Staff Sergeant Harvey was a lifer, a platoon sergeant in Vietnam who acted like he was a boot camp sergeant; always criticizing and belittling. Everyone assumed he would die “accidentally” in a fire fight one day.
One day he was shot in an ambush and abandoned by the squad he was attached to. A Buck Sergeant crawled back up to Harvey and got him down below the crest of the hill and then called for a medic.
The word went down the line: Medic---Medic—Medic.
Soon work came back: Who's Shot—Who's Shot--- Who's Shot?
The answer was: Sergeant Harvey---Sergeant Harvey---Sergeant Harvey.
The embarrassing chorus came back: WHO SHOT HIM!
The two never exchanged a word. Harvey was evacuated and never returned
Upon Leaving Vietnam most members of the 101st Airborne were assigned to the 82nd Airborne in Ft. Bragg, NC since the entire 101st was in Vietnam. The young Buck Sergeant discovered that Sergeant Harvey was again his sultry platoon sergeant.
No words of greeting were ever exchanged, no smiles, no acknowledging nods, but when the buck sergeant missed formation from staying out all night, roll call glossed over his name as if he had answered HERE. When projects were assigned the buck sergeant was never on any list.
Harvey was black. The buck sergeant was white. We were brothers in 1966.
One day he was shot in an ambush and abandoned by the squad he was attached to. A Buck Sergeant crawled back up to Harvey and got him down below the crest of the hill and then called for a medic.
The word went down the line: Medic---Medic—Medic.
Soon work came back: Who's Shot—Who's Shot--- Who's Shot?
The answer was: Sergeant Harvey---Sergeant Harvey---Sergeant Harvey.
The embarrassing chorus came back: WHO SHOT HIM!
The two never exchanged a word. Harvey was evacuated and never returned
Upon Leaving Vietnam most members of the 101st Airborne were assigned to the 82nd Airborne in Ft. Bragg, NC since the entire 101st was in Vietnam. The young Buck Sergeant discovered that Sergeant Harvey was again his sultry platoon sergeant.
No words of greeting were ever exchanged, no smiles, no acknowledging nods, but when the buck sergeant missed formation from staying out all night, roll call glossed over his name as if he had answered HERE. When projects were assigned the buck sergeant was never on any list.
Harvey was black. The buck sergeant was white. We were brothers in 1966.
