UNGLORIOUS WAR
by
Maxine Flam
SMASHWORDS EDITION
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PUBLISHED BY:
Flamingo Publications on Smashwords
Los Angeles, California
Unglorious War
Copyright © 2009 by Maxine Flam
Flamingo Publications
12748 Bosworth Street
North Hollywood, CA 91606
818-980-1602
Visit our Web site at www.flamingopublications.com
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Scripture quotations marked (GNT) are from the Good News Translation in Today’s English Version – Second Edition Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
Manual for Courts-Martial United States (2000 Edition) including Appendix 2, Uniform Code of Military Justice by Joint Service Committee on Military Justice, a public domain document, was used as reference for the military trial.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
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Unglorious War
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Acknowledgments
Writing is a solitary experience. From the formation of the idea to the research to the writing and rewriting experience, I was alone in my creating experience. However, once I finished my book and talked about it with others, I was no longer alone. Friends and co-workers expressed an interest to help any way they could. There are several people I need to thank at this time.
Gary Kaye, for his permanently borrowed laptop and technical assistance; Gary Kinsman, for additional technical assistance and printing services when my printer was temporarily down; Eddie and Ryan from CDW, for sending me a mouse and back-up drive; Ralf Weissenberger, one of my bosses, who came through with Internet sites to help me in my research and for agreeing to be the hero on the cover the book; my mother, G.G., Bob and Warren’s advice with the preproduction phase of printing; B.R. and Robert for proofreading; Bruce Heinsius for his cover photography work and cover layout design skills; Eric White and Glynn Gilchrist, for putting together my website; Carl Elkins, CIO of my company, for allowing me to use the conference room for the photo shoot; the Los Angeles City Libraries and librarians Linda Moussa and Cindy McNaughton for their research assistance; Pastor Bob who gave me the emotional and spiritual support I desperately needed to keep going, including suggesting the title of the book based on the synopsis and the anonymous people who believed in me by investing in this book. Without their support, “Unglorious War” would never have been published.
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I dedicate this book to my late father, Sidney Flam, (1919-1995) WWII Veteran, (1941-1945) Sergeant, U.S. Army, 5th Armored Division, 75th Medical Battalion who received Five Unit Bronze Stars, the Silver Star for bravery, Combat Medics Badge with Bronze Star and Good Conduct Medal. A man who saw much, said little about it, and was the greatest dad a girl like me could have ever had.
And to all veterans who have served this great nation: past, present and future.
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“The greatest love you can have for your friends is to give your life for them.”
--John 15:13 (GNT)
“If it wasn’t for God, you wouldn’t have a country; if it wasn’t for the veteran, you wouldn’t have a country either.”
--George “Georgie-baby” Jacobs, Veteran U.S. Navy
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Chapter 1
I arrived at the Hickam Air Force Base at 8:30 a.m., thirty minutes before the court-martial was to begin. I didn’t sleep a wink last night. My mind was racing. Everything I worked for over the past fifteen years was coming to a conclusion. My close friends and co-workers said they would meet me here. The only one I couldn’t get in touch with was Steven. I left a message at his office with all the details of where to meet. Chaplain Cook changed his Bible study to attend. What a sweet man. I have known him for twenty-five years; the entire time I had been in the Navy. He was a source of spiritual inspiration even in my darkest hour of despair. Whenever I sought advice, he would stop what he was doing to make time and counsel me.
Chaplain Cook wasn’t tall. He stood about 5’9”, slender with dark blond hair. Clean shaven and dressed in his chaplain uniform, he inconspicuously carried his Bible, hymnal and prayer stole wherever he went. He once told me that he was a boy scout and believed in their creed, “be prepared.”
I checked my watch. It was 8:33 a.m. I hoped the Sergeant at Arms would open the double doors early so I could sit down.
I started to pace. It had been a long time since I felt this much anxiety. I could take one of my pills but I don’t want to dull my senses. I wanted, no, no, I needed to be alert. I don’t want to miss one moment of the trial.
8:40 a.m. Maria and George arrived. I’ve known each one over twenty years. I waived to them. They saw me and walked over.
“How are you holding up?” said George.
“Nervous,” I replied.
“Well, that’s to be expected. Everyone will be here to support you. Don’t worry about that,” he said confidently.
8:45 a.m. The Sergeant at Arms opened the doors to the court-martial room. It looked like a regular court room. As I entered, I noticed five rows of pew seats on each side of the aisle which seated ten people per pew. About a hundred people could sit comfortably with space in the back for the overflow crowd. There were two tables in the front, one on each side of the aisle, made of dark wood, maybe cherry wood. One was the prosecutors table; the other, the defense table. At the front of the room was the judge’s desk. It was three steps off the floor on some kind of podium and made of the same wood as the other two tables. To either side of the judge’s chair were two chairs for the members of the panel to sit. Those chairs were used if the court-martial was a member trial which was similar to a civilian jury trial. The accused could opt for a trial by a judge only. In that instance, the members of the panel would be dismissed.
8:50 a.m. The cameras were being set up. The court-martial would air on closed circuit TV throughout the entire base. Too many people wanted to attend so the only way to oblige the officers and enlisted personnel was to televise it on closed circuit TV. The officer’s club was open to everyone. I was told by upper brass they expected standing room only. Another TV link was set up in the barracks closest to the court-martial room. The bunks were taken out and two hundred chairs were set in blocks of ten to a row.
8:52 a.m. Chaplain Cook arrived. I waived to him to come and sit by Maria, George and me. He walked over to us, shook hands with George, gave Maria and me each a reassuring hug and sat down.
8:54 a.m. Steven finally arrived. I waived. He walked over and sat on the other side of me.
“I meant to be here earlier but I got caught up in some things at the office,” he said apologetically.
“No problem. You made it. That’s all that counts,” I said smiling.
“There was no way I would have missed this,” he replied.
8:58 a.m. The Sergeant at Arms announced that the doors would close in one minute. The court-martial would begin as scheduled at 9:00 a.m. The prosecution attorney arrived through a door on the right side. The two defense attorneys arrived through a door on the left side. After they were seated, the defendant was brought in by the military police.
8:59 a.m. The Sergeant at Arms closed the court room doors. I felt my heart pounding; my hands, sweating. Justice was coming. After fifteen years of fighting the Government for every inch of documentation, the truth would be known. I closed my eyes for a moment, giving thanks to God for giving me the strength to get to this day, thanking Him for His support and not letting me give up.
9:00 a.m. The judge walked in from a door behind his desk followed by the four men who were the members of the military panel.
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Chapter 2
“All rise. This Article 39a session is called to order. The Honorable Colonel Johnathan Beecham, presiding,” bellowed the Sergeant at Arms.
“Be seated,” said Military Judge Colonel Johnathan Beecham as he banged his gavel once.
“Will the court reporter please read the convening orders?” said Judge Beecham.
“Yes Your Honor,” replied the court reporter.
“Today is July 19, 1984, 0900 hours.
Pursuant to paragraph B1, General Order Number 2, Department of the Army, a General Court-Martial is convened with the following members at Hickam Air Force Base:
Colonel Johnathan Beecham presiding.
Members:
Lt. Colonel Matthew Johnston
Major Paul Baker
Captain Donald Rogers
First Lieutenant Joseph Rodriguez.
This court-martial is convened by General Court-Martial, Convening Order Number 84-0176, Headquarters of the Army of the United States of America. Copies of which have been furnished to the military judge, counsel, the accused and to this reporter for insertion at this point in the record.”
The court reporter continued, “The charges have been properly referred to this court-martial for trial and were served on the accused on June 27, 1984, more than the required five days notice needed. No continuance can be granted.
There are no corrections noted on the convening orders.
The accused detailed to this court-martial is present: Colonel Anthony Joseph Lambello Jr., formerly known as Lieutenant Anthony Joseph Lambello Jr.” The court reporter finished and sat down.
“Let the record state that Lieutenant Anthony Lambello Jr. and Colonel Anthony Lambello Jr. are one in the same person. Is there any objection by counsel?” said Judge Beecham.
“No objection, Your Honor,” stated each counsel.
The court reporter replied, “So recorded. There is no one else detailed in the court-martial.”
“For the record,” said Judge Beecham, “state your rank and name,” addressing the court reporter.
“I am Private First Class Richard Williams. I am the court reporter for this court-martial.”
“The oaths will now be administered,” instructed Judge Beecham.
“Trial counsel will administer the oath to the military judge,” said the court reporter.
“Do you swear that you will faithfully and impartially perform, according to your conscience and the laws applicable to trial by court-martial, all the duties incumbent upon you as military judge of this court-martial, so help you God?”
“I do,” replied Judge Beecham.
“Trial counsel will administer the oath to the members of the court,” said the court reporter.
“Do you swear that you will answer truthfully the questions concerning whether you should serve as a member of this court-martial; that you will faithfully and impartially try according to the evidence, your conscience, and the laws applicable to trial by court-martial, the case of the accused now before this Court; and that you will not disclose or discover the vote or opinion of any particular member of the court upon the findings or sentence, unless required to do so in due course of law, so help you God?”
“I do,” said each members of the court in unison.
Judge Beecham administered the oaths to the prosecution and defense counsels.
“Do you swear that you will faithfully perform all the duties as prosecution or defense counsel in the case now hearing, so help you God?”
“I do,” said the attorneys in unison.
The court reporter said, “All members of the prosecution are qualified and certified under Article 27(b) and have now been sworn under Article 42(a).
No member of the prosecution has acted in any manner which might tend to disqualify him or her in this court-martial.
Primary Prosecutor in this case is Captain Trent West.
All retained members of the defense are qualified and certified under Article 27(b) and have now been sworn under Article 42(a).
No member of the defense has acted in any manner which might tend to disqualify him or her in this court-martial.
Primary Defense Counsel in this case is Major David Parquet. Consulting Defense Counsel is the Law Firm of Birnbaum and Miller, Roger Miller Esq.
Qualifications of Defense Counsel: Major David Parquet is a twenty year veteran who has been part of over three hundred military defense counsels. Roger Miller Esq. is in private practice with thirty years experience as a consultant to the Judge Advocate General for both the prosecution and the defense.
The court reporter finished speaking and looked at the judge.
Judge Beecham began:
“Colonel Anthony Joseph Lambello Jr., you have the right to be represented in this court-martial by a Judge Advocate General, a General Flag Officer, or Military Counsel of your own selection, if the counsel you request is reasonably available. If you are represented by military counsel of your own selection, you would have the right to have court counsel appointed to help you in your own defense. However, you may request that a student at a university or a professor to act as associate counsel with the military counsel you select, and the United States Marine Corp., the detailing authority, may approve such a request. Do you understand?”
“Yes sir,” Colonel Lambello replied.
“In addition, you have the right to be represented by civilian counsel, at no expense to the United States Government. Civilian counsel may represent you alone or along with your military counsel. Do you understand?”
“Yes sir.”
“Do you have any questions about your rights to counsel?”
“No sir.”
“Whom do you want to represent you?”
“Private Counsel only, sir, Roger Miller Esq.,” replied Colonel Lambello.
“As stated earlier, counsel for the parties have the necessary qualifications and have been sworn in.”
“State the charges against the accused,” said Judge Beecham to Captain West.
Captain Trent West stood up and began to read the list of charges against Colonel Lambello.
“The general nature of the charges in this case are:
Article 99 – Misbehavior before the enemy.
Article 107 – False official statements.
Article 119 – Manslaughter with Article 134 – Negligent homicide as a lesser charge.
These charges were preferred by Colonel Alan Becker, Commanding Officer of Colonel Lambello’s current unit, forwarded with recommendations as to disposition by Admiral Hargrove, due to extenuating circumstances in bringing this case to trial which will be addressed shortly.
Your honor, are you aware of any matter which may be a ground for a challenge against you?” said Captain West.
“I am aware of none,” stated Judge Beecham flatly.
“The Government has no challenge for cause against the military judge,” replied Captain West.
“The defense has no challenge for cause against the military judge,” said Roger Miller Esq.
“Colonel Lambello, do you understand that you have the right to be tried by a court-martial composed of members, including if you request in writing at least one-third enlisted persons, and that if you are found guilty of any offense, those members would determine a sentence?” said Judge Beecham.
“Yes sir.”
“Do you also understand that you may request in writing or orally, here in the court-martial trial before me alone, and that if I approve such a request, there will be no members, and I alone will decide whether you are guilty and, if I find you guilty, determine a sentence?”
“Yes sir.”
“Have you discussed these choices with your counsel?”
“Yes sir.”
“By which type of court-martial do you choose to be tried?” asked Judge Beecham.
“A trial by Your Honor alone,” replied Colonel Lambello.
“The court reporter shall note that the accused requested a trial by military judge only,” said Judge Beecham.
“Have you discussed this request and the rights I just described with your counsel?”
“Yes sir.”
“If I approve your request your request for trial by me alone, you give up your right to a trial by a court-martial composed of members, including if you requested, enlisted members. Do you wish to request a trial by me alone?”
“Yes sir.”
“Your request is approved. The court-martial is assembled. I thank the members of my panel. They are excused from further duty.”
The four members of the panel rose from their seats and walked to the first row of the public gallery.
“The accused will now be arraigned,” said Judge Beecham.
“All parties and the military judge have been furnished a copy of the charges and specifications. Does the accused want them read?” said the court reporter looking uncomfortable.
“Yes, Your Honor,” said Attorney Roger Miller, “the accused wants the charges read.”
“So be it. The court reporter will now read the charges into the record,” said Judge Beecham.
“Article 99 – Misbehavior before the enemy. ‘Any member of the armed forces who before or in the presence of the enemy –
a3 through disobedience, neglect, or intentional misconduct endangers the safety of any such command, unit, place or military property;
a5 is guilty of cowardly conduct;
b3 endangering safety of a command, unit, place, ship, or military property;
b3b that the accused committed certain disobedience, neglect or intentional misconduct;
b3d that this act occurred while the accused was before or in the presence of the enemy.
c1b ‘Enemy’ includes organized forces of the enemy in time of war, any hostile body that our forces may be opposing, such as a rebellious mob or band of renegades, including civilians as well as military organizations.
c1c ‘Before the enemy’ – whether a person is before the enemy is a question of tactical relation not distance.
c5a Cowardice is misbehavior motivated by fear.
c5b Fear is a natural feeling of apprehension when going into battle. The mere display of apprehension does not constitute this offense.
c5c Refusal or abandonment of a performance of duty before or in the presence of the enemy as a result of fear constitutes this offense.”’
“Extenuating circumstances as stated earlier relates to Colonel Lambello’s service in Vietnam which caused these charges to be brought forth now and not fifteen years ago. The delay is due to Article 107 – The filing of false official statements.”
“Article 107 – False official statements – Any person subject to this chapter who, with intent to deceive, signs any false record, return, regulation, order or other official document knowing it to be false, or makes any other false official statement knowing it to be false, shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.
b1 that the accused signed a certain official document or made a certain official statement;
b3 that the accused knew it to be false at the time of signing it or making it; and
b4 that the document or statement was made with the intent to deceive.”
“Article 119 – Manslaughter – Any person subject to this chapter who, without an intent to kill or inflict great bodily harm, unlawfully kills a human being by culpable negligence, lesser offense is Article 134 – (Homicide, negligent).
b1 that a certain person is dead;
b2 that this death resulted from the act or failure to act of the accused;
b4 that the act or failure to act of the accused which caused the death amounted to simple negligence; and
b5 that under the circumstances the conduct of the accused was to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the armed forces or was of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.
c1 Nature of offense. Negligent homicide is any unlawful homicide which is the result of simple negligence. An intent to kill or injure is not required.
c2 Simple negligence. Simple negligence is the absence of due care, that is, an act or omission of a person who is under a duty to use due care which exhibits a lack of that degree of care of the safety of others which a reasonably careful person would have exercised under the same or similar circumstances.
Simple negligence is a lesser degree of carelessness than culpable negligence.
d Lesser included offenses. None.”
As the charges were read aloud, tears ran down my face. I wasn’t bawling. The days of screaming and crying had passed but I couldn’t stop them from flowing nor did I want to. Chaplain Cook looked over but before he could give me his handkerchief, Steven had already pulled his out and handed it to me. I dried my eyes and continued to listen intensely to the proceedings.
“The charges are signed by Colonel Alan Becker, a person subject to the code, as accuser; are properly sworn to before a commissioned officer of the armed forces to administer oaths, and are properly referred to this court-martial for trial by the United States Marine Corp., the convening authority.” The court reporter sat down.
“Before receiving your plea, Colonel Lambello, I advise you that any motions to dismiss any charge or to grant other relief should be made at this time. Colonel Lambello, how do you plead?” said Judge Beecham.
“Your Honor, the defense has one prior motion already presented to the Court under Rule 910 RCM (Rules of Court-Martial),” said Roger Miller.
“So noted,” said Judge Beecham.
“Colonel Lambello, how do you plead?” repeated Judge Beecham.
Attorney Miller rose on behalf of Colonel Lambello to speak.”
“On behalf of the accused, Colonel Anthony Joseph Lambello Jr. pleads….”
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Chapter 3
General Sherman called Admiral Lewis and told him there was a patient coming in from Japan with a top-level clearance. This patient needed the Navy’s best nurse to give ’round the clock care. Admiral Lewis suggested me without hesitation. He knew of Captain Smith and his covert involvement in Laos over the past few years. Admiral Lewis also knew that Captain Smith was listed as Missing In Action (MIA) and was reclassified after six months to Killed In Action (KIA), even though no remains were found, only to find out that he had been held all this time in a jungle prison as a Prisoner Of War (POW). The military desperately needed to know what Captain Smith knew about the Vietcong (VC), North Vietnamese Army (NVA), the terrain, the prison camp and anything else. Information was scarce despite Captain Smith and his men being rescued alive. Because only Captain Smith spoke Vietnamese, only he could provide the vital information needed for security in the region.
Admiral Lewis said he would set everything up. When Captain Smith arrived in Hawaii, I would be his caregiver.
I was sitting at my desk buried in paperwork. This was how I started most days, with a stack of files in my in-box. My office was near the front steps of the hospital. To my right, I had a window with a view of the main entrance to the hospital. I saw anyone who entered and left but I rarely looked out due to my enormous workload of twelve hours a day, six days a week. On the occasions when I was at my desk late in the evening, I saw the lights of the hotels on the beaches of Oahu. My mornings were spent doing paperwork and attending meetings and my afternoons were spent in the physical therapy room with the hard patients, the ones that were difficult to rehab for a variety of reasons. I saved the early evenings for prioritizing my workload for the next day.
My office was tiny by managerial standards, yet functional. I didn’t require much space. My desk was made of oak with three drawers on each side and a drawer in the middle. There was a three-tier bookcase against the wall to my left and a small two-tier bookcase behind me. An ancient dark brown sofa sat opposite my desk for visitors or staff to sit on while conversing with me. It had a rip on the side when I inherited it. I originally covered it with tape. A few months later I purchased a throw roughly the same color to cover up the entire sofa. Since there was no money in the budget for a new one, I made do with this.
Chief of Staff, Dr. Peter Fong visited every morning with coffee in hand, in addition to calling me six times a day. Peter was 42, a thin man of Chinese descent, 5’6”, black hair and brown eyes. He was young to be Chief of Staff but it was not something he went after. It was something he fell into. Six months ago, the last Chief of Staff died suddenly of a heart attack.
Peter and I were colleagues and long time friends. We went back eight years to when I first came to Oahu General after completing my Bachelors of Nursing. Peter was very supportive of me when my parents died. This drew our friendship closer and we stayed close when he married and had a son.
“Hi,” I said.
“Hi, you look buried as always,” Peter replied as he handed me my usual cup of Joe.
I took the coffee from him and replied with my usual sigh, “I am.”
I took a sip and said, “Yuk! Couldn’t you have made this any stronger? Never mind, don’t answer that. I’ve tasted some of your past stuff. It could put hair on a Chinese Crested Hairless Dog.” I put the cup down and continued, “You’ve got to get a Director of Nursing. I’m at wit’s end.”
I had been doing double duty as Peter’s Director of Nursing and Administrative Head of Physical Therapy Nursing for a few months and things were piling up fast.
“I’ve narrowed down the search to five candidates but you need to interview them,” Peter said.
“When can your secretary set up the interviews?” I asked.
“I’ll have her get right on it.” Peter said.
“Listen, I got a call from Admiral Lewis,” Peter continued. “He’s on his way to see you. It sounds urgent. He’ll be here in twenty minutes.”
“Well, it can’t be good news,” I exclaimed.
I jumped up from my chair not knowing what direction to go in. Peter found this amusing. I, on the other hand, was beside myself.
“Oh my God, I need to change. He can’t see me in greens! I’m supposed to be wearing white which I stopped doing two years ago along with that silly hat.”
“Relax,” said Peter. “He knows you’re on shift. If he says anything, tell him greens are more comfortable. Just remember to salute,” he said jokingly.
Peter and I made small talk about his son while I nervously looked out the window. The Admiral’s staff car pulled up. I rose from my chair. As I made my way to the front of the hospital, Admiral Lewis was entering the building. Peter remained behind.
I saluted Admiral Lewis.
“At ease, Lieutenant. Will you please accompany me to my staff car? We are due for a briefing at 0900 hours,” said Admiral Lewis.
I accompanied the Admiral to Hickam Air Force Base. We were escorted by two military policemen to a secure room. As I entered, there were several people waiting including General Jackson Sherman.
I sat down in the back of the room. Admiral Lewis spoke, “As of this moment, Lt. Bristol, we are increasing your clearance to the maximum possible. You have always been on active duty with the Navy but your assignment for the past eight years has been at Oahu General. Your ideas for rehabilitating patients have been reviewed by doctors, physical therapists, and other professionals around the United States. We even had some interest from the French and British. The Navy thinks very highly of your skills.
I know you are wondering what is going on. This meeting is to brief you about your role in nursing a special patient back to health. He is on his way from Japan and when he arrives, from that moment on, we want you to care for him. Not just rehabilitate him but physically care for him ’round the clock. His clearance is the highest level of top secret. He just spent six months as a POW and another two weeks or so wandering in the jungles of Laos in an effort to make contact with a recon party. His condition is serious. Before he arrives, you will have access to all of his medical records. You will be working closely with his doctors; however, you will be the primary one-on-one caregiver. I know that you have not done one-on-one in years, since nursing school according to your records – your specialty being rehabilitation nursing – but we need you to do this. Captain Smith is extremely important to us.”
“Of course, sir, I will do whatever needs to be done,” I replied.
“Captain Smith will soon be promoted to Major Smith. His paperwork is in process. I stress the fact that he will be your only focus. I will have my driver return you to the hospital so you can reorganize your duties. You won’t be going home anytime soon so if you have an animal, you will need to make arrangements to have it taken care of, in addition to any domestic issues such as bill paying, etc. You will delegate all your present work. Dr. Fong will be briefed on a limited basis. I realize he is a close friend but, as you know, there is only so much you can tell him. Since 90% of your time is spent at Oahu General with the other 10% flying to Maui, Kauai, and the other hospitals, you will need to delegate your managerial work to other managers and supervisors. You will be living in the same room as Captain Smith. Arrangements are being made for a private room as I speak. You will have a cot to sleep on and a desk to write your notes on. Captain Smith will be arriving within the next four hours and that is all the time you have to get ready. Are there any questions?”
The room was silent for a moment.
“Admiral, sir, I can’t think of any right now but if I do, I will contact you immediately,” I said in a monotone voice.
My mind was spinning with all the information that had been thrown at me but I knew that Captain Smith must have knowledge that very few men possessed, to have Admiral Lewis and General Sherman working side by side.
“Does anyone else have anything to add?” said Admiral Lewis.
“I have been told you are the best in your field. I need you to give 100%, Lt. Bristol,” said General Sherman.
“Yes sir,” I replied. “I promise I will.”
With that, the meeting was adjourned. I saluted all the officers and left.
As I was being driven back to Oahu General, I kept thinking about everything that was said in the meeting. Why me? There had to be other nurses better qualified to give Captain Smith the bedside care he needed now. I can understand them selecting me do his rehabilitation when he is stronger but why pick me for one-on-one nursing – something I haven’t done in years. I guess my qualifications matched their requirements otherwise they wouldn’t have chosen me. I decided not to dwell on it.
When I arrived back at the hospital, I called Peter to come down to my office.
Peter no sooner stepped into my office before I said, “Well, you better get a Director of Nursing as soon as possible. I have a special patient due to arrive at 1:00 p.m. and that’s all the time I have to get my desk in order.”
Peter picked up the phone, called his secretary, told her to call a temporary nursing service and have some candidates for the Director of Nursing position sent over to Oahu General as soon as possible.
I called personnel. I asked them to send another secretary to my office so I could clear out my in box before Captain Smith arrived. I must have written a hundred notes on every file. I had writer’s cramp before I was finished.
Now the only problem was who would assume the State Physical Therapy Nursing position while I was on special assignment. I asked Peter not to do anything right away in filling the position. He would have to convene a board within a week but he would recommend everything stay as it was for now. I contacted each PT Nursing Manager and told them that for the next month the weekly staff meeting would be canceled but to mail their status reports to my office. Nobody asked any questions. They knew if I could tell them, I would. My group was the best. They would pick up the additional work as long as it was necessary.
I was ready to meet Captain Smith.
* * * * *
Chapter 4
It was just past 1:00 p.m. when Captain Smith arrived at Oahu General. Green colored identification badges were issued to any personnel having access to the room. Two guards were posted at his door. I walked by to get a glimpse of what was going on and each time I passed, the guards saluted. After the fifth time, I told each of them to please drop the formality. I appreciated it but it was not the time or the place plus it made me crazy.
After Captain Smith was settled in his room on the first floor, I was paged to meet him. I started to enter the room but Dr. Richard Jacobs stopped me and introduced himself.
“Lieutenant Bristol, my name is Dr. Richard Jacobs. I will be Captain Smith’s primary doctor. I am here to see what kind of extensive surgery he needs on his leg. After I determine the extent of the damage, I will schedule a team of surgeons to correct the problem. The doctors in Vietnam stopped the hemorrhage. He was airlifted immediately to Japan. The doctors in Japan saved the leg from amputation but the bone was shattered in the mid-shaft area. I anticipate surgery will be needed to insert a metal rod with metal pins at each end to take the place of the femur.
I was about to meet Captain Smith but nobody could have prepared me for what I was to see. Captain Smith’s condition was far worse than I expected. I had taken care of Vietnam Veterans since the start of the war but he was my first POW.
The former muscular Special Forces Officer weighed a mere 137 pounds. He looked like pictures I had seen of Holocaust survivors from WWII. His wrists and ankles were infected where the thick ropes that bound him tore the flesh off his bones. Above the infections were bruising the likes of which I had never seen. His back had welts and scabs from the continuous beatings he endured. He had skin lesions and suffered from malnutrition and dehydration.
For four years, the vast majority of my patients had been men injured in battle. Their injuries ranged from the loss of a limb to blindness to deafness to paralysis but all were battlefield injuries. Oahu General never had any POWs. Here I was assigned as his one-on-one nurse. I didn’t like one-on-one nursing because I found myself being drawn into that person’s personal life and I needed objectivity when dealing with my patients. The shifts were eight hours but with the shortage of nurses in school, I was always asked to work a shift after my hospital rotation. After sixteen hours of patient care, I had to go home, study and hope I got four hours of sleep.
I loved the physical therapy rotation in nursing school. I found that interacting with someone a few hours a day made me a better nurse in one skill than trying to do it all. As I went up the administrative ladder, my time with each person decreased, thus limiting my emotional attachments. I made the most of the limited time I spent with my patients. Time constraints helped me become more objective. I believe this objectivity helped me provide the best treatment possible. My techniques were recognized by upper brass which was why I was selected to help Captain Smith recover from his injuries. Now, the nursing as I had practiced it for so long was about to change.
I stood behind Dr. Jacobs and watched as he examined Captain Smith. The room was large, about three times the size of my office. The bed was to the left with machines on both sides. My cot was located closer to the window touching the far wall. My desk was against the wall opposite Captain Smith’s bed. It wasn’t as nice as my normal desk but functional. It looked like a government surplus metal desk with a metal chair that was painful to sit on. I removed that ugly chair and had my chair brought over from my office. My in-box sat on the left side; my desk lamp on the right. There were no pictures on the wall which made the room depressing. I called Bill in maintenance to find something to hang on the wall.
After Dr. Jacobs left, I was left to tend to Captain Smith alone. He had IVs in both arms and a central line located just under his left collarbone. A Foley catheter hung on the right side of the bed. Aside from his emaciation and captivity injuries, his right femur was stabilized in a temporary cast and metal cradle.
Captain Smith had not regained consciousness since he went into surgery in Japan. The military was glad to have him back in Hawaii because, with the knowledge he possessed, and the physical condition he was in, Captain Smith was a potential National Security catastrophe. However, it was apparent from the severity of the beatings he received, he never uttered a word.
* * * * *
Chapter 5
The rest of the first day was uneventful. By late evening, I took Captain Smith’s vitals and recorded them. I adjusted the monitors to go off at the slightest change of blood pressure, pulse, and respiration. I asked security to call me at 6:00 a.m. The first night I worked on files until midnight. Then I slipped off my reading glasses, laid down on my cot and went to sleep.
Captain Smith slept through the night. He was on a morphine drip which kept the pain under control but the first night would be one of the few nights he would have peace for the next two weeks. Dr. Jacobs and the team decided to operate immediately. They scheduled the operation for the third day after his arrival. It was the consensus of the team that a metal rod would be inserted to create a new femur. The only concern was the accuracy of the measurement so that the right leg would not come out shorter than the left.
Surgery was scheduled at 6:00 a.m. Preparation was at 4:00 a.m. The second night I slept four hours and was up at 4:00 a.m. to help prep Captain Smith. At 5:30 a.m., the surgical team arrived to wheel him into surgery. Peter showed up early and told me that I might as well go back to bed for a few hours. It was hard since I was already up and worried about my patient. I never felt for a patient what I was feeling for Captain Smith. Was it pity? Was it some need to keep him safe from everyone and everything considering his recent ordeal? Was it something more – how could that be? I just met him. I put this out of mind and took Peter up on his offer to get some sleep. I went upstairs to his office and put in a wake-up call for 11:00 a.m.
As Chief of Staff, Peter had the best office that the hospital offered. His office was about seven hundred square feet, the size my living room, dining room and bedroom. He had a large maple desk that was always immaculately polished with all his files neatly stacked in their proper in/out boxes. The carpeting was a cream color which beautifully offset the furniture. There was a black leather sofa against the left wall and two chairs opposite his desk. He had a small conference room off to the left. His private bathroom was on the right. He had a shower, sink and commode but no bathtub. Housekeeping always had it fully stocked with fresh towels, shampoo, soap and washcloths. The funny thing was Peter hardly used anything but the commode. It was everyone else who used the shower. All anyone had to do was ask permission. Peter was the quiet type and never said no.
I slept on the sofa until my wake-up call. At 11:00 a.m., I showered, grabbed a bagel from the breakfast cart on the first floor and was there to meet the gurney as it emerged from surgery at 11:45 a.m. Dr. Jacobs looked worried. He pulled me off to the side and told me that I needed to help bring Captain Smith out of his medicated sleep tomorrow. It was necessary so they could gauge his pain threshold.
The leg was a mess. The doctors implanted the rod with one end inserted two inches below the head of the femur and two inches above the knee. The shatter was extensive. The metal rod took the place of the femur. If this didn’t work, the doctors would have no choice but to amputate the leg.
The surgeons took intricate measurements to ensure there would be little difference between the right and left leg length. The healing time was estimated at three to four months but with Captain Smith’s emaciated condition it could be as long as six. General Sherman was anxious to have Captain Smith back as soon as possible and when they heard it could take at least three to four months for the leg to heal, he nearly had a stroke. I smiled and said that three months was extremely optimistic because it didn’t include the minimum three month physical therapy time. After eight years in nursing with my specialty in physical therapy, I knew how long Captain Smith would be at Oahu General.
I went to recovery. The surgeon was with Captain Smith. This gave me some time so I called Peter and asked if he had a few minutes.
“Sure,” replied Peter. “Come up.”
I was anxious and concerned.
“What’s up? You sounded like this was urgent,” Peter said.
“It is. I have an idea how I am going to write my nursing assessment but Admiral Lewis isn’t going to like it. I don’t care. My duty is to my patient. But Peter, I have another problem. I am worried my own personal problem will rear its ugly head. I got out of one-on-one nursing because of the long hours and intense patient care.”
I felt bad to think of myself but I had to. I had a duty to my patient and myself. I couldn’t be of use to anyone if I didn’t take care of myself. It wasn’t a premonition but I had a bad feeling of what might be coming if I didn’t get the sleep I needed.
“As far as your nursing assessment is concerned, you were picked because of your experience and your knowledge. The military wants you to give him the best care possible. This is a temporary assignment. As far as your problem is concerned, it is in the past but if it comes up, we will deal with it. Don’t worry. Just do your job and everything will be alright,” Peter said.
I gave Peter a weak smile and thanked him. I went back to recovery and asked one of the recovery nurses when Captain Smith would be taken back to his room. I was told in about an hour. I returned to his room, sat down and began to write his assessment. Within the hour, Captain Smith was back in his room. The next forty-eight hours would be painstakingly long. Dr. Jacobs was optimistic. The surgery went according to plan and no additional surgeries would be needed.
That was wonderful news. Unfortunately, that would be the only good news for the next two weeks.
* * * * *
Chapter 6
It was 9:00 a.m. the next day when Captain Smith started to stir. I went over to his bed to take his vitals. His face was drawn and pale. I took a washcloth, wet it with cool water and wiped his forehead and cheeks.
Captain Smith opened his bleary eyes and said, “Where am I?”
“Oahu General Hospital, Hawaii,” I replied.
“Who are you?” Captain Smith murmured.
“Lieutenant Marla Bristol.”
“How long have I been here?”
“Three days.”
“Why was I brought here and not to a base hospital?”
“Security and other reasons.”
“What other reasons?” he inquired.
“General Sherman and Admiral Lewis wanted you cared for by someone who had a high clearance level and nursing skills that would get you back on your feet quickly.” Any other questions, sir?” I asked.
Captain Smith looked me up and down and said, “You are definitely a sight for sore eyes.”
“Thank you, Major.”
“Major? I think you have the wrong patient,” replied Captain Smith.
“Oops, well you will know soon enough. You’ve been promoted to Major.”
The newly promoted Major Smith did not say anything for a moment.
Then I spoke, “Are you in a lot of pain?”
“Some but I have endured worse.”
“I know. According to your records, you were a POW for the past few months.”
When I mentioned POW, Major Smith immediately changed the subject.
“I remember being shot in the leg as the helicopter took off. I don’t remember much after that. The medic gave me a morphine shot. What can you tell me about my condition?”
“You were shot twice in the right leg. One bullet passed through but the other hit the bone and shattered it. Triage was done in Khe Sahn to stop the bleeding. You were stabilized in Japan and brought to Hawaii for your final surgery. A metal rod with metal pins was inserted to hold the two pieces of remaining leg bone together. The rod will take the place of your right femur. The top of the femur near the hip socket and the bottom near the knee joint are intact. The rod was inserted into remaining bone below the hip socket and the bone above the knee. You will need calcium and protein supplements to strengthen and build bone density. You have numerous skin infections, some on your wrists and ankles but many are on your back. I have dressed them with topical antibiotics. You have two IV bottles. One is to keep you hydrated and one is antibiotics to treat the infections internally.”
I tried to be as precise and as positive as possible.
“You mentioned earlier that you were chosen for your security clearance and qualifications. What are your qualifications?”
“I am a Lieutenant in the Navy. I have been a nurse for eight years. I have been assigned to you for your entire stay at Oahu General. Whether it takes one month, six or a year, my orders are to help you return physically to where you were before you were a POW. My orders came directly from Admiral Lewis and General Sherman.”
Major Smith listened intensely. Before he could respond to all this information, he made the mistake of trying to move and winced in pain. I began my pain assessment and then quickly gave him a morphine injection as per Dr. Jacobs’ standing orders. After the injection took effect, I outlined his treatment plan. I mentioned that General Sherman wanted to speak with him as soon as possible.
“My friends call me Bear,” Major Smith responded. “It looks like we will be spending a lot of time together so I would like it if you would please call me Bear.”
“Sure but why do they call you that?” I replied. I knew that most Vietnam Vets had nicknames, some quite unique, but there was always a story behind it and I was curious what Major Smith’s story was.
“Well, it’s kind of funny you asked because there were two reasons I was called that. The first reason is I have a talent to imitate celebrities.
“Like who?” I asked.
“Humphrey Bogart, Jimmy Cagney, and Jimmy Stewart but the one I did that got me my name was Yogi Bear from the cartoon. ‘Hey Boo Boo, there is a picnic basket just waiting for us over there.’ The other reason I was called Bear was that I am very protective of my men, the way a mother bear is protective of her cubs. I wouldn’t send someone to do something that I wouldn’t do myself.”
At that moment I should have adopted the nickname “the Lioness.” I looked at Bear and saw him vulnerable to everything, a feeling I never had before with other vets but a feeling I had early in my career. It was this feeling that caused me not to become a regular duty nurse and focus on the specialty of physical therapy nursing. An overwhelming feeling of protectiveness hit me like a mother lion feels when protecting her babies. Bear brought this feeling to the surface and it concerned me. I was responsible for the hard therapies that no one else could handle. This was going to be one of the hardest therapies of my career. That didn’t concern me as much as the demand of being a twenty-four hour a day nurse. After being out of floor nursing since nursing school, I had a six sense that I was going to need help but for now I had to follow orders.
As a floor nurse, there are more emotional and psychological demands. It’s different working with multiple people day in and day out versus working with a few patients in a section, like an ICU or small ward. In nursing school, the teachers preach not to let your personal feelings interfere with your duties or you will become a detriment to your patient. I can’t forget the whole picture like why I became a nurse. I wanted to make a difference in a person’s life. I didn’t join the Navy because I was poor and needed a way out like some people. I’m not judging and saying that’s bad. That wasn’t my reason. I wasn’t in it for the pension or life time medical benefits. I wanted to serve my country. The Navy was a way of life for me; it was the path I chose.
I thought all of this when Bear spoke in one of his voices, Humphrey Bogart. Despite the scratchiness from the anesthetic, he said, “Penny for your thoughts, kid.”
“Nothing important,” I said trying to complete my work.
Bear wouldn’t leave it alone. He imitated Jimmy Cagney from one of his gangster movies, “You dirty rat, I know you’re hiding something. You can’t get away. No, I won’t let you get away.”
I started laughing.
Bear smiled. “Now, why the serious look before,” he said in his normal voice.
“I was just thinking about nursing and why I was picked for this assignment. Nothing else.”
“I’ve known General Sherman a long time, even butted heads with him on more than one occasion. If he didn’t think you were the right person, he wouldn’t have chosen you. Relax, everything will be ok,” Bear said confidently.
“I should be saying that to you.”
“I already know it because you are my nurse; I am in a good hospital with excellent doctors so I have nothing to be concerned about.” He paused a moment to catch his breath.
Wearily Bear whispered, “I know General Sherman is anxious to talk to me so I am ready to begin the debriefings.”
“I need Dr. Jacobs’s approval on this. If he says it’s alright, I will contact General Sherman after I have done my nursing duties.”
“You know that they are anxious to talk to me,” Bear repeated.
“I heard you the first time,” I said sternly. “This is a decision that is out of both our hands. Besides, are you in any condition to talk to them after all you have been through? Don’t you think this could wait another day?”
“I know the information they want.” Bear said persistently.
“It’s been a long time. Another few hours can’t make a difference,” I said knowing what his response would be.
“You would be surprised,” he retorted.
“Let me call Dr. Jacobs and get the ball rolling.” I picked up the telephone and called Dr. Jacobs. He came down and examined Bear. Dr. Jacobs asked to see me in the hall.
“I don’t have a problem with him talking to the brass,” he said like he was telling me a secret. “They are breathing down my back to have a debriefing as soon as possible. However, you are his caregiver and you have to be the one who decides how much is too much. Marla, as strange as these sounds, you call the shots with his day-to-day activities. Start with whatever you think is ok and work it up to whatever feels right for him.” replied Dr. Jacobs.
“Thanks, Dr. Jacobs.”
“I’ll be in to check on him later.”
Dr. Jacobs left. I entered Bear’s room.
“Bear, I need to do my nursing duties. If you feel up to a meeting after I finish, I will call General Sherman.
Bear responded this time as Jimmy Stewart, “You do what you need to do. When you are done, I will tell you how I feel. Howze about that? By the way, have you seen Harvey?” Bear said smiling weakly. He looked exhausted and it wasn’t even noon yet.
“Good. Harvey stepped out for a moment.” I said smiling.
I knew Major Smith was different than anyone I had ever encountered. I was having feelings for a man I just met. How was this possible? I felt deep in my soul that this man wasn’t going to be an average case. No, not at all. Bear wasn’t an average man. He was a man who had been to hell and back, a Special Forces Officer who endured time as a POW and God knows what else. I knew it when he first opened those baby blue eyes and stared at me, he was unlike any other man I had ever taken care of. As his battered and bruised body lay there in the bed like a shattered doll, I looked into his eyes and I saw his soul. At that moment, I realized I loved him. But wait a minute, I must be nuts. How could I love him? Love at first sight? For me, rational Marla? No! I just met the man but these feelings persisted. They wouldn’t go away. I couldn’t let my personal feelings jeopardize my professional caretaking. He needed the best the military had to offer. The brass thought it was me. I was flattered but if I couldn’t control these feelings….
I told myself I have to stop thinking these thoughts and concentrate on my job. It was time to start my morning routine.
I changed the bed by rolling the sheet from the side to side careful not to disturb Bear’s leg. When I put the new sheet on, I rolled him the other way. The top sheet and blanket were not difficult to change but I had to keep Bear’s leg as still as possible. Not an easy thing for one person to do. There was a triangle bar above the bed for Bear to grab on to but Dr. Jacob cautioned me that he should use it as little as possible the first two weeks. I removed the dressings on his back, bathed his beaten, scared body, applied antibacterial ointment and redressed his wounds. His wrists had scabs that I left alone. I helped him brush his teeth and gave him some ice chips to suck on. I changed the surgical dressing on his leg and put a new gown on him. My last chore was to empty the catheter bag.
Lunch had come and gone for both of us. Bear was on a liquid diet. After six months in captivity and another two weeks in the jungle subsisting on God knows what, his body needed to be reacquainted with food. Chicken broth or beef broth, and tea with honey and lemon were all he could have. Everything had to be measured because he was on intake and output. Every ounce of liquid including the water he drank had to be measured against what was in the Foley to make sure his kidneys functioned correctly.
I had a tray brought up from the cafeteria. I had a sandwich, chips and an ice tea. Freddy was on duty. He knew how to make sandwiches just the way I liked them. He was my favorite cook.
It was mid-afternoon by the time all the hygiene and cleaning was completed. Bear was shivering. I called housekeeping requesting extra blankets be sent to his room. During the interim, I pulled the one blanket and sheet up to his shoulders. He was dozing on and off.
“Are you finished with all your nursing duties?” he said sleepily.