I'm in a little trouble today
Sometimes my heart gets in the way
He was four a little Korean boy
These darn rules and regulations annoy
We took an ambulance call it was off base
Friend and I, ambulance driver, a decision to face
They told us the boy was hit by convoy truck
Been the case that boy was out of luck
This boy needed help, taken to a hospital
One look, The Doctor clueless,and it was awful
Obviously he had at least a concussion troubles within
That alone would have us rush the ambulance in
But you see if not hit by our trucks cannot bring to base
The pain of seeing that kid too hard to erase
I told the driver it was his ambulance?
Even tried to get him to flip a coin once.
But I had rank it was me or leave the boy behind
I didn't have a lifelong career to leave on the line
and we took the boy back the decision was mine
I was court marshaled but reprimand, given leniency.
Kept my rank delayed promotion but given reprieve you agree?
The rest of the story. The boy was four. He looked
much older and fat. He could not walk. Guess is
he fell down some steps. It costs the Government
$10,000 to take care of him. He had tape worm, malnutrition
with the head injury. Thus although he looked overweight
his food was being robbed, I was taken off ambulance runs. Months
later his parents came to the infirmary. The boy now looked
like an average four year old baby. He gigged and hugged me.
Worth and extra stripe. I found picture of when we
took him in but none in the letters when he was well.
I would do the same thing again wouldn't you? The years have
gone by as I read this old letter. There was no decision
to make. Would love to see that four year old today.