When, finally, they closed their books and took my father away, it was only Henry who was left, all alone, in the government house. There were not even any ghosts that night. He went outside, and, with his strong arms, in a few short pumps, wheeled himself down to the edge of the dock, where he sat for several hours.
Epilogue
Early January of the following year, I received a package in the mail, forwarded from Henry to my new address in Portland, where I had found a job with the Maine Sunday Telegram. The package was from George Parada, who we had not thought to inform of my father’s death. It included the thirty-page transcript of my father’s testimony.
Parada and I spoke several times on the telephone after that, and I told him what little I knew of my father’s experiences from the bits and pieces I had gathered over the course of our last summer together at the government house.
The information was, however – except on a personal level – of little use to Parada; the Higgins’ account had been, by then, effectively discredited, and though it was true that Parada had once hoped to replace the account with the true story of what had happened that night, he seemed, at the point at which I spoke to him, at last content to accept the fact that the events were irresolvable – relegated as they had been to the memories and imaginations of men who were, for their various reasons, and to greater or lesser extents, now unspeaking. To accept, that is, that the actions of war, being part of that great and ancient chain of command, capable of establishing an event even at the moment of its occurrence as though it was already deeply in the past, were such that it would be impossible, and rather unsportsmanlike, to expound.
But if this truly was the case, then what difference did it make if Higgins had expressed the deaths of one or two as the deaths of three hundred? No. There were certainly distinctions that needed to be made. It was just a matter of how, and by whom.
When, in the winter following my father’s death, I read the transcript of his testimony – most of which I will now record below – my own sense of these things was only further confounded, and sometimes now I’m astonished by the audacity of any attempt, including my own, at understanding anything at all. But then I think about my father again, and about how, in the closing remarks of his cross-examination, when he was warned: “These are very serious proceedings, you know, and generalities can be very dangerous,” he replied, unshaken: “Well, sir, I’ve only answered the questions that have been asked to the best of my ability.”
And so, in these pages, I have also tried to record what I know to be true; the truth, anyway, as it exists at this, my own particular intersection of it; at this singular and otherwise obscure point along its complicated and transitional course. As it pauses here, I mean, almost imperceptibly, and for only so long, before continuing on, in its uncountable directions.
I think now that that’s really the most – the best – we can do: answer the questions that pose themselves to us, and describe, if only to ourselves, the things that we have loved, and believed in, and the actions that we have or would have liked to have taken, and will take now, and do take, over and over again, in the quiet parts of our minds.
But really, I find it hard to imagine any method at all of understanding the events of the twenty-second of October, 1967. Or of the way that afterwards they repeated themselves, and continue to repeat themselves: in same or in variant forms, charting again their recurrent course. Among those who (long after the events themselves had shuttled into other moments, and other lives; disguising themselves in divergent sadnesses, misunderstandings, expectations and desires) witness them still. And among those who, like my mother and Helen and Henry and me, were not aware of them at all, but likewise witnessed, and continue to witness them. Who likewise still hope to uncover, recognize, and subsequently comprehend their otherwise inexplicable presence in our lives.
DIRECT EXAMINATION
Questions by Captain Harding
Q: State your full name and rank.
A: Napoleon Edward Haskell.
Q: What was your first name?
A: Napoleon.
Q: Your organization, please?
A: B and S company, 1/1.
Q: Your armed force, please?
A: United States Marine Corps.
Q: Were you a member of “Bravo” company, 1/1, on or
about 21 and 22 October, 1967?
A: Yes, sir, I was.
Q: Do you know Lieutenant BEAN?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Would you point to him, please?
A: Right there, sir.
GC: Let the record so indicate.
Q: Where were you on the evening of 21 October 1967?
A: We were on Operation Liberty II, sir.
Q: And where was this?
A: West of the air strip in South Dong Ha.
Q: What was the mission out there as far as you knew?
A: I thought it was to locate possible enemy mortar positions.
Q: Was there an incident sometime on the night of 21 October or the early morning of 22 October when someone was injured?
A: Yes, sir, there was.
Q: Would you please tell us what happened?
A: ADAMSEN, sir?
Q: Yes, go ahead.
A: We had just passed through, and were veering away from this little ville, and we turned up on this hillside. Our platoon was the point platoon. Just as we got to the top of the hill a mine was detonated. ADAMSEN was killed, and KLINE and CAREY were wounded, sir.
Q: That was your platoon, which platoon?
A: First platoon.
Q: And who was the first platoon commander at that time?
A: Lieutenant FRANCIE, sir.
Q: Do you know where Lieutenant FRANCIE was in relation to Lance Corporal ADAMSEN when the mine went off?
A: I believe he was right in front of him, sir.
Q: Did you see Lieutenant FRANCIE there?
A: I know he was somewhere directly in front of me, FRANCIE was in front of CAREY, CAREY was directly in front of me. I believe Lieutenant FRANCIE was right in front of ADAMSEN.
Q: Was this the order you had been in shortly before the accident took place?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: What did you do when this booby trap went off?
A: I just got down, sir, and placed the machine gun to the left flank.
Q: You were with the machine gun?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: What was your position with the machine gun?
A: Ammo operator.
Q: Who else was in your machine gun team?
A: I believe I was carrying the gun, sir.
Q: Who else was in your machine gun team?
A: LUCIANO and HILL, sir.
Q: What was the next thing that you remember doing?
A: Next they were calling some of the men up to carry the wounded and the dead man down to be medevaced.
Q: How long did the medevac process take?
A: From the time the booby trap went off to the time the chopper lifted off, probably a half hour or so.
Q: Did you find out, or did you know of, what type of booby trap this was?
A: No, sir.
Q: You never did see it?
A: No, sir.
Q: Did you hear anyone say what it was?
A: Some people were saying it probably was a ChiCon, and I heard someone say it might have been command detonated.
Q: Did your machine gun prep fire the LZ before the helicopters came?
A: No, sir.
Q: Were you aware of any prep firing going on?
A: Yes, I believe there was prep firing going on.
Q: Did you witness any sniper rounds coming into your position?
A: Not to my knowledge, sir.
Q: Approximately what time did this device go off?
A: I couldn’t really say, sir, it may have been twelve.
Q: This was 2400 or thereabouts?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: What was the lighting like arou
nd the spot where you were at the time?
A: It wasn’t too bad. You could distinguish who somebody was.
Q: Do you remember whether there was any moon?
A: No, I don’t.
Q: Did there come a time when your platoon or your machine gun team was to move out of that position?
A: Yes, sir, they did.
Q: And what let you know that you were going to move out?
A: I just got the word that the first platoon was going to move back to the ville, sir.
Q: Do you remember from whom you got this word?
A: Not really, sir. I just heard people talking.
Q: Did you hear anything else besides the fact that you were going to go out?
A: Yes, sir. They said that we were going to kill everyone in the ville and burn it down.
Q: I’d like you to think back and see if you can tell this investigation who it was that told you this.
A: I believe that it was Corporal FRANCIE .
Q: Are you reasonably sure that it was FRANCIE that told you this?
A: Yes, reasonably, sir.
Q: Did anyone else say anything about the patrol to you?
A: Not that I could tell you, sir. It was just generally what I figured was happening.
Q: What was FRANCIE’s attitude when he told you this? Was it just another patrol to him, or did he seem particularly enthused, or what?
A: FRANCIE was always saying, “get some,” or something like that.
Q: What did you interpret this to mean?
A: Just a slang expression of his. That was what I thought his attitude was.
Q: What was he going to go out and get, some cotton, or what?
A: I just thought that he thought this was the right thing to do, that we should go out and do this.
Q: How would you express the same idea that he expressed to you in your words?
A: Just that he thought this was the right thing to do.
Q: What was the right thing to do?
A: To go out and burn the ville and kill the people.
Q: Was this your interpretation?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: His expression, “get some,” was that what you thought it meant?
A: Loosely, sir, yes.
Q: Think back and give us, as nearly as you can remember, what FRANCIE told you at that time, his exact words as near as you can.
A: I don’t believe I could do it, sir. I’m not even terribly certain it was FRANCIE that said it.
Q: Was it your impression then that someone talked to you and said you were going out in the ville to “get some,” or to kill everything?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Was anything less than that said?
A: Like that it might just be a routine patrol?
Q: Right.
A: It may have been, sir, I’m not certain.
Q: Were you present for any patrol briefing?
A: No, sir.
Q: Do you know who gave the patrol order for your platoon to your particular patrol?
A: No, sir, I don’t.
Q: What was the next thing you did after someone came up and told you that you were going to go out and kill what was in the ville?
A: We were still milling around the area there, and it wasn’t long until we – we took our packs off before we went out. We just got together and went.
Q: Did you hear anything else said from the time that the booby trap went off until this particular incident you just mentioned as to what was to be done with the ville – to the ville?
A: I suppose I heard some conversation about it, but I can’t tell you what was said.
Q: Was there anything that struck you as unusual about the patrol that you were getting ready to go out on?
A: Yes, sir, I thought it unusual that I hadn’t ever been on a patrol where civilians were intentionally supposed to be killed.
Q: Did you have this impression before going on the patrol?
A: Yes.
Q: Can you trace that impression down to anyone other than the possibility of FRANCIE ?
A: No, sir.
Q: Could you help us out with anything else in that area?
A: No, sir.
Q: As far as you know then, you got this idea from one individual that came up and told you about this, is that right?
A: No, sir, I knew about it before FRANCIE told me about it. That is the first instance I can remember anybody telling me about it, but at that time I knew we were going out.
Q: Had you spoken with Sergeant BRIGHT before this time?
A: No, sir.
Q: Had you spoken with Lieutenant BEAN ?
A: I don’t believe so, sir.
Q: Would you say this idea you had did not come directly from any of those individuals I just mentioned?
A: No, sir.
Q: Did you have any knowledge, or were you told what the source of the word was that you were going to kill civilians?
A: I assumed it had come from “Bravo 6,” sir, because Lieutenant FRANCIE wouldn’t just up and take his platoon out without any higher word.
Q: Is this purely an assumption on your part? Was there anything said to you that would help you conclude this?
A: After we got out on patrol, I believe it was Lieutenant BEAN that said to Sergeant BRIGHT that the word from “Bravo 6” was to kill all the people and burn all the hooches.
Q: Aside from – now did you hear BEAN say this yourself?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Aside from what you heard BEAN say, was there any other relationship in your own mind at that time, not assumptions, was there any factual connection between this word to go out and kill and “Bravo 6”?
A: No, sir, there wasn’t.
Q: Was there any other word about what was to be done in this ville?
A: No, sir.
Q: At any other time aside from the incident, did Lieutenant BEAN hear anything about what the mission of the patrol was?
A: What do you mean by that?
Q: At any other time did you hear what the mission of the patrol was?
A: Not to my recollection, sir.
Q: Where did you go when you left the LZ with your machine gun?
A: It’s pretty hard to tell exactly. We moved out of the LZ, which was a field out over this ditch. There was a little bamboo bridge that we crossed. We just moved out on the trail.
Q: What were the elements of the patrol?
A: As far as I know, it was what was left of the second and the third squads.
Q: Do you remember any names of the individuals that were on the patrol?
A: There were – from weapons there were FRANCIE, HILL, LUCIANO, and myself, Sergeant BRISCOE was there, Sergeant BRIGHT, Lieutenant BEAN, FAIRLY, Doc NEUMANN.
Q: What was your machine gun team’s position in this patrol as you moved out?
A: We must have been in the second squad because I remember Sergeant BRISCOE in front of me about a couple of men.
Q: Do you know who was in front of him?
A: I’m not really sure. I believe HILL and LUCIANO were in front of me.
Q: Did any incidents occur on your patrol?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: What was the first incident that occurred?
A: It wasn’t really much. We had these bunkers along the side of the trail, one or two man bunkers.
Q: Could you see bunkers along the patrol route?
A: You could see the holes leading into the ground.
Q: Did you see any fighting holes in the trail?
A: I guess there were fighting holes.
Q: What happened next?
A: We kept moving. We prepped the treeline with our machine gun. We crossed over into the treeline from this trail, we just kept moving for a while. We moved across this open field and there was a hooch right on the other side of the open field there back of the trees a little ways. There was a little treeline along the trail and the hooch was off to the right of the side.
Q: What happened at
the hooch?
A: They sent in a couple of men to burn it.
Q: Did you see any men go up to burn it?
A: Yes, sir, I saw them go in there.
Q: Do you know who they were?
A: No, sir, I don’t.
Q: Please continue.
A: They said there was a bunch of people in there.
Q: Did you hear somebody say that, was the word passed to you, or what?
A: I guess I heard someone say it, sir.
Q: You didn’t see the people at the time?
A: No, they were evidently inside the bunker.
Q: I want you to tell me what you heard and saw, not what you assumed or anything else. What did you see next?
A: They got the people outside, out of the hooch.
Q: Did you see them bring the people out?
A: The door of the hooch was facing the same way I was.
Q: You saw some people come out?
A: I saw some people gathered on the inside of the house.
Q: Who was in that group of people?
A: It was pretty hard to tell from that distance, sir, I wasn’t too acquainted with them.
Q: What did you do next?
A: We set up our machine gun right at the mouth, so to speak, of this path that led into the hooch.
Q: What was the mission of your machine gun there?
A: I don’t know. It was to have a place for security.
Q: Who told you to put your machine gun there?
A: I don’t know, I guess we just set it down there.
Q: Up to this point, did you hear any word about what was going on?
A: No, sir.
Q: Did you hear any grenades go off?
A: At the first part of the patrol, yes, sir.
Q: Did you hear any grenades go off in the area of the hooch?
A: No, sir.
Q: Did anyone tell you what was going on up at the front part of the squad?
A: There wasn’t really a front part of the squad at that time, sir. We were bunched up on this large trail we were on, with the exception of the people that had gone into the hooch. I could see as well as anyone what was happening.
Q: Did people actually go inside the hooch?
A: Up to the hooch, sir.
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