1: We had been in country nearly three days.
So far, Charlie had not yet been seen.
Our uniforms dripped with rancid sweat.
Our whole world was shades of tan and green.
Out on point, I led our squad through thick vines,
when there's suddenly one man ahead.
I don't know who was the more surprised,
but one of us would soon be dead.
2: Seconds ticked by, dragging to forever,
with his eyes completely locked to mine.
Instead of fear, curiosity,
with his head the slightest bit inclined.
Then my training fin'lly took me over,
M-16 spit bullets through his gills.
My sergeant slapped me upon my back,
congratulating my first kill.
CHORUS:
Face to face, it's all right in this moment.
Face to face, it all adds up to now.
Just where our lives are leading from ecstasy to torment:
Face to face.
3: There's a battle raging in the forest.
There's a battle raging in my head.
A man lies dead in the jungle path,
all his clothing turning into red.
From his pocket falls a damaged photo
of him holding his young daughter close.
I've seen a lot of- fam'ly shots,
but this one haunts me more than most.
CHORUS:
Face to face, it's all right in this moment.
Face to face, it all adds up to now.
Just where our lives are leading from ecstasy to torment:
Face to face.
4: Thirty years pass: still I had that photo
'til I left it at the Viet Wall.
Thought maybe now I could find some peace.
Maybe that would be the end of it all.
But behind the scenes, there's something happ'ning:
items left there honored in a book.
Beyond my reach, out of my control,
I'm forced to take another look.
BRIDGE:
Is it just coincidence that leads us through our lives?
Is this all just happenstance or some divine- purpose?
5: Through a sequence I can barely fathom,
here I find myself again in 'Nam.
Bouquet in hand, I approach the home
of the girl I took her father from.
What does one say to someone that you've orphaned?
How does one ask someone to forgive?
With grace and warmth, she accepts me in:
a closure where her father lives.
CHORUS:
Face to face, it's all right in this moment.
Face to face, it all adds up to now.
Just where our lives are leading from ecstasy to torment:
Face to face.
So far, Charlie had not yet been seen.
Our uniforms dripped with rancid sweat.
Our whole world was shades of tan and green.
Out on point, I led our squad through thick vines,
when there's suddenly one man ahead.
I don't know who was the more surprised,
but one of us would soon be dead.
2: Seconds ticked by, dragging to forever,
with his eyes completely locked to mine.
Instead of fear, curiosity,
with his head the slightest bit inclined.
Then my training fin'lly took me over,
M-16 spit bullets through his gills.
My sergeant slapped me upon my back,
congratulating my first kill.
CHORUS:
Face to face, it's all right in this moment.
Face to face, it all adds up to now.
Just where our lives are leading from ecstasy to torment:
Face to face.
3: There's a battle raging in the forest.
There's a battle raging in my head.
A man lies dead in the jungle path,
all his clothing turning into red.
From his pocket falls a damaged photo
of him holding his young daughter close.
I've seen a lot of- fam'ly shots,
but this one haunts me more than most.
CHORUS:
Face to face, it's all right in this moment.
Face to face, it all adds up to now.
Just where our lives are leading from ecstasy to torment:
Face to face.
4: Thirty years pass: still I had that photo
'til I left it at the Viet Wall.
Thought maybe now I could find some peace.
Maybe that would be the end of it all.
But behind the scenes, there's something happ'ning:
items left there honored in a book.
Beyond my reach, out of my control,
I'm forced to take another look.
BRIDGE:
Is it just coincidence that leads us through our lives?
Is this all just happenstance or some divine- purpose?
5: Through a sequence I can barely fathom,
here I find myself again in 'Nam.
Bouquet in hand, I approach the home
of the girl I took her father from.
What does one say to someone that you've orphaned?
How does one ask someone to forgive?
With grace and warmth, she accepts me in:
a closure where her father lives.
CHORUS:
Face to face, it's all right in this moment.
Face to face, it all adds up to now.
Just where our lives are leading from ecstasy to torment:
Face to face.
Contributed by daniela -k.d.- - 2007/9/17 - 19:28
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Note for non-Italian users: Sorry, though the interface of this website is translated into English, most commentaries and biographies are in Italian and/or in other languages like French, German, Spanish, Russian etc.
Interview of Vietnam War veteran Rich Latrelle by Jane Pauley (NBC-TV).
Rich Latrelle was deeply affected by his 1st kill:
a Viet Cong soldier, whose photo of the man & his daughter Rich kept in his wallet for the next 30 years.
He left the photo at the Vietnam War Memorial Wall in Washington, DC, thinking he had achieved completion.
Among the thousands of mementos left at the Wall each year, the curator of the museum chose that photo for the cover of a book written about those objects.
Vet friends brought the book to Rich's attention.
Other acquaintences arranged for his meeting the daughter in her village in Vietnam.
Not knowing what to expect, he hesitantly approached her home, only to be greeted warmly with acceptance, honor, forgiveness & compassion.