As we were traveling along the beach I first realized the tropical heat. Even though there was a good breeze the hot sun reflected and magnified the heat off the pure white sand. The temperature had to be triple digits with a kick-ass humidity. The convoy I was in was four jeeps long, with four or five men in each.
Suddenly, something on the beach came in view. It was a bright orange bundle that washed up to shore. Everyone else saw it as well because the short caravan was ordered to stop. That’s when I realized the pasty white and orange mass was a dead body. He was wearing an orange jumpsuit. Everyone assumed he was a Marine jet pilot, must have been shot down and his body had washed to shore. His body was all bloated and starting to decompose, bugs were all over it. Even though this was not the first dead body I had seen, it was still shocking. And this was just my first day in Vietnam. We were ordered to get out of the jeeps. Unconsciously and instinctively I put my hand to my heart.
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