Private Carl Daniels walked down the steps from the Pan Am Boeing Jumbo 747. Regardless of the horrible smell and humidity, he felt at home. A lot of the smells he had never encountered before. The thunder of jets and helicopter’s blades cutting through the air only added to the distraction.
Seeing a line of battle-weary and wounded soldiers waiting to go home sent shockwaves through Carl’s body. He didn’t want to be like them when it was time to go home. Wait! Carl’s heart sank. He could not go back to the States. All that was waiting for him was a mental hospital or jail.
“Focus, soldier!” shouted the sergeant. “Fall in line. You’ll have plenty of time to get used to the organized chaos around here.”
Carl gave the sergeant a nod of acknowledgment before he moseyed to the line of new arrivals.
The sergeant’s voice boomed over the collection of background noises. “You will follow me to the processing center, where you will be assigned barracks. You will spend the next day or two there before getting shipped off to your new home.” The sergeant pointed to a building, maybe a hundred yards from where they had landed.
“Forward, march.” The sergeant ordered, The soldiers threw their duffles over their shoulders and marched in the direction the sergeant had directed.
The column had not gone twenty feet before Carl saw several attractive women being escorted by two soldiers. They were headed in a direction different from Carl’s group. He diverted his march to follow the women, like a buck who came across the sent of a doe in heat.
The women and escort came upon a bridge guarded by a lone MP with an M16. Seeing them, he raised the barrier to the bridge, allowing the women to cross.
The guard lowered it again as Carl approached. “What’s your reason for going into China Beach?” he asked.
“This is a joke. How is one guard and a piece of lumber going to keep anyone from crossing if they really wanted to?” Carl thought to himself before he said to the guard, “I just arrived from the States. I’ve been ordered to go directly to my duty station.”
“You must be one of the replacement orderlies at the hospital?” the MP said.
“Yes, I am. I was told to report directly to the head nurse for orientation.”
The MP promptly lifted the barrier arm and waved Carl on through. “Good luck. It gets brutal with all the incoming wounded.”
For the next hour Carl wandered the area known as China Beach. Stopping only to check on whatever looked interesting to him. He thought it strange that no one questioned him.
Carl came upon a helicopter landing pad just as a medivac chopper landed. Orderlies rushed out to retrieve the wounded. Intrigued by the seamless precision the nurses and medics worked, Carl stepped closer.
A soldier’s severed arm fell off the stretcher and onto the ground, followed by blood. Carl stood there and watched while one orderly picked it up and carried it to the hospital.
The disfigured body on another stretcher turned Carl’s stomach. The smell of warm blood forced Carl to rush to the nearest trash can where he emptied his guts.
After regaining some composure, Carl remembered seeing a bar with no walls and several tables under a tin roof. He headed straight for it. Still feeling nauseated, he planted himself on a bar stool.
Seeing a Vietnamese woman behind the bar, Carl didn’t wait for the bartender to ask; he yelled at her, “Give me a double shot of Jack.”
While waiting for his drink, Carl took stock in who else might be drinking. He spotted a large man wearing a Hawaiian shirt talking to two others in olive green. They sat at the table in the far corner. Carl’s eyes landed on a redhead with a shapely figure and long legs. She sat at the other end of the bar. She seemed more interested in her drink than in socializing.
The bartender asked, “You must be new. I haven’t seen you before.”
“I just landed a few minutes ago.”
“Well, welcome to China Beach.”
The redhead flashed Carl a smile and moved closer, where a barstool was between them.
Carl asked the redhead, “What does a horny soldier do around here for fun?” Right then Carl noticed the captain bars on her collar. He gave her a half-hearted salute.”
“Where in China Beach are you assigned?” She asked.
“All I know is that I’m assigned to supply.”
“I hate to tell you, but you’re in the wrong area. This club is reserved for officers and pilots.”
After seeing the redhead’s actions, Carl said, “Okay, I’m on the wrong side of the bridge. Just give me a cold one, and I’ll head back.”
Overhearing the conversation, the man in the Hawaiian shirt approached.
“The supply warehouse is on the other side of the bridge. You are definitely in the wrong place.” The redhead continued.
Carl turned to the bartender. “Where is my drink?”
The man in the Hawaiian shirt walked up to Carl and said, “Excuse me. I need to see your ID?”
“Who the hell are you?” snapped Carl.
Noticing the single strip on Carl’s shoulder, he said, “I’m Army CID. If you remember your basic training, I’m one police officer above a MP. Now let me see your ID.”
Carl looked at his flowery shirt in disbelief. “Show me yours, and then I’ll show you mine.”
“A smart-aleck hum. That’s not the way things work around here.”
“Hey, man, I just stopped for a drink before reporting in. It has been a long flight, and I need a cold one. It’s been a while. I could use some conversation with the lady here.”
“If you’re not going to show me your ID, I will need to take you in until I can verify that you belong here.”
Carl grabbed the beer from the redhead’s hand and attempted to plant it in the forehead of the CID officer. It got blocked. Carl grabbed an ashtray with his other hand and landed it aside the head of CID. The officer sank to the floor, stunned.
Carl added to his order. “Now can I have a beer along with a shot of Jack? And a replacement of the lady’s beer?”
Nervously, the bartender went to obey. While in the process of pouring the whiskey, those who were sitting with the CID officer rushed over.
The redhead moved to the far end of the bar.
“Sir, you are going to have to come with us.”
Carl lifted his beer, ignoring the MPs.
The first MP moved to the side of Carl and planted his nightstick behind Carl’s knee, sending him to the floor. The MP tapped his nightstick twice on his free hand and asked, “Do you want some more?”
Carl thought for a moment. He chose to stay
