“The last I saw it was parked across the road. The Chaplin said the Army was going to pick it up, but for some reason decided not to.”
“When was that?” Dan asked.
“About two or three weeks ago. I’m not quite sure when it was.”
“Okay. The first thing to do is to make sure it isn’t booby trapped.”
“You think that would have been possible right here in the middle of the village.”
“Absolutely. I wouldn’t trust them any further than I could throw ’em.
Next I’ll check all the fluid levels. These things are hard enough to start if they have gas in them. A real waste of energy if that tiny gas tank is empty. There has to be reason the Army didn’t load it out of here even though they seemed to have got it running.
Also before I try to start it I want to know where I can load it. I prefer to turn the trailer around before we load the bulldozer. The shoulders of the road looks muddy as hell all over so I want to be able to pull straight out onto the road after it’s loaded.”
Dan spent several minutes looking around, over and under the bulldozer. Lastly he checked in front of and behind the tracks to be sure there wasn’t a mine buried that he would hit when he moved it before climbing up onto the track to look some more.
“Looks okay. No booby traps that I can see.
No gas. Want to get me the small red can of gas off the trailer’s gooseneck, Parker?”
“Gooseneck?” he asked with a look of incomprehension.
“The front part of the trailer that hangs over the rear of the tractor.”
“Oh, I got it.” Parker responded when he picked up the can and started off the trailer.
“Wait a sec. You might as well bring the Jerry can of diesel also.
They didn’t drain the diesel tank but it isn’t any more than wet in there.” Dan added as he peered down into the bulldozer’s fuel tank. At least the oil in both engines is full. They didn’t get any of that as far as I can tell.”
Dan looked over the faces of the small group of villagers that had started to drift around. Most were just curious with a smile here and there. He did pick up on a scowl or two but none appeared to be aggressive or threatening in any way. He still kept his M16 slung over his shoulder. He opened the tool box that Caterpillar install on the deck of all their bulldozers in search of the crank for the pony engine.
“Huh!” A vocal sound of success and smile when he picked up the object of his search. They are really hell to start without this little gem.” He explained waving the crank over his head in triumph. “Without this I would have to use this back up.” He added when he took a two foot long piece of rope also from the toolbox and waved it over the toolbox and dropping it back in out of sight.
“Now, if it starts and runs where can we load it?”
“A twenty or so year old Vietnamese woman stepped up to the dozer and looked up at Dan to get his attention.
“This is Nhu, it means peaceful. She’s the school teacher.” Parker spoke up.
“Hi Nhu, can you help me?”
“Yes, they put it on and took it off a? trailer?” She hesitated not sure she had the correct word.
“That’s correct.” Dan encouraged her.
With a soft but broad smile she pointed towards the last hooch they could see on the village street. “There, a short ways beyond is my house. That is where they took it before putting it here.”
“Want to show me?”
“Of course. I would be very happy to show and help you.” Nhu answered in perfect, but uncommon English.”
“Alright lead on.” Dan laughed softly and jumped off the bulldozer’s track onto the muddy ground next to her. “Hey Park, would you stay with this stuff and keep track of all of it.?”
“Sure, Dan”
Picking their way through the mud, by way of the driest spots, Nhu and Dan turned a slight corner to where her little house came into sight. It appeared smaller than the average villager’s hooch, newly built and since it was at least two feet off the ground, it had a wooden floor.
Nhu answered his unasked question. “I came a year ago from Hue to teach their children and the village elders agreed that if I did they would build me a new house so I would not have to live with another family. It is very nice and clean. Not as large as I am used to, but all right for me.”
Dan could see dozer tracks going off the road and turning along side of her house. A few more steps and he saw a low dirt ramp built from mineral soil pushed up from under the muddy topsoil. They walked along the drier cat tracks to where Dan could see that the bulldozer had obviously been loaded onto a trailer than offloaded in its same tracks. The tracks were all several days old but clearly defined in the mud that seemed to be drying up some since the tracks were made. He couldn’t see anywhere that they might have been changed to conceal a mine.
“It is all correct?” Nhu asked in her soft, clear voice. “You are looking to make sure that the VC did not put a mine there.”
“Yes, you’re right. Thank you, Nhu. It will work great.”
She looked at Dan with a question on her pretty face. He started to notice how pretty she was and that she wore just a hint of makeup and her shoulder length hair was clean and brushed out until its healthy shine was very apparent.
As they stood side by side, Dan had to ask, “Isn’t it very different living here than in Hue?”
Not to be taken off track by the question, Nhu asked first what puzzled her. “What does great mean? We were not talking about a Great Man like Thomas Jefferson.”
Smiling Dan realized how his uncommon usage, actually slang usage of great had confused her. “It was slang. Instead of saying good or very good, I used great. Americans replace some words with others to make their conversation more interesting.”
“I do not believe that it makes any sense nor is it the correct usage of the words. I would never teach my students such usage.”
“You are absolutely right, Nhu.”
Nhu smiled. A smile which made her whole face glow. she showed her white even teeth freely and met his eyes unflinchingly. “I did not forget your question. It is quite different living here in my little house, but is very hard for a young woman such as I to teach anywhere in Vietnam now, Most of our people believe that I am safer teaching in a small village like Nam Hoa than in the city. And I understand why you are so cautious looking for bad things.” Then she continued to explain why she came to Nam Hoa.
“We must teach all of our children. That is why I came here. And to get away from my family and the man they wanted me to marry.” She said with a smile as she turned away from Dan. “I must not be seen in a conversation with you. It was all right to show you the ramp, but not to be friendly with you. These people do not love you. Americans that is, not you as a man. They are just taking from you what you are offering and giving.”
That said, Nhu continued walking away from Dan and rejoined the village chief and several of the elders who were standing nearby and watching what was going on.
Dan stood still for a minute and watched the gently sway of her small hips going away from him. Very nice. Not Suzie, but all female.
Damn, how I miss that big broad. Dan thought lovingly with a soft smile.
“What are you smiling about Dan?”
“Just sweet memories, my Friend.” He responded smiling some more. “Sweet memories.”
“We ready, Dan? It’s getting late.”
“Let me dump this fuel in and we’ll see if this beast will start.”
Dan took his time setting up the pony engine having no experience with this particular engine, but having the experience to know that the Caterpillar pony engines could be very temperamental and incline to be hard starters. The first two pulls on the crank didn’t even produce a tiny puff of smoke, but the third pull resulted in a puff of blue smoke out of the small one inch diameter exhaust pipe like a heavy cig
ar smoker firing of a new cigar. The forth pull brought forth an ear ringing pop, a huge cloud of blueish black smoke then with a gasp caught and popped to life with its typical ear ringing high pitched pops.
Gritting his teeth, Dan let the little engine warm up a few seconds and when he looked over the villagers who were standing around, eyes wide open in amazement and some in fear. He laughed out loud though none could hear him and they would never realize that he was laughing at them and their various reactions.
He made eye contact with Nhu whose whole face glowing smile was directed to him. She seemed to be the only other person there who saw his source of amusement.
Dan engaged the pony engine’s clutch and let the diesel engine turn over for several seconds before reaching over and moving the diesel engine’s throttle up. A cloud of heavy black diesel smoke rose from its stack and the diesel engine roared to life.
With the dozer loaded and chained down the Seabees started down the road from Nam Hoa towards the Seabee rock crusher and then Phu Bai. “It isn’t too late right now, but we either make a run for Gia Lei or spend the night at the rock crusher. It’s your call Parker. I’m okay with either.”
“Can we make Phu Bai before dark and the road up the hill to Gia Lei before it’s pitch black?”
“I think so. Shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Let’s go home to Gia Lei There’s chicken for supper tonight”
“All right. Here we go.” And Dan swiftly grabbed two more gears guiding the loaded tractor and trailer skillfully down the narrow dirt road.
THIRTY-TWO
“What time did you get the dozer in camp last night?” Sandy asked before Dan was even all the way into the dispatch office.
“Can’t say as I remember exactly, but I hadn’t turned on the headlights.”
“Must have been very hard to see the road coming up the hill to the Combat Base. Chief Black seemed out of sorts when he mentioned your arrival time after quarters this morning.”
“Hell, you know he’s a control freaking nanny, Sandy.”
“Yeah, but he’s also the company chief and the one to get chewed on first if somebody breaks the major rule, ‘in the compound before sunset’.”
“That’s what he gets the big bucks for. To take the kicks aimed at us, the working class Seabees.”
“You don’t much like him do you Dan. That isn’t a question, it’s an observation and is rhetorical.”
“Boy, that brought out the big words this morning.”
“Shut up Petty Officer Davis.” Sandy laughed his gold tooth flashing in the early morning sun pouring in a window on the east side of the dispatch office.
You want to go out to Col Co Road for a few days? They have need of an operator who can run about everything. A crane operator for the NW6 that is still out there and they are going to take a TD 20 dozer out there sometime in the near future then after the road dries up a bit more a Cat grader. Everyone out there does whatever has to be done with whatever equipment is available, but they really need and old hand operator.”
It will also get you from under Black’s eye for a while and it’s a great crew out there. They spend most of their time keeping the road open.
Just for your information it was Jerry Connery’s idea.
Alpha Company wanted to send one of our IPOs out there but Jerry and MacKay said no. That was when Jerry said to ask you if you wanted to go.”
“How many are there out there?”
“Nine counting Chief MacKay the chief in charge. Scuttlebutt has it that he and Wishingham are changing places in a week or so. As soon as Wiz has the crusher up and in normal running mode MacKay will take over and Wiz will get a rest on Col Co Road.
Mac is a cool head. You’ll like him and he also wants somebody to do some work on the perimeter. Before you ask it’s something about getting the wire more secure and out of the mud and water. I really don’t know too much about what is going on out there.” Sandy claimed denial while his gold front tooth flashed in his easy smile.
“You are bullshitting me Petty Officer Sanders. When that gold tooth flashes in that broad grin of yours you are not being truthful with me.”
“I’ve always been a lousy poker player, Dan. But I do think you should go out there. You’ll fit in with the crew and will have a lot of different things to do.
As I said, the Northwest 6 is out there with a hook and tongs to handle the pilings. How long has it been since you ran one?”
“Years. I just get stuck with 20 ton mobiles of all breeds whenever someone needs me to run crane.
How do I get out there? I’ve never been there and hardly have any idea where it really is.”
“Go get your gear for staying over a few days. Also stop by the armory and pickup the trip flares that are set aside to go out there. Then come back here when you’re ready to go and we’ll figure out your transportation.
Connery wants to see you before you go out there. He has something that he wants you to take with you.”
“Hey Dan.” Richie Frasier hollered at him when he walked into the heavy equipment shop.
Chief Connery met Dan halfway across the hooch holding something in his left hand and reached for Dan’s right hand. “I was a First Class when you first worked for me on Adak and I wanted to fire you even though you were and still are one hell of an EO, your attitude can suck at times. I figured you for one enlistment, but Dan Starrett also a First Class at the time, bet me you’d be a lifer like us and maybe not a 4.0 Seabee, but damn close to one. Maybe a 3.6 or even a 3.9 Seabee.” Shaking Dan’s hand he went on.” Dan was right and I’m glad that I listened and gave you the benefit of doubt even though it cost me twenty bucks.
With that being said I want you to have these.” Jerry Connery extended and opened his left hand.
Dan Davis looked at his friend’s extended hand and could see that it contained all the brass insignias of a First Class equipment operator. “These were mine and Dan’s. He sent his to me from Camp Kinser along with this speed message giving you another chevron to put under your crow. You’ll have to pay for your own crows for your blues and whites.
Congratulations Dan.” Again he shook Dan’s hand then stepped aside to let Richie shake his friend’s hand.”
“You’re next Richie. You have to be Second Class before we get back to Port Hueneme.” Dan kidded his friend.
“Here Richie, take my jeep to Col Co road. Be back here by 0900 tomorrow morning.” Chief Connery told the third class driver. “And deliver our new First Class out there.
Dan take this. The photo is from your second class ID but will have to do. If you want you can get a new one in Port Hueneme later.” Jerry said when he handed Dan an updated ID card.
Dan was sitting back and enjoying the ride since it wasn’t every day that a newly promoted Seabee got chauffeured to his next job assignment.
Shortly after passing the LCU ramp just outside Hue, Richie turned right onto a narrow, barely a two lane road. “Well at least this road is paved. The last trip I took with you the road was gravel, narrow, and the nesting place for VC.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about there not being any VC on this road.” Richie stated just as they turned a corner in the road and came along side of a canal or part of the Perfume River on the left which neither of them really knew what it was. They left a scattering of small Vietnamese villages on the right behind and came into heavy green jungle growth in their place. Here and there would be a trail going down to the water’s edge leading to wooden docks not any wider than the trails which were barely as wide as a jeep. Some were not tat wide. There was less sign of any military traffic or Vietnamese civilians as they drove further down the river. There was no let up of the deep green jungle which now dominated the banks on the both sides of the river.
“Have you ever been on this road before, Richie?”
“Well, yeah. The first week I was in Phu Bai in February. I
rode out here as shotgun when we moved the NW6 and pile driver to Tan My.”
Dan had a questioning look when he turned to his friend. “So what you are telling me is that you don’t really have a clue to where we are or where we are going. And what is Tan My?”
“That isn’t completely true, Dan. On our left is the Perfume River, or a canal that runs off the Perfume River. According to the map in Sandy’s dispatch office this road is called Col Co Road.”
“And exactly what is Col Co Road and where does it go and again, what is Tan My?”
“Col Co is the French name for the road and it means Colonial Company Road. There’s a ramp at the end of the road at Tam My that was originally built for sampans and junks but was upgraded for LCUs by the Navy to facilitate the building and operation of the tank farm we’re putting up on Thuan An Island. The ramp is where all the materials for that project are offloaded. The LCUs then travel twelve miles up the Perfume River to the ramp outside Hue where we turned off on Col Co Road to supply the Marines and us up river.”
“So hopefully we’re on Col Co Road and headed for Tan My and Thuan An Island?”
“Yeah, you could put it that way.”
“Is this the point where I should lock and load and start watching for mines in the road?”
“Yeah. Might be a good idea.”
“Eight miles, huh?”
“I think so. More or less.”
“So where did all this information you’ve been handing me come from? A reliable source or Seabee scuttlebutt?”
“I think it’s reliable.” Richie said with his contagious grin and eyes sparkling.
“What’s the catch, Richie?”
“There’s no catch Dan.”
“My friend, I have know you for a few years, and I know when you are attempting to snow me. Out with it.”
“Damn, you’re as tough as you were on Okinawa.
The Chaplin was handing out leaflets and brochures when we got in-country. One was about the Perfume River and the Colonial Company. You know, its history and such.
I think it’s fairly reliable, Dan. Don’t you?”
“It probably is. Since it’s all we have to go on. I guess that we just go and hope for the best.”