20mm in the face and no Purple Heart

[ArtKramr]

On one mission a 20mm shell came into the cockpit of Willie, ricochet around a
bit and andas it lost speed it bounced off our coplot's. nose. The nose swlled
up like a grapfruit but the skin was not brokem No Purple Heart. Read, "I'm
Hit, I'm Hit on my website for the entire story.


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

[D. Strang]

If I was there I would have stabbed him in the nose with my knife, just
enough to scar him, and win the sympathy of Democratic voters 30 years
later...

I got my first PH 3 months after I arrived in country. By then we had lost
about 21 guys in various endings, and my alert light was always on, but I
had to lead the men, or they'd think I was a pussy. I wasn't a pussy, but
I valued life more than I probably should have. Anyway, I was crawling
across a field to flank another unit who was coming up the middle behind
us. I crawled and fell into a pit. When I landed in the bottom, this NVA
gomer pulled out his pistol and shot me in the chest. I thought I was dead,
and so I stuck my bayonet in his right eye and pulled the trigger, just as he
shot me again in the leg. I lay back, gingerly looked down to see the
damage, and there was nothing. The pistol round hit me in the flak vest,
and the leg wound was no worse than anything a kid wouldn't have if
he fell out of a tree. But my fatigue pants looked like someone threw a
flare on me as it was all spotted and burned from the pistol blast. The
gomer was just taking a break and eating some rice. I bet his momma
is real ****ed. Anyway, the first sgt is really ****ed because I'm taking
so long! "Lt! You ****! move your ass now!" **** Sgt! Give me a
****ing break! Anyway, all my noise had spooked everyone, and I
think all the NVA hit the tunnels, and were in China by the time I
got across the road.

My CO put me in for the medal, because I needed a good R&R, and
everyone who got a PH in our outfit had a 3 day pass to CRB, which
usually lasted 5 days because the helo's were always full.

"ArtKramr" > wrote
> On one mission a 20mm shell came into the cockpit of Willie, ricochet around a
> bit and andas it lost speed it bounced off our coplot's. nose. The nose swlled
> up like a grapfruit but the skin was not brokem No Purple Heart. Read, "I'm
> Hit, I'm Hit on my website for the entire story.

[ArtKramr]

>Subject: Re: 20mm in the face and no Purple Heart
>From: "D. Strang"
>Date: 2/29/04 8:25 PM Pacific Standard Time
>Message-id: <SWy0c.6758$m4.33@okepread03>
>
>If I was there I would have stabbed him in the nose with my knife, just
>enough to scar him, and win the sympathy of Democratic voters 30 years
>later...
>
>I got my first PH 3 months after I arrived in country. By then we had lost
>about 21 guys in various endings, and my alert light was always on, but I
>had to lead the men, or they'd think I was a pussy. I wasn't a pussy, but
>I valued life more than I probably should have. Anyway, I was crawling
>across a field to flank another unit who was coming up the middle behind
>us. I crawled and fell into a pit. When I landed in the bottom, this NVA
>gomer pulled out his pistol and shot me in the chest. I thought I was dead,
>and so I stuck my bayonet in his right eye and pulled the trigger, just as he
>shot me again in the leg. I lay back, gingerly looked down to see the
>damage, and there was nothing. The pistol round hit me in the flak vest,
>and the leg wound was no worse than anything a kid wouldn't have if
>he fell out of a tree. But my fatigue pants looked like someone threw a
>flare on me as it was all spotted and burned from the pistol blast. The
>gomer was just taking a break and eating some rice. I bet his momma
>is real ****ed. Anyway, the first sgt is really ****ed because I'm taking
>so long! "Lt! You ****! move your ass now!" **** Sgt! Give me a
>****ing break! Anyway, all my noise had spooked everyone, and I
>think all the NVA hit the tunnels, and were in China by the time I
>got across the road.
>
>My CO put me in for the medal, because I needed a good R&R, and
>everyone who got a PH in our outfit had a 3 day pass to CRB, which
>usually lasted 5 days because the helo's were always full.
>
>"ArtKramr" > wrote
>> On one mission a 20mm shell came into the cockpit of Willie, ricochet
>around a
>> bit and andas it lost speed it bounced off our coplot's. nose. The nose
>swlled
>> up like a grapfruit but the skin was not brokem No Purple Heart. Read, "I'm
>> Hit, I'm Hit on my website for the entire story.
>
>
>

Great story. Thanks for telling it and am glad you are still with us. But I
don't think politics has much to do with it.


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer