Chapter 30

Months later, and Don was in the orderly room submitting a leave request. He and Lanh wanted to spend Thanksgiving at home with the entire clan. The family is getting bigger and bigger, and they practically fill the restaurant now. Cold weather celebrations were being held in Mai and Duong’s restaurant, and warm weather celebrations at Ralph and Sandy’s farm. As he used a filing cabinet top as a stand-up desk and made sure the leave form was exactly right, the first sergeant, Senior Master Sergeant Sanchez stuck his head out of his office and said, “Staff Sergeant Campbell, could you step in here a moment?” Johnny was using his no-nonsense tone of voice.

Don stepped into the office and there was Johnny, Master Sergeant Olivo, his shop chief who took over for Dale Vanderhorst a year ago, Colonel Smith, the bomb squadron commander, and Lanh. Lanh looked terrified. Don was in shock. His commander, his first sergeant, his boss, and his wife were all in the office together, and they didn’t look happy. This could be an unpleasant situation. He felt his mouth go dry.

“Staff Sergeant Campbell,” started Colonel Smith, “the morale and welfare of my men and women is of the utmost importance to me, so when this situation came to my attention, I ordered your shop chief to clear this matter up. Master Sergeant Olivo, could you bring Staff Sergeant Campbell up to speed?”

Paolo looked uncomfortable. “Look, I don’t like this any more than you but...”

Lanh interrupted, “They’re accusing me of kissing a tech sergeant!” she was nearly in tears.

Don was a little shocked, and a lot confused. Lanh wouldn’t do such a thing. “Lanh wouldn’t lie to me,” he put his arm around her. “Did you do this?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said in a tiny voice.

Don went white, all the blood drained from his face. He thought he was going to faint. “Who?” he gasped.

“It was...” then she mumbled the name.

“What?” Don leaned over. “What did you say?”

Lanh kissed him on the cheek and whispered in his ear, “It’s you!” It took Don almost a full minute to understand what she was saying. “Congratulations, em yêu, we made it!” With a squeal of joy, she threw her arms around him and kissed him long and hard.

The office was filled with laughter and from the orderly room, Don could hear clapping. Through the open door, he could see the faces of the entire orderly room staff watching. “Oh, damn you guys,” he said, blushing and shaking hands and receiving pats on the back. It’s a tradition to tell noncommissioned officers that they have been promoted with practical jokes whenever possible. For folks, passing the promotion exam on early tries, the pranks are especially brutal.

“That’s quite a little actress you married,” said Colonel Smith, as he shook Don and Lanh’s hands.

“Yeah, she is. She’s got a special role to play tonight,” Don said, pulling her tight to his side. Lanh shivered in anticipation.

Colonel Smith pulled two Presidente length Romeo y Julietta cigars from his flight suit pocket and handed them to Don, “A gift from General Buck.”

Don was shocked, General “Buck” Davis has been flying a desk in the pentagon for the past year, but it was rumored that he kept his eye on “his” airmen. Lanh snatched the cigars from Colonel Smith. “He chews this label? These are good cigars!” and she put one in her purse and handed the other one to Don to the chuckles of all. A wife that’s an amazing actress and knows a good cigar is a rare find indeed. After shaking hands all around and walking over to his office, where his team awaited him with more ribbing and congratulations, Don and Lanh headed out to their truck. “So what role am I playing tonight?”

“I was thinking of the bathhouse geisha and the tired GI.”

“Ooo, I like that one!”