I am sure every Black Lion from Vietnam heard ab out Ernie Pyle from our parents or from T.V. If you have not heard of him, you are probably a child or grandchild of a Black Lion. Even though Ernie Pyle was from the generation prior to most of us who served in Vietnam, his reputation was still quite strong in the 1960's and 1970's. Joe Hare came across a quote by Ernie Pyle, referencing WWII combat vets, but it applies to all combat vets. Thanks to Joe Hare, here is Ernie Pyle's own words:
"A soldier who has been a long time in the line does have a 'look' in his eyes that anyone with practice can discern. It's a look of dullness, eyes that look without seeing, eyes that see without transferring any response to the mind. It's a look that is the display room for the thoughts that lie behind it---------exhaustion, lack of sleep, tension for too long, weariness that is too great, fear beyond fear, misery to the point of numbness, a look of surpassing indifference to anything anybody can do to you. It's a look I dread to see on men." Ernie Pyle, April 5, 1944.
Joe Hare's comments:
"Since receiving this quote I have read and reread it, and feel this fits me at that time of my life. I have a photo of me that was made after I had been in Nam 9 or 10 months, sometime after 17 Oct 67. I had been through the loss of my best friend on 1 May during Operation Junction City, the battle at LZ XRAY during Operation Billings where our platoon lost 8 men (all friends) KIA in one day, the battle of Ong Thanh where our Battalion took the worst "ass kicking" it had received in many years, 57 KIA and 2 MIA (still missing) in one day 17 Oct 67. Along with all this was the many small fights that occurred every few days.
It really is quite amazing that as much as things change, how they remains the same, as Mr. Pyle wrote in 1944, it fit in 1967 and I can only imagine that it still fits today.
I guess we all feel that "our" war was the worst, there really is not a lot of difference, they all had their rough times, and as bad as things were at times, I can honestly say I would do it again today if my country needed me. I really believe that a very, very large percentage of former American soldiers would feel the same, at least that's what I going to believe.
Thank you Mr. Ernie Pyle for your quote.