Abandoned

Abandoned (Part One - Chapter 3)

CHAPTER 3: The Dirty Little Secret ......"I am writing to let you know that I was fascinated with your book. I love to read stories of the Vietnam War. Your book was very complete. I congratulate you once again." (Virginia Gomez)

It was inside Sutton's olive-green tent that the dirty little secret finally made its escape, repeatedly tormenting his weary soul. Huge rain drops could be heard splashing on the canvas roof above him, leftovers from the violent storm. The jungle night was awash in sound.

Sitting next to his lamp the Major stared at the four metal dog tags, reflecting light from the lantern. The saddest thing was that they didn't just represent four missing soldiers. No—they meant a hell of a lot more than that and he knew it—a hell of a lot more.

Lighting another cigar, Sutton drifted into thought. His eyes were open but he was looking at something else. Something so deep inside him that it carried his mind to a different time and place—right to where the dirty little secret took its horrible birth.

(Years earlier...)

"Lt. Sutton, you have a phone call on line one. It's Col. Johnson's office at the Pentagon."

"Thank you Sergeant."

Like most of the nasty things in Washington they start with a phone call. This was no exception.

Sutton had two hours to make it over to the Pentagon for the meeting. He couldn't help wondering what it was all about. If he hurried he could stop and grab an early lunch. Taking a sip of hot coffee he looked at the morning headlines, "Vietcong Attack." The newspaper was dated March 23, 1973.

"Yes sir, down the hall to your left, room four."

"Thank you."

Taking a seat, Sutton looked around. Others were entering the room. Sutton then saw Col. Johnson, along with his aide, Capt. Marjory Ott. Besides two men from the CIA who Sutton knew well, everyone else was military. Rising to attention as the Colonel walked over to the podium, everyone readied themselves. Nobody was quite sure why they were there.

"Gentlemen, thank you for being here on such short notice. I have an announcement to make. This comes straight from the President. In exactly five days from now on March 28th, America is pulling its troops out of Vietnam. Once this is done, America will officially end its military involvement in Vietnam. Are there any questions?"

At precisely that moment, the dirty little secret reared its ugly little head; inside room number four; in the east wing of the Pentagon; in the room with the nice view. It was just after one o'clock in the afternoon.

"Yes Sir, I have a question."

The speed at which Sutton had come out of his seat surprised even himself. He couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"But Colonel, what about our insertion teams? We've still got men along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. There won't be enough time to get everyone out.

His question quickly turned into a nasty confrontation. In fact, over the next forty-five minutes the entire room was nothing but a loud argument—a real balancing act when you're just a young lieutenant and the person you're arguing with is a full-bird colonel. But to Col. Johnson's credit he let the men speak their mind. But it didn't change the facts. History now confirms this.

"How are they getting out? Doesn't the President know about our men? Of course he has to know. You don't mean that we're just going to leave them behind, do you?"

* * * * * * * *

Sutton lifted the cigar to his mouth. He had dropped the flaps on his tent a long time ago. The rain drops were still striking loud. Picking up the sheath of papers lying next to the dog tags, he began to read.