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 Contemporary poetry by Dan Donlan

PILOT DOWN

By Dan Donlan, www.PoetryPoem.com/dandy1    Unlock all Features - Upgrade to Poetry Prime

REWRITE

From Womb of the Same Mother:

THIS IS TRUE. it was not my first day as as a medic. Second visit
to San Antonio. Randolph Air Force base. My first day in emergency
room. I never got used to the sight of blood or needles.It was my Job.

An early morning a mist rising a cold and wet swamp,"Pilot Down!"
above a small swampy area in San Antonio Texas. I was a young
Airman corpsman. It was my first day on the job.Walking to the
Emergency room a little unnerved. Just out of medical school.
Commanding Officer met me at the front door, "Are you Dandy?"
"Yes Sir!" What had I done."Stand right here!" I heard the sirens.
A MP truck rushing towards me. The order, "Get in!" "Yes Sir!"
"We were told to take you to hanger two." "Whats going on?"
"Pilot down!" A heli-copter was waiting. I had never flown.
I was pulled in. It was not bravery. I am not alone it was what
so many of our young volunteers do for their country. I did what
I had to do. those trained were already in the air.

I was dropped in a bucket. "If you seeing anything wave your arms."
I wasn't trained for this. The bucket was swaying back and forth
It was all I could do to hold on. Ice cold I was frightened to death.
I began to pray make me worthy.But I was not alone. It was a blink
of my eye, some movement, a log in the distance was spinning.
I nearly fell out of the bucket waving. I heard from above, "We
already checked the log. If this idiot." And a second yelling,
"If he is right." And I was right. The Pilot lay unconscious on the
log. We pulled him on the bucket. There was only room for the Pilot
and the emergency aid Doctor. I was left on the log. For a while thinking
i was forgotten. Wet and cold a second ride on a helicopter home.

The pilot lived and I falsely a hero. His copilot died in the crash. There
were other emergency's. It was part of the job. A few months later.
I was met once again at the front door. "You Dandy?" "Yes Sir!"
"We are going to Hanger two." He was the Captain tossed me a flight
jacket. it said on the label, "Pilot Dandy in training." It was
my second time flying. First in a helicopters second in a trainer
jet. You see when I joined the Air force I thought we all flew.
Deaf in one ear, nearly blind without glasses suffering from vertigo.
the thrill of a lifetime. Second pilot in a jet plane. Reality i
touched the stick one time and sent the jet into a spin. Vomited
and returned to earth covered in vomit. We all have a job to do.
We all have a story this was mine. The jacket thrown in trash.
A regret I live with today. the pilot explained to me. In his mind
I was a hero. His Angel sat on my shoulder and guided me that day.
I was no hero I was scared to death. Just doing what our servicemen
do every day. What our fireman do. Remember the Veterans they were
sometimes frightened helping you. It is not the Politicians but the
veterans who keep this country safe. The Pilot told me he was told
had we gone on he was five minutes from dying of hypothermia. Waiting
for the hilo I knew the feeling. Vote carefully. This generation
of politicians are forgetting our Veterans.









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