Word of Honor (53 page)

Corva smiled.

Tyson said, "Thank you, Colonel."

Levin grunted. No one spoke for the next few minutes. The door opened, and Captain Hodges took his seat without a word.

Levin shuffled some papers on his desk. "All right .

He drew a long wheezy breath. "All right . . . ... He turned to Tyson and cleared his throat. "Lieutenant Benjamin Tyson, I have been instructed to read to you the charges that have been preferred against you." Levin drew a long form from the folder, held it up so it hid his face, and read:

"Lieutenant Benjamin J. Tyson, you are charged as follows: Violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Article 118, murder. Specification One: In that Benjamin J. Tyson, First Lieutenant, United States Army, presently assigned to the adjutant at Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn, New York, then a member of Alpha Company, Fifth Battalion, Seventh Cavalry, of the First Air Cavalry Division, did, in or about the city of Hue, in the province of Thua Thien, in the former Republic of Vietnam, in or about the vicinity of H6pital Misdricorde, on or about 15 February 1968, engage in acts which were inherently dangerous to others and evinced a wanton disregard of human life, causing the murder of an unknown number, not less than ninety, Oriental human beings, males and females, of various ages, whose names are un-WORD OF HONOR * 411

known, patients and staff of said hospital, by means of shooting them or causing them to be shot, or ordering them to be shot, with rifle and/or pistol fire, or causing their deaths with incendiary hand grenades, and/or by other lethal means and devices not yet known."

Levin looked over the charge sheet, and his eyes passed briefly over Tyson's face. Tyson sat with his chin in his hand, his eyes focused on the wall behind Levin, his mind on some distant time and place. The room was absolutely still.

Levin cleared his throat again and continued, "Specification Two: In that Benjamin J. Tyson did, in or about the city of Hue, in the province of Thua Thien, in the former Republic of Vietnam, in or about the vicinity of H6pital Mis6ricorde, on or about 15 February 1968, engage in acts which were inherently dangerous to others and evinced a wanton disregard of human life, causing the murder of approximately fourteen Caucasian human beings, male and female, in the manner stated in Specification One, whose names are as follows: Jean Monteau, male, physician, French national, age forty-six; Evan Dougal, male, physician, Australian national, age thirty-four; Bernhard Rueger, male, physician, German national, age twenty-nine; Marie Broi, female, nurse, French national, age twenty-five; Sister Monique (Yvette Dulane), female, nurse/nun, French national, age twenty-one; Sister Aimee (Henriette La Blanc), female, nurse/nun, French national, age twenty-one; Sister Noelle (Reine Mauroy), female, nurse/nun, Belgian national, age twenty-three; Pierre Galante, male, nurse, French national, age thirty; Henri Taine, male, nurse, French national, age thirty-one; Maarten Lubbers, male, laboratory technician, Dutch national, age twenty-three; Brother Donatus (full name unknown), male, staff assistant, nationality unknown, age forty-one; Sister Juliette (full name unknown), female, nurse/ nun, nationality unknown, age fifty-three; Susanne Dougal, female (wife of Evan Dougal), Australian national, age thirtyfive; Linda Dougal, female (daughter of Evan and Susanne Dougal), Australian national, age fifteen."

Colonel Levin stared at the charge sheet for a few more seconds, then put it down. He relit his cigar and puffed on it.

412 * NELSON DEMILLE

Tyson could hear the typewriters in the outer office. Through the open window came the sound of the Twenty-sixth U.S. Army Band practicing on the drill field. They were playing "Sweet Georgia Brown."

Levin drew a copy of the charge sheet from his folder and handed it directly to Tyson. Tyson, without looking at it, gave it to Corva, who dropped it into his open briefcase without a glance.

Levin handed Corva several stapled sheets of paper. "These are the names and brief biographies of the alleged Caucasian victims specified in the charge sheet. They were supplied to Major Harper by the Catholic Relief Agency in Paris and represent that agency's missing personnel-plus two dependent family members-who were assigned to duty at Misdricorde Hospital at the time of the alleged incident." Levin said to Corva, who was flipping through the pages, "Questions, Mr. Corva?"

"Dozens of them, Colonel, but unfortunately you could not answer any of them."

"No, I probably couldn't." Levin ground out his cigar.

Corva said, "Will that be all, Colonel?"

Hodges answered, "The colonel will let you know when that is all."

Corva smiled and leaned toward Hodges. He said in an amiable tone of voice,

"How would you like to spend the rest of the day in the hospital?"

Hodges jumped to his feet. "How dare you threaten-"

Corva stood. "That was no threat. That--

Levin bellowed, "At ease! Sit down, Captain!" He turned to Corva. "Please take your seat, Mr. Corva."

Hodges and Corva sat. Tyson stared out the window in pointed disinterest.

The Army band had struck up George M. Cohan's "Over There," and Tyson tapped his foot to the lively tune.

Levin said to Hodges, "Captain, you will address Mr. Corva with the courtesy which an officer in the United States Army extends to all civilians. This is not Prussia, and you are not in the Prussian Army.

Loosen up, man."

Hodges's face had gone from red to livid. He snapped, "Yes, Sir!"

WORD OF HONOR * 413

Tyson smiled absently as his foot beat faster to the quickening cadence of the song.

Levin said to Corva, "I'll let your remark pass, being it was provoked." He said to Tyson, "Lieutenant, if you're going to break into a tap dance, could you wait until you're clear of this building?"

Tyson stopped tapping. "Yes, sir."

Levin picked up a piece of paper and read it to himself with some concentration, as though he were trying to make sense of it. Finally he put down the paper and turned to Tyson. "Lieutenant Tyson, I have been instructed by Colonel Hill, the post commander, to place you in arrest."

Tyson made brief eye contact with Corva, then stared at Levin.

Levin looked away. He continued, "You may know from your prior service that military arrest is a moral and legal restraint, not a physical restraint.

However, it is a greater restraint of freedom of movement than the restriction which you are now under. Please don't interrupt, Mr. Corva.

Just listen. Lieutenant Tyson, the conditions of your arrest are as follows: You are not required to perform your full military duties, and in fact, your duties at the museum are herewith terminated, and your name has been removed from all post duty rosters. You will not leave this post without pen-nission from me or an officer designated by me to grant such permission. You will report in to this office at nine hundred hours each day, to me or to Captain Hodges or to the weekend duty officer. You will sign in, in a book provided for that purpose, every three hours until twenty-one hundred hours. You will be in your quarters after that time and remain there until you report in the following day at nine hundred hours.

You will not bear arms. You will confine your post activities to the PX, the commissary, the Officers' Club, your quarters, and the gymnasium if you wish to use it. The provost marshal has been instructed to monitor the period when you are restricted to quarters. " Levin handed Tyson a sheet of paper. "This is the arrest order. Do you have any questions?"

Tyson shook his head, which normally would have provoked Hodges into telling him to answer the colonel ver-414 0 NELSON DEMILLE

bally. But Hodges seemed permanently rebuked, albeit content with the ultimate outcome of this session.

Corva said, "I intend to protest this arrest to Colonel Hill. It is onerous, unnecessary, and it is most irregular to treat an officer in this manner. Also, it sucks. "

Levin nodded as though in agreement. He said, however, "You have no legal remedies concerning an arrest order. But if you want a meeting with the post commander, I can arrange that. "

Corva stood. "Is that all?" He glared at Hodges.

Levin nodded. "That's all I've got to say. How about you or your client?"

Corva said, "My client requests permission to leave the post at eighteen hundred hours for the purpose of getting drunk with me."

Levin replied, "Permission granted." He said to Tyson, "You will report here to me at nine hundred hours tomorrow.

"Yes, sir. "

Levin stood, followed by Tyson and Captain Hodges. Levin looked at Tyson, then with a barely perceptible shrug said, "That will be all, Lieutenant."

Tyson saluted, did an about-face, and walked smartly out of the office.

Ben Tyson passed through the corridor and down the stairs,

where he was going,

and less aware of

the footsteps follow

ing him.

Corva caught up

with him. Tyson lit a

cigarette as he left the

34 headquarters building.

He said to Corva, "Did

you know that was going to happen?"

::Sort of."

Why didn't you tell me?"

You knew, Ben. Let's stop pretending this is some sort of silly bureaucratic screwup. These people are serious. They are charging you with murder. You knew that from the first day your friend handed you Picard's book."

Tyson drew on his cigarette. He replied, "I knew long before then." Tyson said, "Well, Vince, why didn't we beat the shit out of them?"

415

416 0 NELSON DEMILLE

Corva smiled. "You're sounding like a hotheaded dago now. "

They walked along Lee Avenue, past the antique cannon display, and approached the main gate.

Corva said, "Where are you going? You can't leave post until eighteen hundred hours."

"Fuck 'em. I don't even know what time that is. " He passed through the pedestrian walk of the gates, absently returned the MP's salute, and turned left, under the elevated bridge ramp toward the Shore Parkway.

Corva said, "That's six o'clock. Come on. Let's go back. I am responsible for you."

"No one is responsible for me but me. They can take their arrest order, roll it up, put a light coat of oil on it, and shove it up their ass. And if you don't want to be responsible, leave. "

Corva drew a deep breath but said nothing. They made their way through a small park down to the shore. Tyson walked east along the water's edge.

Corva followed a few feet behind. He said, "People who are accused of a heinous crime often delude themselves into thinking they didn't do it. So when the law starts to inconvenience them, they get outraged. Listen to me, Ben. I haven't asked you for many details of what happened, but you know, I know, and the Army knows that a terrible slaughter of innocents took place at that hospital. You heard the roll call of the dead, as the prosecutor will undoubtedly say. Not to mention 'not less than ninety Oriental human beings. ' "

"I liked that. The way they neatly divided the white folk from the Oriental folk. "

"They had the Caucasians' names, that's why they did that, not because of any racial bias, or-"

"Oh, bullshit. Would I be here now, twenty years later, if it was just a village of a couple hundred gooks? Slopes? Dinks? Zipperheads? Slants? What else did we call them, Vince? What did you call them? Anything but Oriental human beings. But I fucked up good. I zapped fourteen real people. "

"Okay, you don't have to tell me all that. I know what we did and how we behaved. Christ, if I could go back . . . "

WORD OF HONOR * 417

"Yeah.

Corva kept up with Tyson's brisk pace. Corva said, "The point is that you, 1, and the Army also know that this slaughter was perpetrated by men directly under your command. Furthen-nore, there is probable cause to suspect that you were present and witnessed all or part of that slaughter.

And they're going so far as to suggest you may have even pulled the trigger yourself a few times."

" I didn't. " Tyson stopped and stared out over the water. Small ripples ran up to the pebbly beach. He drew in a deep breath of salt air. "I did not," he repeated.

Corva came up beside him. "Who cares? Not me. You know and I know that the Army does not care if you shot anyone or not. They do not care why it happened or if you tried to stop it or if your troops mutinied and held you at gunpoint or if you just stepped out a minute to take a piss and missed the whole thing. They only care that you did not report that massacre, which was your legal duty, not to mention, if you will, your Christian duty. For reasons known only to yourself you did not wish to see those murderers brought to justice. The irony here is that the men under your command most probably committed a crime of passion. Perhaps they were suffering from battle fatigue, which the Army recognizes under Article 118

as extenuating circumstances for murder. And undoubtedly your men were suffering from a fatal sickness of the soul. Fatal, that is, to others. But you, on the other hand, committed a crime of dispassion each and every day you did not report what you witnessed. You've had nearly two decades to set things right, Ben, and you did not. So now the Army is going to set things right, not only for them but also for you. As for the murderers, they have many defenses, but they don't even need them in a court of law. The peculiarities of this imperfect system pretty much assures they won't be called to account. Their crime was of the moment, a moment of madness. Your crime is an ongoing one. Army justice may not be perfect, but it is instinctive, unclouded by civilian hocus-pocus, and often uncannily just.

You know that. And you also know and I know and the Army knows you are guilty. The charge sheet may not precisely reflect your role in that massacre. But I assure you that after all the witnesses 418 0 NELSON DEMILLE

testify and lie, that court-martial board, made up of men like Colonel Levin, men who as officers and leaders see and evaluate the human condition daily, will arrive at the truth. The verdict is a foregone conclusion. You might as well accept that. The only thing I can guarantee you is that when you walk out of that courtroom, even if you are in handcuffs and under armed guard, you will be free. You understand what I mean by free?"