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CentAmer: The story of Reagan's war
in Central America
Written By The Mathematician
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The chopper picked us up at 0800. They brought those big Chinooks down onto
the deck, where we was standing in ranks. They marched us up the ramp into
helicopter, and we sat in rows along the edges of the cargo bay.
I was suppose to be carryin' the Saw (editor's note- M-249 Squad Automatic
Weapon, a light machine gun used by American troops in Central America) that
day, but Johnson said he wanted it. I never could understand the way that guy
got into guns. I think he was still a kid inside. He use to play a lot of
cards, which is why I hung around with him.
We was suppose to be street fightin' in the capital of Nicaragua, where
they was gonna be try to landin' some tanks. The chopper set us down in the
middle of some kinda big square in the city, an' we ran out to take positions
before the spics took to tossin' mortars at us.
Me an' Gaetano set up a field of fire behind this big statue or monument
kinda thing, and we waited. We was bored, so Gaetano started to smokin
somethin'. It smelled real good, but I wanted my head clear 'cause stoned men
can't shoot straight. The sarge came over and yelled at Gaetano for smokin' pot
in the middle of a combat maneuver, an' yelled at me for lettin' him do it. I
told him I thought Gaetano should have the right, but he didn't listen.
The sarge sent me to stay at Johnson's position while he be up with Gaetano
in case some shootin' break out. Johnson never smoked nothin'. I don't think I
ever saw him drink or even chew gum, ever. This army truck drove into the
square, and Johnson opened up right away with the Saw. I took to keepin' my
head down and when I looked up there was a couple spics runnin' out to take
cover behind this car that was parked there. I fired at them, and the one in
front sorta flipped over sideways like somebody hit him with a big baseball
bat.
The other one made it behind the car, and Johnson poured a big burst into
the rear of the car, next to the gas tank. The car catch on fire, and the sarge
tell us to cease firin. The army truck meanwhile stays quiet, so the sarge tell
Howard an' Woodside to check it out. I see them goin' around the back of truck,
and I hear a burst.
Later we found out that these two individuals who was drivin' this truck
had the back full of bales of pot an' we killed them. The sarge had a tough
time keepin' Gaetano from fillin' his pockets and I don't think he succeeded
`cause I saw Gaetano later on do a lot of profit sellin' weed.
Woodside say to me, "We opened up the canvas, and this guy in there sort of
flops down out of the back like he's asleep. Howard got startled and he shoots
this guy full of holes. The guy got stoned out of his head riding back there
with all that weed.
As we was all standin' around this truck wait for a chopper to come in,
this old man and this little kid come wallkin' out of one of the buildings
pushin' this kinda cart or something. Johnson right away hit the ground and
start to firin' at these people with the Saw.
I try to stop him, pull the barrel up and he shouts at me like I'm crazy.
Then the Saw jams 'cause Howard pulled a round out of the belt next to the feed
clips. The sarge send Woodside go over to check on the kid while he stay and
try to talk to Johnson.
Johnson be sayin' somethin' about satchel charges and Latin dedication to
territory. I don't understand what he mean until later on Woodside explain it
to me.
Woodside say Johnson reads a lot about Vietnam to like gain a insight into
fightin' a jungle war, which is where he hear about satchel charges. This is
where the people of a particular village, on the side of the VC send out two
people to meet the American troops. These are people which have been chosen to
die as not worth much and they be sent out carryin' explosives underneath their
clothes. Claymore mines or somethin. So when they get near the Americans they
explode and kill people. Johnson think you got to shoot first, ask questions
later.
This old man and this kid were tryin' to buy stuff from us. The kid kept
sayin' over and over "`Mericanchewing gum? `Mericanchewing gum?" Howard play
with the kid, givin' him sticks of gum.
I see the old man, who was killed. A round went in through his mouth and
his face looks totally normal, except from some blood comin' out the corner of
his mouth. But the back of his head be totally blown away. Johnson come over
and talk to me like he's real proud. He say that the bullets stay straight
until they hit somethin, when they tumble around and do more damage.
I don't hang around Johnson much anymore.
N81N ....................