Mission 10

"Dammit Chung, this is the third time this month they've sent us in here. I don't give a damned what HQ says there are no hidden bases in the middle of this swamp."

"How you know Sarge, you telling future now?"

"Very funny you sawed off comedian."

I listened to the quiet laughter among the team and was glad to hear it. I looked over at Jenkins and he was shaking his head and smiling at the exchange between me and Chung. Finally after working together for so long he had finally accepted my weird sense of humor and by coming out on the short end a few times I found out his was worse than mine.

"I may be short to you, but when I hide in grass my butt no stick up like target."

"No your big head does."

"My head smaller than your butt."

I looked at him with a grin and gave him the finger much to the other Yards delight. Jenkins was holding his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud at our antics.

"I don't know about the rest of you but I have had my fill of this swamp. Let's move up to higher ground and dig in for the night. Tomorrow we will take to the ridges where we can see down into this sea of mud and grass. Maybe we will find something interesting instead of being wet and miserable all night. Chung, lead out and find us a safe shelter for tonight. I want some coffee and a hot meal for a change."

"Ok Sarge."

I waited for five and we moved out with the flankers splashing through the water and mud, following the mud trail Chung left as he moved through the swamp we had been in all day. This shit was getting old as far as I was concerned. From what I had been able to find out some Kit Carson had told a Colonel that the VC were building a big supply base in the middle of the delta and they had sent in teams to check it out from several different outposts. Our insertion this time had been from the back of several Marine supply trucks that stopped for a break to let us slip into this mess again. We ended up walking through the mud, grass and water for several extra miles because the Chopper that was supposed to drop us had engine problems at the last minute. When they couldn't find another one on short notice it was decided we would hitch a ride with the supply convoy and come in from the road. This wasn't the mission we were supposed to handle but the Captain had ordered us to go again, and since I didn't have rank I had to go. I made it very clear that if we didn't find anything this time I wasn't coming in here again because someone was trying to impress HQ. To my surprise he just laughed and said that's what the General said I would say.

We walked taking short breaks for most of the day and it was almost dusk when Chung came back saying he had found us a small cave to stay in for the night. He said no VC use it cause brush hide entrance. We followed him into the dark for about an hour or so until we came to a slanted hill that we all had to help each other to climb. It was about a hundred yards from the water and our exit would never be seen by Charley unless he was following us. Since there hadn't been any sign of any VC in the area I figured we were pretty safe. When Chung showed us the entrance I immediately wondered how he had found it. The brush covering it was so thick we had to squeeze in from the side between the hill and brush to get in. once we were all inside I broke out my light shining it around. The chamber we were in was about six foot high and was small. I walked to the back looking for a safe place to have a small fire to dry out when I discovered it wasn't a blank wall as I had thought.

The cave was in an L shape and the passage continued as far as I could shine my light.

"Sarge, I no like this. I think it just small cave not big like this. That go far back under to the mountain. Maybe we stumble on something we not supposed to."

"Take my light and scout ahead but be quiet. I want to know how deep this is, and where it comes up at Chung. You be careful of traps in the floor. We will follow behind but slowly."

He took off and I gathered the men around me in a circle. Jenkins dug his light out and I looked at my map but could find no reference to the hill we had climbed or this cave. I didn't figure the cave would be on the map but it was vexing that the hill wasn't shown either.

"Ok, heres how we're gonna do this. We will split up and Jenkins will walk one side with half of you, and I will walk the other with the rest. Stay close to the wall and watch out for booby traps. Since we don't know what this was used for, or how long ago we need to be extra careful. Chung is scouting ahead so make sure you don't open fire until one of us gives the word. Whatever all of you do, keep your eyes open and let me know if you see something that's out of place or don't look right to you. Got it?"

We split and started in. It seemed like we had been walking for hours when soft whistle came out of the dark. I stopped and waited warning the rest Chung was coming back. He must have been a half mile off when he whistled because it took awhile for him to show up in front of us.

"No traps Sarge, but you not gonna believe what at the end of this tunnel."

"Well don't keep me in suspense Chung, what did you find?"

"Better if you see for yourself Sarge."

This kind of cryptic remark was a little strange coming from Chung, so we all followed him into the darkness. We didn't have to use the lights because there seemed to be some kind of glow on the walls that furnished enough light to walk by, once our vision adjusted to the darkness. I kept glancing at my watch and exactly twenty minutes later we came out into a large chamber. The sight that greeted me for a moment made me think I was having a nightmare or something. I turned my light on and shined it on the structure and heard several of the men including Jenkins gasp in shock and surprise. Facing us seeming like it was built to be part of the wall was a small church. I looked at the entrance and immediately recognized the symbols above the small archway. The symbols were in Latin and said; "In God We Trust" or at least I thought that's what it said.

"I am going to look inside. There's a small stack of wood to your left, get a small fire going so we can all dry out. As soon as we dry and eat we will put the fire out again. I don't want the smell of smoke leading Charley to us. We should be able to get a good night's sleep if the dust on the floor means anything. I don't think anyone has been here in years. Chung, when the fire is going check it out and see if there's another way out."

Jenkins said he was going with me so we both headed for the front door which was closed. When we approached it the door wasn't locked and we went inside. I stopped just inside the door and shone the light around to see if there were any hidden traps in the aisle way between the pews. I didn't see anything but about three inches of dust on the floor. I looked ahead and saw a typical lay out for a church of this faith. There was a large cross at the back behind the pulpit and a small set of benches where the choir would sit if they were still here. There were candles set up on the left side but they all looked new to me. When we got to the front I stopped and looked around a little more and heard a sharp gasp from Jenkins. I turned the light to where he was standing and saw the skeletons sitting together on the front pew in front of the cross.

The two were priests and the collars on their cassocks proved it to me. One was leaning against the other and both of them had bibles clasped in their hands.

Surprisingly they were both almost perfectly preserved with the dry skin giving them a skeletal look as they sat peacefully on the pew like they were supposed to be there. Checking them closer both had a perfect round hole between their eyes. I knew then that they had been executed by someone before the church had been buried inside the mountain for whatever reason.

The VC just usually burned a catholic church, but for some strange reason this one had been left undisturbed all these years. From what I could see by the light there were no other marks on them, but I knew I had to look at the bibles to see if there were any names in them. I told Jenkins what I was going to do and to my surprise he asked if he could do it. I went blank for a minute and finally remembered he was catholic. I just nodded and went to check out the rest of the church, and left him in peace to do what we both knew had to be done. We couldn't bury them, but if we could find out who they were we could give the church the names and maybe give them some peace. I wandered through several small rooms and stumbled into the priests sleeping quarters. The beds were neatly made and above each bed was a framed seminary graduation certificate. The small closet just had several robes and there was nothing else in the room. I took both of the certificates to turn in when we got back. While I checked out a couple more rooms I discovered a small pantry off the little kitchen. The whole thing was stuffed with can goods from the states and all of them were like new. I casually picked a couple of them up and they both had expired several years ago, 1965 to be exact. Since this was almost the end of 69 it at least gave me a time date when these men were killed and buried here. Sometime before 65, probably around 63 or 64 when the VC took over this part of the delta.

I was still thinking about it when I heard Jenkins calling my name. I went back out through the little kitchen and into the main church. He was sitting on the opposite pew from the priests reading a small book. When he looked up at me I could see tears in his eyes.

"Sarge, there were no names in the bibles, but I did find this small journal in an inside pocket. You're not gonna believe who did this to them."

"I have their names Jenkins and I already guessed what happened. I think the VC gave them an ultimatum and they refused. Does that journal say anything about what happened?"

"That's almost right, but it was a Colonel Soong Yu who gave the orders. Isn't he now the head General of the North Vietnamese Army?"

"Sounds like the same man Jenkins, but why I wonder did he bury the church instead of burning it?"

"Here, take this, and maybe it will give us both some answers. Sarge, since I am catholic I don't think I should be the one to read this. It would probably be better if you did since you will be writing the report. Besides there may be some things in there I don't want to know. He may have written their last confessions, and since I am not a priest I wouldn't feel comfortable reading it. How did you find out their names Sarge?"

I handed him the framed certificates, and he carefully took his headband, and wiped the dust from them both before reading them. When he finished he looked at both of them and clasped the frames to his chest.

"Sarge, can I have a little time to myself?"

"Sure Jenkins, when you're finished come out and eat and get dried out. This place is chilly and both of us are still squishing when we walk."

He smiled at me sadly so I headed for the front door. When I got outside the men were all looking at me as I walked their way? I sat on my pack with my hands over the small fire getting warm. It felt like the temperature in this area had warmed up considerably since we arrived. I looked up at the ceiling and didn't see any sign of smoke so it had to be escaping somewhere. This worried me since I didn't know where the VC were and how blatantly the smoke would show up outside or wherever it was going. If Charley got a whiff of it they wouldn't quit hunting for it.

"Sarge, what you and Jenkins find in small house?"

I was stripping my boots off and froze for a second before answering him. These men were superstitious to the max and I knew I would have to be very careful with my answer. I finished taking my socks off and wrung them out hanging them by the fire before I answered.

I explained what we found and who had shot them leaving out the fact that this was a church. These men weren't dumb and I could see Chung and Ling both had already figured it out. To my surprise it was Ling who asked the next question and it was a doosie.

"Will we be safe here or will those ones poison our souls?"

"We will be perfectly safe Ling. Those two have departed to the sky many years ago. What is inside are just the husks of the men they used to be. If it were not safe I would be the first to leave this cave. We are safe here for the night and all of us can get a good night's sleep for a change."

"Ok Sarge, I know you not lie to us, but dead sometimes do funny things. I think it be better if all of us sleep with Buddha in mouth just to be safe."

"Good idea Ling, but first let's get dried out and eat. I want one man halfway down the tunnel just to be safe. We can pull two hour watches for this so we all can get some sleep."

"Ok Sarge."

We all got fed, and a good night's sleep and was all up early. Chung hadn't found another exit so we headed back to the one where we came in. To myself, thinking about it, I was glad to get back out in the air. For some reason, that whole place gave me the creeps.

Looking at my team I think all of them felt the same way I did. I felt the tension ease as soon as we saw the opening to the outside. I think even Jenkins was glad to get away from that place. I sent Chung out to scout the area before we went out and while we waited for his return I had a chance to speak to Jenkins a little.

"You ok?"

"Yea Sarge I'm fine but I wish we could have buried them."

"Jenkins that is the biggest tomb I have ever seen. I think if they were able to speak they would have chosen to be just where they're at. How many priests do you know that get to be buried with the church they all love so much."

He looked at me intensely a moment before he started grinning.

"Only you could say something like that and make it seem like a compliment Sarge. I know in a sense you are right but I want a favor from you?"

"Name it Jenkins."

"Don't mark the location of the tunnel on that map of yours. I think it would be better if they were left in peace right where they are at. Even though I am not a priest, I gave them both the last rights and to me it seemed like they were finally able to leave that place. I don't want a bunch of treasure hunters looting the place years from now when the war is over. I am going to give the certificates you found to Gunny and let him make sure they get to the church. I will write a letter of explanation to go with them but I will let him make sure they know how they both died."

"What do you want me to do with the journal?"

"Read it to make sure there's nothing in it that will harm their reputations, then turn it in with your report. You can just say you found it on a body or something."

"I kinda figured you would want it that way. I already told Chung to tell the men they are never to speak to anyone about what we found. Other than the two of us no one will ever know about it."

"Thanks, Sarge."

Little did I know at the time my promise would cause all kinds of trouble for me, when I read the journal and turned it in? Chung came back saying the area around us was clear and we could move out safely. We did and spent another day hiking the ridges looking for VC activity or any sign of a buildup. We didn't find a thing or even any fresh tracks the whole day.

When we stopped that night I set out perimeter guards and we ate with Chung saying he was worried because of no VC activity in the area. I knew he was right because the whole area was saturated with VC and the fact that they were invisible was bothering me more than I wanted to think about.

The next morning we set out and I had the men set up in our typical marching formation. We walked for about two hours when Chung came back and I whistled for the flankers and tail cover to stop and freeze.

"Big trail near where we march. Have lots of new tracks on it, I think large patrol go through this morning early. Sarge best if we stay off trail since we not wearing sandals. They all headed in same direction and trail well traveled. Maybe you need to check map and see if this one marked."

I immediately got the map out and spread it on the ground with the three of us trying to find the trail from the readings I was taking. We gave up after about ten minutes without finding any sign of it on the map.

I did finally figured out our location by taking a reading on the mountain in the distance. At least it was on the map but there wasn't any name for it under the drawing. From my readings we were about five miles off the search grid we had been assigned to. I had just stood up when the danger whistle sounded and we all went flat in a circle looking for the patrol the flanker to our left had spotted. We never saw any movement but the all clear sounded after about fifteen minutes and we got back up with me putting the map away.