Abandoned

Abandoned (Part One - Chapter 6)

Chapter 6: The Ocean of Milk ......"I checked out your book, Abandoned. Very cool! You must have put a lot of work into that thing: great photos, great text, and extremely unique. I especially like the writings you had in Abandoned on love." (Alexander Kon Berner)

Major Sutton was acutely aware of just who Nickolas Fotis was. He couldn't read any further. He needed a drink. He needed a cigar. He needed another drink. He needed to come to grips, once and for all, with the dirty little secret that had been gnawing away at him for over two decades.

Yeah, he knew Nick. In fact, Sutton was the one who brought Nickolas into "Shining Brass" in the first place.

Sutton's office had recruited all of their SOG units (Studies and Observations Group). When the war had unexpectedly ended on that dreadful day in 1973, a handful of Sutton's brave young men were simply left behind to somehow fend for themselves. Furthermore, "Shining Brass" wasn't the only SOG mission operating in Vietnam. "Heavy Green" was very active. Then again, the C.I.A. was involved, inserting other teams of Americans.

Altogether some have estimated that as many as twenty G.I.s were simply abandoned. Its hard to say for sure because these missions were highly sensitive. So much so that sometimes before being inserted, the Americans would be sterilized—in the sense that they would officially get out of the Army and then go back in as civilians, thus rendered completely free of any military identity. Plus they never carried any type of identification papers, and even their weapons and clothing were so generic that if captured, the VC would never know who they were.

Being killed in action—at least Sutton could cope with that, but to just abandon his men—he never signed-off on that. He thought that surely the President had known about these brave men. If he didn't, then others close to him certainly knew what was going on. Over the years Sutton could only guess that the Commander-In-Chief had been advised that after America's swift withdrawal from Vietnam, these men would simply be captured and returned home—just as our other POWs were destined to be released. That had to be it. But when that didn't occur he could only guess what had happened to his men—soldiers who had trusted him with their lives—trusted that Sutton would get them back on American soil. Some of the men had wives and children. Now he was about to find out what had happened to at least one of them. The name on that dog tag was no mystery to him.

Yes, Sutton knew who Nick was. Sipping his whiskey, he thought about the day Nick had come to his office with Eleni. Sutton held his cigar between his teeth and bit down. He remembered Eleni's raven black hair and her charming smile. Sutton also remembered her deep concern for her husband. No wonder she was so worried; she was four months pregnant.

Of course, she was never told the whole truth. None of the wives were. And as far as Uncle Sam was concerned, he had a great way out. Three little letters—MIA. There: a whole bunch of problems solved at once.

Picking the letter back up, the Major continued to read.

* * * * * * * *

"What I am now going to tell you, Eleni, can only be described as Divine Intervention.

My prayers, asking God for His mercy, were answered. What happened next will show you that there is no doubt He heard me. I had asked Him to save me and He did.

Eleni, when I finally came to, at first I thought I was in a church or something. I was so confused. My leg and my head were both throbbing--especially my head. Then I heard a little bell ringing off in the distance, along with the most wonderful aroma. I had been saved by a group of monks who live in an enormous cave located in a remote corner of Laos. They had turned their cave into a beautiful monastery.