Chapter Two
May 15, 1968, 0710 Hours
Southern Perimeter (Green Line)
E Co., Spt. Btn., 173rd Airborne Brigade (Sep)
Camp Radcliffe Basecamp, North of An Khe Village
II Corps, Republic of Vietnam
A year after the chapel incident, I dropped out of ASU. My friends labeled me as self-destructive.
My parents thought that I’d failed to clear the low academic bar that I’d set for myself. My decision reinforced their belief that I should follow a trade.
Though I rejected all criticism, my irresponsible behavior in my sophomore year in college gave weight to their views. During the months that followed the incident at the chapel—while still in school—I’d had two close flirtations with the grim reaper. I felt fortunate to be alive.
In the late fall of 1966, my roommate and I ran off a 40-fo
