Dandelion Sky: Vietnam Veteran and poet uses words to express his military service

He soon finds himself on a plane heading to Vietnam as a replacement member of the 173rd Airborne. The 173rd Airborne had been assigned temporary duty in Vietnam which would last over seven years. Massie landed as a fresh recruit and soon found himself in the middle of the Vietnam War.

He got injured seven months later and was sent back to the United States to a convalescent hospital. He would then return to service with the 82nd Airborne to complete his three years of military service. He left the military, but some of his service sticks with him to this day. He feels it is important for Veterans to tell their story if they are able in whatever fashion they can. He believes creative arts allow some Veterans to express themselves and tell their stories in different ways. 

Massie spent his professional career writing popular Michigan history books and has published over 22 of them. “I would write poetry while playing hooky,” said Massie. “It was a way for me to bring out feelings in others.” Massie wants people to know that Veterans have feelings and that their service has meaning. 

“Dandelion Sky” was inspired by his daughter when she blew on a dandelion when she was three in around the year 2002. That event made him think back to the paratroopers above Vietnam and his first jump into the war zone. He thought about this for many years but did not write the poem until 2023 after reflecting on the experience. “I wanted them to be there in Vietnam with me,” explained Massie. 

His daughter escorted him to the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival in Denver, CO. “I want to thank my daughter, Autumn, who inspired this poem 21 years ago when she was three years old and she's attending this wonderful opportunity with me.” said Massie. 

For highlights of the NVCAF, follow Adaptive Sports and Arts - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or track social media posts for National Veterans Creative Arts Festival here.

Non-Rhyming Poetry-Military Experience

Dandelion Sky
By Larry B. Massie

My daughter, Autumn,
pursed her pretty little lips and
blew cluster of dandelion seeds
into the air.

Closing my eyes, again I am there.
Above me at 1,500 feet high
I hear the chirp and dragonfly whirr
of a Huey helicopter.
I look up to happily see
a perfect white canopy.
All around
paratroopers dangle from chutes
that a fill the blue sky.
A green carpet lies below 
with jungle trees its shag.

Floating nearer the earth,
I see that some idiot
has picked a drop zone
crossed by a
high-tension power line,
and I am heading right for it.
I desperately yank the 
shrouds of the clumsy 
Army parachute,
then kick my legs
high and just barely
clear the hissing wires.

Shaken,
I manage a decent
parachute landing fall,
thump the release plate on my chest,
gather up silk and double-time
to awaiting deuce-and-a-half

Only then, did I know for sure
that having made my 
first jump
into that combat zone called
Vietnam,
I would live to remember it.

Opening my eyes, I
tousled Autumn’s auburn hair
a bit, kissed her cheek
and swatted at a couple
dandelion silks wafting by.