“Go head finish, Scott.” Chief Thomas spoke up with an encouraging smile.
“Well, the gist of it is that EOD ran us out of the area. So we came over here to get a cup of Ryan’s coffee as terrible as it is, to wait for the word so we can go back and get our weapons and other gear. And maybe even go to chow.”
“You now have the word. EOD sends you their thanks. Said the area is clean. So go do what you have to do and Petty Officer Davis will be sure to muster you in if you don’t make it back from the chow hall, which is going to stay open until 0830 this morning.
“That’s correct isn’t it Master Chief?” Thomas asked as he turned towards Master Chief Ellsworth and looked him in the eye daring him to contradict him.
TWELVE
“You got anything planned for the day, Dan?” Thomas asked him after the squad had left for the chow hall to get something to eat and to their hooch to get their weapons and other gear.
Master Chief Ellsworth left behind them to harass another squad.
Dan watched a couple of other squads leave the area and surmised that they also had not been to chow. “I’m going out on the road and shape the drainage on the road into the rock quarry. Casey asked me to do that. He can maintain it with the Cat but has a problem with the ditches. Also I might hit the access road into the laterite pit.
That okay, or do you have something else in mind?’
“Sounds fine with me. If you have time work on the shoulders some more out as far as the Brigade I have meetings most of the day so I won’t be out. Probably at all. We have to go over the engineer’s drawings and schedule the EAs to put in some more grade stakes for you.
You’re escaping aren’t you Dan?”
“Where’d you get that idea?”
“I know you and know that you’d rather be a party of one, or at most two. Also you are still looking for Linh.
Take Kramer and Casey with you. That was an order by the way.”
“Okay, Tom. I do hate to waste this sunshine sitting in here.
Why do you think I’m still looking for Linh?”
“I won’t dignify that with an answer.” Thomas answered with a smile and threw Dan the keys to his jeep.
“Tom, did you think that the MAA was slow on the trigger hitting the siren? My squad was already in the bunker and the corpsmen said that some of them also were in and some were just about at the bunker.”
“I think that is on the agenda for this morning. I had to stop and put on my boots because of my bum foot. You know I can hardly walk without a boot on it and I was also going over the sandbags when it went off.”
Thomas turned and started towards the company office with a quick wave.
Davis swung by the chow hall and found Casey Jones and Ed Kramer together finishing up a breakfast of hash browns, over easy eggs and sausage patties washed down with lots of ultra black Navy coffee..
“You two drones ready to go to work?” He asked them as he slid onto the bench seat across the table from them.
“What do we have to do? Build the Master Chief a new portable bunker that he can carry around with him since he got the shit scared out of him this morning?”
“You picked up on that, huh, Casey? I would say that he was still a bit scared a while go in the company compound.
Anyway, that is not what we are going to do. Casey you can take your D8 to work in the quarry doing whatever you know you have to get done. The drilling crew will be working so you’ll have security to watch your back.”
“What about me Dan?” Kramer asked as he drained his canteen cup of the remains of his breakfast orange juice.
“That must taste like shit out of that aluminum cup.” Casey said with an exaggerated look of distaste.
“Only if you are too slow in swallowing or think about how it is supposed to taste.”
Dan and Casey looked at each other, then at Kramer and both shook their head each thinking the same thing, that their friend was a bit weird if not crazy.
“So? What about me?”
“You’re going to work your butt off all day.”
“Doing what?” A now suspicious Kramer asked quietly as his dark brown eyes squinted cat like and went from one Petty Officer to the other.
“Operating my grader fixing new shoulders on Highway 1 while I am happily dozing along side of you on the pretense of being your shotgun.”
You’re making me your slave operator? Is that it?”
“Yeah. Pretty muchly. That is if you want to run the grader when I’m not.”
“Oh Hell! You got a deal Petty Officer Davis.”
With Dan relaxing on the right side of the grader’s bench seat, Ed Kramer drove the grader out through the Chu Lai gate and turned south down Highway 1.
“Where do you want to start Dan?” Ed turned to take in the vision of his senior petty officer. Sitting on his flak jacket, relaxed with his jump boot clad feet resting on the sandbags that lined the floor and under the seat of the grader. He had his M14 standing upright between his out stretched legs holding it by the very end of its web sling. Under his legs was a small green civilian pack. Across his chest from his left shoulder hung a full cartridge belt with 4 ammo pouches hanging form it with 8 full 20 round magazines of .308s. Slung from his right shoulder was a cotton cartridge bandolier. It held a hundred rounds in 5 round clips that could be fed into the M14’s 20 round magazines.
“Let’s fix the drainage ditches on Casey’s quarry access road first then go out to the laterite pit road by the Vietnamese quarry. You can drop me at the mouth of the quarry road while you fix the ditches.”
“Looking for somebody special?”
“No. Casey has our C-rats on his Cat.”
“Yeah, sure.”
‘What?”
“What my ass. Get off my grader so I can get some work done.”
“Whose grader!? Just for that I’ll make you do all the work today.”
“And take your flak jacket with you.” Kramer hollered as he tossed Dan’s heavy kevlar jacket at him and started the grader moving down onto the shoulder of the road.
“Don’t get fancy Ed. Just fix the drainage for the road.” Dan hollered as his striker drove away.
“Got ya Boss.” He hollered back.
Dan walked down the road about fifty feet to where he could look down the quarry access road and could watch both north and south on Highway 1. He climbed up onto a small sand dune that was probably built by Windy and his scraper a month or more ago. He tossed his flax jacket down on top of the sand and dropped the small pack next to it. He sat on the jacket leaning his rifle across the pack to keep its action out of the sand and dropped the cartridge belts within easy reach next to him.
Shortly from the north, from the direction of Chu Lai village, he could pick out a small figure walking on the road towards him. Still too far away to distinguish any relative features he continued to scan the area for 360 degrees around him. It wasn’t long before he could see that the figure was a female, at least dressed like a female and she was wearing a non lac and carrying a typical woven straw basket.
It must be break time. I’m getting ready for a snack, He carefully moved his weapon onto to the cartridge belts before picking up and opening his pack. First he took out his canteen which was still icy from the ice he had taken from a beverage cooler in the chow hall reefer. Reaching deeper he took out two unopened C-ration cans. One contained a pound cake, the other a pecan roll which he set down in the sand next to his canteen.
Scanning around him again he could make out the lone figure which now he knew was a girl, and felt a strange twitch run across his chest and into his stomach. Plainly seen were her white silk pants and light blue shirt. Her non la was reflecting golden in the mid-morning sun but it was shading her face as she walked with her back to the sun.
He couldn’t help but smile in pleasure. He knew that it was Linh even before he could see her face, by her walk
and how she carried herself. When she started to step off the road turning towards him he knew she had also been watching him. The sun caught the soft beauty of her peaches and cream complexion also slowly revealing her soft smile and white teeth.
He stood up. Met her dark brown eyes which were happy and welcoming as she also met and held his look and really for the first time held his in an almost physical embrace.
Without a word being spoken he held out his right hand which she took in her left hand leaving her basket teetering close to falling until she tightened her right arm about its rim. She let him draw her up onto very top of the sand dune. They stood almost touching just the rim of her basket keeping them a couple inches from each other and still holding hands.
“Hi. Are you all right? The Viet Cong attacked your camp last night. I was afraid for you. I had to be sure your were all right so I came to find you or talk to the other Seabees to be sure you were all right.I hoped we would see each other and I would know that you were not hurt or worse.
I’m talking too much aren’t I?” Her voice trailed off not finishing what she was thinking.
“I’m fine. Thank you.
You aren’t talking too much.”
“I’m not sure it is safe for you out here today.” Linh went on having stopped talking only long enough for Dan to say he was ok. “The VC have not left the area. My family is very scared of them and I had to sneak away to come here.”
“Your family lives in Chu Lai village? It isn’t safe for you there, Linh.”
“I’m staying with cousins of my mother. To me they are distance relatives but my mother wanted me to leave Saigon.
There have been many Viet Cong in the village for several days. Then early yesterday we heard or saw none until after they attacked you. And then many went away from the village to hide. I have not been able to leave Chu Lai for many days. I wanted to see you but I was afraid to leave.”
Still standing close, Dan leaned his face into her’s and meeting no resistance kissed her lightly on her lips. Their eyes met and her soft smile told him that he had done the right thing.
“Here, sit on my jacket so you will stay clean.
Didn’t the ARVN know they were there and help you.”
“The ARVN soldiers are also afraid of them and sometimes ignore them hoping they will go away before they have to tell the Americans that the VC are there.”
Look what I have for you.” Dan sat next to her before picking up the two cans. “Your choice, pecan roll or pound cake.”
“No. I cannot eat your food. I have some gao ne’p for my lunch. I cannot stay long anyway. My family will get upset and wonder where I am if I’m gone too long. They did not want me to leave their house today. They think I went to the store. They don’t know that I came here to see you.” She looked down seeming to look in her basket which only held the red silk ribbon tied banana leaf full of gao ne’p and two bottles of very warm Vietnamese made Tiger beer
Dan saw the color change on her neck and when he put a finger on her chin and raised her face so he could see her eyes. There was a tiny tear in the corner of each eye and her cheeks became a brighter shade of red. Her skin was warm and very soft like a baby’s.
Their eyes met and she took his hand pressing his fingers tighter against her chin and slowly lowered her face until her lips firmly touched the back of his fingers. Slowly she raised her face until their lips met. For several seconds Linh pressed her lips against his before moving her head back away from him and breaking their kiss.
“I must go.
My family is sending me to Hue shortly. Maybe in June. They said my mother made the arrangements but I think that they want me gone before other people in the village or the VC know I am American educated.
But we can see each other before I go if you will keep working here on the highway.”
“I will be. I’ll be gone tomorrow Sunday, then be back Monday.”
“I shall find you on Monday then. Be careful.” Linh started to stand when Dan took both her hands and drew her down to him. Without a word being spoken they slipped into a mutual embrace and their lips met again. “Linh pushed against him before slowly moving away to separate them. ”I must go.” She said and again raised her lips to him at the same time pressing her small pointed breasts to his chest. She stood leaving her basket on the sand. They were almost touching when she placed both her hands on his chest. Keeping the distance of separation between their bodies she raised on tip toes. Her soft warm lips touched the right corner of his mouth. She bent over to pickup her basket, but Dan got there first and placed all the C-rations from the ground and several cans out of his pack into her basket.
As she stood her gratitude showed clearly and again a tear formed in the corner of each eye. “Thank you.”
“Later. We’ll see each Monday. Dan said.
“Be careful, please.” Was barely above a whisper as she turned and started down off of the sand dune.
Ed Kramer parked the grader off the shoulder of the road and carried an unopened case of C-rations and his canteen up onto the sand dune. He tossed the C-rats down next to Dan before handing him the canteen cup. “Here, this is ice cold from the drilling crew’s water jug.
“That I presume was Linh. I see that you gave our lunch away.” He said as he toed Dan’s empty pack. Thought I would replace it with a case from the drilling crew. They didn’t seem to mind. Of course they were very busy drilling foolish holes in the rock that they will make bigger with C4, and won’t miss the rats anyway.” He went on with a broad smile that showed his white teeth and a sparkle in his brown eyes showing against his dark tanned face.
“You realize that every Seabee on the drilling team is bigger than either of us.”
“Yeah, but they’re wimps beside two dare, do or die Seabees like you or me the tough Samoan.”
“Who’s a Samoan? You’re not big enough to be a Samoan.”
“I know, but I was born on American Samoa to a French father, who I guess wasn’t very big, and a Tahitian mother who gave me my handsome face. Dark brown hair and big hands.” He held up his hands which Dan had to admit were bigger and probably stronger than his. Operator’s hands. Dan thought as he looked at the calluses on well kept, clean hands.
“Oh Jesus. Spare me. You’re under 5’8” and 140 pounds I do bow to your skills in procuring needed food though.”
“You had better after you gave ours all away to a Vietnamese woman. Even if she is the prettiest of the pretty.”
THIRTEEN
Dan Lee Davis went into the company office before muster on Monday morning to check if there was any news on his R & R which he hadn’t asked about for several days.
“Hey Dave, I got something you want and have been waiting for.” Petty Officer Ryan the company clerk spoke from behind his desk. He took a fat folder from his desk which at first glance appeared to be full of blue mimeographed copies of orders. On the folder’s face Dan could see R & R printed in big black letters.
“When is it for, about August, after I get transferred to some other battalion?” Dan stated a bit sarcastically. He had applied for an R & R to Okinawa the first morning the noticed was published that a second R & R trip would be available to the members of the battalion in April. The first to Okinawa had been in the first week in March. Dan’s friend Brad Burgess had a girl soon to be his wife in Naha so Dan didn’t put in for that trip. He definitely wanted this one which would be the next to last week of the month on the 19th, which was this week. Only one slot would be available to the battalion and a chief had put in for it therefore bumping a second class out. Ryan had tipped off him about what was going on and Dan had started an undercover campaign to get the chief to relinquish his place on the list. The chief just wanted to go as a tourist after having only served on Okinawa with a battalion at Camp Kinser a few years previously.
Dan had told his tale of woe to Chief Th
omas during a casual conversation at lunch one day on the road about three weeks ago. He hadn’t expected that it would go anywhere. It was just a friend telling another friend something.
Until today, he had heard nothing more about his R & R and had about given up on going to Okinawa during this deployment. He was entertaining an idea to take R & R on Taiwan or Manilla then catching a hop to Okinawa.
Ryan handed him his orders. “Don’t ever say I didn’t do anything for you. A certain chief came in and said that he had changed his mind and wanted to go to Hong Kong instead.”
“That all he said? Nothing about Thomas or anybody saying something to him?”
“Nope. Just ‘put my name on the next slot for Hong Kong’. That’s all he said and then left my office.”
“Thanks Ryan. I appreciate this.”
“I know. You leave for Da Nang Tuesday morning, that’s April 18, tomorrow in case you’re mixed up. Catch the R & R flight out of Da Nang on Wednesday morning, that’s April 19th. I’m assuming since you were stationed at MCAF Futemma you have a girl friend waiting for you when you get there.”
“Something like that. I was there for a while and know lots of girls.”
“Yeah, like I believe you don’t have one special friend there.”
“You are such a smart ass, Ryan.” Though Dan didn’t bother to correct him or his thinking.
“I know. Have fun and I’d like to see a picture of her sometime, Dan.”