Mark I. Kirkmeyer

SPRING SNOW

Awarded: April 19, 2007April snow white out
I watch from inside
Venturing out for animals
Safe and comfy under snuggly
Spring Snow Memories

Week of field training finished
Snow began last night
Range control closed base
No non-essential movement
Spring Snow Lockdown

No “hot” meals emergency MREs
Conserving fuel no heaters
Zero security hiding in fart sack
No stop in sight snow falling
Spring Snow Lockdown

Tuesday morning still locked down;
MREs are all gone, bingo fuel
Track Commander meeting
What to do, what to do
Spring Snow Lockdown

Drivers and TCs work
Removing even track pads
Trailers and wheeled vehicles towed
To Main Post we head
Spring Snow Drive

No different than night ops
Stay tight within visibility
Towing vehicles at the rear
The convoy pushes north
Spring Snow Plow

The last obstacle; the descent
Cliff on the left, ravine to right
Drivers only in tracks ordered
Towing vehicles first
Spring Snow Tension

One by one they go down
Soldiers watching safe at top
The last track starts down
At the curve slipping right
Spring Snow Terror

Slow motion it goes over
Eight revolutions to the bottom
It lands on the tracks
Medic, Medic sounds.
Spring Snow Terror

The soldiers on foot
Follow down the track path
Three scramble into ravine
Onto the damaged track
Spring Snow Warriors

Driver has a pulse
Second rescuer through TC hatch
Stabilize neck towel duct tape
Stabilize back two rifles duct tape
Spring Snow Casualty

Track Ramp dropped
Stretcher arrives
Lay driver on stretcher
Out he goes
Spring Snow Relief

Leg from under duffle bags
Frantic digging tossing bags
Body, no pulse, no respiration
He’s a medic failed orders
Spring Snow Death

Author’s Note: This poem is based on an actual incident that occurred in 1986 at C Company, 1st Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Carson