by Dennis Underwood

We’d been over-run,
All of us killed.
That was what the Times said
In big HEADLINE letters.
But they were wrong.
We were fine, just fine.
So they let everybody
Make one call home
From the one phone on the base.
After almost an hour
My turn came.
The operator put the call through
To make sure I talked to you.
After several rings,
The operator in the States said
“I’m sorry no one answers,
Maybe no one’s home.”
Then I heard our operator say,
“But someone has to be home
This is a call from Viet Nam!”
And you picked up the phone.