WEBVTT

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<v Speaker 1>I've been hiding this story inside for thirty years now.

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<v Speaker 1>It's not a Bigfoot story. The creature we encountered is

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<v Speaker 1>worse than any bigfoot, least I think it is. I

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<v Speaker 1>resolved that I would never tell this story. I thought

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<v Speaker 1>it would be safer for me that way, safer for

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<v Speaker 1>my sanity, safer for my career at the time and

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<v Speaker 1>my reputation, and safer for my machio old manhood. But

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<v Speaker 1>that's before I stumbled on your YouTube channel, where I

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<v Speaker 1>listened to everyday, person after person tell their strange encounter stories.

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<v Speaker 1>I also listened to you, and I heard no judgment,

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<v Speaker 1>no matter how strange the story was, and I appreciated that.

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<v Speaker 1>So for the first time, I feel like I can

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<v Speaker 1>tell this story in a safe place. My only hope

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<v Speaker 1>is that you would be as kind to me as

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<v Speaker 1>you are to the others who have trust you with

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<v Speaker 1>their story. Well, dude, of course, I'm nice to everybody.

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<v Speaker 1>What are you talking about, love, I'm so appreciative that

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<v Speaker 1>people send these to me, and I would never be

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<v Speaker 1>anything but nice to anyone who sends a story. But

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<v Speaker 1>let's move on with a story. We're about to get

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<v Speaker 1>into the meat of it. I was in the United

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<v Speaker 1>States Army with a high security clearance. I was base

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<v Speaker 1>station in the center of the United States, but every

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<v Speaker 1>two to three years my unit would have a field

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<v Speaker 1>training exercise in Germany. We secured and monitored specific communications

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<v Speaker 1>that supported this and many other exercises. The monotonous side

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<v Speaker 1>of this mission was to find a remote location, usually

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<v Speaker 1>on top of a hill or a higher elevation, sit

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<v Speaker 1>quietly and listen, monitor and secure communications. Wurzburg is a

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<v Speaker 1>city sitting smack in the center of Germany. We were

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<v Speaker 1>giving grit coordinates that nestled us deep in a forest

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<v Speaker 1>that surrounded Wurzburg. We had finished prepping for one of

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<v Speaker 1>our many stays high on somebody's mountain when the host

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<v Speaker 1>battalion treated us all to a free movie pass at

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<v Speaker 1>the base theater. After that, we'd set our eyes on

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<v Speaker 1>a pizza parlor right outside the gate of what we

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<v Speaker 1>called our sister battalion in Germany. A German pizza parlor

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<v Speaker 1>would be interesting, being that we all swore that we

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<v Speaker 1>wouldn't need anything American while we were there, and that

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<v Speaker 1>the seven of us who always stuck together would get

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<v Speaker 1>totally submerged in the economy We barely managed to squeeze

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<v Speaker 1>out a pizza order in between the mingle conversation, where

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<v Speaker 1>everybody talked and laughed at the same time, mostly about

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<v Speaker 1>the movie that we were privileged to have seen. Complements

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<v Speaker 1>of the hosting Army battalion impersonations of scenes of an

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<v Speaker 1>American werewolf in London dominated any other noise that tried

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<v Speaker 1>to manifest outside the pizza parlor conversation. I left the

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<v Speaker 1>table to visit the men's room, making a beeline past

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<v Speaker 1>the counter where the owner sat on the opposite side.

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<v Speaker 1>Even though I was headed towards him, he needed to

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<v Speaker 1>wave me to come over anyway. After sufficient but awkward

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<v Speaker 1>nods of hello, he started right in with the conversation,

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<v Speaker 1>You're about to enjoy the finest gypsy pizza in Germany.

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<v Speaker 1>He bragged. The word gypsy struck me so oddly that

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<v Speaker 1>I guess it registered on my face. We never used

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<v Speaker 1>the word gypsy in America. It wasn't part of our culture,

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<v Speaker 1>so when he said it, I bet I cocked my

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<v Speaker 1>head sideways like a dog hearing sirens. The owner met

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<v Speaker 1>my awkward pause. You're new here, aren't you, well, I

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<v Speaker 1>replied yes, and gave the abbreviated story of why we

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<v Speaker 1>were here now? I ended with is it that obvious?

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<v Speaker 1>He dipped the corners up his mouth with a simultaneous

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<v Speaker 1>side nod of his head and eyes, which pointed out

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<v Speaker 1>toward our loud group. I would have noticed you all anyway,

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<v Speaker 1>he said, running his fingers through his black beard. He

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<v Speaker 1>was gently poking at our ruckus as he stayed his

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<v Speaker 1>nod towards our rambuctious crew. Americans laughed so loudly at

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<v Speaker 1>things that they don't understand, he said, just before I

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<v Speaker 1>could get out, Well, what do you mean by that?

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<v Speaker 1>I was cut off as the owner leaned in. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>especially surprised that you're among the laughing, he said more,

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<v Speaker 1>with a half whisper and a half mumble. At that moment,

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<v Speaker 1>goosebumps put me on pause. What could he have have

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<v Speaker 1>meant by that? I thought to myself. He must have

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<v Speaker 1>sensed a deficit in my understanding by my gaze, because

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<v Speaker 1>he tagged on another question that was formed as if

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<v Speaker 1>he'd read my mind. You are a Hebrew, right, and

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<v Speaker 1>then he waited for an answer. I had hoped his

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<v Speaker 1>question rhetorical, but it wasn't. He was genuine in his

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<v Speaker 1>inquiry and sat there frozen until I squeezed out an answer. Well, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I responded, after a dozen or so thoughts rifle through

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<v Speaker 1>my mind. He was coming from a historic perspective that

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<v Speaker 1>was not normally shared in American history. The American educational

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<v Speaker 1>system did not subscribe to the true history of the

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<v Speaker 1>American Hebrew. In the US, they just called us black people,

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<v Speaker 1>no backstory other than slavery. The gypsy pizza man knew better.

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<v Speaker 1>Next he called me Hebrew, which to me meant he

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<v Speaker 1>knew a thing or two about the Bible, but possibly

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<v Speaker 1>told from a different vantage point, perhaps the Egyptian perspective.

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<v Speaker 1>Yanking me back into the conversation, he went on, you're

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<v Speaker 1>familiar with the story of Moses in Egypt, right. He

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<v Speaker 1>was in rapid fire mode with his questions. I nodded,

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<v Speaker 1>thinking I could follow his lead. Hebrew slaves, he said,

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<v Speaker 1>I tagged on his proof I was with him, but

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<v Speaker 1>he responded quickly, No, No, that's not our story. That's

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<v Speaker 1>his story. Our story tells that working class Hebrew worked

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<v Speaker 1>right alongside the working class Egyptians. We had to work

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<v Speaker 1>for the pharaoh, just like your ancestors had to, and

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<v Speaker 1>the Hebrews were blessed by their God, and the Lord

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<v Speaker 1>yielded to them, and that made it easy for all

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<v Speaker 1>of us. And when Pharaoh relented and allowed the Hebrew

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<v Speaker 1>to leave, we were devastated. Guess who was left to

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<v Speaker 1>keep up with the quotas it would take to hold

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<v Speaker 1>Egypt together. My ancestors wanted to know part of that,

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<v Speaker 1>and most of them fled with Moses. When they saw

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<v Speaker 1>the giant light floating over the crowd Moses was leading,

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<v Speaker 1>it scared them to death. We had taken on many

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<v Speaker 1>of the Hebrew followings, but it was then that my

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<v Speaker 1>ancestors realized that was not our God, that was the

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<v Speaker 1>Hebrew God, and we had no covenant with him. We

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<v Speaker 1>would rather realize that the Hebrew were running to a

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<v Speaker 1>wilderness that had been made safe for them by their God.

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<v Speaker 1>So my ancestors decided to run west through Libya towards Gibraltar,

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<v Speaker 1>through what we would soon find out was an unsafe

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<v Speaker 1>and cursed wilderness. As my ancestors ran for their lives

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<v Speaker 1>to get to Morocco, everything that would have been menacing

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<v Speaker 1>to the Hebrew seemed to be sucked out of their

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<v Speaker 1>wilderness and placed into the wilderness my people ran to

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<v Speaker 1>and everything attacked us. I mean everything. When my people arrived,

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<v Speaker 1>the Moroccans wanted no part of us. They allowed us

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<v Speaker 1>to pass through their land only so my people clawed

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<v Speaker 1>their way through more cursed wilderness to Europe. And in

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<v Speaker 1>that wilderness were bats, lions, ravens, bears and boar. Even

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<v Speaker 1>giant hyena looking wolves were there. And all these creatures

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<v Speaker 1>attacked us, and in the process of this horror, they

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<v Speaker 1>changed us. By the time my ancestors made it through

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<v Speaker 1>the wilderness, they had seen every creeping thing in the forest.

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<v Speaker 1>Some were half beast and half man. As the gipsy

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<v Speaker 1>man stared off into another place, a stabbing twinge in

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<v Speaker 1>my bladder suddenly reminded me that I needed to get

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<v Speaker 1>to the men's room. As I leaned to slide off

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<v Speaker 1>of my stool, the owner grabbed me. As he loosened

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<v Speaker 1>his grip, he whispered loudly, pardon me for not finding

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<v Speaker 1>fun in your werewolf movie. Well. I finished in the restroom,

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<v Speaker 1>rinsed off my hands, and left, hoping for a chance

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<v Speaker 1>to hide behind some distraction that would allow me to

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<v Speaker 1>slither out the front door of the pizza parlor. Looking

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<v Speaker 1>everywhere except where I was going. I banked right nearly

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<v Speaker 1>smashed into the owner's daughter. She just about threw her

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<v Speaker 1>pizza pan to the ceiling. I caught the pan before

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<v Speaker 1>things looked noticeably crazy and handed it back to her

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<v Speaker 1>with an awkward silence. And then she said, my dad's

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<v Speaker 1>left for the night. He's not feeling well. Well. I

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<v Speaker 1>left the place quickly, and as I rounded the corner

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<v Speaker 1>of the pizza parlor and headed straight for the base gate,

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<v Speaker 1>I reflected on how shaken I still was from the

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<v Speaker 1>Gypsy story. I left with an eerie sense about it.

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<v Speaker 1>He was saying that all these stories about werewolves, vampires, bats,

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<v Speaker 1>and all these weird creatures in the forest, mountains and

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<v Speaker 1>caves could have stemmed from what happened to his ancestors. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>I tried to shake it off, but a voice in

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<v Speaker 1>my head kept pondering, what if this is true. Furthermore,

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<v Speaker 1>I had left my friends in that place without a word.

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<v Speaker 1>It would seem odd to them, but I would come

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<v Speaker 1>up with something the next day, but I needed to

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<v Speaker 1>get free of that place. The next morning came, We

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<v Speaker 1>ate our breakfast and we're in our little three vehicle convoy.

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<v Speaker 1>Before we started burping up the taste of sausage and coffee.

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<v Speaker 1>Our goal was to be discreet in our intended destination

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<v Speaker 1>Through the city. We weave through other combat units that

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<v Speaker 1>were also getting a head start on their missions, and

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<v Speaker 1>soon we were at the location that we would set

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<v Speaker 1>up our position on a hill dismount rang the orders

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<v Speaker 1>of our platoon sergeant. We worked like a fine tune,

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<v Speaker 1>freshly oil machine that knew how to park our trucks

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<v Speaker 1>back to back, drive our ground rides in, erect our antenna,

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<v Speaker 1>and get our temps up, fire up the potbellies, and

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<v Speaker 1>get our ao set with all the creature comforts a

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<v Speaker 1>soldier needs for a ten to fifteen day mission. After

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<v Speaker 1>several days, we'd fallen into a nice routine, hot breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>and coffee at morning shift. Change hot tar for me,

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<v Speaker 1>which was black coffee and a cocoa pack from my MREs.

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<v Speaker 1>We always had good conversations, led by the usual uneventful

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<v Speaker 1>knight's reports. The shifts easily blended into each other. Our

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<v Speaker 1>platoon sergeant's policy was I ain't gonna push if everybody

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<v Speaker 1>keeps up being effective, had nice rewards, and everything was cool.

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<v Speaker 1>A friend and I came off a shift and decided

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<v Speaker 1>to walk off some of the dense biscuits and sausage

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<v Speaker 1>we had for breakfast. We had developed a little ritual

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<v Speaker 1>of walking through Wurzburg's strangely immaculate forest after breakfast. Now

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<v Speaker 1>I say immaculate because, just like the old World War

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<v Speaker 1>two story stated, you could tell the forest was all

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<v Speaker 1>newly replanted after it was either burnt or mowed down

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<v Speaker 1>as we fought to push back the enemy of that war,

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<v Speaker 1>and when it was over, the United States ended up

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<v Speaker 1>being responsible and designated to plant new forests all over Germany,

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<v Speaker 1>and we did it as a token of our American

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<v Speaker 1>sense of humor. We replanted those trees all right. They

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<v Speaker 1>were in straight rows and columns. The vast forests looked

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<v Speaker 1>like a great, big old army formation, And if you

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<v Speaker 1>looked up back or sideways, it is pristine and tightly organized.

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<v Speaker 1>But if you make a one to eighth turn in

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<v Speaker 1>any direction, everything gets random and you can get lost

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<v Speaker 1>in a hurry. With all the trees being in straight

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<v Speaker 1>lines and identical, as we walked, the silence was louder

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<v Speaker 1>than any big bang we'd ever heard or made in

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<v Speaker 1>any forest we'd been in. But The silence was quickly

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<v Speaker 1>ripped by the sound of a single twig snapping just

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<v Speaker 1>off in the distance. We both halted our steps and

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<v Speaker 1>looked down the same row of trees. It was a pig,

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<v Speaker 1>a big, fat pig, carefully circling a tree and pawing

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<v Speaker 1>or hooking at the base of the tree. We watched

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<v Speaker 1>for a long half minute. When my partner reached up

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<v Speaker 1>and grabbed his rifle. I looked at him right oddly,

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<v Speaker 1>thinking what are you going to do with that? The

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<v Speaker 1>military had only issued us blanks for this training exercise.

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<v Speaker 1>The only thing he could do was make a pop.

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<v Speaker 1>Well before I could say a thing, my buddy had

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<v Speaker 1>shouldered his weapon, pointing it right down the column in

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<v Speaker 1>the direction of the pig, and pop, Just like I thought,

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<v Speaker 1>he let off a blank round. The pig lifted its

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<v Speaker 1>head and focused on us immediately and charged in our direction.

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<v Speaker 1>I heard two more pops from my friend's rifle, and

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<v Speaker 1>the pig kept charging. I wasn't worried at that point.

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<v Speaker 1>This thing was so fat I doubted it could make

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<v Speaker 1>it to us before it was spent of energy. I

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<v Speaker 1>shook my head as it huffed its way towards us.

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<v Speaker 1>The closer the creature got, the better I could see

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<v Speaker 1>its true size. And then I instantly upgraded this thing

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<v Speaker 1>from a pig to a hog. And it was not

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<v Speaker 1>slowing one bit. This thing's picking up speed, I said.

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<v Speaker 1>Before my buddy could answer, the hog made a move

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<v Speaker 1>that neither of us were ready for. It pulled its

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<v Speaker 1>front legs off the ground and began running on its

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<v Speaker 1>hind legs. It was now running like a big barrel chested,

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<v Speaker 1>well fed man. The freak of a roar it began

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<v Speaker 1>to bellow shook me to my core. It sounded both

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<v Speaker 1>far away and close at the same time. Furthermore, I

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<v Speaker 1>could feel it in my chest, and my eyes shook

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<v Speaker 1>in their sockets, and it was as if the sound

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<v Speaker 1>made waves in the air that were invisible to us.

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<v Speaker 1>And then the creature jumped space. It skipped time. It

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<v Speaker 1>was way off in the distance and closing fast, and

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<v Speaker 1>in an instant it was fifty feet in front of us,

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<v Speaker 1>and it was time for us to make a move.

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<v Speaker 1>I snapped out of the astounded days and I tried

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<v Speaker 1>to move in any direction away from this thing, and

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<v Speaker 1>my body felt as though my blood had been and

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<v Speaker 1>replaced by molasses. Heart beating in my ears and heaving

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<v Speaker 1>for oxygen and trying to get my legs to move.

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<v Speaker 1>It was a nightmare. All the trees in the forest

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<v Speaker 1>had gone unnoticed until I needed one. Now I headed

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<v Speaker 1>for the nearest, while somehow finding the ability to yell

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<v Speaker 1>to my body to do the same, and he was

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<v Speaker 1>a few seconds behind me and snapping out of his days,

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<v Speaker 1>now a few branches high and out of reach of

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<v Speaker 1>this beast. To my horror, I saw my friend having

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<v Speaker 1>trouble grabbing the lowest branch on his tree. Go to

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<v Speaker 1>the next tree. Damn it, I yelled as tears rolled

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<v Speaker 1>down my face, knowing I was about to watch this

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<v Speaker 1>thing devour my friend. The slow motion effects set in

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<v Speaker 1>as I watched him dash to the next tree and

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<v Speaker 1>find a knot low on the trunk, where he perfectly

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<v Speaker 1>planted his foot and sprung to the lowest branch. He

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<v Speaker 1>swung his legs up into the fork of the trunk,

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<v Speaker 1>lifting him himself out of the reach of the monster.

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<v Speaker 1>The demon hog planted its front hoofs and the dirt

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<v Speaker 1>and missed my friend at the last possible second. Dirt

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00:16:09.799 --> 00:16:13.200
<v Speaker 1>was vaulted into the air, much like when a grenade explodes.

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<v Speaker 1>He had made it into the tree just in time.

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<v Speaker 1>The beast roared and stomped wildly around the base of

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<v Speaker 1>the tree, kicking clouds of moist soil into the air

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<v Speaker 1>covering the lower bark. This thing was boiling mad as

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<v Speaker 1>it circled the tree, looking for a way to get higher,

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<v Speaker 1>but now seeing that it couldn't reach the man above,

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<v Speaker 1>it fell back on all fours and stomped around more,

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<v Speaker 1>still looking up at my buddy with hate. It made

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<v Speaker 1>several attempts to leap onto the trunk and climb, only

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<v Speaker 1>to missus mark by a few feet and slide back

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<v Speaker 1>to earth. Each try up the tree produced a roar

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<v Speaker 1>again and again, and the sound was like two creatures

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<v Speaker 1>screaming at once, with low and high pitched tones, perfectly sink,

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<v Speaker 1>almost as if the voices were harmonized. After several tries,

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<v Speaker 1>I noticed the marks left in the bark, as if

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<v Speaker 1>it were dragging its claws as it fell. This prompted

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<v Speaker 1>me to focus in on its front legs, looking for

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<v Speaker 1>the claws. The claws were there, but they were at

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<v Speaker 1>the end of human looking hands. I hung there, staring

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<v Speaker 1>in silence as everything faded into a hum. All I

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<v Speaker 1>heard was the wail in between the heavy, dense huffing

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<v Speaker 1>sound it made every time it attempted to leap off

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<v Speaker 1>the ground at my buddy. Stranger still was that this

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<v Speaker 1>hogman was covered in thick gray mud or clay. Through

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<v Speaker 1>the cracks in the clay, I swear I saw blue

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<v Speaker 1>denim like this thing had on jeans or overalls underneath

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<v Speaker 1>its fur. It screamed and clawed at my body up

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<v Speaker 1>in that tree with such terrible hate that I thought

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<v Speaker 1>it would never stop. Its hate was offensive and demonic.

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<v Speaker 1>The roars and screams from the demon took the oxygen

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<v Speaker 1>out of the air, and I slowly closed my eyes

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<v Speaker 1>and tightened my grip on the tree trunk. My face

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00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:15.440
<v Speaker 1>was chafed from hugging the tree so tightly, and I

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00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:19.039
<v Speaker 1>knew my face was bleeding, and its roars had a low,

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<v Speaker 1>steady hum that nauseated me. I couldn't move. This thing

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<v Speaker 1>had me immobilized, but I needed to see if my

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<v Speaker 1>friend was okay. But my head would not turn and

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<v Speaker 1>my eyes would not open. Hey, man, are you all right?

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<v Speaker 1>My buddy's voice broke the silence. I was able to

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<v Speaker 1>open my eyes and see the sun now directly over

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<v Speaker 1>our heads. It had to be near midday. Now. To

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<v Speaker 1>my surprise, my buddy was standing on the ground below me.

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<v Speaker 1>He was talking to me. Where did that thing go?

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00:18:51.279 --> 00:18:54.640
<v Speaker 1>I asked, with a disturbed look at me. He said,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know. I think I passed out. When I

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00:18:56.960 --> 00:19:00.480
<v Speaker 1>came to it was gone. I released my dear bathgrip

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00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:03.400
<v Speaker 1>on the jagged bark to come down, but my muscles

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00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:07.000
<v Speaker 1>were locked into place and cramped when I moved. I

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00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:10.079
<v Speaker 1>finally made it to the ground below. How long was

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<v Speaker 1>I up there, I asked, a little longer than me.

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<v Speaker 1>I guess who knows how long we've been here. Let's

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<v Speaker 1>get out of here before that thing comes back, my

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00:19:18.440 --> 00:19:22.799
<v Speaker 1>buddy said. We hobbled our way back to camp. Just

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<v Speaker 1>before we entered camp, and my buddy stopped me and

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<v Speaker 1>asked if we were going to say anything about the

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<v Speaker 1>events of that day. I quickly told him that I

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00:19:30.920 --> 00:19:34.720
<v Speaker 1>wasn't going to say a word. The fellows met us

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00:19:34.759 --> 00:19:37.599
<v Speaker 1>with a good ribbing as we entered the camp. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>where the hell have you love birds been? One of

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00:19:40.119 --> 00:19:43.359
<v Speaker 1>them asked, Well, I guess love birds don't need no sleep.

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<v Speaker 1>Another cracked. They all chuckle, Everyone except the two of

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<v Speaker 1>us in our platoon. Sergeant, he glared at us, waiting

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<v Speaker 1>for the stale lives to dry off. Y'all gonna get

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<v Speaker 1>enough venturing far enough out in these woods, he said,

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00:19:58.000 --> 00:20:00.759
<v Speaker 1>looking down his nose at us. There's a lot of

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00:20:00.759 --> 00:20:03.640
<v Speaker 1>blood in them hills and plenty of haunts. Well, he

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00:20:03.799 --> 00:20:08.400
<v Speaker 1>was damn right. We sounded off in unison, yes, Sergeant.

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<v Speaker 1>As we moved our way past him into the tent

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<v Speaker 1>and to our cots, we didn't say a thing to

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<v Speaker 1>each other. We got out of our bedus and climbed

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00:20:17.960 --> 00:20:20.359
<v Speaker 1>in our sleeping bags and crashed with the rest of

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00:20:20.400 --> 00:20:24.720
<v Speaker 1>the night crew. We never talked about what happened. That

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00:20:24.799 --> 00:20:28.119
<v Speaker 1>agreement was made without a whole lot of words. Only

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00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:30.799
<v Speaker 1>a slight glance to each other was all it took

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00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:34.279
<v Speaker 1>for us both to remain tight lipped about this whole thing,

335
00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:37.319
<v Speaker 1>and as a matter of fact, we never really ever

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00:20:37.480 --> 00:20:42.599
<v Speaker 1>conversed about it again. There were no more walks after breakfast.

337
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<v Speaker 1>I hope my friend is okay wherever he is. I

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00:20:46.880 --> 00:20:49.480
<v Speaker 1>personally hope that telling you will put an end to

339
00:20:49.559 --> 00:20:53.119
<v Speaker 1>the nights that I wake up having sweats with biceps

340
00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:57.440
<v Speaker 1>and hamstrings boiling, and that hum vibrating in my chest

341
00:20:57.839 --> 00:21:06.440
<v Speaker 1>and ringing in my ears.