từ bên trong (From Within)

Wednesday, March 15, 1967 0600 hrs. Location: American Base just outside Trà Sơn, Vietnam

General Proskewitz looked out of the bunker towards the village of Trà Sơn. He knew the enemy was there, but his troops could not find them. After weeks of harassing the locals and blockading the village, they had come up with nothing. Their hopes of communicating with the village had vanished when Cadeo, their indigenous translator, was captured by the Viet Cong. Cadeo was taken by the Americans when they first entered Trà Sơn. Since he was deemed necessary, he was given his own space on the base, under the watchful eye of the troops of course. He earned the trust of the Americans by providing information that helped on the front line. One day he paired with a reconnaissance patrol that was tasked to locate North Vietnamese Army movement to the north. The patrol was ambushed by the VC and none were ever seen again. 

The hope of working with the villagers peacefully was out of the picture now. Proskewitz knew what had to be done. To wipe out the VCs support system, they had to destroy the village. The easy way would utilize a few 500-pound bombs to turn the village into a crater but Proskewitz would not get the valuable information he wanted on VC movements in the region. The hard way would risk the lives of soldiers but have the possibility of saving so many more in the future. The plan would involve insertion by helicopter, raid of the village, search for information, execution of all combatants, and all non-combatants would be left to their own devices. The raid would take place Monday at 0300 before the villagers awoke, in hopes of catching them and the VC off guard so there would be less resistance. Preparation for the raid would take place immediately, as the raid was to take place in less than 48 hours. With the growing presence of VC in the region, action needed to be taken immediately. Superiors were notified of the raid and the green light was given. Proskewitz disseminated the information to his officers. They set up sand tables and prepped their troops. The entire base was now on edge. They wanted blood. They wanted the devastation of the enemy.

Tuesday, March 14, 1967 1915 hrs. Location: Georgia, United States

As General Proskewitz was making plans, his 19-year-old daughter Miranda watched the war unfold on the television. She could not believe that America had invaded another country. She did not understand how an entire country could be so selfish, so oppressive. The station changed stories. The headline read “COMMUNIST RUSSIA AND CHINA AID REBELS IN VIETNAM.” The headline spoke to her. The Chinese and Russians. They were saving the innocent people in Vietnam. But why? What made them so human? She had to find out.

Wednesday, March 15, 1967 1200 hrs. Location: Some cave in the mountains of Central Vietnam

Twenty-seven miles west of the American base, NVA Commander Chien was meeting with the local Viet Cong leader constructing a plan to push the Americans out of the region.

“Do you believe that the Americans will move to take the village?” asked Chien.

“Yes.” said Cadeo, “They have figured out that the village has been providing supplies for us the past few months. Their blockades have failed. Their last option is to level the village. Cut us off from the source.”

Chien looked concerned. He thought about any possible way to prevent the destruction of the village, but it seemed inevitable. He picked up his canteen and took a sip. As the cool water touched his lips, he generated an idea.

“What about an ambush from the wood line? It will not completely repel the Americans, but it will divert their attention away from the village.” suggested Chien.

Cadeo acknowledged the idea but did not input. He knew that the idea would cost the lives of many of his men. But what other option did he have.

He hesitantly responded, “I will set up the ambush. We will need supplies. Can you supply them?” 

“Yes!” Chien exclaimed, “We just got a shipment in from China. It should prove helpful.”

Friday, March 17, 1967, 0257 hrs. Location: Trà Sơn, Vietnam

A farmer woke to a humming sound. As he peered through his window, he saw no lights, but the sound was getting louder. He exited his hut and to investigate the noise. As he walked around the village helicopters crested the hill to the north. He knew it was Americans but was confused. They had never come to the village at night. The helicopters began to descend near the opening in the center of the village. As the metal beasts descended a shot rang out from the woods behind the farmer. Next came a volley of fire that spun the US forces into confusion. Rocket propelled grenades sent two of the helicopters into a spiral. One crashed into the wood line while the other buzzed the fields and collided with the farmer’s hut. The surviving helicopters pulled up and started to circle the village, firing at anything that moved. The scene turned to chaos. Villagers fleeing from burning huts were mowed down by the helicopters. Flames completely engulfed the village and the US troops returned to base. They had failed to collect any information but succeeded in wiping out the VC’s support.

Friday, March 17, 1967, 0700 hrs. Location: American Base just outside Trà Sơn, Vietnam

As Proskewitz was reading the weather reports for the upcoming days, his secretary burst into his office. The man was panting. It looked as if he had just run a marathon.

While catching his breath, he uttered the words, “Sir, come quick. It’s an emergency.”

Without wasting any time, Proskewitz and the secretary made their way to the airstrip where a cargo plane had just landed. The air crew was standing in a loose circle around a civilian that, by the looks of it, had just gotten off the cargo plane. Proskewitz broke through the surrounding layer of men was forced to a halt by what he saw. Miranda, his daughter, stood in the middle of the group. Proskewitz picked his daughter up and carried her to his office. He threw her into the chair across from his desk and slammed the door.

Questions began flying from his mouth like bullets from a gun, “What are you doing here?!?! How did you get here?? Who let you on that plane??? Do you know what you have done??”

Miranda took it all in. She let her father yell and scream because she knew that no matter what she said she would be wrong. She let it go on and on until her father could no longer speak. He just stood there, staring at her in awe. Miranda looked into his eyes for a moment. She had no answer. The fact was, she had no clue how she had gotten there. She had woken up on the cargo plane sitting next to some soldiers. Although she was in a place that she did not remember getting to, she was calm. So calm that she didn’t ask questions, she just went along with it. She looked back at her father and said nothing. Proskewitz eased his stare. His posture weakened and he walked to his chair. He picked up his office phone and requested to speak with the cargo plane’s loadmaster.

“Miranda.” Proskewitz calmly said, “I’m glad you are safe. You could’ve died coming here. All that matters now is that we get you back home.”

Miranda knew she could not go back because whatever brought her here would not let her leave.  Knowing this, she would use her time in Vietnam to try and help the people. As her father was blabbering on about how she would get home, she was looking out the window plotting her escape. She would leave the base and find the nearest village. She did not know what she would find but she had to try. She figured the she would leave from the far side of the airfield where there were not as many lights. If she could sneak past a set of two sentries, she could crawl through one of the sandbag bunkers avoiding the razor wire that surrounded the entire base. She decided that she would wait until the majority of the men were getting chow, then she would escape.

There was a knock on the general’s door and the loadmaster entered the room. Proskewitz looked as his daughter and gestured for her to leave. Miranda exited and when the door shut, the interrogation ensued. Miranda was led to the mess hall where she was given food and water. The men that were there at the time could not believe their eyes. A girl, an actual girl. How could it be? Where did she come from? Who would get a chance to f … THE GENERAL’S DAUGHTER?!?! The rumor made it to the mess hall right as the men were about to pounce on Miranda. From that point on, every single man at the base would steer clear of her or risk terrible things.

Friday, March 17, 1967, 1534 hrs. Location: Around Trà Sơn, Vietnam

The guerillas in the wood line met little resistance. The American pilots were focused on the village and seemed to pay no attention to the large VC platoon in the woods that was responsible for shooting down two of their helicopters. Cadeo was drowning in guilt. He had failed his people. He had failed his cause. He could have done better. He could have given his life for the village, but he didn’t. When the group got back to their temporary camp, Cadeo stepped aside. He needed a moment in the jungle to himself. As he approached the trunk of an odd-looking tree, he heard something behind him. He turned and was startled by a transparent figure.

“Hello, Cadeo. Why do you come to my tree?”, asked the figure.

“Who, who are you?”, asked Cadeo, “What are you?”

“I am your mother. I am everyone’s mother. I am the mother of this forest, of this land. I am Sycorax. Why have you come to my tree?”, she replied.

Cadeo was confused but calm. The figure felt familiar to him. Almost like he knew her. Somehow, not knowing who she was, he knew what she was asking. He knew what she felt. He could feel her wisdom. He knew that she could help. 

Cadeo spoke calmly and with a purpose, “I have come to your tree in distress. An enemy is plaguing our land is taking it for his own. I need help. My men need help. My land needs help.”

“Is this enemy the same that destroys my villages? The same one that poisons my crops. The same one that disturbs the natural order?”, asked Sycorax.

“Yes. They are much too powerful for us to defeat alone. How can we defeat this enemy?

“Attack three days from now and you will be victorious. Your enemy will wither. They will be forced from this land.”, exclaimed Sycorax as she disappeared into the air.

Cadeo knew he needed to listen.

Friday, March 17, 1967, 2100 hrs. Location: American Base just outside Trà Sơn, Vietnam

A greater than normal number of the men on the base were still lingering in the mess hall after chow was over. Miranda knew this was her time. Her father had been occupied since the early hours that morning chewing out every single man aboard the plane and he was not done yet. She still has some time to get out before he sent someone to come looking for her. She left her little corner of the mess hall and slowly strolled across the base towards the tarmac. Not a single person confronted her due to her father’s position. Even though she despised the men, she wished they would see her as human, see her as herself, not the daughter of some all-powerful General. She found the bunker that she had spotted from her father’s office window earlier that morning. The blinds were down, but she could still see the shadow of her father towering over the men that accompanied her on the plane. All of that was behind her now. She knew that as soon as she left, she could never go home. She could never see her friends again. She would never see Georgia again. She would never see her father again. She was okay with it.

She crawled into the bunker and was grabbed. She tried to scream but a hand covered her mouth. She struggled and struggled until she saw the figure. It was a Vietnamese man. Short, wiry, and dirty. The man had a look of comfort on his face. He slowly lifted his hand off her mouth and began speaking the her in English.

“You do not know who I am, but I know who you are.” whispered Cadeo, “You have been brought here by something more powerful than I will ever know. You must leave now. Follow the voice into the woods. You will come tree where a woman awaits you. Move silently, you will be safe.”

Miranda didn’t know what to say. A sense of calmness engulfed her mind. She nodded and crawled out of the bunker and into the woods. Cadeo watched as she disappeared. He was glad that she got out without being seen. He had worried, but things just seemed to have fallen into place. 

He looked to his left down the airfield and observed his men in the wood line. He pulled out his red light and flashed it six times in quick succession. Rapid gunfire erupted immediately. The American base fell into chaos. Men were running everywhere. Bodies littered the ground. Screams came from ditches, from the tents, from everywhere. None of the Americans knew what was coming. The enemy had caught them completely off guard. The soldiers looked for orders, but none were being given. The general was so occupied with his pointless investigation when the attack started that no line of defense could be made now. Within an hour, the base was wiped out. Not a single American was left alive. Cadeo and his men gathered their wounded and disappeared into the forest. The had won the day but it would take so much more to win their country back.

Miranda continued to follow the voice from the woods. It was a soothing voice that reminded Miranda of her mother. A voice that brought up the deepest emotions that Miranda had locked up deep down. When she finally embraced the emotion, she came to the tree. A figure greeted her with a smile.

“Why am I here?” asked Miranda as she sat down on the dense soil.

Sycorax reached out her hand to meet Miranda’s and said, “You are here because you are to become me. You uphold values that will protect everybody from oppression. You will fight to your last breath to see everybody free. You are what the world needs right now. You are what the people need right now. Let my spirit live through you, and I will let you guide my spirit to a better world.”

As Sycorax disappeared Miranda woke up in her home in Georgia. She looked at the ceiling in a panic. Had it all been a dream?! How could that be? It all felt so real. She ran downstairs and tried to collect her thoughts. She made an egg and some coffee and then sat in the family room. She turned on the television. The date read Saturday, March 18. A headline came onto the screen. “REBEL STIKE IN CENTRAL VIETNAM LEAVES AMERICAN BASE DESTROYED.” Did it really happen? Everything? The plane? Her father? Sycorax? Miranda couldn’t be certain. All she knew was that she had to continue and fight for her people.

Tuesday, April 4, 1967, Location: Riverside Church

Miranda sat there listening to King’s hour-long speech. She had finally found the man to help her fight for the people.

THIS PROJECT WAS CREATED ON OCCUPIED YOUGHTANUND AND POWHATAN LAND.