13th Valley (65 page)

“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 scattered 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.”

El Paso smiled in the dark. Cherry still did not understand, he thought. Maybe he's even regressing. El Paso sighed weakly and thought Cherry would need a long time to crawl out from under his thick layers of campus propaganda and government indoctrination. Neither side has the answer, he thought.

“What if they gave a war and only one side showed up?” El Paso asked him.

“Huh?”

“That has happened, you know,” El Paso said gently. They were sitting very close to each other wrapped like five enchiladas in their ponchos and poncho liners. They spoke very quietly, speaking directly into one another's ears. “It happened in Russia under Stalin and in China under Mao. They called it a purge.”

“Aw, you know what I mean,” Cherry said.

“Yes,” El Paso said. “But it's dangerous to talk in slogans like that.” He spoke very easily. He wanted to talk, to tell stories, to pass the night. “Would you like to hear more Vietnamese history, Brother?”

“Yes,” Cherry said. “I'd like to know it all.”

“Just a little, eh? Then we'll give Egan the radios and we'll cut some Zs. Maybe you would like to hear of Nguyen Ai Quoc. That is Ho Chi Minh's real name. He once led a war where only one side showed up. What would you like to know? About exploitation perhaps? Perhaps representation?”

“Both,” Cherry said. El Paso's voice in his ear was both soothing and interesting. Cherry flashed on Silvers each time the night became quiet and he longed to keep El Paso speaking.

“Okay, Brother. Did you know Uncle Ho had many of his political enemies put to death while he was coming to power in the 1940s. He once said, ‘All those who do not follow the line which I have laid down will be broken.' In '45 and '46 he purged the anti-communist nationalists, the Dai Viet, and the Catholics and he directed the Viet Minh in the South. Diem was a popular nationalist back then. Uncle Ho tried to have him assassinated. He wasn't successful but he was in having Ta Tu Thau rubbed out because Ta was head of a rival communist faction. The Viet Minh almost took over the South at that time but the British stopped them.”