I love you. Just had to get that off my chest. Now rather than later because if I’m honest with you. I fear for my life. I fear every step I take in elephant grass will be my last. Imagine walking through a field full of razors, clawing at your uniform, and making one wrong movement, costs you your ankle. At best. I’ve seen many lose their lives out here. I am full of regret. I regret not telling you how much I loved you sooner. I regret all the times that I beat on poor Kevin. Otherwise, he may not even have been out here. We’ll never know now. But it’s my fault he enlisted. We’ve done terrible things out here. I do a good job at covering up the pain and anguish it brings me. They believe me to be some killing machine, but that is not who I am. I’ve seen so many dies, and I don’t want that for myself. Or Kevin. He doesn’t realize how much I regret all that I did. I’d do anything to make it up to him, but for now, all I can do is do my best to keep us both alive, and so far, I’ve done a pretty great job. We’ve gone virtually unscathed for the longest now. Compared to the others, we’re doing just fine. I’ve seen a man with his bare bone exposed after a white phosphorus bomb went off unintentionally. Simple mistakes can lead you to a harsh death out here. I have been through book situations in which my life was in danger, yet my focus continues to be keeping Kevin alive. I realize the error of my ways, but it is much too late now. Protecting Kevin has led to myself seeming uncaring, reckless even, as I ran out in search of VC’s to take out to make sure they didn’t take Kevin first. No matter how hard I try. I have a bad feeling about him being out here. He was always a weak individual back home. I don’t think ‘Nam will change that. Then again, war does a lot to a man. I can’t sleep at night. Gunshot after gunshot. Knowing it’s in the distance doesn’t make any better, because one day. That could be ...