Headin' Home

Headin' Home
There was an awareness both day and night
that you weren't a veteran 'till you made the flight,
and it was a long time coming.

Then it finally arrived, the day we were all hoping for.
The day to step off the distant shore, of South Viet Nam,
and step onto that 'Giant Bird' and scream away,
headin' home again.

My vision, or dream, and I think this was shared with others that were there,
was to scream away at high noon so I could turn and stare
at Viet Nam behind me.

But it wasn't a day flight.
In darkness we left.
Just got aboard and flew away
feeling like thieves in the night.

I say thieves and I say it willing.
The take off was almost chilling.
It was quiet and austere and no one dare make a sound.
It was a silent moment of care for our friends we left on the ground.
You'd think we'd be cheering to be young and alive and free and headin' home,
instead we were praying that our friends would survive to get a flight of their own.

But we'd never know and it's like we stole something they might need,
fighting support or fellowship in the event that they might bleed.
I think this was shared, in unison we stared, from the flying bus,
and as hard as we stared we could not see, Viet Nam behind us.

But we were alive and lucky and on a flight, and proceeded on into the night ... headin' home .....