Hilarious (now) Bob...

sudden pain plus red fluid + situation = *hhhshit.

It was dark outside the front of Avionics. Just returned from An Khe with a couple of footlockers of radios.
I was reaching for the tailgate chain on the Avionics 3/4 Ton to pull it out of the way to close the tailgate, and someone else gave it the mighty slam of all slams, JUST as mortar rounds impacted somewhere out behind the Armaments shop. The tailgate barely caught my right thumb, and I screamed something I don't remember - I just remember my voice. Probably not publishable here.

It wasn't from fear, it was from pain. Then I got scared, because I THOUGHT I was hit.

much more amiable situation, I'm sure, than yours..

Lump