wanna hear a war story that you won't believe? True story, though. But when you're 20, shit does happen, sometimes, that, upon reflection years later, blows your freakin' mind.....

I did, one damn time, (and I was a legend in the 9th Div for it) beat an Aussie at his own game. We were both drunk and he was part of a team attached to us, and somehow I had pissed him off, probably with some stupid remark, and the bloke up and challenged me to a damn duel. No shit. I think this was in 67, at Dong Tam in the Delta. Had to be.

So, being the one challenged I had choice of weapons and location and time. I told him immediately after evening chow, behind the supply tent, and he was there, with his buddies, as was I. As was a small table and two camp stools and two double-barrrel 12-gauge shotguns.

My choice was shotguns, cocked, across a card table. We sat there for nearly an hour and he raised his hand off his shotgun, raised both hands, stood up and apologized to me, and to this day I truly cannot remember ever feeling so relieved. Had either of us pulled a trigger we would both have been hamburger.

But I outlasted him, so that puts me one over on an Aussie - something that damn few Yanks could ever brag about, I'm sure. I later got my ass crawled by the Battalion Seargent-Major for such a stupid stunt, but it was worth it. (and he could really crawl an ass, too!)