A lot could happen in five seconds during the Vietnam War. In those few seconds, you could fall in a punji pit, be attacked by a tigress or a viper, get cut off and surrounded by Vietcong fighters, escape an F-100 Super Sabre’s fiery payload, or get to a Huey evac point.

Those precious specks of time could be the only difference between life and death — especially if you’re a radio operator whose life expectancy in Vietnam while in battle was only five seconds’ long!

Story: Heath Ackley

Art: Muller & Klacik

Cover: Neil Roberts