Misguided Non-Combatant

As you have not served in combat, I feel the urge to challenge you opinion on "why" we fought\died, and saved buddies etc. in Nam. I served as fireteam leader/squad leader and platoon sgt. with L co. 3/1, 1st. Marine Division fron Oct. 1967 - May 1970. There are "stages "you go through...the first is, the "get those guys" stage...this last until either you are wounded or a buddy is killed or wounded...next comes the (internal fear) "i'm scared and don't want to die" stage, this is quickly replaced by the "i'm going to pay those "mothers" back" stage...this stage may continue for some time but will, if you are there long enough convert to the very real and very basic "kill to live" stage which is the most productive...however this stage , like the others has some draw backs...killing can and in many cases became a source of deep satisfaction in that....the more you kill, the better you are doing your job....the better you do your job, the better you feel about yourself.

When you are faced with imminent death...ie..throwing your body on a handgenade, fighting a no win rear guard so your buddies can escape and so on...the last, the very last fucking thing going through your mind is that "YOU" are not going to survive...some how, hundrededs/thousands of warriors have taken this type of action and have been killed or badly wounded,.....but somehow, maybe because Mom and Dad/Wife/Girlfriend love you or God loves you, you will survive this unsurvivable action you are about to take...all will be "OK" because "YOU" will somehow survive....

Ever drive a car to fast/cliff dive/skydive or a thousand other things...climed up on your roof to fix an antenna without thinking that what you have just done is endanger your life without taking time to think, or taking the proper precautions? Sure you have...the only difference is in war there are a different set of precautions...if you don't take them...fight smart to survive, you will end up just as dead as if you fell from your roof/struck a rock while diving/parachute didn't open/couldn't stop the car in time...surviving is always, always, always winning.......After I have said all of this, I can sincerely tell you that I learned two very basic lessons of life...they are 1-always fight as if your life depended upon the outcome...and 2-never get involved in a fight you cannot win.