3E COLLECTION OF CLOSE CALLS

My metal collection started on my third day in country when a 120mm mortar round hit the hootch next to mine during the night. I took the tail assembly from the mortar round and placed it in my duffle bag. My rule for collecting shrapnel was to pick up any piece that landed near me.
When I was getting “Short,” I emptied my duffle bag and was surprised to see the number of shrapnel pieces I had collected. I had around five lbs. of the razor-sharp metal and it would have filled an empty five-lb. bag of sugar. Five pounds of death! Every piece ranged in size from a splinter to 6-inches—razor sharp on all sides! On my last day in Nam, I threw the collection away, symbolizing my intention to put the war behind me.