C.M.A.C. - Saga of a Saigon Warrior
Episode 9 – Ghost Tape
Written by
James J. Finnegan
Based on the novel
C.M.A.C., A Vietnam Era Trilogy
by the same author
© 2007 James Finnegan - All rights reserved
SCENE 1. Int. – Dennison’s cave, mid-day
Lt. Callaghan is playing with the MARS radios
Lt. callaghan:
It looks like the MARS activities are really taking off. We’re even getting people in from other units. Word has travelled fast.
It’s the same reaction we had at Fort Sill when I installed the system there. It was in the transmitter building and we had four stations. They had been lying around doing nothing so we set all of them up, two with antennas like the one we just put up. Prior to installing the MARS environment, the transmission guys were about ten percent utilised. After the installation there was no free time at all. They didn’t mind it, kept them busy and time passed quickly.
Knock at the ‘Cave’ door
Capt. Dennison:
Come
Spec5 dudley enters
Spec5. Dudley:
Good morning Sirs, we’re here to man the radios. The list is getting very long and I want to get one in to my girlfriend first. You know, Operator Priority, for us important folk.
By the way Sirs, we’re getting a lot of hum on the telephone lines. It’s in the background but when we have a marginal link it all but obliterates the signal. Do you know where it’s coming from?
Capt. Dennison:
It’s probably an induced signal resulting from the use of telephone wire for electricity. The compound is riddled with it.
Lt. Callaghan:
Then maybe we should have a wiring cleanup. Who knows, the local VC could be using our switchboard.
Did I ever tell you about the time I tried tracing a line to a radio remote in the Emergency Command Center at Fort Sill? I asked one of the transmission guys to put four watts of a local radio station down the line. We went to the other end and found that the signal was on all the connections, not just one. It seems the line joined a six hundred pair cable into the main distribution frame. The four watts was just enough to induce a signal on all the lines across post.
Capt. Dennison:
Did anyone complain?
Lt. callaghan:
No, everyone thought it was great, except the Signal Officer who called me on the carpet for it. That wouldn’t have been so bad except while he was reading me the riot act a backhoe took a bite out of the ground behind is office. I tried to tell him but he just kept telling me to shut up. The backhoe chopped through two six hundred pair cables and closed down two thirds of the post. He only stopped when the Sergeant Major interrupted his screaming and turned him around. I quietly left in the midst of all the yelling and screaming.
Capt. Dennison:
Another ‘Callaghan Calamity’. They seem to follow you all over.
Spec5. Dudley:
Sir, before there is another calamity may we get on the radios? Will you be staying here Sirs?
Capt. Dennison:
I can tell when we’re not wanted. Let’s go have a celebratory lunch at the Rex. After all this work I think we deserve it.
Lt. callaghan:
We might as well do this right, let’s follow it up with dinner at the International House.
Capt. Dennison:
You’re finally inviting me the International House. I had better mark this on my calendar.
Phone rings, Capt. Dennison picks it up.
Capt. Dennison:
This is Captain Dennison….Yes, Lieutenant Callaghan is with me….All report to the parade field for formation, on the double.
Puts the phone down
Smells like a money exchange to me. All right, everyone to the parade field for formation.
SCENE 2. ext. – c.m.a.c. Parade field – mid-day
Maj. Dingby assembles the Signal Section and they come to attention.
Maj. Dingby:
At ease. As you probably suspect from the way this has been organised this is a money change. We’ll be doing this in two shifts for the day troops so we don’t have any break in service. The troops in the barracks have already been assembled.
This is really very simple, just get your money out and give it to these gentlemen and they will give you new military payment certificates. Any old certificates that you do not have with you are of no further use. The bars and cab drivers already know about this so don’t try and pawn old notes off on them.
Troops line up and start exchanging money. Lt. callaghan and Capt. Dennison stand at the side. Capt. Dennison Then they join the line. Capt. Dennison clears quickly.
Capt. Dennison:
I’ll see you in the motor pool.
Lt. Callaghan pulls out his military payment certificates
Lt. Julius:
They’re all okay except for this $10 note, it’s from last issue.
Lt. callaghan:
That particular note I received as change for dinner last night at the Cathey BOQ restaurant. I remember it because the cashier seemed to pull it from under the counter.
Lt. Julius:
Are you sure you got this at the Cathey?
Lt. callaghan:
Yes, it’s the only ten I have.
Lt. Julius:
It’s happened before with that guy. I’m going to report him to the CID and let them take care of this matter.
Throws money down on the table
Here’s your money. Next time check it before you accept it.
Lt. Callaghan leaves for the Motor pool
SCENE 3. ext. Rex BOQ, Restaurant bar – early afternoon
Lt. Callaghan and Capt. Dennison enter the bar area, see Lt. Steele
Lt. Callaghan:
Well look who’s here! You know Captain Dennison. How’s it going?
Lt. Steele
Can’t complain. Found a new dolly, one that has a porch that won’t collapse. What’s new with you?
Lt. Callaghan:
We’re celebrating the new installation of a MARS station at C.M.A.C. I seem to remember that you are a HAM buff and may be interested. We’re using Collins single side band units. You ought to drop over and see them sometime, to paraphrase a famous phrase.
Do you want to join us for lunch?
Lt. Steele:
I would like to but today of all days I have to give a briefing to the CO. He wants to know the status of the communications equipment in the battalion.
Lt. Callaghan:
Does the status include the ERN radio that wasn’t there the last time I checked?
Lt. Steele:
For sure, we know where they all are although they might not be used for what they were intended.
Lt. Callaghan:
Thanks senator for another informative statement.
Lt. Steele:
That’s all right, just vote early and often for me at the next election. Gotta go. By the way, when are you going to invite me over to the International House?
Lt. callaghan:
As soon as I find out about my radio.
SCENE 4. ext. – Rex boq, restaurant – early afternoon
Lt. Steele leaves, Lt. Callaghan and Capt. Dennison move to a table for lunch. capt. Dennison orders drinks
Lt. Callaghan:
I wish I could get the ‘Core Group’ back together. We had some great times. Steele was one of them.
Capt. Dennison:
How was this Core Group formed?
Lt. Callaghan:
We were leftover from the break-up of ‘Toon Twelbe at Fort Dix. We were too late for start of our assigned Basic Training company and too early for the start of the next company. We just didn’t fit into the regimen so we were sent to some obscure barracks on post and essentially left to our own devices. We figured that as long as we were in the Army it didn’t matter how long it took them to decide as each day was a day closer to the point when they couldn’t send us over here.
Capt. Dennison:
What happened?
Lt. Callaghan:
Each day we would get up very early, clean the barracks and disappear into the fabric of the post. We generally met at mealtime to find out the latest otherwise we were free sprits and went bowling, to the movies, called home on the free phones, wandered through the PX etc. We arrived back late at night and had early lights out. Low profile was the order of the day. This went of for about three weeks until Wade boasted of our situation to someone he met in the mess hall. The next morning at 0500 hours a Master Sergeant and two Staff Sergeants gave us a surprise wakeup. Within hours we were trucked to the airport and herded on to an Army aircraft headed for Fort Jackson. We spent the time on the flight betting when the next rivet would pop out of the wing. At Fort Jackson we waited another week for a company of National Guard to arrive. That’s when we met Staff Sergeant Hendricks and that’s when the fun began.
Capt. Dennison:
I hate to interrupt your reminiscing but we have to order or just have another drink or two and then get back to C.M.A.C. for an afternoon nap. I don’t want to be too tired to go out tonight after finally getting an invite.
Lt. callaghan:
Eating will take too long and I want to save space for a proper meal tonight so I guess it’s a liquid lunch.
Capt. Dennison orders two more drinks
Capt. Dennison:
How come you never told me about any of this before?
Lt. Callaghan:
I guess you never asked.
Capt. Dennison:
So what happened at Jackson?
Lt. callaghan:
This guy Hendricks was a real piece of work. We didn’t hear of him until the first formation of Basic Training. The harassment started as we left the barracks and continued for six weeks. We hadn’t been in formation for two minutes when he spotted Coolridge and his dark glasses. Maleeboo he called him and told him to take off his dark glasses. Coolridge replied that they were prescription and was challenged to produce the prescription, which he did. From that moment on he harassed Coolridge like a junkyard dog.
Capt. Dennison:
Did you ever get into his clutches?
Lt. callaghan:
About an hour later. After Hendricks attacked Maleeboo we were told to take off out blouses ad follow him. Everything was going okay down the company street until we hit Drag Ass Hill and we went down this steep incline like a swarm of lemmings off a cliff. Then on to the Circle of Sand, a large area of deep white sand surrounded by trees for our initial Daily Dozen exercises which left most of us feeling like jelly. Then it was back up Drag Ass Hill, in a scattered formation of pain, and into formation. After a few moments of relief, we were herded into the mess hall for breakfast.
Capt. Dennison:
If this is going to be a long tale then I suggest we order another round.
Lt. callaghan:
It’s almost finished but you can order another round anyway.
So, as I was saying we’re in the mess hall and I get a large scoop of what looks like cream of wheat on my tray. I joined several others at an empty table and who joins us but Hendricks. No one said a word and ate quickly in an effort to disappear. I made the mistake of putting sugar on the white stuff on my tray and all hell broke loose. Hendricks, obviously some authority on the white compound, screamed ‘Them’s Grits’ and started chastising me for putting sugar on them. I was informed that salt, pepper and butter were the ‘onlyist things what gets put on grits’ and for my penance I was to run around the mess hall ten times. Thus, I was the second to join the ranks of ‘Hendrick’s Harassees.’
capt. Dennison:
We’re going to have to finish this round quickly. Rosenburg will be here in five minutes and you know how upset he gets when his passengers are late.
Lt. callaghan pays the bill and they start to leave.
I hope you get t chance to meet up with your Core Group someday. It sounds like you could go on swapping stories for hours.
SCENE 5. int. c.m.a.c. Radio Room, late afternoon
Lt. callaghan enters, weapons being checked.
Lt. Callaghan:
What’s going on Sergeant Holstein?
SFC. Holstein:
We’re expecting a full alert Sir.
Lt. Callaghan:
A full alert, we haven’t had a full alert since I’ve been here, even during rocket attacks. Is this something special.
SFC. Holstein:
Yes, Sir, it came down from the Chief of Staff just minutes ago.
Lt. Callaghan:
Did he say why?
SFC. Holstein:
No Sir, just be prepared for a full alert.
Lt. callaghan’s phone RINGS AND he picks it up.
Lt. Callaghan:
This is Lieutenant Callaghan.
Col. Sharp: (V.O.)
This is Colonel Sharp. Please come to my office immediately.
Lt. callaghan:
Yes, Sir.
SCENE 6. int. – c.m.a.c. Headquarters, General’s office, late afternoon
Lt. callaghan enters, ushered into The general’s office, representatives from other parts of the command already present.
Col. Sharp:
You have been summoned here to be told of a tragic incident and to be informed that this compound is on full alert as of this moment. When this meeting is over you are to go back to your respective organisations and ensure that they are on full alert. No one comes in or leaves this compound until I give the order. Any questions?
Lt. Callaghan:
Sir, how will the next shift get to their posts.
Col. Sharp:
Those assigned to C.M.A.C. and are off post are being confined to barracks. Those not in Barracks will be searched for. This is a general lockdown gentlemen. Any other questions? (pause) No? Then here is the bad news. General Gottard had a seizure less than an hour ago. A doctor is with him and an ambulance helicopter should be here within minutes. We think it is a cerebral haemorrhage. I or the General’s Aide, Captain Crebs, will have to confirm with you later by telephone. Since our telephone lines are not secure and if the worst does occur and the General dies, you will receive the code word ‘Phoenix’. One way or another you will hear from me regarding the alert as soon as the situation is in hand. I hear the chopper now so I must leave. That will be all.
Representatives leave the office.
SCENE 7. int. – C.m.a.c. Radio Room, early evening
Lt. Callaghan enters
Lt. callaghan:
Sergeant please inform all Radio units and the Communications Center that we are on full alert. Those who are in place now will be required to stay at their posts until the alert has been called off. Those in barracks are being locked down.
Sfc. Holstein:
What’s up Sir.
Lt. Callaghan:
It’s probably all over post now anyway. General Gottard had a seizure, they think it may be a cerebral haemorrhage. A medical helicopter is on it’s way. Now all we can do is wait.
Lt. Callaghan’s telephone rings, he picks it up
This is Lieutenant Callaghan.
Capt. Dennison: (V.O.)
I didn’t think you would go to this length to get out of tonight’s invitation. I assume that it’s good for tomorrow night?
Lt. Callaghan:
It is if all this is over.
sound of helicopter leaving the compound escorted by a gunship. Lt. Callaghan’s telephone rings
This is Lieutenant Callaghan.
Col. Sharp:
‘Phoenix’. You will receive further orders in due course.
Lt. callaghan:
Yes Sir.
Lt. callaghan slowly puts down the telephone
Well Sergeant, it looks like the worst has happened. It will be a while before we know what’s going to happen next. I suppose Colonel Sharp will be assuming command until a replacement arrives. Just sit tight for the time being.
A half an hour goes by and then Lt. Callaghan’s telephone rings
This is Lieutenant Callaghan.
Col. Sharp: (V.O.)
Lieutenant, report immediately to the Command Briefing room for an update.
Lt. Callaghan:
Well Sergeant, it looks like things are moving. I’m off to the Command Briefing Room. I’ll give you a report as soon as I return.
Lt. callaghan exits
SCENE 8. int. – Cmd Headquarters, Command briefing room
Lt. Callaghan enters with a large crowd of officers. Colonel Sharp on the stage CONFERRING with aides. Attention is called
Col. Sharp:
This meeting is to bring you up to date and define next steps. As you probably know we have contingency plans for situations such as this. However, it’s quite another matter when situations transpire quickly.
Brigadier General Gottard died today of a cerebral haemorrhage at 1735 hours. His body was flown to the appropriate holding point. He will be returning to the United States the day after tomorrow. A service in his honor will be held at Ton Son Nhut chapel tomorrow morning at 1000 hours. I have a few comments to make about that. Attendees will be General Staff and close friends only with one exception. Lieutenant Callaghan, I want you to accompany a C.M.A.C. radio jeep to arrive at 0900 hours and remain operational outside the chapel until 1100 hours or until the last of the attendees has left,
A new Commanding General will be taking command of C.M.A.C. tomorrow morning. I will assume command until that time.
I have dropped the alert status from red to amber. Please inform your sections. They should operate as normal keeping extra vigilance. There is no need to alert the world that this is changing the way we conduct ourselves. Any questions? (pause) None, then that will be all.
SCENE 9. int. – c.m.a.c. radio room, late Morning
Lt. Callaghan enters
SFC. Holstein:
Well Sir, how did it go?
Lt. callaghan:
There were more stars there than a dark night. A whole raft of them flew in from everywhere. Other than that the whole event was anticlimactic. Any word regarding who the new Commanding General might be?
sfc. Holstein:
No Sir, however, I’m sure you will find out before us. Oh by the way, Major Dingby asked that you see him when you arrived back from Ton Son Nhut.
Lt. Callaghan:
Then I’m off to the Signal Office if anyone needs me.
Lt. Callaghan leaves the Radio room
SCENE 10. int. c.m.a.c. Signal office, mid-day
Lt. Callaghan enters
Maj. Dingby:
Well, if it isn’t Lieutenant Callaghan. How was this morning’s duty?
Lt. callaghan:
Uneventful Sir, just the way I like them. I disapprove of people trying to snuff me.
Maj. dingby:
Yes, I’m sure that will be enough of that. I have a little assignment for you. Our new Commanding General, Lieutenant General Harkness has requested a readiness report from each of the sections. Since you are in charge of the day to day operational aspects of the section that task falls on your shoulders. I will however need the report by 1300 hours. You should be able to create it in an hour. I of course will have to review the report before it is sent to the General so bring it to me by that time. That is all.
Lt. caLLAGHAN LEAVES THE OFFICE
SCENE 11. INT. – C.M.A.C. RADIO ROOM – MID DAY
lT. cALLAGHAN ENTERS
sfc. hOLSTEIN:
What’s up Sir?
Lt. Callaghan:
Our new Commanding General is Lieutenant General Harkness. It seems that he wants a Signal Section readiness report and since I am the junior officer it falls on my shoulders to have one ready for Major Dingby to review by 1300 hours. We’ll have to cut and past one from the weekly reports. I’m going over to see how MARS is doing. Could you pull that report together since you do them all anyway?
SFC. Holstein:
Sure Sir, that shouldn’t be a problem
SFC. Holstein gets Spec5. Dudley to start typing, Lt. Callaghan leaves and returns in fifteen minutes.
Here’s the report Sir. Do you need anything else?
Lt. callaghan:
No Sergeant, that will do until Major Dingby makes his corrections. Then it will have to be retyped so I will need a typist in about a half an hour.
Lt. Callaghan leaves
SCENE 12. Int. – c.m.a.c. signal Office, early afternoon
Lt. Callaghan enters with the report under his arm
Maj. Dingby:
Back so soon Lieutenant? It mustn’t be a quality report if it has taken so little time to prepare. It’s just as well I will be reviewing it before it is sent to the General.
Lt. Callaghan hands the report to major Dingby who pulls out a red pencil and starts to read, starts redlining, hands the report back to Lt. Callaghan
It seems Lieutenant that you have missed some very important points and there are others that need re-writing. I have highlighted the areas that need attention in red and you should review and correct them. You know that it is important for you that I review reports to the Commanding General to ensure they are properly composed and correct. There would be little reason for my existence if I were not ensuring this was happening. Now have the report re-typed and return it to me for reconfirmation and I will see that it is sent to the General.
Lt. Callaghan picks up the red stained document and starts to leave
Lt. Callaghan:
Yes Sir, I’ll have it corrected right away.
SCENE 13. int. – C.M.A.C. Radio Room – early afternoon
Lt. Callaghan enters
Lt. Callaghan:
Sergeant Holstein please have this document retyped.
sfc. Holstein:
What about all these red marks Sir?
Lt. Callaghan:
Ignore them. They are just some comments Major Dingby made. We don’t have time to recompose it.
sfc. Holstein:
I understand Sir. I’ll get the clerk right on it. The report will be done in no time.
Waits for the retyped report and leaves for the Signal Office
SCENE 14. int. – c.m.a.c. Signal Office, early afternoon
Lt. callaghan returns with the report and hands it to maj. Dingby. Maj. Dingby reads the report
maj. Dingby:
That looks excellent Lieutenant. It reflects my comments exactly. I am pleasantly surprised that you managed to recompose and retype the report so quickly. That’s an admirable trait. You will do well in the military. Thank you for your help, I will get this report to the General right away.
SCENE 15. int. – International House Restaurant - evening
Lt. Callaghan and capt. Dennison are seated for dinner. Capt Dennison looks around -
Capt Dennison:
After all I’ve done for you and all the promises you’ve made to bring me here it’s about time you managed to come up with the goods.
Lt. callaghan:
God knows I’ve tried to make you happy but there is no pleasing you.
Capt. Dennison:
I’m sorry I said anything. You sound like my wife.
Lt. callaghan:
By the way, how is Tui?
Capt. Dennison:
That stopped long ago and I haven’t heard from her since. (pause) Let’s get off the depressing stuff and talk about something else.
Have you met the new General yet?
Lt. callaghan:
He just arrived today. Give him a chance.
Capt. Dennison:
I just thought that since you are involved in just about everything he would check with you first.
Lt. Callaghan:
I’d prefer if he took his time getting to me. He will obviously have more tings for me to do and I have enough on my plate that I want to do.
Sounds good to me. How about getting some food first. It’s buffet only tonight.
Band starts playing, they get their food and return to their booth
So what’s the latest from the field?
Capt. Dennison:
Have you heard the latest blunder from Psychological Operations?
Lt. Callaghan:
It’s not the Frisbees again?
Capt. Dennison:
No but it had the same effect at winning the minds and hearts of the people. They decided that they might try and scare Viet Cong sympathizers into turning in Viet Cong and NVA regulars.
Lt. Callaghan:
Scaring the population doesn’t sound like winning minds and hearts.
Capt. Dennison:
It gets better. They flew in a machine from the Philippines which they could use to project images on clouds. Then they created a tape that played on the fears of people dying in an unmarked grave. It had the mother of a family wailing and crying about the loss of her husband due to silent death from above, you know B-52 strikes.
Lt. Callaghan:
Did they get clearance from on high to pull something like this?
Capt. Dennison:
It was cleared through the General who was interested in seeing how it worked.
Lt. callaghan:
You mean the last one. How come I didn’t hear anything about this, what happened?
Capt. Dennison:
You probably didn’t hear anything yet because it happened the night before last. They projected a Phoenix on the clouds and used a C-47 with speakers to deliver the message. The upshot of it was the next day they had a mass refugee problem in the town they targeted. The people, you know ‘our hosts’, wouldn’t leave their houses to farm in the rice fields because they said they were haunted. Then they all turned themselves in to the District Chief and Advisory Detachment for protection. Needless to say the tape has since been banned.
Lt. callaghan:
How long do you think it will take them to go back to the fields?
Capt. Dennison:
I would imagine a long time, they are very superstitious people.
Lt. Callaghan:
Another one for the ‘guests’. We keep racking them up although I did hear from someone the other day about something that did go right a month or so after Tet ’68.
It was all pretty hush-hush but one of the G3 Majors let me in on it late one night in the TOC. It seems that when we finally got into the city one of the NVA regiments, the Dong Nai regiment had retreated to a hotel and were surrounded. They finally Chieu Hoi’d and ended up living high on the hog for some weeks.
Capt. Dennison:
And we were paying for all of this?
Lt. Callaghan:
Of course, we’re the guests. So to make a long story short a couple of G3 Majors created a yearbook complete with copies of their letters home describing how well they were being treated, pictures of them in the pool area lounging around and laughing. They packaged it up and had a hundred or so printed and bound. Then they flew up to one of the assembly areas on the Ho Chi Minh trail and dropped them over a wide area.
Capt. Dennison:
I bet that caused quite a stir with the troops on the ground.
Lt. callaghan:
It did. As a matter of fact to caused so much dissension that Uncle Ho himself had to come down the trail and reassure the troops that these were lies. It slowed them for a while but things picked up after that.
Capt. Dennison:
What happened to the captured troops?
Lt. Callaghan:
Don’t know. Maybe after they enough vacation and decided that capitalism might rub off on them so they just disappeared back to where they came from. (pause) Had enough to eat?
Capt. Dennison:
I’m packed and I didn’t get my afternoon nap.
Lt. callaghan:
I guess it’s time to head out then. I’ve got a big project to start tomorrow.
Capt. Dennison:
What’s that?
Lt. callaghan:
Wiring, we’re cleaning up the wiring strung all over the headquarters.
Capt. Dennison:
Br careful some of that stuff is 220VAC. As a matter of fact a lot of it although illegal provides electricity to Dependent City on the other side of the wall. If you disconnect those lines you may have an international incident on your hands.
Lt. callaghan:
If I don’t then I have no way of knowing where these lines go. Uncle Ho may have one going to his local operations center.
Capt. Dennison:
Just warning you because I’ll have to pick up the pieces if, as they say in the Navy, the ship hits the span.
Lt. callaghan:
Well, wish me luck.
SCENE 16. ext.- c.m.a.c. duck bunker – early morning
Lt. callaghan assembles the troops
Lt. Callaghan:
Just to remind you we are validating the phone lines in the compound and removing any suspicious wiring. That includes unauthorised phone and power lines. You must take care when handling these lines as you could get shocked so ensure you are using the tools and ladders we have supplied and follow the procedures rigidly. If you get any hassle from anyone then send them to me. I will be in Captain Dennison’s cave. Okay, lets go.
a team of eight pole linemen head for the balconies and within minutes bundles of wiring are starting to drop to the ground. Lt. Callaghan heads for Dennison’s Cave.
SCENE 17. int. – Dennison’s cave, morning
Lt. Callaghan enters and sits down. MARS station operational.
Lt. Callaghan:
Good morning Sir, I see things are quiet. Just to let you know we’ve started the wiring cleanup this morning. I should be completed by this afternoon. I appreciate your offer to help settle any inter-force complications.
Capt. Dennison:
Well they won’t be quiet for very long if that’s whet you’re doing. I suppose we just need to wait for the onslaught.
Lt. Callaghan:
MARS seems to be humming along quite nicely.
Capt. Dennison:
It is but brought on a problem. I signed up for a call the other day and before I got to speak with my wife the operator mentioned to her that the station was in my office. Now, because she thinks its very convenient, she wants me to call every day. If I don’t she gets upset.
Lt. callaghan:
I’m sure she’ll get over it Sir.
there is a knock on the door
Come in.
Arvn Officer enters with an interpreter. capt. Dennison stands up to greet the guests
Capt. Dennison:
Captain Nguyen, how are you?
Capt. Nguyen:
I’m fine but I’m not happy.
Capt. Dennison:
What seems to be the trouble?
Capt. Nguyen:
No trouble, just no electricity in my office and in my men’s working area. What’s going on?
Capt. Dennison:
We’re cleaning up the telephone wiring in the compound and removing any suspicious or unauthorised lines. Do you think that may be the problem?
Capt. Nguyen:
Of course I do and if it is not corrected in the next hour I will be reporting this incident up my command chain.
Capt. Dennison:
There is nothing I can do about illegal wire taps. I suggest that you put in a request up your command chain to have a proper circuit installed. It seems to me that is the only way this is going to get corrected.
Capt. Nguyen:
Then I’ll do that Captain. Good Day!
Capt. Nguyen and his interpreter storm out of the cave.
SPEC5 Dudley:
Sirs, could you be a little quieter. We’re having trouble with signal strength today and a little quiet would be helpful.
Telephone rings, Capt. Dennison picks it up.
Capt. Dennison:
This is Captain Dennison...(pause) Yes Sir, he’s right here with me…(pause) Yes Sir we’ll be right over.
That was Major Dingby. It seems that we have an international incident on our hands. The Colonel wants to see us immediately.
Capt. Dennison and Lt. callaghan leave for the signal office
SCENE 18. int. – c.m.a.c. Signal Office - Morning
Lt. callaghan and Capt. Dennison enter, the office is full of screaming ARVN sergeants and officers.
Maj. Dingby:
Oh, Captain Dennison and Lt. Callaghan, we’re so glad you could join us. Pleas make your way into the Colonels office now.
Lt. Col. Venetti:
You two! What the hell is going on? I just received a call from our new Commanding General and it seems that you have shut down over half of the ARVN command.
Lt. callaghan:
We are only pulling WD-1, nothing else. The problem is the telephone system is getting over loaded with hum from the electrical circuits disguised as telephone lines. Besides there is a security issue here that was highlighted when General Gottard died. Uncle Ho could be listening in on any of our circuits.
Lt. Col. venetti:
Okay, okay. So it’s necessary Lieutenant but do you have to carry out these projects with such zeal?
Lt. callaghan:
There is only one way to do them Sir, thoroughly otherwise we’re back where we started.
Lt. Col. Venetti:
For the time being stop where you are, recall your troops and I’ll explain to the General, if I can get out of this office alive. (pause) I didn’t think I’d be called to the carpet by the new General this soon. I guess it had to happen sometime. Now both of you get out of here and wait for my input.
Lt. callaghan and Capt. Dennison wade through complaining troops.