Mission 8B

When Chung walked up to the jeep he was still laughing at me and Jenkins.

"Sarge, you have problems, first you shoot at big mouth and no hit. Now you make team doctor mad, better hope you no get wounded or he might sew something in wrong place. You need get drunk and relax."

"I don't think so my friend. This whole mission is getting too big and complex for me. Come, let us walk and I will explain what is going on."

While we walked around the village I was explaining to Chung all that had happened, and I could see he didn't like it neither from the expression on his face. I talked awhile longer and stopped and we stooped on our haunches while I waited to see what he had to say. As usual he was on top of it and mirrored some of my own thoughts as he said his piece.

"You right Sarge this is big mess. I understand extra men to carry poor prisoners, but having all men in bush at same time be bad for us. NVA not dumb, they know something up. Maybe better if doc leaves with Ling day before we do. That way they blow mountain and meet us at camp. Then all NVA and VC be too busy to notice we there. Maybe be better if big mouth's men not stay near us, but set up ambush on two main trails to pull heat off our movements. VC be busy fight them, NVA be busy try to save men in mountain. Big mouth men can get five men from Pot's men easily. Man come in say only seven guarding prisoner there. I send out word yesterday and already have forty men show up want to go with us. I have to kill two, they VC spy sent by NVA to check out yard villages. Man say they been going from village to village counting men who work for teams. They no count no more, and VC not know what they find cause they not report in for week. I already pick twenty men to go I trust not to run. More come in tonight, and I pick ten to go with Doc and Ling. That should give us plenty at camp if have to carry prisoners out to LZ."

"Sounds like you got the best plan. You bring all of them to me tomorrow at noon. I will meet you at gate and get us equipped then we will catch a ride to Pleiku. We are not going to the main camp there, but out to the ammo dump. They will let us stay there for a couple of days while Doc and Ling move out that evening. We will move out the next afternoon. That should give all of us enough time to get where we can meet at the camp. I figure Doc should make it back about three hours after we arrive so we will have plenty of time to scout it before we move in. Doc and Ling will hump only ammo and C-4 to the mountain. We will hump all the extras since we will have plenty of men it should make for lighter packs. Chung, tell our team if any of the new men try to drop out to kill them immediately. I sure as hell don't want Charlie to know what we are up too."

"Not to worry Sarge, new men be loyal or I hunt them down. I already tell them that. We no tell them our plans just let them come along. Our men no speak to them about what we do. Will you have any problem finding ride for all of us?"

"No the General assured me I could have what I needed. The main thing is to keep all men separate from the men at the ammo dump in case the VC have a spy there."

"Not worry, if spy he die when I find. Me and Ling will check all our people work on base. I make sure it not known why we there."

We got up and started walking again and ran into Jenkins, who had an impromptu clinic running checking out the villagers for any problems. Chung went off and I leaned against a hut to watch him at work. I had to admit even with the other seconds I had since I had come in country he was probably one of the best I had run across. He was not only a good second but one helluva doctor. I just hoped when he went back to the world he decided to go to medical school because he had something that was rare. An empathy with his patients that they seemed to instinctively know and appreciate.

"Hey Jenkins! Bout done, we need to get back and do some more planning."

"Gimme bout fifteen minutes Sarge!"

"Ok, I'll be waiting at the jeep!"

I took off back to our ride thinking about anything I had missed in the way of supplies. I was also thinking about what Chung had told me and realized just how good of an idea it was. If we did it this way we could almost sneak into the bush and not worry about Charlie trying to find out what we were doing. I would have the yards disappear into the bush a few at a time while my team went later in the afternoon. That way any observers wouldn't think anything special about it, just another team going on a bush patrol. The only thing missing would be the extra white man but I figured they wouldn't put any importance on it. The VC were used to us changing our patterns and that's what this would look like to them if I did it right. If I worked it right they would ignore us because we wouldn't be worth trying to capture or kill. No self respecting VC patrol leader would expend men to capture a single white man when he could wait for a patrol with more than one or two in it. The yards would make them reconsider also, because the VC knew they were as good as or better in the bush than they were.

Jenkins finally made it back and we headed back for the base with me telling him the new plan. He thought about it for a few minutes saying he liked it. We were still discussing the supplies when we blew a tire just in front of the gate. When I got out to look at it I realized that we had run over the trigger peg of a land mine and it had stuck in the tire instead of going off. I motioned Jenkins out of the jeep telling the MP to send for a demo expert and what we had. We had been damned lucky and we had been saved by some kind of fluke. If it had gone off one or both of us would have been seriously wounded. I then realized that I was getting mad because if Charlie had set a mine this close to the front gate it stood to reason there would be more of them planted. The MP's were not watching very close if they were able to get this close to dig and set them. I set out to call their commander and chew him out saying that when I got off the line I was going to call the General. Hell I thought they were supposed to be responsible for the base's safety and mine. I hated writing reports but this was one I was going to write and make sure the right people got to see it.

I walked back to the rear of the jeep and checked before I lowered myself down to my stomach. Looking out across and up the road we had just come in on I could see at least three more of them sticking up. I carefully turned and looked the other way, and it looked like there were sticks down the road for several hundred feet sticking up out of the dirt. Dammit this had taken awhile to do. Where in the hell were the MP's during all of this I wondered. I got back up and went to where Jenkins was standing watching me.

"These are something new to me. That road has about fifty of them buried in it. We were damned lucky we didn't get our asses blown into small pieces. Somebody is gonna hang for this screw up."

I turned and watched a jeep with an MP Captain come driving up. He must have been the Officer of The Day because I had never seen him before. He didn't even talk to the MP that addressed him, but came directly to where me and Jenkins were standing.

"Ok Sarge, wanna tell me what we got here? Should I stop all traffic on the road?"

I told him it might be a good idea considering, and went on to tell him my thoughts on how this could have happened. By the time I was through, I could tell by his red face somebody's ass was gonna be on the chopping block. He didn't say anything more to me just walked back to the NCO on duty, and started barking out orders. I watched smiling as several of the MP's took off running to do whatever he had said. Jenkins and I headed for the chow hall with me stopping by the motor pool telling them what happened, and where they could recover their jeep. Well I thought to myself, I had dodged the bullet again by some streak of luck that I wouldn't question. I was chuckling out loud causing Jenkins to give me a weird look. We both grabbed a couple of sandwiches and coffee and sat down.

"Sarge, if you don't mind me asking, why is it that when you're under pressure you don't ever seem afraid. When I get into some situations, I almost freeze from the fear at times. You just seem to ignore it, and keep on going thinking clear as a bell. When it's over you always seem to get a laugh out of the whole thing."

"I really don't know how to answer that Jenkins. With me it's a little different than most. I ain't afraid to admit I'm afraid, but I refuse to let it control me. Every time we go out I wonder if it's my time, but then I think about the rest of you and I know it's my personal responsibility to make sure you all get back again. The Army thinks of the yards as hired mercs, but I think of them as my men, and therefore my responsibility. If I let them die or you for that matter, I am losing my men. In my book none of us are expendable in order to complete a mission. If I get hit out there I know that my second is more than capable of getting the rest of you back safely. If you or Chung get hit I lose a part of me that I can never replace. What I am trying to say is, to me the mission is not first, but the welfare and safety of my men are. When we leave this base or any base and go out there in no mans land the mission becomes second in my mind. Oh don't get me wrong if I can complete it I will, but if I feel that I might lose part or all of my team I will call it off in a second. Some of the team leaders will sacrifice their yards to complete a mission. I won't under any circumstances. I will report it unsuccessful and go on to the next one. If I lose a man it because I had no control over it, or he was doing something he shouldn't have been then I can accept that but I don't like it. This mission is gonna be a bitch, and we will have to strive to get to all the jobs completed or it will fail, and I may lose you or even some of my team. Doc, I can't stress to you enough that if you can't put the explosives in place don't get yourself or your men killed. Just move out and hook up with us like we planned. We can always make other plans, but if you go and do something stupid, then that leaves me and those prisoners hanging because we have no idea of your status."

"You know I was on two other teams before yours, the first one my first almost got all of us killed because he couldn't stand to fail. I transferred to the second one because of it. When my first went back to the world I became a free agent so to speak and decided I would pick my own team to join for a change. When Chief told me about you and Chung, I thought it was too good to be true, a first who thought more of his men than the mission. When I volunteered to join you I had to admit after the second mission I had finally found my niche over here. I don't ever want to be a first Sarge, but I am damned proud and honored to be your second. Until you go back to the world or this team breaks up I am here for the duration. Someday I want to become a doctor and work strictly on vets from this war. To me it would be the greatest honor I could achieve to be able to save their lives after they come home. You don't have to worry Sarge; I will complete my part without letting personal feelings play any part in what I have to do. If for some reason I can't do it I ain't about to get me or Ling killed by being stubborn. I will either do it or write it off as a good try and come back to where I have to meet you. If those men we are going after are as sick as Ling's sister says they are gonna need me to help them. We talked for awhile longer, and I got to know Doc a lot better than all the time he had been with me. We finally hit the hooch and I fell asleep thinking about the men I was going after.

Gunny woke me at dawn by sticking his head in the door wanting to know if I had a side arm near me. I laughed, and said we would join him for breakfast in about an hour. I woke Jenkins wondering how he had slept through Gunny's big mouth. Then it hit me what Chung had called him, and I broke out laughing as I walked to the shower. Jenkins was right behind me looking like he was sleep walking. I got in the shower and waited till he turned the water on, and got it set where he wanted it and turned the hot off. His yell could be heard throughout the whole base.

"God Dammit Sarge, one of these days you and Chung's little jokes are going to be the death of me. Damn that's cold."

I busted out laughing and when I looked at Jenkins he was grinning at me.

"Well I can't say I'm not awake NOW."

We both got dressed and headed for the chow hall. Gunny waved us over to his table and we sat down. I told him of the changes and asked if he would pass it on to Pete as soon as he could. He looked at me for a few minutes before he started asking me what I thought I was doing.

"Gunny, Chung made a damned good point. If we all go into the bush at the same time headed to the same area the NVA is gonna know something big is up. Pete's men can take the Khmer Rouge camp cause there are only seven guards there at the moment. If Jenkins here blows that mountain the LRP teams will have a lot of targets coming at them down those two main trails. The more diversions we can make the better chance I have of getting those men out of that camp un noticed. We are going to kill all the VC there so none of them will be able to get the word out. I want to be able to get to an LZ so we don't have to carry them any distance. The General will make sure we have Medivac, and he will put both Mike Teams on alert the moment I call in. The biggest problem we have right now is whether you can outfit the yards I am bringing in. It will have to be from the skin out, because from what I saw most of them are still wearing the old camos and the old boots. All of us are going in with AK's, so I hope you have enough of them with ammo on hand."

"Shit Sarge don't worry about a little thing like that. I got enough of everything put back to outfit a battalion. I do have a little surprise your gonna like. I just got my hands on twenty cases of Chinese ammo for the AK's. This is gonna confuse the hell outta Charlie when he finds those around that camp. Sarge, sorry I doubted you a minute ago. I should known you don't look for glory like a lot of them do. We already got most of what you asked for set out. When are you bringing them in?"

"Today just after noon. Then we will be lifted out to Pleiku to the ammo storage dump, where Doc here will leave with his team for the mountain. I will take the rest the following afternoon. If everything goes right I should be at the camp the next afternoon where Doc should arrive within three hours. The LRP teams can move out the second morning, and should be in place by late afternoon if they hump it. The team going to the Khmer Rouge camp should be in place by late evening barring any problems. I am taking a Marine radio with me, so I can monitor their calls if they get in the shit for some reason. If the team at the Khmer Rouge camp doesn't make it I am still going in after those men at the VC camp. We will just have to go back after the five your team missed in a couple of days. Tell Pete to tell his men I said good luck and kill all those bastards and burn that camp down."

"I don't think you will have to worry about that. Pete already ordered them to go heavy on Willy Petes this time out. They are after some payback and I have a feeling ole Pot's gonna be missing some men and dope."

We all laughed and shot the breeze for awhile. I told Jenkins it was about time we made for the main gate. Gunny said he would see me in a little bit and got up too. Chung and I had moved it up a day for several different reasons not withstanding the monsoon rains were due any day. We were going after them at the right time because the VC would all be inside except for the guards. We would be able to set charges and blow them all to hell at once, building by building.

We met Chung at the gate with forty yards with him and to my surprise little Monk was with him. I immediately grabbed him up in a big hug.

"Damn Monkey, the last time I seen you was when I carried you to the LZ. You had about five holes in you. You all healed?"

"Yea I all better now. Hear you and Chung need help so I come running. I want join your team if you have me. Family all dead now so I have nowhere to go. I get plenty offers, but I rather be on your team. I think it be great honor to work with you and Chung."

"Monkey, if you want to be on my team we will make room for you, and you have my word on that. I will talk to Chung and get you squared away. Ok, let go get outfitted! We are moving out in a couple of hours!"

I waited until Chung passed my orders on, and I signed them in and we headed for the armory. When we went in Gunny and the LT were there and immediately got busy outfitting my men. I pulled Chung and Jenkins to the side for a private conference.

"Chung, I don't normally go over your head but I want Monkey on our team on a permanent basis. I know him and he is almost as good in the bush as you and Ling."

"I know Monkey Sarge, he damn good man, and I think he would fit in fine. I no have problem with you hiring him. I be glad to have him. He also from area we go to so he be help there too. He know all trails in area and hate VC almost as much as I do. He good man Sarge."

This was high praise coming from Chung and I was glad he accepted him because I would have hired him even if Chung had objected. He had saved my life, and had gotten five holes in him for his effort. I didn't know if he knew, but I had made sure his family had gotten food and as much help as I could while he was mending. I had heard his village had gotten hit by the NVA, and wondered what happened to him. I had met his mother and three sisters, and it made me feel bad to know they were gone. I noticed two of the yards speaking together in a corner, and flicked my eyes at them to Chung. He nodded and motioned to Ling and Monkey. I watched as they moved near them, and waited to see what would happen. Chung stood watching them and then it hit me that he could read lips. Damn I wondered why I hadn't caught on to it before. Another myth about Chung I had learned. I looked at Gunny and them back to Chung and almost missed what happened. The two yard were on the floor with Chung and Monkey holding K-Bars to their throats. I went over with Gunny and Jenkins right behind me. Everyone else had froze watching them.

"Sarge these two NVA spies. They try to figure out way to pass where we go on to them. They come in this morning from village in Laos near NVA base. They say NVA let them go but keep families if they spy on them. They work on one team we looked for that disappeared. Me and Monkey take them outside and cut throats. No want to dirty big mouth's floor with their blood."

I noticed the LT was a little green around the gills but Gunny was smiling. He spoke next and what he had to say didn't surprise me at all.

"Take the bastards out the back Chung. There is a shithouse we just dug for the mama sons to use. Just throw their bodies in there. They will make good fertilizer."

We stood and watched as Chung, Monkey and Ling drug them out the back door. The LT looked like he was going to puke so Gunny told him to go to his office and get the bottle of Bourbon in his drawer. The LT took off at a run. Me, Gunny and Jenkins looked at each other and smiled. Two more of the enemy eliminated I thought. The rest of the yards started jabbering, and I caught a lot of what they were saying, and almost to a man they thought the two should have been strung up and made to tell everything they knew. They also thought they had died too easy. Maybe now that the traitors were weaned out, I had the makings of a good team to take into the bush. If the LT kept his mouth shut there would be no repercussions from not turning them over to HQ for interrogation.

Chung, Ling and Monkey came back in with big smiles on their faces and came over to me.

"Sarge, they die too easy, but we no have time to do it the right way. Big mouth have deep shitter out there. He must use himself cause seats have big holes."

I busted out laughing and when one of the yards told the rest what Chung said they all broke out laughing. Gunny was giving Chung dirty looks, and I lost it again when Chung gave him the finger. Monkey and Ling were doubled over they were laughing so hard at the look on Gunny's face. He gave me a dirty look, huffed and went back to outfitting the rest of the men. I knew he would have more to say but we were interrupted when the General came walking in. He took one look at all of us laughing and just shook his head. He pointed to me, Jenkins, and Chung and motioned for us to follow him outside. When we got out the door he walked to the corner of the building, and waited for us to join him.

"Sarge, I have some bad news as well as some good news for you. I can't call in the Mike Force to back you up because they got moved to Bright Light Detail. They have been running 24 hours a day almost. With the heavy bombing going on they have been busy as hell. The good news is General Thompson has put five gunships on alert for your call. He assured me they would have no other duties until you came in from the bush. Sarge, I know where you're going, and I have known about that camp for almost a year. HQ refuses to send in a rescue team. Sarge, I will do anything in my power to help if you need it. Get those poor souls out of there so we can send them home where they belong. If anyone can do it you three can. Dammit Sarge, I don't care what it takes, get them out of there and kill every son of a bitch that is holding them. Your rides will be here in about an hour and I have already made the arrangements for you to stay at the Ammo Dump. I warned the base commander there not to interfere with you and your men in any way. If he does you let me know and I will take care of him in my own way. You will have your own barracks to stay in and chow will be brought to all of you when you arrive. God speed Sarge."

He stood up and saluted us and walked off before we could return it. I could have sworn he had tears in his eyes. I looked at Jenkins and Chung in shock, and they looked at me with the same look. I headed back inside with them behind me. I had never seen or heard the General ask anyone for something. He was always so self assured and in control. I went in and saw the men changing clothes and as I watched their delight over getting all the new stuff I felt a lump in my throat I couldn't explain. I leaned against the wall wondering why HQ with all their might had known about the camp but let the men there rot instead of going after them. From my own perspective I thought they all should be lined up and shot. Damned bureaucrats I thought, no wonder this war was going against us. It was run like a political campaign, instead of a war that we could win if we were left alone to do it. I got the men rounded up and loading clips with the Chinese ammo. One of the yards saw the top of one of the shells and then told the rest. They all started looking at them, and started laughing when they realized the irony of using Chinese ammo against the VC who were backed by the Chinese. To a man they all thought it was great. We got the packs separated for the two teams and I told Jenkins he better have everyone on his team take one claymore just in case. He and Ling had the timers and everyone else had two blocks of C-4. Jenkins took several blocks and made about a dozen balls out of them stuffing them full of long nails and putting cs powder in a large hole he put in the center with a bullet. The difference between the ones I made and his, was that his were the size of softballs and he put a whole bag of cs powder in each one before stopping up the holes. I had to smile to myself thinking that if the NVA put dogs on his track they all were in for a big surprise. Between the nails and the cs powder they were in for a huge surprise. I gave Monkey Jenkins medical bag telling him he was to guard it at all times. I explained to him the whole plan, and he said he could show us a shorter way to the camp the VC didn't know was there. He also told me he would show Jenkins a shorter and easier way to the mountain when he was ready to go. He said the way he would show Jenkins, the VC and NVA wouldn't use because there was one huge graveyard along the trail where the NVA buried their men who died working on the road through the mountain.

I heard the choppers coming and checked all the men making sure they had plenty of ammo and the other things they had been assigned. When I was satisfied we went out the door directly into the four choppers waiting on us outside the door. I was the last one out and Gunny gave me a big thumbs up as I closed the door. When I climbed in one of the gunners handed me a set of earphones and a Mic. to wear so I could stay in touch with the pilot. I noticed all the yards with me remembered their training and had the muzzles of their weapons pointed towards the floor of the chopper instead of up like the newbie's always did. We had been flying about a half hour when my thoughts were broken by the pilot talking to me.

"Hey Sarge, we'll be over Pleiku in about fifteen minutes. I have already been given clearance to fly directly over the HQ before we turn to the Ammo Dump. The ammo dump will light us up when we get there so we can land. I have been instructed to stay the rest of the night and to take off at first light. I am supposed to fly north for a few miles, dip like we are dropping a team off then fly back to Pleiku HQ. Sarge, I don't know what the hell is going on but I can tell you the orders came from way up high. Man this one is a little weird even to me. Care to elaborate if you can?"

"Normally I could tell you more but this one is for no one's ears but my own. I assure you that if we succeed you will hear all about it."

"Ok Sarge, I know when not to pry. Considering the men you have with you it must be pretty damned big. I haven't seen that many yards on a team in two tours. Say, was that Monkey I saw back there?"

"Yea, he's a member of my team now."

"Damn Sarge, Chung, Ling and now Monkey. No wonder the other teams cuss you for taking all the best yards. I gave him a ride from fire base Alpha last week. He said he was going to look you up, and wanted to know where you were at. They about had a fit when he wouldn't join one of the teams at Alpha. He told me he owed you his life because you carried him back to the chopper when he got hit. He said the spook with you wanted to leave him and you threatened to shoot him for even suggesting it. Oh, you might want to know the spook was found with his throat cut, sitting on the latrine up at the big Air America camp last month. Monkey was there at the time and disappeared into the bush a short time later."

"I didn't know that but it couldn't have happened to a nicer fella. He showed up at Chung's village this morning and I hired him for my team today. Chung said he knew him and he didn't have a problem with it."

"Well Sarge, knowing Chung like I do, you couldn't ask for a better recommendation. Ok, get you men ready we are five out."

I jerked off the helmet and shouted out the familiar words to the men; "lock and load, we are coming in."

As I locked one into the chamber I listened to the rest doing the same thing and smiled to myself. I had done this hundreds of times, and the sound of a live load going into the firing chamber still made me smile. At the time I never would have believed that smile over such a simple thing would always follow me even twenty some years later. I watched as the lights came on and we quickly feathered out and sat down. The lights went out almost immediately upon the birds landing. We scrambled out and were met by someone from the base who said our quarters were just a short distance away. I walked over to the side and watched as the men unhorsed and gathered around where I was standing. I had them fall in and we set off following the man from the base. He was right, we went about a thousand yards and he said this was ours and left us. I went in and everyone followed me. I switched on the lights, and immediately noticed the windows were all blacked out. I ordered the weapons cleared and told the men to find a cot and we would have chow shortly. The new yards all rotated towards the back, while my men all came up to grab a bunk near me and Jenkins. We all stripped down to t-shirts and just sat around bull shitting until chow showed up. The two men who brought it apologized because it was just sandwiches and coca cola. They set up a huge coffee pot and said someone would come over in the morning first thing and make another pot for us. They gave us directions to the mess hall, and the times they served, and left saying they were glad to see us because they hardly ever got overnight visitors. I personally thought they must be spoiled to be able to serve everyone ice cold coca cola. The sandwiches were delicious and for a change the coffee was delicious.

After we ate we spent a few hours going over the plans and then I told everyone to hit the sack because we had a long boring day tomorrow. I made sure that Jenkins and his men kept a few of the sandwiches for breakfast because they were going out about an hour before dawn. I wanted to send them out tonight, but decided they had better wait until morning so Monkey could show them on the map which way to take. His route although not on my map was feasible. If it was what he said they wouldn't have it on their maps either. I did mark it on mine for future reference. He laid the whole thing out on Jenkins map and even drew in some landmarks that he said they couldn't Miss.