#7

Maturity, some people have it some people don’t. However sometimes a certain experience can mark the beginning of maturity for a person. I will tell a story of my great uncle Dick Rod Douglas a war veteran from the jungles of Vietnam. This war changed him.

Uncle Dick was 17 when he was drafted from Lincoln Nebraska in the 101st regiment and within a month he was sent to the distant land of Vietnam. Dick landed in Saigon with thousands of other young American soldiers. Within days his regiment was to para-troop over North Vietnam to penetrate Vietcong forces. On the 5th of August the 101st regiment (Jungle Raiders) flew in a U2 bomber over North Vietnam when suddenly the piercing alarm of an anti aircraft warning went off. The cabin of the plane ripped into flames and tore into two sections. Ragnar Blackmane Rage a soldier also from Lincoln grabbed Dick from the plane and threw him out the back hatch. Dick was unconscious. Luckily Ragnar bear hugged Dick grabbing him in mid air just as they crashed into the jungle canopy. The two men landed in the middle of enemy territory in the thick booby trapped commy jungles of the Vietcong. One more man had survived the crash a thick rugged man by the name of Ben Dover Bezugley. As soon as the men landed the Vietcong ambushed them. Ragnar was shot in the leg as he dragged Uncle Dick into cover. Multiple grenades went off and brought Dick out of his unconsciousness. Ragner grabbed his pristine M-16 and fired 13 shots. 13 kills. The men thought the area was clear so they started to move out down the ho chi mihn trails cautiously. A grenade penetrated through some bushes and landed right in front of the trio. A wounded Ragnar, a heavily dazed and confused Dick did not notice the grenade. Ben Dover noticed the grenade and as he picked it up to throw it back it blew off his arm. Now knowing he was going to die Ben Dover rushed into the Vietcong’s position to buy Dick and Ragnar time to get away.

To this day Uncle Dick never knew what happened to Ben Dover Bezugley. After the two ambushes Ragnar and Dick hid in the jungle. For a month they ate nothing but leafs and bugs as they struggled to make it back to Saigon. These two ambushes alone and the loss of a close friend made Dick and Ragnar mature significantly. After seeing death first hand Uncle Dick tells me he has been changed forever. The maturity it would take at 17 to survive a plane crash almost die is lots. This story tells how a single event can change the maturity in a person.