A Farmer's Courage II: Vietnam 67'
Chapter 8: Fifteen Days Earlier (Part V): Rising Tensions
(Jack's Flashback)
"WAKE THE FUCK UP ALREADY!" I was jumped the next morning by Scar who woke me up in an unpleasing manner
"Fuck it Scar; stop kicking me...I'm up alright..."
"Well hustle up...we're moving. Wake the rest of your losers as well."
20 minutes later
Spring 10, 1967,
5 KM East of Outpost,
0600 hrs
"Why was I in the millitary?" I groan as we traveres along the dense jungle. Scar and his men were leading the way
"I thought you told us that you volunteer LT?" Kowalski
"Oh...yeah...ha ha..." Oh yeah...my stupid joke cause me to get caught with this
"If only you didn't join this friggin' war, Grinder, I would be at home with my wife and son."
"Hey, don't blame me. You're the one who volunteered here to check up on me right?"
"Yeah...but didn't you had enough actions already? Back in our village?" Kai chuckles and smiles
"No. Which one? The bar fight I cause back in 1937?"
"No. Back in 1944 when we assist the allies on liberating our island."
"Ooh...that one...no."
"Why not?"
"I only been able to get 130 krauts."
"Aren't that a huge sum of Germans?" Kowalski interupts. He's been listening to our conversation from the beggining
"No...I guess not. I've been able to make more kills here than out there."
"How many did you kill in here?" Gardner
"Hmmm...I lost count. Last count was around...380-390 VC & NVA in total."
"O
"Cut the crap and keep walking! We're almost there; LT, you lead the way." Scar stop for a second, letting my squad move on ahead. I could see the village from our location; it's in a hill north of us
"So...what's the village called again?" This is the fifth time I told Kowalski. Its Kang To damnit! Listen!
"Kang To, Kowalski. How many times should I tell you?"
"Err...Be my guest?"
Heh, the whole jungle were quiter this time. It's more to be a stroll in the park rather than a war. The village is located on top of a small hill, more to be a mountain precisely. The rice paddies were located at the bottom of the village with a few farmers working. I've missed mine since...
"LT, you and your men take point and head to the village first. Me and my men will follow ya'. MOVE!" We walk pass Scar's squad and continue moving up the hill to the village. We pass a civilian sitting in a stump and was looking at us...with fear. What the hell's wrong with these guys? As we reach the village, I heard gunfires from my six. Turning around I saw scar with his M4 Carbine smokin'. I come up to him and spot a dead Vietnamese, the same guy we pass that stared us with fear lay dead at the bottom of the hill.
"What the hell have you done?"
"He's a VC. I know it. He's trying to make a break for it as you get pass him." Hope he's right...
"All of you! YOU! GET HERE! NOW! EVERYONE!" Scar fires his Carbine high, panicking the whole village. Vietnamese highland farmer's were running around. It's chaos in here
"Damn it Scar, you should've not done that..."
"I'm in control here LT, and you know it. Get your men and gather them villagers."
"Ookay (goddamn asshole thinks his the squad leader). Alright guys! Gather the villagers, and try to treat the nicely! We wouldn't want any civilian casualties in here!" Short Timer nods and take command the rest of my squad. Scar stayed at the center, while I help the grunts collect all of these vietnamese
"Sir, we've found a tunnel here! 4 vietnamese, 1 woman and 3 men are inside!" One of Scar's men call out. They found a tunnel beneath a haystack
"Get the woman out of there, and grenade the whole tunnel. Leave the men inside."
"Are you crazy Scar? These villagers would really turn against us and turn to the commies if we..."
"That's why we should finish them off LT."
"But..." Scar place a cigarette in his mouth and lights it
"You know what...you're still to green here to be a Lieutenant. You can't even tell the diffrence between a VC and Vietnamese.." I sigh, thinking 'no this is not right'
"Do you know?"
"Yeah I do know. All Vietnamese are VC. All of em'." I shook my head. I know this is wrong, I know it! But how come I couldn't just ignore these commands...? Duty...
"Fire in the hole!" The grenades explodes. There were screams of agony, cries. This pains me...
"Lieutenant Scar! We've located the village chief!"
"Bring him to me!"
"We found his family too!"
"Bring em' all!" Three guys starts pushing the village elder. His family come to watch and follow. This sad guy had a daughter and a wife. He was then thrown to the ground, both hands tied.
"Now speak you commie bastard. Are you working for the VC?" What the hell? The poor old guy can't take a gun tention!
"Me...no work for VC...VC bad...please G.I...stop..." The old guy trembles as Scar continue pointing his Carbine at the old guy's mouth. This is NOT what we supposed to act
"Okay...so you wouldn't speak huh? How about this!" Scar switch his carbine to his pistol and grabs a young girl, probably 5-7 years old. He snatch her from her mother, and points his pistol towards the girl, acting as a hostage.
"Lien! No! G.I! Please don't hurt my daughter!" Scar doesn't seem to care, no he doesn't. I can't do anything about this...what I can do is, just watch and hope the old man would speak.
"(Speaking in Vietnamese)" Her mother, yelled and scar and probably cursing the American army. Scar returns her cold stare with hatred and vengeance over him. His face says it all. But...with a blink of an eye, Scar fires his pistol towards her. The woman fell to the ground, dead. This...is over the limit...
"That'll teach her a lesson." The girl in Scar's arm struggles to get herself free. She eventually able to get herself free...with a quick bite. The old man and the girl ran up towards the woman whom they love; now lying cold in the mud
"Damn VC...DIE!" I was jumped by that word and actions. Flashbacks. I remember the time when Mary was killed by that Nazi bastard I wasted back in 1944 in Mineral Island. She was still 18 years old back then. I've seen enough suffering for today! This happens to me once, and I don't want to see others who seems to have a better life gets ruined like this!
"SCAAAARRR!" I ran up to him and slam his face with the butt of my Tommy gun. Slamming him to the ground, I jump him and hits him hard with my fist
"You crazy son of a bitch! What are you trying to do up here? Start a war with these villager or something?"
"We gotta' kill em' all that's what! Now fuck off and leave me alone!" Scar repays the punch as I awarded him with another one of mine. We were stopped when the squad of people we lead separates us both.
"Who's side are you on goddamn it! You're helpin' the VC win the war you shit!"
"No, you're the one helpin' the VC win the war! With your actions, you'll just turn these guys to VC sooner or later!"
"Why you…….SQUAD! BURN THE WHOLE VILLAGE, AND LEAVE NO TRACE TO THE VILLAGER!" Most of Scar's squad members were startled to hear this, and starts walking towards my direction
"Sorry Scar….I can't do that…..that's too…..violent you know…."
"Yeah….I agrees with that." Two of his men, precisely
"Squad, search for haystacks, weapon caches and destroy em'. Waste every commie weapons you found here."
"Yes sir!"
"But LT." Kowalski
"Yeah?"
"What if the VC or the NVA returns? Why don't we burn the whole village instead?" Look around buddy
"Take a good look at these people. You see kids?"
"Yeah….."
"Where would they stay if we burn this whole village?"
"Uhh….."
"I'll ask the captain to send some personnel and weapons for these villagers. We'll try to teach these montagnyards (mountain people) to learn on how to use rifle. Satisfied, Kowalski?"
"Yes sir!"
Back at the hill, tensions were high. The guys back at camp told their story and their point of view of the fight Scar and I had. Cause of this, factions was developed. Some Grunts thinks that Scar's way's the best to take out VC. But others, thinks that I got a better way without increasing death tickets towards civilians. Even at our lunch break, some soldiers stand up and argues with one of the Grunts in Scar's factions. I never like that Scar guy either. Heh, but Scar doesn't care. He says that were in Indian country, their country. Everyone in this whole goddamn war is rooting for the VC and the NVA. No…I don't think so. Somewhere in this war, there were people praying and rooting for us……waiting to earn them the peace they've been long waited for.
Author's Note:
After a long absence, I'm finally back typing (damn homework buries me with textbooks). I've watched a couple of Vietnam war movies (tires my eyes) and a LOT of Vietnam war games (bored me). WHERE ARE THE REVIEWS DAMNIT? Anyways…..I've contacted my friend who went to Vietnam recently and I've just received tons of cool Vietnam info (including tortures)! Next issue will include tortures! Get ready!