Oh my gosh you guys I did not realize how often I go that is so annoying. I

apologize in advance I'm going to work on that, but please enjoy the episode.

Death and the intersection.

Before my dad died, he once told me a story from when he was in Vietnam in the 1960s.

He told me about a mission where he and other Americans with 5 CIDG strikers which are South Vietnamese villagers

turn fighters were tasked to in place a ground sensor along a trail network

deep in the jungle. He said they were about two days into the mission when he and two of the strikers

split off from the main group to go watch a nearby intersection. He said the jungle was pretty

quiet that day, just the sounds of birds, bugs, and the occasional monkey.

He said they had been watching the trail intersection for about four hours

and were deciding whether to move further down the trail or to turn back and link up with the rest of the patrol.

Before leaving the cover of the bush, my dad said he checked the trail ahead one last time

as he prepared his men to move. Now this is where the story gets

interesting and he told this part with absolute dead seriousness. He said just

as he started to step out on the trail he sees a light skinned

black Union Calvary soldier in full battle gear laying alongside the trail

just shy of that intersection. My dad said the Union soldier had two pistols,

a Spencer rifle and a short curved club at his hip.

As my dad was trying to process what he was seeing,

the soldier looked directly at him and smiled.

Then the soldier slowly placed a finger up to his lips as if to tell him to be silent and

motion my dad back off the trail.

...