After breakfast, Sgt. Psycho broke off from C4 to head over to the morgue. He reached for the door handle when the door flew open, revealing Lt. Doyle.
“I was wondering when I would see you again.” She said.
“I’ve been busy between Capt. Phillips animal control and getting C4 ready.”
“I heard about the lion. The entire base got a chuckle out of it. Especially the soldier’s reaction when the lion woke up.”
“Col. Beck said I could come to you if I need anything for the squad.”
“I’m in need of a driver.” Lt. Doyle pointed to the deuce and a half with a covering over the back. “We can talk while you drive me around.”
Psycho’s eyes landed upon the black cross on an off-white field. His stomach gurgled from breakfast. He knew the answer before he asked, “What does that black cross mean?”
“A red cross on a vehicle means that vehicle is transporting wounded or medical supplies. The black cross means we are transporting the dead.”
Before his arrival in Vietnam, Psycho had not even seen a dead body, less alone watched anybody die before him. The sick turning of his stomach lingered at the thought of being around a dead body. “Do I have to go along with you. Can’t we talk in your office?” He asked.
“A chopper is coming in with dead soldiers from a firebase that was attacked overnight. Now get in, you wimp.”
Psycho knew that if he was to get the CAR 15s he would have to drive the Lieutenant around.
Doyle gave detailed instructions along the entire route from the morgue to the north end of the airfield. The Hueys were already landing and offloading several body bags.
Psycho had to help another soldier load them in the back of the duce. When sitting back in the cab Doyle asked, “Okay, what do you want for your squad? It had better not be beer.”
“Yesterday, I ran the squad through a training course. These M16s sucks. Especially when we are in a firefight. I’ve heard the Special Ops guys are more efficient with their CAR-15s. We need to get that rifle for this squad.”
“What makes you think I can get them for you?”
“You said that Colonel would get us whatever we needed.”
“Is there anything else besides the CAR-15s you want?” This was one of many times when Lt. Doyle wished she had never been assigned as Psycho’s handler.
“A shotgun or two would be nice. Could you also throw in a few boxes of 12-gauge shells?”
Lt. Doyle didn’t look at Psycho; she just said, “Take us back to the morgue.” Neither one of them said another word until they got back to the morgue.
“Now I need you to help me get these bodies inside and in the cooler.” Doyle asked.
“Well, are you going to get me the CAR 15’s and a couple of shotguns?”
“Those rifles are earmarked for certain units with certain assignments. None of Capt. Phillips’ squads have such designations.”
“Why can’t I deal directly with you and Col. Beck?”
“As much as you and half of this base dislike Capt. Phillips, Col. Beck likes to use him as a cover for what you and your squad will be doing.”
“So, I have to go through the Captain to get those rifles?”
“I didn’t say that. Let me talk to the Colonel and see what we can do?”
“While you are talking to him, ask him when can C4 go out on patrol and take out some commies?”
“You need to be patient. Col. Beck knows you and C4 want to see some action. He will be using you soon.”
“So, you are getting us the CAR 15’s with ammo?”
“Help me get these bodies in the cooler. I will get back to you sometime tomorrow.”
“What shall we do in the meantime?”
“Run drills and keep your weapons oiled and clean.” Lt. Doyle hopped out of the Duce and waited for Psycho at the rear of the truck. Psycho followed her lead in taking the fallen into the morgue.
As they put the last soldier in the cooler, Psycho made the comment. “We can do only so much training and practicing. We need to test our training with some action.”
“Go see Capt. Phillips. Tell him your squad is ready. It’s not what you might expect. It will give C4 some experience in the field.”
***
It was fifteen hundred hours before Sgt. Psycho made it to Capt. Phillip’s office. From the time Psycho met Capt. Phillips at the stockade, they sought ways they could take advantage of each other. Capt. Phillips liked to think he held most of the cards when it came to Sgt. Psycho. Psycho would turn the tables on him, for he felt he had nothing to lose. The worst Phillips could do would be sending him back to the States and to the mental hospital.
From the early days of boot camp, Psycho liked disrupting the normal flow of military life. Capt. Phillips tolerated his behavior out of fear of his own crimes would be revealed.
“Sergeant, what are you doing with C4?” Phillips asked.
“I have been working with the men to get them ready for something other than hunting lions. The men are itching to get out there and kill some Commies.”
Phillips leaned back in his chair while sizing us how he could take advantage of Psycho’s eagerness.
“There is a clearing not far from Fire Base Alpha that needs to be secured. Some brass and government officials are coming up from Saigon. That clearing is in the right location for them to have lunch. It will be a good assignment for C4 to test their readiness.”
“When and for how long are we to secure that clearing?”
“Tomorrow at eleven hundred hours, two Hueys will transport you to the clearing where you will have until the next morning to secure it. On the second day, at twelve hundred, you will receive a radio request asking for confirmation that the clearing has been secured. At that point, Hueys will fly in materials along with officers and government officials for a picnic. Once we leave, you will have until the end of the third day to police the area and make it back to base.”
“Sir, aren’t your plans for a picnic outside established military procedures? The men are anxious to get out on patrol, but what you describe means we are going to be sitting around and watching a bunch of officers have a little picnic.”
“I repeat, there will be several officials for the South Vietnamese government there. The purpose of this picnic is to show members of the South Vietnamese government how well we are at protecting them from the NVA. If your squad does a good enough job in staying out of sight. I will see to it that we leave C4 some leftovers.”
“How are we to get back?”
“I haven’t got that detail worked out. I’ll let you know when at the clearing.”
Psycho sat stunned by his words.
“If there are no other questions. Get your men ready to board Hueys by eleven hundred hours.”
