I wrote this poem 26 years ago after gulf war one l, I was in Saudi Arabia working, shared with the young men and women of our arm service often, the whole experance was when I first starter to openly deal with my own war. This poem will be in my book after 9 years of effort publish in a few months, copy written but quit personal, this will be the year I share many personal things so today seem's right to share this.
Dear Rocky:
I should not be writing a letter to you because you’re dead. Killed in Vietnam, fighting for what you believed in. Last summer I met an old friend and read a letter you had written her. You dirty dog, she was supposed to be my girl and you were putting on the moves. God Rocky, you sounded so lonely, so tired. I don’t blame you for thinking about Nancy, she is wonderful.
Well, old friend, like you I was up in the I-Corps area, doing my Marine thing. I should have joined you in quiet peace but for some reason, call it fate, God’s will, whatever, you’re gone and I’m here alive. I often think about you. My mom sent me news clipping of your mother placing a rose at the Veteran’s Memorial. Your name’s on that memorial, and there’s also one in Washington with your name on it. No one forgot you Rocky, and they never will.
Life has been hard for your family. But you don’t want to hear about that. God blessed my family and I often wonder why it’s like that. I have tried to be faithful to the ideals we shared as kids. Since you have been gone, it’s like I could never be just another guy from Fort Collins, and for some reason my life has taken me all over this world.
I went back to Vietnam when my wounds healed up. I took care of some kids. Like you, I was a gook lover, as the tough guys called us. I ended up married to a Vietnamese lady, a wonderful person, adopted three kids and had one with Thu. Now they’re all grown up, regular American kids.
We lost that war, Rocky ! Can you believe that ? I was back in Communist Vietnam a year and a half ago. My wife had an uncle who was a high ranking Viet Cong. I met this old man and we hugged and kissed. I got drunk with a former V.C. commander that is a cousin of my wife and we drank and hugged and cried. I befriended a Russian engineer in the hotel and we toasted to friendship, to the future. But all that’s nothing, Rocky. Today there is no USSR, no Berlin Wall, and no Iron Curtain and somehow we won the big one.
Do you remember when we were kids how we were going to run away and go dig tunnels under the Berlin Wall. Now there’s a movement for democracy sweeping across the world and every thing's changed. Everything but people.
I forgot to tell you I was in Vietnam when the end came, I had to run. Then later I was in Iran when it went Islamic fundamentalist, and I had to run. Rode a drilling rig up the mine-infested waters of the Gulf during the Iran –Iraq War. Sat in the sands of Saudi Arabia as missiles came in and were shot down by an anti-missile system called the Patriot. Rocky, there are names, movements, place we never talked about. Weapons you can’t believe and instant TV coverage of everything in the world live in our homes.
They say we kicked butt in the Gulf last year. After so many wars they all look the same to me. But people change slower than technology, movements take time. There are many wars going on. Maybe you would be disappointed in me, I don’t even own a gun, never have since Vietnam.
Time goes on and the world and our lives change and there are wonderful new things that make life so easy. The world’s so small, it’s the information age. The micro revolution. I’ve worked and traveled the world and found all people have some basic aspirations and aspects to life that are common everywhere.
Remember when we used to know we were so right and some other things were so wrong. I call it the black and white attitude. But my old friend, I’ve found so much grey in this world, in this life. I never lost my direction or understanding of who I am, but I also never declare myself as having the only correct way, there is just too mush to learn.
Today we as a people are starting to understand that all our greed and wealth is destroying event our planet, our environment. We couldn’t begin to see that as kids but the warning signs have been showing themselves for years now. In some ways life’s not all so simple anymore. It’s still beautiful and challenging but as always people have to stand for something; the thing is, the enemy isn’t just the Commies, often it’s us.
I am glad I was your best friend for those few short years. It gives me extra drive to live and to do not only what I want to do, but to try to accomplish something, or at least to try to leave this world a better place. You left this world fighting for what you believed in. Your spirit of courage is for me a comfort and a call to push on for the good fight though the battle is all different now.
I am sorry I could not be of much comfort to your family. It was all so overwhelming. Only today do I dare to write a letter to you. They say as Vietnam Vets we’ve got all kinds of psychological problems with funny-sounding names. I sometimes laugh about that. I do know that people that felt the heat, smelled the smoke, saw the pain of battle, those people are a little different. As in everything else there are some phonies, but that’s to be expected. We’ve had our share of phony politicians and preachers. Maybe the simple point is that we learned a little earlier than some what was important in life.
Well, old friend, if you somehow get this letter, then you will know you not only did not die in vain, you have never been forgotten. If I ever do accomplish anything grand in this world, believe me, your spirit will deserve much of the credit—though I mostly do my thing in little ways with little people all over this world.
One last thing, Rocky, don’t get the wrong ideaI, I understand the price you paid with your life and all I can do is love life with all my strength. Appreciate all the things you never got to have. I’ll feel truly and deeply all the joys and sorrows, I’ll sing life’s songs extra loud for you, cry the extra tear over the sadness and go the extra mile to be true to the ideals we shared, and most of all, my friend, I’ll always remember you.
Your old friend:
Richard L Iverson Cpl. USMC ret.
Saudi Arabia, Sometime in 1991 / 92
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