When Chick arrived in Korea
it was at Inchon in 1950.
He was seventeen, but was small
and looked like a child.
The other Marines called him "Chick",
like a little yellow chicken.
He wasn't yellow or a chicken,
Little fella fought all the way
from the mudflats at Inchon
to the Artic hell of the "Frozen Chosin" --
where he almost lost a few toes,
not to mention his life.
The only welcome to Korea he got
was lead from the People's Army of Korea
and more lead from Mao's "volunteers".
He was still a tough little shit
when I met him after my two tours
in South Vietnam. He'd have laughed
at the picture you posted.
It wasn't so genteel when Chick
got to Korea.
It's still a "hardship" post
and a tripwire could set off
the entire peninsula.
My daughter was conceived in Korea.
We tell her she was "Made in Korea
with American parts".
Author notes
Thank you so much for your service to our country.
A contest entry
- What Do You See? (Military version) by Shadowsong.
1700 points, ended October 28, 2008, 10 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
1 - 5 of 5
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You brought out the fact the a soldier's life isn't always what the pictures show. Very good read.
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Liked the way you created an entire story around this one picture, image and story. That was very cleverly, and craftily done - nice job, and best wishes in the contest
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Thank you. I'm delighted you liked it. It's all true, of course.
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I love the way that you have created a real personality from the picture prompt, I felt like I knew the guy too! Lovely piece of writing, best of luck in the contest.
Kat
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You'd have loved Chick. He was still a sweet child in his 50's beneath that gruff warrior exterior.
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