Mission 7

I woke to the sound of the flaps coming down on the civilian transport plane landing back in Nam. While I looked out the window anticipating being back, I had to admit the ride back, although long, had been well worthwhile. I had been officially inducted into the mile high club by the cute little brunette who seemed to have latched on to me as soon as I boarded. She was a cute little stewardess who talked my head off for the first hour then invited me to tour the galley, and it had went from there. When I walked down the steps to the tarmac I remembered I hadn't gotten a name or an address. Damn I thought just my luck.

"Hey, are you the poster boy for Special Forces?"

I looked around, recognizing the voice, and had to smile seeing the Sgt. Major sitting in a jeep a hundred feet from me.

"Go to hell you old bastard. What the hell you doing out in the heat? I thought you didn't leave your air conditioned office?"

"I got the word some damned Green Beanie I knew was on the flight so I thought I would offer him a ride to supply. They changed our camos since you been gone."

I climbed into the jeep, throwing the garment bag and small duffel in the back. I leaned back taking a deep breath and smiled to myself thinking it was good to be home again. Gunny was watching me and smiled as he pulled out.

"How was the ride back Sarge? I heard you got inducted into a new club? Brenda's a cute little thing isn't she?"

"Damn Gunny, isn't anything personal to you? After what I been doing for the last month, having a pretty girl smile at me felt good. Lord knows I seen enough hatred to last a lifetime back in the world."

"Yea, I heard how bad it was for all of you. I'm surprised that Webber was the only one who blew up. I figured it would be you with your attitude. Besides Brenda's a good friend of mine, and I told her to take good care of you. Man that girl sure is crazy about medals and men in uniform. Hell with all the medals your wearing, I bet she was ready to go before the plane took off."

"Damn Gunny can't a man even keep a private thought around you? I bet when you wear your dress blues they are covered more than mine are. God I hate wearing these damned things. If I bend to the front I have to fight to keep from falling on my face."

He busted out laughing as we arrived at supply. We went in and I was issued the new camos and asked to turn in my old ones. Gunny told the clerk they had been turned in while I was in the states. I knew this was a lie as I had left them with the mama son to be washed before I left. I got all new from the skin out and carried it out to the jeep. I would give the wool socks to Chung and the men because I had brought forty pairs of heavy duty cotton socks back with me. They weren't green, but gray and made to wear with high top boots. They would keep the leeches off my calves if I got in stagnant water. We kept up a stream of conversation and he waited while I reported in to the Captain. He took one look at me in Dress Greens and busted out laughing. I was glaring at him as I stood at attention waiting to be put at ease.

"Damn Sarge, you look almost civilized in that get up. Glad your back, but you do know you can't wear that in the bush don't you?"

"Yes Sir!"

"Damn, polite too. You must be gettin soft in your old age. Report back to me at 0800 tomorrow and try to stay sober. Here's a pass for your men, bring them in and get them outfitted in the new camos. I have a mission for you and your men. Jenkins is the Doc at a firebase, and won't be back for a week, so you won't have a second on this one. This one is a little different to what you are used to doing. Dismissed!"

I turned and left to the sound of the laughter coming from his office. I was seething as I went out to the jeep. I hadn't even had been able to speak, and just knew I would get even with him for the slight. Gunny took one look at my face, grinned and started the jeep. When we were headed for my hooch, he looked at me again and I just gave him the finger. He almost run off the road he was laughing so hard. We pulled up and I got my stuff out with the Gunny's help and took it in. All my old camos were neatly piled on the bed and remembering former lessons I carefully checked them to make sure there were no surprises in them. Gunny was leaning against the door smiling at my actions.

"I see you haven't been away long enough to forget what I taught you."

"What you taught me. Why you old faker, I learned about this from my first when I came over here on my first tour."

"Who do you think taught him? Come on get changed so we can go get a cold one. I need to get you caught up on what's been going on since you were back in the world. There have been some changes that you ain't gonna like."

"Long as we get back so I can get Chung and the others in to equip them. From what the Captain told me they need to be issued the new camos and the new footgear. God I hate the thought of breaking in new boots again. Hell I just got the old ones comfortable."

"Yea well that subject is only part of what you ain't gonna like Sarge."

I quickly changed into the new camo's leaving the rest outside for the mama son to pick up and wash. These were way too stiff to suit me, and they made too damned much noise. I knew she would have my new ones back by morning, and I could pay her what I owed because I didn't have a chance too before I was pulled out. We jumped back into the jeep and went to the NCO club. We were both greeted as we got our cold ones and found a table in the corner to talk.

"Sarge, make sure to tell that mean little yard of yours to keep all the shit you two been hoarding out of sight. There have been a whole bunch of new orders coming down from HQ about supplies. Remember those pictures you took of the supplies in that cave? Well it seems they were taken off a ship offshore waiting to be unloaded. They were marked off as being unloaded at base supply, only they got feet before inventory was taken of the shipment. The supply officer in charge as well as about ten of his top personnel were all arrested for selling to the black market. They did a complete inventory of supplies all over, at every base, and found thousands of items unaccounted for. Most were stuff that had been in short supply for the last year, like those medic bags and grenades. That's just a short list. Over five thousand M-16's still in the crates are missing, along with thousands of rounds for them. There are also millions of camo's missing, thus the new issues you just picked up. Charlie has been hitting bases all over, but mostly along the Laos border along the rivers. The Navy has increased the river boat patrols but they are gettin ambushed in record numbers. The NVA has been moving into northern Cambodia in record numbers. They have been slaughtering the hill tribes, and a lot of them have moved south toward the US bases and set up their villages. I don't know what the hell is going on, but the face of this war is changing and not for the better. Sarge, I think I know where you're going tomorrow and if it is what I think, watch your six. The men they are sending you out to check on don't want to be found."

"Aww come on Gunny, you mean that those rumors are true? I find it hard to believe that that many men can just go native and not be found. That rumor has been around since I came here the first time. I have been all over Cambodia and Laos and haven't seen any sign that such a village exists. Chung even said he thought it was just a rumor."

"I hate to be the one who says this, but according to my information it not only exists but the NVA and the VC leave them alone. I even heard they trade back and forth for supplies. They are rumored to have a village in the mountains between Laos and Thailand. There have been too many sightings of foreigners in that area, not to give some credence to the rumor. I even hear that a lot of them have native wives so they won't be bothered by the local tribes."

"Gunny if the rumors were true then I heard that over half of them are Marines who have become disgusted with the war, and the way the Government is running it. I agree with them there, but I ain't about to desert just to prove a point. Hell some of our own men are supposed to be living out there in hiding. They had the same rumor in other wars but they never panned out Gunny."

"Sarge, believe what you want. I was just giving you the heads up. I suggest if you do by some chance find something out there you might be better off just forgetting it, and leaving well enough alone if you get my drift?"

"Hell Gunny, if I do find them I may not agree with what they're doing, but I sure ain't about to tell anyone where they are. Hey, if they want to live that way then more power to them. Besides if we get that close to Thailand, I might just slip into Bangkok and get all of us laid. Last I heard Madam Wong's place is still open."

"Yep, I was there for a week last month. It hasn't changed at all. They have a few new girls, but that old battle axe is still as mean as she ever was. Good piece of tail, but mean enough to bite ten penny nails in two pieces, and spit them at you."

"Yep one of the most beautiful oriental women I ever met, but don't get on her bad side."

We looked at each other and busted out laughing. God I thought it's good to be back and among friends. The Sgt. Major was one of a very few I could trust here, and I always enjoyed the time we spent together. The man was over fifty years old, and one of the meanest bastards I ever had the pleasure of knowing. I don't think there was a Marine in the Republic of South Vietnam that didn't know or know about him. He was a legend and I was proud to call him a friend.

"By the way Sarge, I almost forgot, Chung's village got hit about two weeks after you left. Before you get mad there was nobody hurt badly. The Marines were mad as hell though."

"Now you gotta explain that one Gunny. If the village got hit why would the Marines be mad?"

"They were sent in to clean up the dead bodies. Turns out they were all in several pieces; it took them almost three hours to clean up and another day to get an accurate count of the dead VC. They say the Captain who went with them puked all over himself when he saw the mess Chung's people had made of the bodies. I told you that little mean ass half breed was nuts."

"Nah Gunny, he ain't nuts. He just hates the VC with a passion. If they hit his village then they learned real quick they made a bad mistake. If any survived the word will be passed and I bet they don't do it again."

"From the description I got, I can very well believe that. The Captain said the villagers offered to cook them for the Marines for fresh meat if they wanted, and it made a few of them happy to find out they worked with the teams. I heard they won't set foot in the village again, and if they get attacked they will send a couple of men out to take a fast body count, and leave the villagers to clean up. Chung told the Captain next time they will pile them out by the base main gate, so they don't have to waste gas to come pick them up."

I choked on my last drink of beer I was laughing so hard. For some reason I believed it because that sounded like my friend. He would do it too just to make his point. Even ARVN steered clear of their village. They had went there once and tried to push the people around like they normally did. The co and his assistant promptly disappeared from the middle of their men, and from that point on they refused to step foot in the village saying that demons lived there. When Chung had told me all about it he was laughing up a storm. He said they had delivered the two back to their base with hand carved forked tails protruding from their asses, and the base Commander had promptly shit himself when he saw them hanging from the front gate on the inside. The guards were all whipped for sleeping on duty, which they swore they weren't. To this day Chung still got a laugh from it all.

When Gunny dropped me back off at my hooch, I spent about a half hour cleaning my 16 making sure everything was up to snuff. I put my vest on loading the pockets with mags and hanging a few grenades and headed for the motor pool to sign out a truck. The Corporal on duty recognized me immediately greeting me respectfully and gave me a small truck saying it was full of gas and had just been to the shop to have it gone over. I signed for it and headed for the village to pick up my team. I was passing a small rice paddy when I was fired on by a hidden sniper. I quickly pulled to the side and waited on the opposite side of the truck knowing he would stick his head up out of the muck sooner or later to see if he had hit me. All I had to do was wait. It took about fifteen minutes before movement caught my eye. Someone was wiggling through the rice heading in my direction. I waited until I could see his weapon show once in a while through the rice which was about calf high. I pulled a grenade off my harness and pulled the pin, saw the movement again and released the handle which flew off to the side. I counted down to five and threw it over the movement. When it exploded it was about a foot above the movement and went off. The screaming I heard told me I had definitely hit someone, but I wasn't stupid enough to go charging in to see. I just waited until he got up on his knees in plain view, and shot him twice in the upper body. He went back down and there was silence. I waited for a few minutes, and didn't see any other movement so I got back in the truck and drove on. I figured he would be found by a farmer in the next day or so and it would be reported. Either way he was dead and I was alive and continuing on with my chores.

When I pulled into the village and was recognized, every kid there came running out to greet me. When the adults heard the racket and my name they started coming out of their huts. Chung came running over and hugged me with a big smile on his face.

"I thought you were back my brother. I could feel your presence. How truck get bullet hole in door?"

I turned and looked and sure enough there was a hole in the door about waist high if I were sitting in the seat. I tried rolling the window up and laughed at the sight that greeted me. The bullet from the AK had passed through the door and stuck in the glass starring it. I pulled it out and Chung grabbed it and put it in his pocket. I wound the window down again telling him to call the men saying I had to take them to supply to get the new camos. We had a mission tomorrow, and would be going out in the afternoon sometime. He whistled and my team came running up with smiles on their faces all glad to see me. By this time almost the whole village was standing around with smiles on their faces.

I had just turned around when a squirming female launched herself at me catching me by surprise. It was Mai Li the little girl I had adopted more or less. She was hugging me and kissed me in her joy to see me. This set some of the older women tittering which caused her to hide her face against my shoulder in embarrassment. I just laughed hugging her and kissing the top of her head. I finally was able to get her unwound saying we had to go before it got dark. Chung sang out a few orders and everyone moved back and we got in the truck. We headed back to the base with the kids following and yelling at us to hurry back.

"Chung, I have more American Dollars to give you for the village."

"No need my brother, we ambush VC patrol and they have trunk full of American money. We bring it back to village and hide in case we need it. My brother, the VC are getting stronger and seem to be moving this way in force. I think they plan big attack very soon."

"I heard they attacked the village. Was anyone hurt Chung?"

"No, all stuff we been hiding take care of VC. They get blowed to pieces before they get in village. We only fire a few shot to kill wounded. We be needing more claymore soon though. We have village ring with them and we use quite a few this time. We even set up some in rice paddy for big surprise for VC if they try steal or burn our rice."

I looked at him and got that grin of his, and it made me feel a lot better knowing he was watching over the village I considered my home away from the base. I would arrange with a contact of mine to get a dozen or so cases of the claymores for me to bring here and give to Chung. Besides he loved the little souvenirs we brought to him. He made a fortune selling them to the Brass in their offices in Saigon. Of course he didn't know that the village made most of them but hey, whatever worked. Barter was the way of life here, and me and Chung used it to our advantage whenever we could. We pulled up to the gate, and the pass was checked by the guard who waved us in. He knew my men and had been given some of the home made rice wine on several occasions. He always bitched about the hangovers, but so did I so I didn't pay any attention to it. He always asked for more whenever he got a day off to tie a good one on.

When we got to supply and went in there was a new NCO behind the counter. I handed him the paperwork I had gotten from the Captain and he just threw it back in my face.

"Listen to me bub, that's the wrong paperwork and you ain't gettin nuthin out of here until I get the right paperwork. Now get the gooks out of my supply room."

I went over the counter butt stroking him with the 16, and watched him go down to his knees. I went to kick him in the mouth when the LT. came out.

"Sarge! What the hell's going on here?"

"This asshole insulted me and my team Sir. I don't take shit like that from anyone especially from someone who doesn't out rank me. Besides I don't appreciated being treated like a cherry. Now we have a mission tomorrow and I need to get my team outfitted. I have the paperwork from the Captain and he threw it in my face."

"Ok Sarge, let me handle it. I will get your men outfitted right away."

"But Sir, he doesn't have the proper paperwork and I don't allow those thieving gooks in my supply room."

"Johnson, I've had enough of your shit to last me a life time. You wouldn't know a gook from a Chinaman. Secondly, you never served in the bush so you have no idea what these men do. This is Sarge and Chung from SOG. I know you've heard of them because Gunny was here last week for the meeting and told all of us they would be coming in. I suggest you apologize to all of them before Gunny decides to send you out to some remote firebase to give you a little attitude adjustment."

'That'll be the day when a Marine tells an Army man what to do. If you want to kiss their butts so be it, but I won't and I think the Top will agree with me. He hates gooks as bad as I do."

"Lt. Give me the phone. I think I will have Top come in and Gunny can join us. I am about to lose my temper and shoot this sorry son of a bitch. Get him the hell out of my sight."