While Attending Ministerial School (Seminary) In ...

While attending MINISTERIAL SCHOOL (SEMINARY) in Lubbock, Texas, I had a CLASS MATE, Lloyd, who shared a STORY about an incident that HAPPENED to him while in Vietnam. I can’t remember all the DETAILS, but this is what I recall.

Lloyd was a HELICOPTER MACHINE GUNNER. While on a MISSION flying over the JUNGLES of Vietnam looking for SNIPERS, the helicopter experienced MECHANICAL problems. The pilot carefully landed the COPTER in a CLEARING. He RADIOED for help, but it was going to be LONG in coming. Fearing that the enemy would locate them before help came, Lloyd and his buddies started making their way through the JUNGLE back to CAMP.

Night fall came, and they still hadn’t reached CAMP. Lloyd said that they could hear shots being FIRED and see MORTAR SHELLS brighten up the dark sky as it was being FIRED at them and other American troops in the area. He and his BEST FRIEND dug a TRENCH to provide some PROTECTION from the SHRAPNEL spraying all around them from the exploding MORTAR SHELLS.

Turning to check out a NOISE that he heard from behind, Lloyd said that his FRIEND shoved him to the GROUND. He was so startled he didn’t know what was happening. Lloyd said he remembered picking himself up off of the ground and “CUSSING” his friend out for SHOVING him.

He then looked toward his friend only to see him lying on the ground with the UPPER PART of his BODY blown to PIECES. . . . There Lloyd stood with his friend’s BLOOD COVERING his BODY.

While telling us this story, Lloyd choked back the TEARS and softly said with a break in his voice. “I just CURSED my BEST FRIEND who DIED saving my LIFE.”