SAID, "NO". HE JUST WALKED OUT OF THE HOOTCH AND FELL TO THE GROUND.
Bobby Lisko
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