A close call in South Vietnam
In 1967, I was Sgt. Eddie Hall in Company A, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, “The Wolfhounds.”
My platoon did a reconnaissance mission at An Ha Canal in South Vietnam late on a dark and rainy night. While I lay on the bank of the canal, a constrictor crawled across my warm body. I could feel the thickness of the snake as it slithered across me. I had “My Lady” (M16) and was fully armed with ammo and grenades. My thoughts were, “What do I do now? Should I kill the long snake and risk friendly fire that could kill me?”
The choice was simple. I remained motionless. I didn’t see the snake, but I surmised it was very, very long, because it seemed to take forever to cross my body. My heart rate and breathing slowed down. I heard a great thud as the snake finally crossed my body. Relieved, I began to breathe again and everything was back to normal. I let the snake slither away and we all lived, including the snake.
And then, three armed Viet Cong were sighted moving down the canal.
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