Shooting butterflies
There were these big blue butterflies in the jungle, as big as your head. My mate Cuddles would try to shoot them, but you can’t shoot butterflies, its the air pressure the round creates, it just sends them into a spin. Cuddles used to wonder if you could take one out with a grenade but that seemed like overkill to me, to grenade a butterfly.
The corporal was pissed with me because I hadn’t taken a dump that morning and said if I stopped now then I would just have to catch up with them. I hated shitting in the jungle, the smell would attract all kinds of creepy crawlies, scorpions and big hairy spiders and the like. I felt vulnerable squatting with my pants down, afraid of getting my butt or nuts bitten. I jogged to catch up with them and realised I was lost when the trail faded out. It is not smart to get lost in the jungle, and I was relived to hear the gunfire, I assumed it was Cuddles having another pop at a butterfly, I didn’t realise that they were under attack.
You can stand very close to someone in the jungle and not be seen, and I was only a few feet from him. I could make out the shouts of the boys off to my left, in between the bursts of his automatic. He couldn’t see them and was firing wildly, spraying rounds in their general direction. If he had turned his head to the left he would have seen me.
I fired three rounds into his arm and chest. Those ArmaLites were puny, we used them because they could handle the high humidity, his body barely rocked. He stopped firing and looked down at his boots, puzzled by the blood dripping onto them and then he collapsed.
His name was Paulo. He was 17. In one of his pockets was a picture of his sweetheart, she was absolutely gorgeous. Cuddles wanted the picture to jack off to. I told him he was sick but it didn’t stop him.
kyle mew 
too close for comfort. poor paulo but better him than u, and u r right…cuddles was sick 😉
12.06.04 at 02.32
he sure was
12.06.04 at 09.22
I learnt something new about you today! 😀 You were in the army. Damn cool.
Nice post. 🙂
12.03.30 at 01.04
it was an interesting time – i learnt some shit about myself too
12.03.30 at 01.10
I always thought that I’d want to join the army some day, the fact that I’d be shot at always made me piss my pants.
12.03.30 at 01.16
i think you would make an awesome soldier
12.03.30 at 11.34
Haha. I think I’d be a complete klutz on the field and end up shooting off my own toe.
12.03.30 at 20.07
haha – i’d be there to bandage you all up and hug you(soldiers are very huggy) and laugh at you – we’d call you toey and we’d love you
12.03.30 at 23.07
Awwww. At least I’d have people watching out for me! 😛 And I’ve always loved hugs!
12.03.31 at 14.24
i loved how we loved each other – through all the horror and blood, we held each other tight
12.03.31 at 14.29
Sounds like one hell of an experience.
12.03.31 at 14.46
it was and i’m glad that i can now write about it gabi my love
12.03.31 at 14.50
So am I. 🙂
12.03.31 at 22.35
you inspire me, you really do
12.03.31 at 22.38
Awwwwwww. *hugs*
12.03.31 at 23.45
a friend of mine shot the tip of his thumb off once – we all laughed but we got him to a medic and called him thumby for ever
12.03.30 at 23.08
Fiercely enjoyed : )
12.03.29 at 18.25
i’m so glad – there is more to come – thank you lovely
12.03.30 at 11.34
Is this a true story? Well written to be sure, but a little scary to imagine you actually experienced this while you were in the military.
12.03.29 at 16.10
some of it is true and some is taken from other people’s experience – i joined the army to have adventures and they didn’t let me down on that score
12.03.29 at 16.21
Ah, yes… I imagine there’d be no shortage of adventure. Nice piece doll.
12.03.29 at 16.22
thanks, more to come – northern ireland provided a feast of such tales
12.03.29 at 16.23