Piñata

They’d jus’ landed at base after a 48-hour medical support mission. But it didn’t matter as the call, “Nine-line, nine-line, nine-line,” came across the squawk-box.

In less than four-minutes the helicopter and crew were airborne again.

As they reached the hot zone, they learned there was no landing area and would have to hover, taking enemy fire, while lowering Doc into the jungle. As he readied for the drop, carrying a medical bag, an evacuation litter, his pistol and knife, a thought rushed in.

“This could be it,” he reflected as he hooked his harness into the cable and exited the helicopter.

Shortly after stepping of the helicopter’s skid, the cable stopped moving — leaving Doc hanging above the battle.

Doc yelled up at the man, who was leaning out the helicopter doorway, “Get me down before I turn into a fucking piñata!”

But he could only watch the Gunny Sergeant frantically work on the motor to get it running again. A minute passed before the line jerked alive, and continued lowering Doc towards the jungle floor.

As the penetrator broke through the trees, Doc could see the muzzle-flashes from the bullets fired at him. They all missed and once on the ground, he could tell the squad was in bad-shape.

Immediately, he went to work on the Hospital Corpsman who’d been shot through the gut. It was clear that they young man would not survive without emergency surgery.

Doc secured him to the litter, gripped the guide tether to keep it from spinning, and then radioed for the lift to begin. Again shots rang out, missing the wounded Marine.

Aided by cover-fire from other helicopters overhead, within two minutes, the wounded Marine was heading for the nearest aid station.

By the time the helicopter returned, there were two more injured — one Marine who had a sucking chest wound and another with a shattered pelvis. Again Doc worked as fast as possible to package and secure the wounded for rapid transit.

Doc then volunteered to stay and continue the fight. It would be another three-or-so hours before the battle ended and Doc could sprawl out on his rack, to catch some much-needed shut-eye.