My short story:Welcome to Vietnam!

It was a cold morning on September 21st 1963.This is the day where I recruit: John McKnight leave for Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. I will embark on a long journey to become one of the few and the proud. I am accompanied by  my childhood friend Blake McAlaster. "Get off my bus!" screamed one of the Drill Instructors upon our arrival to our new home. "I will be your father,mother,brother,everyone and everything to you! My name is Sgt. Torres and I will be your new DI. Now get off my bus!" We all shouted "Yes sir!" and rushed off the cramped door. My buddy whispers to me "John We're screwed" All I can do is swallow my pride and hold onto my guts. We are quickly rushed to grab our equipment and off to our new "bunks". We start fresh in the morning,Dear god help us.          At 0500 We are awakened by screams of Drill Instructors "Get into your PT clothing and move!" Blake and I make a dash out-side to get into formation and we realize we are on time. 10 seconds pass by and the DI's become enraged.While the rest come out we are ordered to do push ups. Our first day in hell and I'm reconsidering everything! Ten weeks pass by and we are two weeks away from being Marines. This week is the swim qualification course. My battle-buddy Blake was never a good swimmer. We are all told to jump in regardless of if we can swim or not. I emerged out of the clear pool and I see Blake kicking and screaming begging for help. I'm forced to leave him behind in this course,It was to weed out the weak and to find the strongest in the pack.            Two weeks later I am finally a Marine. I saw  Blake there too! Looks like we will be shipped to Vietnam together. Eight days after graduation we were shipped to the Tet Offensive in South Vietnam. I was greeted by the local populous and many ARVN troops. It was a quiet day when suddenly the Viet Cong attacked the embassy,They called for all Vietnamese to take arms and fight for Ho Chi Min and the Communist party of North Vietnam. A while regiment was attacking which AK47s and several RPGs. We were out numbered 40-1. I heard a scream and saw Blake lying there in his own blood.He was screaming "Mama! Mama take me home!" The Corpsman came and said it would be a wasted effort to even put gauze on him. My best friend from junior high bleed out in my arms.             I felt that it was my captiousness that got him killed.  I should have never left him alone,I should have always been there for him! I stood up and sprayed my M16 at every one of those VC bastards. Just as I had to reload I was shot in the right shoulder,Ruining my nerves completely. The Corpsman was right next to me while I was kicking and screaming at him saying I was fine and that I could get back up. The Corpsman thought it was a requisite to punch me and knocking me out completely or else I would have probably endangered him.           I was flown out of the combat zone to a field hospital in Da Nang,I was officially out of hell. I couldn't even raise my arm to get a drink of water. I felt like a worthless piece of shit. I was forced to go home and recover. While I walked down to my beloved home I was getting names yelled at me like baby killer,Or Stupid GI. No more Lance Corporal McKnight. All I can do is sit on my couch and watch my brothers from a 18inch screen while they fight for each other. I'm no longer a fighter.