In dark light of morning

Short Story

13 July 1969

The swoosh of the helicopter blew the dust awayside while the beat of the Stone’s “I see a red door and I wanted it painted black” wailed out from the painted holes to nab any snipers. Snarking down the rotors the pilot mentally checked off the list of things one needs to do inside his head. The runners landed on top of the cloth dotted “X” at the landing site. It was only at that point that the pilot stuck his thumbs up for a tasteful bit of landing. He had only a person to deliver while the gunners were scanning for any untoward bullets that were sent the heuys way. There weren’t any. After a man in a brown suit was dropped off the island only pushed the rotors into accelerate and talk without even checking if everything was okay. It was not exactly a blast, but the pilot and his privates felt that it was.

Then the brown-suited man went up from a crouch to fully standing and his gaze was met by a colonel in green fatigues. There was no hat on the green fatigues nor was there hair on the colonel’s head. The two men locked eyes and took the measure of the other for this little tête-tête. Underneath the brown-suited man’s arm was a sheaf of papers in a green folder, on the corner it was stamped “Top Secret” and the brown-suited man rapidly approached the older Colonel. The Colonel did not even open it but shook the brown-suited man’s hand and they retired to a tent with a small table and only two chairs.

“So what is exactly your name? I didn’t get that when the orders came through for you to be dropped in my neck of the woods.”

“I’m only to be referred to as stingray on this particular operation.”

“Stingray? It doesn’t sound quite tripping lay off the top as major so-and-so.”

“For the record, I was never here and you never spoke to me.”

“Got it. So it’s like that?”

 The brown suited nearly nodded. The inner green of the tent was contrasted by the pale skin of the brown-suited man where whereas it seemed to emerge with the sunburned scalp of the colonel.

The brown-suited man began: “This has come down from the civilian side of the ledger. There is to be no talking about the details in the folder that I handed to you.”

“I understand, but there are going to be consequences. I’ve heard rumors about what is in.” And the Colonel merely tapped the older. “there have been certain rumors spreading about the specifics.”

“There are no specifics. Everything is to be done off the record.”

“On or off doesn’t really make any difference. Why don’t you tell me what my people are supposed to do?”

“Mostly just report on the targets.”

“Mostly?”

The brown-suited man opened up a pack of Camels, no Pall Malls supplied by the USO, and offered one to the Colonel, who took it gratefully. After lighting his own with a steel lighter he offered to light the Colonel’s who again greatly accepted. It was clear that cigarettes were something of a luxury here. “ there may be, from time to time, a name which will be sent by courier. That name should be the last anyone hears about it.”

“It sounds like you’ll want people dead.”

“I did not say that.”

“You didn’t need to. So does this operation have a name or is it all off the books?”

“Off the record, this is a joint operation between the United States and South Vietnam, and it is entitled the Phoenix program. It is headed by William Colby.”

“He’s CIA. Why are they interested in South Vietnam, as if I didn’t know.”

“They feel that the commander of MACV is looking to the larger picture, and concentrating on the big battle units, rather than be day-to-day pacifying of South Vietnam of insurgents.”

“We’ve got all the insurgents we can handle.”

“Do you want me to pass on your comments or suggestions?” The face from Brown was exceedingly hostile.

“No. It would do no good anyway.”

“That would be my advice, yes.”

“Do you have any idea how long this will go on?”

“Officially I don’t have any advisement on that. Unofficially, the CIA will continue to intervene as long as the Army continues to look big.”

“So, what you’re saying is this is an internal fight in Washington.”

“Again, I didn’t say that. And I know the response that you get so can it.”

“You’re going to be a regular occurrence here you?”

Taking another camel out, the man in brown looked from end to end of the stalk. Then put it in his mouth and let it. “How about I give you a nice carton of Camels?”

Later that night another Huey came to pick up the man in Brown, with just as little chitchat as when he was delivered.

At 10 PM he held in the big tent a meeting for the officers who were still awake.

“We have some new orders, so listen carefully.” began the Col. “upstairs wants us to monitor this list of people and will also ask for the occasional one to be removed.”

One of the second lieu chances raised his hand after dropping his bac si de.

The Col. pointed at him and asked: “What is it?”

“Could translate that into English for us?”

“It means when we get a letter with the name on it, exterminate with extreme prejudice.”

“How are we going to square this in our AAR?”

The Col. looked up and down the second lieutenant, and with a wry glance. “Certain things don’t get on reports. This is one of them. In the dark light of morning, nothing will have happened. Got it?”

“Sir yes, sir.” Came the acid retort. “There will be no assassinations from this CP.”

After that, there were a great number of doors that were painted black along the Vietnamese.

That was all that was said about it until after the war when a large number of people were told their services were not necessary anymore. That then there was a lot of that going around.