WHAT DEFINES A REAL HERO?

Hollywood never ceases to amaze me.

Every character, line, and the scene is perfect. The dialogue is wise, and the protagonist has the correct answers.

Yet, in Vietnam, nothing made sense. The North Vietnamese were everywhere except the North. They ambushed and attacked with deadly accuracy. The coordinates on the maps were wrong, artillery would often target the observers, and the air force’s accuracy was guaranteed to hit the ground.

I often believed that prison awaited all my disobeying orders and survival tactics implemented. Yet, we accomplished all the missions. I still do not understand how.

My commanding officer said it best: “Ranger, you’re a perfect example that total incompetence can rise to the top!”

Go figure.

Jerry Glazer — Vietnam Uncensored. Don’t forget to read the first chapter at vietnamjerry.com and listen to the NPR broadcast of Cpl. Cummings’s ghost story. LIKE-FOLLOW-COMMENT is appreciated. Excuse the shameless self-promotion. Thanks.