Humor out of Adversity

Two Marines in a Navy Hospital

 

By Dave Stromire

Echo 2/1 ’68-69

 

Oak Knoll Navy Hospital, Oakland California 1969

 

I got a phone call today, from my mom. She told me Lloyd Scudders mother had called her and Lloyd was in a terrible accident on the Camp Pendleton Grenade Range.  I couldn't believe what she was telling me. I know he just got back from Nam and was wounded June 14th 1968 on my birthday.  Lloyd was an Instructor at Camp Pendleton. He also was part of the “Lost Patrol” during the siege of Khe Sahn with the 26th Marines but Fate saved him that day… (As, he was on R&R in country to visit with his brother who also, was a Marine in Nam).  What happened was, while training a young recruit to throw grenades, the recruit pulled the pin and let the spoon fly, then Froze!  In an attempt to save him, Lloyd tried pulling the grenade from his fingers. But to no avail. The grenade went off killing the young Marine and blinding Lloyd, as both his arms were blown off.  It even made Life Magazine.  And, after that incident Pendleton never used live grenades again.  They never awarded Lloyd with some sort of Medal not even a Life Saving Medal at the least.

  

I immediately asked my nurse if she could find out what ward he was on, and told her he was my friend from back home. I was on the sixth floor of this brand new hospital which was without side walks and had very little Grass.  My nurse who always read to me at night, told me Lloyd was on the 7th floor. I wheeled myself up there to see him and from that day forward, I knew Lloyd and I must take care of each other. “No matter what!”  And (we did) even up until he had eye surgery, and I wouldn't let them take the bandages off Lloyd, until I got up there. He wanted me to be the first person he saw if the surgery worked!  As, I wheeled myself to his bed we all waited with great excitement, with so much hope, that just maybe he would see again. When the doctor finally removed all the bandages it was so quiet in the room, you could here a pin drop.  Lloyd just sat there in the bed, staring at me. No one was saying a word and it seemed like an eternity. Then he spoke and said "Yep Dave, your still as ugly as back when we used to play touch football at Home".  Everyone was laughing, even me, but my laughter had tears.           

 

I have jumped ahead.  After so many months in the hospital (before Lloyd’s surgery and still being blind), both of us in wheelchairs got to go on a picnic on this one special day. Just two weeks before, the hospital and Sheriffs Department, took a dozen or so amputee vets on a deer hunt.  They shot twenty two deer and we were going to have a venison barbecue, with lots of celebrities to entertain us.  I wheeled up to Lloyd on the 7th floor, just in time to see the Oakland Raiders Cheerleaders going from room to room, for the Vets who couldn't make it to the picnic grounds. Lloyd was sitting in his wheelchair just out side his room, and had asked me what is going on.  I told him that the most prettiest Cheerleaders in their outfits were visiting his floor. He said “get me over there” so I pulled him over to a couple of beautiful girls, trying to maneuver both our wheelchairs at the same time. When they were talking to us.  I noticed one of the cheerleaders face turning as red as her beautiful red hair.  I couldn't understand why she looked so embarrassed.  Did I have food on my face?  What?  Then I looked down at Lloyd’s bare feet, running up and down her long bare legs, up into her mini skirt.  Man, I never laughed so hard in my life after that embarrassing moment. Than it was time to go to the picnic grounds. Lloyd and I had no problem getting into the elevator, and down to the 1st Floor. But, when we got outside, and realized how far it was to the picnic grounds with no sidewalks insight; we tried to figure out how we were going to get there in our wheelchairs.

 

Well, not being very bright, I came up with the Idea!  I could use Lloyd’s chair as a crutch and hobble down the hill. It was working pretty good, until I gimped out! and fell on my face.  Imagine a Marine in a wheelchair, no arms, completely blind and no way to stop himself.  In fact he didn't realize he was on his own, and was picking up speed.  With another Marine trying his hardest to catch him, while hopping, flailing his arms wildly and screaming for help.

           

Lucky for Lloyd two Corpsman were walking toward the picnic grounds.  Lloyd was going full speed at this time, and the Marine Sentry's were about to salute him, as he was nearing the front gate, and heading for the freeway towards San Francisco. “This Story is absolutely true!”  In fact Lloyd always makes a point of talking about that E-Ticket ride to a bunch of laughing kids, as he visits schools and gives speeches on disability.  Lloyd lives on a River front home where he Fishes for Salmon. He hunts and has raised a beautiful family. He has been attending the Khe Sahn Veterans Reunions ever since I hooked him up with his outfit, on the Internet.  We always find this story very comical.  Heck! Boot-Camp, Nam, and even in the hospital there is usually a funny story to tell the kids.

 

“I Even Found Humor in the Way Our Home Town Paper Printed the Article”