THE WOUNDED SOLDIER
He and his fellow members
of the 8 th Cavalry Regiment
were overwhelmed by surprise
when the Chinese swarmed over
the Yalu river blowing bugles
and firing burp guns at them
as if they were celebrating
New Year’s Eve.
He and his unit ran for their lives
in a frantic retreat—shrapnel
from friendly fire sheared off
a chunk of his eye socket
gouging out one eye for good.
He was nicknamed, Cyclops,
by medics who loaded him on
to a MEDEVAC M-3 helicopter.