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55 years ago today.....

Skysoldier

Skysoldier

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I was walking along a mountain trail with my buddies and in an instant I was lying flat on my back and wondering what the hell I tripped on. I stood up, dazed, and then I noticed a warm feeling on my left hand and looked down to see blood streaming off my fingertips.
Then all hell broke loose, because we had just walked into an ambush!
The next thing I remember was a giant, 6'2" Samoan guy dragging me down the hill and screaming for a Medic.
After that all I have is vague memories of coming in and out of consciousness, in pain and I was really pissed off!
I was mostly pissed off at God, because I was a only 19 years old and I was still a virgin!
My next memories were waking up over a week later in a hospital in Japan, being told how lucky I was to be alive. They told something about being "Septic" and my allergy to penicillin was causing severe problems.
Three weeks in Japan, then a month in the Orthopedic ward in a hospital in Denver and I
finally ended up back at the hospital at Fort Campbell where had several more surgeries.

I finally went back to duty after almost a year.

I still hated God, but that was replaced by the love I had for all the Army doctors, nurses and corpsmen who brought me back, so I guess it all balanced out.
I even went back to Nam in 1971, because I never got my CIB for my first tour! And the Army
almost got me killed again!

So I still hate the Army......the Army sucks!

FTA, all the way!
 
...why didn't they give you a CIB for 1968? You obviously received fire...

Glad you made it, Kim. AATW.
 
Looks like God needed you here today so we could appreciate your sacrifices and to tell us your amazing stories of truth. Thank you for your service, Sky…
 
Picton said:
...why didn't they give you a CIB for 1968? You obviously received fire...

Glad you made it, Kim. AATW.
Click to expand...
When I was at Ft.Campbell they told me they had no authority to give me orders for a CIB award, and only my unit in Vietnam could issue the orders!
There was also a question on whether or not I actually had the full 30 days in a "live fire" combat condition, which was the requirement back then. I had only been in the field for about 3 weeks before I was wounded.
My Purple Heart was awarded by the hospital command at Ft. Campbell, but no CIB award.
 
Last edited:
Did you know the Samoan that got you out of there?
Were you ever able to thank him or was it just luck chance he was there to help?
Glad you recovered and have been able to carry on.
 
Last edited:
Skysoldier said:
I was walking along a mountain trail with my buddies and in an instant I was lying flat on my back and wondering what the hell I tripped on. I stood up, dazed, and then I noticed a warm feeling on my left hand and looked down to see blood streaming off my fingertips.
Then all hell broke loose, because we had just walked into an ambush!
The next thing I remember was a giant, 6'2" Samoan guy dragging me down the hill and screaming for a Medic.
After that all I have is vague memories of coming in and out of consciousness, in pain and I was really pissed off!
I was mostly pissed off at God, because I was a only 19 years old and I was still a virgin!
My next memories were waking up over a week later in a hospital in Japan, being told how lucky I was to be alive. They told something about being "Septic" and my allergy to penicillin was causing severe problems.
Three weeks in Japan, then a month in the Orthopedic ward in a hospital in Denver and I
finally ended up back at the hospital at Fort Campbell where had several more surgeries.

I finally went back to duty after almost a year.

I still hated God, but that was replaced by the love I had for all the Army doctors, nurses and corpsmen who brought me back, so I guess it all balanced out.
I even went back to Nam in 1971, because I never got my CIB for my first tour! And the Army
almost got me killed again!

So I still hate the Army......the Army sucks!

FTA, all the way!
Click to expand...

did the big Samoan guy make it home too?
 
G Port said:
did the big Samoan guy make it home too?
Click to expand...
Gator9329 said:
Did you know the Samoan that got you out of there?
Were you ever able to thank him or was it just luck chance he was there to help?
Glad you recovered and have been able to carry on.
Click to expand...
His name was Pita Malai, and we were in the same Infantry AIT company and went to Jump School together, then to the 187th PIR at Fort Campbell in April of 67. He got wounded in May
of 68 and went to Tripler Hospital because he was from Hawaii. I lost track of him back in 70.
 
Skysoldier said:
His name was Pita Malai, and we were in the same Infantry AIT company and went to Jump School together, then to the 187th PIR at Fort Campbell in April of 67. He got wounded in May
of 68 and went to Tripler Hospital because he was from Hawaii. I lost track of him back in 70.
Click to expand...
Kim, Thank You for your Service!

See if this might be him.
 
Len-2A Training said:
Kim, Thank You for your Service!

See if this might be him.
Click to expand...

Not even close Len. He would be a lot older now.
And now that I think more about him I remember that Pita was his middle name. His first name was hard to pronounce and had about five or six syllables. I vaguely remember it as sounding like "Fa-la-lo-fi-a."
I was able to contact his sister back in the 70's in Honolulu, but she had no idea where he was living and obviously didn't want to talk about him.
 
KBCraig said:
Are you certain that your status remained while you were unconscious?
Click to expand...
Only took 23 posts! You guy's are really slipping here.
[rofl] [rofl] [rofl]

I could write on helluva Penthouse Forum story about how easy it was to get laid back in the early 70's while hitchhiking in uniform!
The college towns may have been filled with hippy chicks that hated us, but the rest of the country had a lot of patriotic gals that would stop and give a young handsome Paratrooper a great ride![smile]
 
Skysoldier said:
Not even close Len. He would be a lot older now.
And now that I think more about him I remember that Pita was his middle name. His first name was hard to pronounce and had about five or six syllables. I vaguely remember it as sounding like "Fa-la-lo-fi-a."
I was able to contact his sister back in the 70's in Honolulu, but she had no idea where he was living and obviously didn't want to talk about him.
Click to expand...
Kim, Do a search on that webpage with just the last name and see if any names come up that could be him.
 
I love war stories. My father in law, since has passed was a marine and combat veteran in Korea never mentioned any about the war and his injuries . To bad for me would have loved to hear them. Only thing he was heard say about the war was he would never eat rice since leaving Korea till the day he died. Same thing from my son in law a marine and later a PJ 100 percent disabled veteran in Iraq and Afghanistan war. Not a word. Hopefully some day. Thank you for your service and sharing
 
Last edited:
Skysoldier said:
the rest of the country had a lot of patriotic gals that would stop and give a young handsome Paratrooper a great ride![smile]
Click to expand...
I was in a few years after Nam. Flying into DC going to Logan. All I got was "baby killer" crap like that.
Bloused Khakis, spit shined corcoran jump boots. Didn't feel the "lovin"! Must be those dark circles around my eye, I'm just not that handsome.

Thanks for being part of the generation that was a role model for guys like me.
 
bolt said:
Did you ever hear of this links claims Kim?
I knew a couple of guys this affected.
They were given 2 choices being in court monthly for tomfoolery, ..... a few months in Jail, or VNam.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p0mI9FpsZk
Click to expand...

McNamara recounted it regrettably on his deathbed, .......sad.
Perpetuating what he knew was wrong,.. going along,... to get along.
Like todays firearm policies in most the USA.............

I've seen military participants or LEOs of one sort or another disarmed by politically correct allegations,
no truth to power. All about controlling the narrative.
SAD.

Thank you for your service Kim!
 

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