Jungle Warriors, Crime Fighters

by Doug Houser

  “Yes, sir, but” I tried to interject, but the captain held his stop sign up again.

  “No ifs, ands, or buts. You are not to go on any more patrols. Period. That’s a direct order. Are we clear?”

  “Yes, Sir, we’re clear.”

  “Good. But we’re not through here. I’ve got something else for you to take care of.”

  “Sir?” I knew this couldn’t be good.

  “The NVA are causing trouble over by the Cam Lo refugee village. More specifically, every morning, a detail of Marines from Two-Three on the artillery plateau takes the trash from the plateau and the refugee village out to the trash dump. Until recently, it was a simple matter of collecting all the trash and dumping it. But in the last few weeks, NVA soldiers have been sneaking into the refugee village, giving booby traps to kids and paying them to go into the trash dump at night to hide the booby traps with the hope that the Marines on trash detail will stumble across them and set them off. Anticipating the possibility of booby traps or some kind of landmines, the Marines on trash detail have been on alert and treading carefully. Still, it’s dangerous for them now and we’re just fortunate that they’ve been able to spot them so far. But, it’s just a matter of time until a Marine gets hurt or killed if this situation is allowed to continue.

  “Unfortunately, the kids haven’t fared as well as the Marines have. Two have been killed and five have been seriously injured while placing booby traps in the trash dump under the cover of darkness. Our best guess is that different groups of kids are being used to do this and communication among the groups hasn’t been all that effective. So kids who are placing new booby traps have set off traps that other kids previously set.

  “These kids and their families are totally impoverished. Other than being given food by us, these people have nothing. It’s understandable that those kids want to earn a little bit of money any way possible. Signs were placed at the trash dump gates indicating that admission was prohibited and that any civilians going in would be shot. Marine sharpshooters were assigned to watch the dump at night and shoot anyone who entered. But it’s not happening. The Marines see the kids sneaking in at night but refuse to shoot them even though they were placing booby traps that were intended to harm Marines. The Marines on trash detail were given the additional duty of guarding the trash dump at night. Those guys wouldn’t shoot either. The whole situation is unbelievable.

  “You know, during World War II the Japanese soldiers were told that in order to become a Marine, a guy had to murder someone. In Korea, the North Korean soldiers were told that the requirement for becoming a Marine was to murder an immediate family member. Here, the NVA are told that a guy must eat a baby in order to become a Marine. And yet, these NVA soldiers somehow seem to know that Marines won’t shoot kids and some fucking idiot in Two-Three doesn’t know that. I just shake my head in dismay. In any event, division has become aware of the situation over there and wants it fixed, post haste. I want you to send one of your recon squads up there and get this resolved.”

  All I could do was nod in agreement.

  The captain kept on talking. “Have them check in with Colonel LaGrange when they get there. He will assign an interpreter so that they can talk with some of the refugee village kids. Then, have your guys deal with the NVA who are sneaking in there, putting those kids at risk. Make sure that all of the refugees in the village know what happened to the NVA soldiers once they’ve been dealt with. And do it fast. We don’t want any more casualties occurring in that trash dump. Clear?”

  “Yes, Sir. Can we get a chopper to take them over there?”

  “How soon can they be ready to leave?”

  “I can get a squad together and be ready to go within an hour, Sir.”

  “It’s oh nine thirty now, I’ll have a chopper on the pad, ready to go at 1030 hours.”

  “Aye, Aye Sir.”

  “And Lieutenant? When this is over, remember your orders. Your recon teams go on patrol; you stay here.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  I returned to our area and found Sergeant Cedric Washington, the squad leader of the only recon team that wasn’t out on patrol. “I’ve got a mission for you.” I told him about the situation at the Cam Lo refugee village. When I had finished, Sergeant Washington said, “That just ain’t right. Ain’t right for those kids to be exploited that way.”

  “No, it’s not right. Plus, it’s putting Marines at unnecessary risk. I want you to take your team up there and get this sorted out. When you get there, go to the combat operations center bunker and ask for Colonel LaGrange. He’ll assign an interpreter to you and brief you on the workings of the village. You guys go down and talk to kids. Snoop and poop around a bit, find out where the NVA are entering into the village to do their recruiting and deliver booby traps. Once you determine that, it should be a simple matter to set up an ambush, kill them and make an example of them in the village.”

  “Sir, how you want us to make an example of them?”

  “I’m thinking that the interpreter can make signs to pin on them that explain who they were and what they had been doing, then you can place the dead NVA in conspicuous areas in the village and at the trash dump gates. Just make sure somebody buries them before they start to stink.”

  “Yes, Sir. Wouldn’t want to spread any diseases among the refugees. Sir, how are we going to get out to Camp Carroll?

  “There will be a chopper at the LZ, ready to go, at 1030. You guys don’t need to take any rations. They will feed you over there. Take plenty of claymores and a standard issue of other ammo. Are any of your guys machine gunners?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Then go see Top and get an M60 and a couple boxes of machine gun ammo. It might come in handy depending on what type of ambush you decide to set. I imagine it will be kind of relaxing not to have to be in stealth mode, so emphasize to your guys the need to remain alert when you’re in that refugee camp. Those NVA sons of bitches may be in there disguised as civilians. You never know. Stay spread out, just as you do in the bush and watch each other’s backs. Keep me informed as to what’s happening and how you’re planning is going. I’ve got just one other thing. Be careful, but get this done as quickly and as safely as you can. Hopefully, that will be before there are any more casualties among those kids in the trash dump. Any more questions?”

  “No, Sir. I’m sure the guys will be eager to get this done. I know I am. I don’t like when kids are taken advantage of, Sir. Thank you, Sir. I’ll radio you when we get there.”

  Over the next three days I talked with Sergeant Washington about fifteen times on the radio. One positive thing was that during that time, there were no further casualties in the trash dump. On the advice of Colonel LaGrange, Cedric and his squad gave the kids in the refugee village chocolate bars and had found it relatively easy to get them to communicate regarding the NVA and the booby traps. According to the kids, eight or nine NVA soldiers would come into the village not long after dark, usually every fourth night. On the afternoon of their third day there, Washington called and said that they had scouted the area of the suspected NVA approach to the village pretty thoroughly and had picked a site in which to set their ambush. I told him that if he was satisfied that they had everything planned correctly, then to go ahead. He said that they were ready and that as long as the NVA came on schedule, he was confident that they would get them that night.

  There was nothing left for me to do but wait for another call. I usually had at least one patrol out all the time and I normally didn’t worry much about them unless they got into trouble. But this mission was worrisome for me. I was concerned that the NVA might have spotted Washington’s men while they were searching for an ambush site and that the patrol would get ambushed themselves, on their way to set up. I kept conjuring up dirty tricks the NVA could play to foil Washington’s plans. I kept thinking that this was not a normal mission for us and maybe we ha
dn’t planned it carefully enough or properly, maybe hadn’t prepared for all the contingencies we should have. And I was haunted by the thought that if we weren’t successful, more kids could get blown away in that damn dump.

  So, I sat in my tent and simply stayed agitated until Washington called about 2230 hours. He said that all eight of the NVA soldiers were in the killing zone when he sprung the ambush and that the claymores had been placed almost perfectly. He said that the NVA hadn’t suspected anything and they were jangling booby traps and talking among themselves as they walked toward the refugee village. Then, in a kind of apologetic manner, he said, “Sir, I think with the claymores, the machine gun and our M16 fire we might have fucked them up a little more than necessary.”

  I was so relieved that I couldn’t help busting out laughing. I composed myself enough to congratulate Washington on a job well done and then asked him if the dead NVA soldiers had been placed throughout the refugee camp with their signs. He assured me that they had and I told him to go back to Camp Carroll, get some rest and we’d send a chopper for him in the morning. I went over to the captain’s hooch and told him that the mission had been completed successfully and that there were no friendly casualties.

  And you know what that SOB said? Not a “thank you”, or a “job well done”, or “gee that was quick”, nothing like that. He said, “See, your men are perfectly capable of performing their duties while you stay right here.”

  Chapter 36

  Frank used his napkin to wipe his mouth and his brow. “That was a fabulous lunch and a great story.”

  KC continued, “When the patrol returned, Sergeant Washington told me that even though the NVA soldiers were dead, he was still really upset that those kids had been killed and maimed in the trash dump. When you told me about those kids in Columbus being exploited, my first thought was that maybe this would be a good opportunity for Cedric to get some more payback. He might just be the perfect man to lead the team we send over there.”

  “You mean you’ve already decided to take this on?”

  “You bet I have. Once we’re done with them, they’ll wish they’d never left California. Now that you’ve told me what’s going on, there’s no way I could ignore it. I do have one concern though. Do you know if Fishy has got anyone under cover yet?”

  “He said it was not possible because the Latino gang won’t associate with any locals except the kids they recruit to work the corners.”

  “Good. That will simplify things. But I’d like to make sure, somehow, that all the bad guys are really bad guys. You know, what if Fishy is able to flip one of the gang members?”

  “From what he told me, I don’t think that’s even possible, but I suppose stranger things have happened. Fishy did say that he has totally given up on the idea of putting someone in there undercover.”

  “OK, then. It’s just that I’ve got an idea percolating in my head and I wouldn’t want any good guys to get accidentally caught up in it. Did he mention any specific corners where these new guys have taken over?”

  “Yeah, he did. I jotted a few down. They’re back in my office. I’ll call them in to you when I get out of my meeting.”

  “When we get ready to nail these guys, how about just prior to our moving in, you call Fishy and as an almost oh-by-the-way thing you ask him if he was ever able to get anyone undercover. If you can find out for sure that he didn’t, it will make me feel a whole lot more comfortable.”

  “Sure, that should be easy enough. What are you going to do?”

  “I’ve just started thinking about it, so let me get together with some of my people and plan this thing out. When it’s over, I’ll tell you all about what went down. And this time, if things go the way I’m thinking, you’ll want to hear all the details. Fair enough?”

  “Fair enough. OK, I’ve got to get back. Let me know when to call Fishy. I’ll talk with you later this afternoon. And thanks for lunch and the story.”

  On the way back to the office, KC called Peeps. “Peeps, we’ve got a new project. I’m on my way in now. See when Top and Cedric Washington are available and set up a meeting with the four of us.”

  “Will do. Cedric? What’s his role in this?”

  “Remember that mission he conducted over at the Cam Lo refugee village?”

  “Oh, sure I do. I think he’s still pissed about those kids getting blown away in the trash dump, even after all this time.”

  “Yep. I figured this might be a chance for him to get some more payback.”

  “You know a place where kids are setting booby traps?” Peeps asked.

  “No, of course not. But kids are getting exploited and Cedric has a soft spot there. Plus he was an excellent team leader then and I’m confident that he can successfully lead this mission now. I’ll be there in a few and I’ll tell you all about it.”

  Chapter 37

  When KC arrived at his office, Top, Peeps and Cedric Washington were already seated. KC went in and sat at the head of the enormous conference table. He said, “Thanks for getting together so quickly. Hi, Cedric. I’ll bet you’re wondering what this is about.”

  “Yes, sir. I sure am.”

  “I just learned of a project I think we should get involved with and when I heard about it, I immediately thought that you would want to be a part of it. In fact, I thought that you might be the right person to lead the team that I want to put together to pull this off.”

  Cedric’s eyebrows went up. “Do tell.”

  KC said, “Let me explain the situation, then you can decide if you want to be involved. Here’s the scoop. From what I’ve been told, the Columbus drug trade is controlled by the Bloods and Crips and has been for as long as anyone can remember. They were even able to divide up their territories, mutually agree on the divisions and co-exist in relative peace. That peace ended when a gang from California moved in and began taking over some of those territories, violently doing so. Apparently, these guys are skilled turf war veterans that have tattoos that the local PD has traced to a Latino gang in Southern California.”

  Looking at Cedric, Top and Peeps, KC said, “I know what you’re thinking: So what? Why would we care about that? Why do we want to go to Columbus, Ohio of all places? Here’s why. Stated as briefly as possible, kids who previously had good school records, no involvement with the police, kids who were avoiding trouble in troubled neighborhoods, doing nothing more seriously wrong than maybe sharing a reefer now and then, began having problems in school and with the police. After lots of head scratching by the schools and police and lots of drug lab work, it was determined that this new gang had been giving free joints to these kids. I know, dealers frequently do this to prime the pump. The thing is, these joints weren’t simply marijuana. They were laced with a chemical called ketamine. Here’s what I’ve been told. This combination, just like pure marijuana, isn’t physically addicting like heroin and cocaine are, but that within a period as short as three days, it can create a psychological dependency. Of course, the only way to satisfy this dependency is to return to the source for more. And once the dependency has been established, the source, this newly immigrated gang, will only supply more of these special reefers on a quid pro quo basis. That is, you work for us on our corners and we provide what you need. These kids they have recruited were not in gangs, not dealing drugs. They were just trying to grow up in a tough neighborhood. Now they’re getting hooked and they are getting in trouble for selling drugs. All due to the new gang in town.”

  “Holy shit, you’re right, KC, that does make my blood boil. I know what it’s like to be poor and come from nothing. With the odds stacked against you from the get-go, it’s hard enough to survive. Thugs like these need to be destroyed.” Cedric glared across the table.

  “We can’t destroy them, literally, but we can do some damage and eradicate them. That’s why the four of us are here. I think we should do something about this and I assumed you
guys would agree. It’s my understanding that the local gang detail of the Columbus PD has been unable to penetrate this gang with any undercover cops. The gang absolutely refuses to deal with any locals except for the kids they employ to deal on their corners.”

  Top asked, “So, what can we do about it?”

  Peeps added, “Certainly, if the local cops can’t get anyone undercover, then we can’t either.”

  “No, and we don’t need to or want to. I’m thinking that we could do what Cedric did in the Cam Lo refugee village. Identify the enemy and determine their numbers, establish their routine and the best location for an attack, then deal with them.”

  Cedric asked, “You mean we’re gonna kill ‘em?”

  “No, not kill them, but definitely deal them a blow from which they can’t recover. My idea of dealing with them is to relieve them of any cash they might have, tie up the entire gang nice and tidy like, and leave them with all the evidence necessary for a successful prosecution of trafficking/intent to sell, whatever the DA can come up with. An anonymous call to the local PD will get the criminals off the street and these kids go back to being regular kids.”

  Peeps said, “What makes you think that we can “deal” with these guys when they seem to have the local PD narcotics detail stumped?”

  “The police need probable cause, search and arrest warrants, those kind of legalities, before they can act. They have to do everything by the book so that any evidence they obtain will be admissible in court. We’ve got none of those restrictions. The only things we have to worry about, other than accomplishing the mission, are not to get caught and not to get any of our guys hurt. And, don’t forget, included in this mission, like any other, is to try to make some money to finance future projects and, hopefully, pay everyone involved in this one a bonus.”