One Blue was in the Army, the other in the RAAF.
Both volunteered for service
because they were young and brash.

The Army Blue was infantry and trained in ground warfare.
He learned to use a rifle and at tracking had a flair.
As lead scout he became the best and always led with care.
He scoured the jungle twilight with eyes always aware.

On one patrol he felt that things were not exactly right.
A churning feeling in his gut told him they’d have to fight.
So he led with greater care but nothing could he see
‘til suddenly the jungle lit just like a Christmas tree.

He felt a burning pain all down his left hand side.
He fell down on the jungle track with no place he could hide.
He heard the shout of “Contact!”
He heard the yells of mates.
He wondered at the agony.
He wondered at his fate.

Now when the other Blue arrived in Vietnam
he decided that the jungle was no fit place for man.
He applied for chopper duties so he could fly above.
As a chopper gunner he excelled a job he came to love.

Then one day they got a call - a “Dust-off” was required.
A patrol had sprung an ambush and was pinned down under fire.
By the time the chopper got there the fight had died right down.
But the chopper had to hover above the jungle crown.

“Throw smoke.”
“Smoke thrown!”
“Blue smoke?”
“Correct!”

So the litter was winched down
on a hundred feet of cable through the jungle to the ground.

Blue held onto the winch control - his heart tight in his chest.
The cable jerked - the signal sent to raise the litter fast.
But bullets were buzzing all around and thumped into the skin.
The litter was only half way up. Was there time to winch it in?

Blue’s finger touched the button to cut the winching wire.
Lose one man hanging down below or risk a funeral pyre?

“Ascend! Ascend! Straight up! Don’t think!”, Blue yelled into the mike.
“We’ll have to risk him through the trees. Break! Break from the fight!”

The chopper rose - but tilted right - the litter caught a snag.
“Move left! Move left! We’ll free him yet. Not another body bag!”

The chopper jerked - the litter freed.
Blue winched him all the way.
“He’s in! He’s safe - let’s move it to the hospital on the bay.”

Blue took a breath deep in his chest
and sighed with huge relief.
He turned his eyes to look upon the bloke who’d come to grief.

Tears fell down from both their cheeks as they stared at one another.
“Made it!” he sighed as they both cried.

Blue had saved his younger brother.