Brooks looked through the darkness toward El Paso’s voice. He paused attempting to think of a response. No one else spoke. Brooks could not think of an alternative. He was trapped. Later he would think to himself, I should have said, ‘Yes, you can talk, but let’s talk tactics first.’ Now he could not think. He wanted their opinions but he wanted them to agree with his own.
“Maybe,” Lt. Caldwell said, “you men should think more about killing dinks than about turning chicken and running.”
“Fuck that shit,” Egan snapped angrily at Caldwell.
“Wait a minute,” Brooks said tenuously. “This meeting is open. El Paso’s right. We can talk.”
They spoke quickly now, all except Caldwell without anger. Each man was firmly entrenched in his own convictions yet each was willing to sway, to lean, just a little because the other men were boonierats. From that base they spoke and listened to each other respectively.
“I’d like to know something,” Cherry asserted himself. “I’d like to know what the hell we’re doin here.”
El Paso took him by as much surprise as Doc had earlier even though he had heard El Paso’s scholarly speech before. “The problem,” El Paso began, “problems, encountered in trying to resolve which historical antecedents caused our intervention and what the historical morality of that intervention is, are complicated by our inability to withdraw to a greater perspective and also by the ongoing occurrence of events.” That, Cherry thought, has got to be a prepared speech. “It is as if historical perspective were depth,” El Paso said. “And that depth is a cone. The greater the depth the greater also the diameter. Every year we descend into history we find not simply greater lineal understanding of today’s events but we also find these events inseparably tied to other events. Looking at today is like looking at the point of the cone. Looking at historical antecedents is looking into the cone. To get an accurate understanding of today we must work toward the base understanding, seeing everything in each expanding strata below. At a certain point the known details and connections begin to diminish and the cone reverses and becomes smaller until it points out and there we are in pre-history.”
“Wow!” De Bard exclaimed. “That’s beautiful.”
“Well, what’s that all mean?” Garbageman asked.
“What do you call that?” De Barti asked.
“I understand what you’re saying,” Cherry said, “but that doesn’t answer why we’re here.”
“That,” El Paso chuckled to De Barti, “is El Paso’s biconoid theory of history.”
“Biconoid? Biconoid?” Egan repeated to himself. “Two cones,” he said.
“Joined at the base,” El Paso added. He was pleased.
“So what?” Caldwell said.
“So.” El Paso said moving on, “it depends on how far back and how wide you want to go to justify or explain or understand what the fuck’s happenin here now.”
“We’ve been over a lot of that before,” Brooks said.
“You ever hear of the Oxford Oath?” Egan asked El Paso.
“About 1935?” El Paso replied.
“Yep,” Egan said. He had thought he would catch El Paso with that one. He had tried many times and only rarely succeeded.
“Well, what is it?” Cherry asked.
“It was a sworn statement,” Egan said. “And a slogan. It was somewhat the equivalent of chanting ‘Stop the War in Vietnam.’”
“Huh?”
“It was a movement in England,” El Paso explained. “About ’35 or ’36. It was an oath where students resolved never to bear arms for king or country. The oath was agreed to by a majority of Oxford Union members. The Oxford Union was a nationwide student organization. They say Hitler used to quote it to his general staff to lessen their anxiety when he’d want to make another move toward world conquest. Hitler said it was evidence the British were rotten to the core and that his staff was exaggerating the risk of his moves.”
“It allowed Hitler to advance unchallenged,” Egan said. “That’s just what the NVA are thriving on too. Vo Nguyen Giap uses student dissent in the World to dupe his dinks into thinking we’re weak. And that’s only where it begins. China and Russia use it too. Ya know, maybe we’re here simply as a show of strength and will. And that show is a deterrent. It keeps the Commies in check so they don’t blunder us into a thermo-nuclear holocaust. That won’t happen if Tricky Dick keeps a shit load of us here. We become a safety valve for world tension.”
“That’s a bunch a shit,” FO countered quietly. “We’re more apt to blunder us into World War Three by being here than by withdrawing.”
“What about the Middle East?” Egan said. “Egypt’s got Russkie advisors, Russkie technicians, Russkie troops manning SAM missiles. We back down here what’s goina keep the Kremlin from pushin inta Israel? That would blow up the earth. We can’t just say we aint goina defend our allies. Be just like the ’30s. Mao’d take Taiwan. Russia’d take Berlin. The communists’d move in everywhere.”
“You Americans,” Minh said softly. He did not want to speak with so many GIs clustered for he felt very much alienated when they had these discussions, but he could no longer allow them to prattle without injecting his thoughts. “You Americans,” he repeated, “you are most blind. You do not see my country or my people. All you see are your words. We were reduced to ignorant child-slaves under the yoke of colonialism. It is not communism you most protect us from. Communism is not a threat to us. We need your support to keep out a foreign enemy. Soon we will not need that. But you should not fear us if we become communist. It will be communism for us, not against you. We must be the ones to have power over ourselves.”
“Amen, Brother,” Jax whispered enthusiastically. “Vietnamese Power to Vietnamese People. Black Power to Black People.”
“And White Power to White People,” Brown added.
“Amen,” Doc said.
“If you view the world,” El Paso began, “as Western and Eastern power centers and vast power voids, the expansion of communism since, well, 1917, is a simple swinging back of the slow moving power pendulum pushed to one extreme by colonialism. The Europeans expanded outward from the 1400s to like 1945. Communism is a backlash movement for a lot of countries that were once colonies. If it’s strong today that’s because colonialism was strong earlier.”
“I’m not sure I follow that,” De Barti said.
“During the colonial period western European nations sought to impose their religions and cultures on native population, savages as they called everyone except themselves, all over the globe—including America.”
“Oh yes,” Minh spoke again. “But America is not a good example of colonialism. Europe did not colonize a native population in America.”
“Well, yeah,” El Paso agreed but also disagreed. He did not wish to discuss America. He said, “They did in South and Central America. In North America the Europeans simply exterminated the Indians.”
“Yes, that is what I mean,” Minh said. “Your Indians were replaced by American Europeans. America never experienced the cultural shock of being colonized.”
“That’s very true,” El Paso conceded. He moved on quickly trying to maintain his momentum but was cut off.
“Unless you were black,” Brooks said.
“Or Indian, Mexican, Eskimo or some other intrinsic minority,” El Paso regained control. “But that’s the thing with communism in excolonies. You see, it’s a backlash to the cultural shock of colonialism. The Europeans destroyed native political organizations, family foundations, religions, and economies. They converted the native culture to Western, tried to anyway. Entire value systems were disrupted. That caused tremendous stress which continues today.”
“Oh yes,” Minh said. “And your technology also disrupts my culture.”
“That disrupts our own culture too, Minh,” De Barti said.
“But why communism?” Egan asked. “There hasn’t been a society in history in which Marxist collectivization has been popular.
Communist states are always police states. Commie economic policies always destroy their own economy. No one, once it’s been accomplished, likes it. Minh, it’ll be either you join the collective farm or factory or they’ll kill you. It’s that simple.”
“They’ve got to try it,” El Paso said. “Coming out of colonialism is like coming out of childhood, like going through adolescence. They’ve got to experience it all in order to decide in which direction to go. It won’t last long. Communism has a moral ring if you read the doctrines. It really sounds wonderful. It demands justice for the exploited.”
“Yeah, but in reality it doubles the exploitation,” Egan said.
“It always denies freedoms,” Brown added.
“Yeah, it coerces people to keep from falling on its face,” Cahalan said.
“So did colonialism,” El Paso answered.
“What we must have,” Minh said, “is a Vietnamese government which takes the best of all foreign worlds. It must eat and digest the good and let it help us grow as a Vietnamese nation.”
“I’d still like to know what we’re doin here,” Cherry said.
“We’re stopping the North Vietnamese from invading South Vietnam,” Caldwell said bluntly. Cherry’s inability to perceive the obvious, along with Brooks’ and the others’ infuriated him. They don’t have to understand it, he thought. It is simply fact. God, does it have to be rammed down their throats? “What the hell’s the matter with you all?” Caldwell whispered severely. “Why are we here? What do we want?” He mocked them. He aimed his voice at Cherry. “We want the fighting to stop, the opposing forces to disengage and withdraw. We’re ready to negotiate a peaceful solution.” Caldwell directed his voice toward Minh. “We’ll support you. Guarantee you free elections, give you democracy. If you go … ah … if your people want to unify with the dinks, that’s their prerogative. We’re only here to make sure it’s not shoved down your throats by foreign invaders.”
“You can’t give anyone democracy,” El Paso said maliciously. “Not what you mean. Democracy like you mean is a western cultural thing. You’re trying to cram American standards down the throats of a culture that doesn’t hold that standard and you’re demanding they fight for it. Man, that’s straight Nixon logic. You’re tellin them to fight so they can lose their own culture and be like you Anglos.”
“You going to tell me these people’d be better off under that henchman Ho Chi Minh?”
El Paso did not answer.
“Well, come on,” Caldwell taunted. “Let me tell you something. The Ho Chi Minh government at the time of our initial involvement didn’t represent even fifteen percent of the people of the North and not two percent of the people in the South. It wasn’t a legal representative of the country. The government we back down here had as much support as that bitch did in the North. There were two main differences. The North was a closed and repressive society and Ho usurped complete control. Anybody not liking it was killed. Down here it was an open society, open to world view and criticism, and to opposition political factions. Maybe there’s corruption keeping the factions limited but factions are allowed. Now, perhaps because of American aid, the government here has fifty percent popular support. How can anyone claim the ARVN government isn’t a legal government?”
“I must ask you,” Minh said, “what you believe made Ho Chi Minh? Or a Hitler? Or any dictator? Ho, he was pushed to power because the Japanese and Chinese feared America. We feared America would make us a French colony again. What do you believe consolidated his power? Was it not America’s over-zealous manner of being helpful? To many of my countrymen your assistance appears to be aggression and imperialism. Yes, my friend, your solution may be better than a northern solution, but it can only be better if it is without you.”
“That’s a lot of shit, Minh,” Caldwell said defending his statements. “You’ve got a closed society in the North. You’ve got a repressive government there. Look how far you’ve come. When Westy took command of MACV in ’64 terrorists were bombing right inside Saigon with ease and regularity. Nobody believed in a republic here in the South. We gave you time and space to grow and you’ve grown. Your government’s working. Your military’s become decent. Your country is going places.”
Brooks interceded. “I have to agree with Lt. Caldwell,” he said to the shock of El Paso and Doc and Jax. Even Egan could hardly believe it. How could anyone side with Boy Asshole? “I think he’s right,” Brooks said. “We’ve given a nation time to settle and grow.”
“Yo bein sucked in by that line, L-T,” Jax said.
“Perhaps,” Brooks agreed, “but if that line is the truth, I’m willing to be sucked in by it.” Another man’s words haunted the back of Brooks’ consciousness. He had not thought about them since he had first heard them. Nor had he placed much importance on them when they were spoken. Now their meaning crystalized. ‘If you believe in what you are fighting for,’ the Old Fox had said at the staging area, you are more apt to risk your life. You are more apt to win. You will not fight badly, thus you are less apt to die. The more you risk death the less apt you are to die. Your men, Lieutenant, must believe in what they are doing.’ Brooks said, “Jax, don’t you believe we’re helping the South Vietnamese to maintain a free society? If the North conquers the South they’ll establish a slave state. Hey?”
“I agree with the L-T,” Cahalan said.
“So do I,” said Brown.
“That’s simplistic bullshit,” Egan whispered to Cherry so only Cherry could hear.
“See,” Lt. Caldwell said. “I tell ya, I’m right.”
“I tell ya,” Egan snarled, “yer an asshole.”
“You best remember your manners, Troop,” Caldwell said.
“In a leech’s ass,” Egan challenged.
“Stop it,” Brooks said firmly.
“How come Boy Asshole never walks point?” Egan seethed.
“Or slack?” Garbageman whispered. “Thomaston, De Barti, L-T, you all take your turn.”
“That is not …”
Brooks stopped them all. “We will not proceed with this line of thought,” he said.
“I’d like ta say something,” Egan began in a different tone. “Ya know that red ball, that first one this mornin? I bet that fucker led to an entrance at the base of the hill where Whiteboy’s Hole was. They might have bunkers and tunnels all through these hills. We might be better off down here hidin in the grass. If it wasn’t for the leeches this wouldn’t be so bad.” Then he said, “I was also thinkin bout Ridgefield and our token Jew. Ridge …”
“How come yer always such a prick?” Cherry shot the question at Egan. “You’re so fucken obnoxious you’re unreal.”
“Don’t mean nothin,” Egan laughed. “It’s all academic anyway. Aint nobody here but us and the dinks an there aint no place else ta go.”
“That token Jew was a friend a mine,” Cherry said. He touched his hand to his calf and felt the bayonet and felt a pang of guilt.
“You think he wasn’t a friend of mine?” Egan snapped. “You’re such a fucken cherry.”
“Stop,” Brooks said. “We don’t meet to call each other names.”
“Sorry,” Cherry whispered.
“Yeah. Me too,” Egan said.
“That’s it. Break it up,” Brooks said.
The meeting broke quickly with the platoon people returning to their perimeter areas. Doc and El Paso accompanied Jax, Egan and Cherry to 1st Plt’s location leaving Brooks wondering if he was losing his ability to command his company.
“That white sonavabitch Nixon,” Jax said when he and the others settled, “he aint nothin but a plague on mankind. Man, that dude sly. He one cagey mothafucka. They makin money off us. They makin money off Israel. Sure they’s concerned. This place fall, it like sewin up their pockets. I says, Save Our Blood. Doan do my ol lady no good I get blow’d way fo some ARVN here o fo some Jew there. Lord, let Leon rest in peace. We got brothers en sisters in jail, Man. In jail in the World. I’d rather git sca
ttered stormin the prison that got Bobby Seale chained up then in some fucken valley aint nobody give a shit bout.”
“Amen, Bro,” El Paso said. They were all speaking very calmly now. “Peace marches, they got their place. Everybody standin round flippin each other peace signs. But that aint where it’s at.”
“That right,” Jax said. “Things is rotten to the core. We gotta git down, deal on em, overthrow the government.”
“Black people have known the enemy fo hundreds a years,” Doc said in his deep voice. “You white people, you just now catchin on.”
“They suckin our blood,” Jax said. “They the baddest bloodsuckers.”
“Amen,” El Paso sighed.
“Goddamn Jews own half a Harlem,” Doc said. “They keep my brothers en sisters in the ghetto. They sic the fuzz on us, keep us down. They take all the money out a our neighborhoods so our schools are bad so we can’t never learn an get out. That outside interference, Mista. Black people gotta have Black Power. We gotta run our own schools. Have our own doctors, our own police, our own judges. You understand what I’m sayin?”
“Ah, don’t be duped, Man,” Egan said. “They do it in white neighborhoods too. A pig’s a pig.”
They talked on. The night was very dark and very wet and very cold. Leeches crawled into their pants and shirts. At one point, as Egan was catnapping, the cool slime of a crawling bloodsucker on his lips woke him. “Eech,” he coughed, spit, shaking his head as the leech dropped into his mouth. Periodically each man wiped his hands over his body, extra carefully about his privates, checking for leeches. Sometimes a small leech would be found unattached and it would be squished between thumb and forefinger. Sometimes a large leech would be found attached. All Alpha was out of repellent and even those with dry cigarettes did not dare light up. With fingernails they dug into their own flesh and pinched away at the buried head, usually snapping the leech at the neck and leaving the mouth. After the leech died, the wound burned.
“You know that poster,” Cherry whispered to El Paso late in the night, “ya know that one, ‘WHAT IF THEY GAVE A WAR AND NO ONE SHOWED UP?’ What if we didn’t come and the NVA didn’t come? There’d be nobody to kill.”
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