Dr. Bill Chenault, US Navy

Dr. Bill's
story that became a song

VIETNAM
Bobby Tomberlin/Dr. Bill Chenault
Marion, Illinois

It was April, 1966

Boarded that plane in Long Beach

Off to somewhere far from his Illinois hometown

Landed in a place called Da Nang

His life would never be the same

With a living nightmare all around

Bill was a supply officer

Delivering food, water and weapons

Crazy how life can change in a second

CHORUS

One afternoon in the elephant grass

Enemy with a machete aiming for his back

Welcome to a world of a constant storm

Vietnam

That machete landed on his knee

But Bill took out the enemy

With his 45 he saved himself

Airlifted, then flew to Japan

Finally got back to American land

And the healing began

After a lot of surgeries, he earned three degrees

Bill was in the ministry

Then employed by the VA to do therapy

Helping others whose been where he was at

Carrying a heavy load on their back

He’ll never forget that world of a constant storm

Vietnam