The Push (Captain Pratt’s Story from Korea)

            That whole war we were never told what 
was happening, never given a plan. We thought there 
were only a few, but one day they covered 
the hilltops around us. One shot would mean a massacre;
we stood still as trees. Then some of my men 
waved. The Chinese waved back. Slowly we turned 
and walked back the way we came. 
            A later patrol pushed farther than we had. 
The Chinese opened fire and some of our wounded 
were left behind. We found them later wrapped 
tightly in blankets. Their wounds were bandaged and 
they lay quietly on litters by the side of the road. 
            We gathered them and tried to figure it out, 
but it made as much sense as our fingers did 
lacing our stiff boots, freezing to our triggers.