The Broken Beads

By Harry Kline

This story, and a perusal of the accompanying chronology, reveals how a fierce and united people have achieved their freedom against superior forces.
The author retired from the federal government, as a senior intelligence analyst, after thirty-six years of service.
He served three years in the Army during the Korean War but was assigned to the Armed Forces Security Agency (AFSA) in the District of Columbia area in late 1952.
Shortly after his assignment, the agency was renamed the National Security Agency (NSA). After his enlistment was up, he converted to civilian service with the NSA.
He was sent to Germany as an adviser to a military intelligence battalion (Army Security Agency), that was deployed along the East-West German border and then returned to the headquarters NSA.
The writer has traveled extensively in Vietnam. He has visited places on the coast from just south of Hue to Vung Tau, the mountains around Kontum and Pleiku, the Saigon area including Ben Hoa Cholon, and in the Vietnamese delta, My Toe and all the way to the town of Ha Tien on the Vietnam/Cambodian border on the Gulf of Thailand.
He met and conversed with many native Vietnamese, vacationed with a Vietnamese family (a girlfriend, her mother and a young son) in the old French beach vacation town of Vung Tau, and for a brief time taught English to some young Vietnamese monks who gave him a tour of their residence and introduced him to their ways of life.
After returning to NSA he used his off duty time to volunteer in the attempt to get Vietnamese refugee families together. He assisted at one of the refugee camps and for a time sponsored one, three-generation, family providing them with a residence and trying to familiarize them with the American ways of life.
He has obtained official correspondences from the Truman library concerning Vietnam, including a message from Ho Chi Minh.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Mar 28, 2012
• ISBN: 9781466908192

Harry Kline

The author retired from the federal government, as a senior intelligence analyst, after thirty-six years of service. He served three years in the army during the Korean War but was assigned to the Armed Forces Security Agency (AFSA) in the Washington area in late 1952. Shortly after his assignment, the agency was renamed the National Security Agency (NSA). After his enlistment was up, he converted to civilian service with the NSA. He spent considerable time in Germany as an advisor to a military intelligence battalion (Army Security Agency), which was deployed along the East-West German border and after one unbroken four year tour he returned to the headquarter (NSA). One year later he was assigned to The Office of the Department of Defense Special Rep to Military Assistance Command in Vietnam for a one year tour. Returning to headquarter for a few years, he returned to Vietnam for another year. When the Military pulled out of Vietnam he was assigned to the American embassy in Saigon. He returned to the headquarter prior to the U.S. final departure from Vietnam. The writer has traveled extensively in Vietnam. He has visited places on the coast from Just south of Hue to Vung Tau, the mountains around Kontum and Pleiku, the Saigon area including Ben Hoa Cholon etc., and in the Vietnamese delta, My Toe and all the way to the Town of Ha Tien on the Vietnam/Cambodian border on the Gulf of Thailand. He met and conversed with many native Vietnamese, vacationed with a Vietnamese family (a girl friend, her mother and a young son) in the old French beach vacation town of Vung Tau, and for a brief time taught English to some young Vietnamese monks who gave him a tour of their residence and introduced him to their ways of life. After returning to NASA he used his off duty time to volunteer in the attempt to get Vietnamese refugee families together. He assisted at one of the refugee camps and for a time sponsored one, three generation, family providing them with a residence and trying to familiarize them with the American ways of life. He has obtained official correspondences from the Truman library concerning Vietnam, including a message from Ho Chi Minh.

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© Copyright 2012 Harry Kline.

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isbn: 978-1-4669-0818-5 (sc)

isbn: 978-1-4669-0819-2 (e)

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CONTENTS

Prologue

Forward

Vietnam Chronology

Chapter 1    Precession

Chapter 2    Mongols

Chapter 3    Success

Chapter 4    Phrang of the Hill People

Chapter 5    A Wife for Phrang

Chapter 6    Prelude

Chapter 7    Trek to Lenoire

Chapter 8    Lenoire

Chapter 9    Fate

Chapter 10    Return to France

Chapter 11    Conspirator

Chapter 12    Holiday

Chapter 13    Back Home

Chapter 14    Japanese

Chapter 15    The Enemy

Chapter 16    Sato’s Death

Chapter 17    Hong Kong

Chapter 18    Resistance

Chapter 19    Changing Tides

Chapter 20    Return to Lenoire

Chapter 21    War’s End

Chapter 22    Self-Serving Minions

Chapter 23    Return and Loss

Chapter 24    Death in the Family

Chapter 25    War

Chapter 26    Tragedy

Chapter 27    The Trail

Chapter 28    From the Past

Chapter 29    Flag Pole Strategy

Chapter 30    Strategy Study

Chapter 31    American Escalation

Chapter 32    Return to Saigon

Chapter 33    Money

Chapter 34    Saigon

Chapter 35    The Watcher

Chapter 36    Enemy Meeting

Chapter 37    The Watcher

Chapter 38    Mary

Chapter 39    Mary’s Trip

Chapter 40    Carnage

Chapter 41    Another Attack

Chapter 42    Enemy Operations

Chapter 43    Friendly Operations

Chapter 44    The Platoon

Chapter 45    Gorman

Chapter 46    The Attacks

Chapter 47    Horror of War

Chapter 48    The Trap

Chapter 49    Disaster Report

Chapter 50    A Returned Hero

Chapter 51    Milk Run

Chapter 52    War And Politics

Chapter 53    Back Home

Bibliography

Prologue

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The American did not quite understand why the Communist negotiator had struck up a conversation with him. After all, he himself had no part in the negotiations.

Possibly the man was as bored as he was. The negotiations themselves were very brief. The numerous breaks were so long they had to be boring to anyone not involved in the, behind the scenes repositioning on each minute facet of the agreements. Or maybe the man just wanted to practice his English. He obviously had practiced it at length many times. His speech was flawless. He did not use slang, but he made the occasional slip in grammar or pronunciation that many Americans also make.

The first casual comments by the Vietnamese had taken him by surprise, but he, possibly because of the boredom, had readily replied. The conversation had become friendly, but frank and he was developing a liking for the Asian. For the first time, the American began to feel optimistic about the negotiations.

If only they could find a few breakthroughs…

As the conversation continued the Vietnamese absent-mindedly pulled a string of beads from the pocket of his tunic and began to run them through his fingers; much like a rosary.

An understanding on one subject, mused the American.

A thought came to him.

You know, he spoke, We, that is, our side is very concerned about the missing-in-action subject. Some of the people, back home, who form our attitudes, are antagonistic towards relations between our countries. Much of that attitude could be eased by progress on the subject.

Is it really that important? asked the other.

The subject had apparently agitated the man and he was fingering the beads much more rapidly.

Yes, replied the American. You know, there are three thousand of them?

And what about ours? asked the Asian, There are more than ten times that number. Some disappeared from puppet prisons and some from their villages in both the north and the south. We know some of the prisoners were thrown from helicopters over the jungle or over the ocean. Some disappeared as a result of your Phoenix operations. Some were left in the jungle for the tigers. Many we can not even speculate about.

He had become much more agitated and the string in his hands suddenly broke. The beads scattered over the floor.

The American hesitated as if suddenly stunned. He kneeled on the floor and began recovering the beads. The activity hid his sudden confusion as his memory, stirred by the other’s words, came flooding back.

He had been visiting the scene of a major attack on one of the forward bases and was returning to Saigon. An American Special Forces sergeant and two other American Special Forces enlisted men along with two ARVIN officers who were escorting three Vietnamese prisoners shared the helicopter.

One of the officers was obviously questioning the prisoners. Two of the V.C. alternately glared at him or studiously ignored him. The third prisoner appeared very nervous and mostly sat with his head lowered, occasionally stealing a glance at the interrogator when the former was not looking his way.

One of the prisoners openly sneered at a question barked by the order. The officer, obviously enraged, jerked the prisoner to his feet. He yelled some more questions at the prisoner, but the man, his hands bound behind him, stood in stony silence.

The ARVIN suddenly shoved the man toward and through the open door of the helicopter. The second prisoner stared blankly ahead, but the third one was openly shaking now. The officer jerked him erect and held him near the door. The American started to rise, but the prisoner started babbling answers to the shouted questions.

When the officer had exhausted his questions, he smiled and shoved the terrified man, not back to his seat, but through the door.

The murder of the first V.C. had shocked the American, but the second slaying brought him to his feet. He started toward the ARVIN, who looked at the third prisoner, shrugged and then returned to his seat after an insolent glance at the American.

How could you do that? the American shouted, You are crazy!

Oh? I learned that from an American.

No soldier would do such a thing. He would be shot.

The officer glanced at the two Special Forces men and replied slowly, Is that so? At any rate, my teacher was not military.

The American could not find any more beads and, having recovered his aplomb, arose to hand them to the negotiator.

This is all I could find. I am very sorry.

About the beads? That’s all right, they are not really valuable.

I’m sorry the necklace broke and I’m afraid a couple of the beads are broken. I think I stepped on them.

Yes, that is a tragedy. They are broken just as my country. As I said they are not valuable, but they have a history. Let me tell you their story.

Forward

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Vietnam still seems to be an Enigma to many Americans.

That is mostly because they do not know its people and their history. Many diverse peoples, constantly fighting among themselves, originally populated the country. On occasion they united to fight external enemies. They united to fight against, and expelled, the Chinese a number of times. They fought against the Mongols, who had conquered the world up to what is now the Polish border and up to the Mediterranean Sea. They have become a united, and very nationalistic peoples.

In more modern times they resisted French rule until France ceded the country to the Japanese. They fought the Japanese until the Japanese turned the country over to them at the end of the war. When the French tried to reclaim the country they fought the French return until they expelled them also. They fought the Americans who took over the war from the French till they expelled them also.

Communist, Socialists or what else they may be, they have became a more modern and strong nation.

They have never really disliked the Americans and have readily established diplomatic relations with the U.S. The U.S has become their biggest trading partner. They have also become our strongest ally in Southeast Asia.

Vietnam Chronology

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31,000BC Date for earliest Homo sapiens in Southeast Asia found in Java.

5,000BC First Vietnam culture found in Hoa Binh (now north Vietnam). Possibly Australoid group came from central Asia to Indonesia and Australia.

300BC Bronze and iron implements in Dong—Son Vietnam.

214BC Tonkin and Annam annexed to China. Appear to have Mongol-Indonese mixture.

200BC A Funan Empire existed in Lower Mekong delta through present day Cambodia. It was a center for trade with Malay, Indonesia, Persia and Mediterranean. Funan fell to Champa (in what is now central Vietnam) and Khmers (probably from the North).

111BC Tonkin conquered by Han from China. Began 1,000 years of control by China. Troung sisters attempt to evict Chinese, were named as queens but were defeated by Chinese General Ma Yuan.

100AD Kingdom of Funan is now present day Cambodia.

200AD Champa inhabitants, speaking Malayo-Polynesian language (probably came from Indonesia) make attacks on Funan as well as Tonkin and now occupying Mekong Delta and north to Present day Nha Trang, Camranh and Phan Rang are finally defeated by Funan.

230AD Chinese defeated and controlled Tonkin and probably Champa and Funan.

248AD Rebellion against Chinese led by a woman (Trieu An) failed.

300AD Earliest writing in Malayo-Polynesian language in rock inscription in Quang Nam province.

540AD Another rebellion against Chinese quashed.

939AD First independence secured for Tonkin to Ha Tinh. Other provinces taken by Champa.

945AD Chama invaded by Khmers.

980AD Champa, invaded by Tonkin, ceded Northern territories.

1150AD Khmers conquered part of Champa and attacked Tonkin.

1177 Champa and Tonkin subdued Khemers and took Cambodia but were expelled by Khmers.

1200 Thais, to escape Kublai Khan attacks, moved against Khmers.

1257 Champa, Tonkin and others united to fight Mongols.

1284 To fight Mongols, leader Tran Hung Dao withdrew all to mountains and trained them in guerilla warfare.

1285 Tran Hung Dao forces defeated a Mongol army.

1287 Combined forces under Tran Hung Dao chased Mongols into retreat.

1407 Ming emperor seized Hanoi.

1428 Annamites (Vietnamese) under Le Loi defeated Ming forces and gained independence from China.

1470 Vietnamese in north united with Champa through marriage but those in the North began giving free land to settlers in north Champa causing reduction of Champa. Champa is reduced to Phan Rang, Phan Thiet and Khan Hoa.

1557 Portuguese got permission to settle and trade in Macao.

1565 Spanish took Philippines establishing a foothold in Southeast Asia.

1615 First Italian and Protégées Jesuit missionaries landed in Da Nang.

1620 French missionaries arrived in Vietnam.

1631 Vietnam separated in two parts with the North under Le kings and south under Nguyen feudal family.

1655 All of Vietnam North of Saigon controlled by Vietnamese.

1672 Saigon taken by Vietnamese.

1682 French opened a trading post but gave it up in 1682.

1683 British tried to open a trading post but gave it up in 1697.

1757 Vietnamese now controlled a strip from Southeast Cambodia to the East coast of the Mekong delta.

1771 Tay Son defeated Nguyens and now controlled all South Vietnam.

1786 Families in Northern Vietnam at war for the Trung Throne.

1787 Port of Tourane and island of Condor given to French Bishop for aiding Nguyen family against Tonkin.

1789 French revolution ended any French interest in Vietnam but the day the Bastille fell Bishop Pigneau arrived in Vietnam with a young man of the Nguyen family.

1792 Saigon city has broad boulevards along a protected harbor.

1802 Nguyen Anh pulled together all of Vietnam from China to the coast of the Cau Mau peninsula on the southern coast, (all of present day Vietnam). He took the name Gia Long.

1820 Gia Long died but Vietnam now included Cambodia with a population of seven million.

1858 Murders of thousands of Catholics including priests and missionaries gave France reason to invade Vietnam.

1862 French now controlled half of what they called Cochin China.

1884 China agreed to cede all of Vietnam south of their border to France.

1888 Nam Nghia claimed the throne and led a revolt in 1884 but by 1888 he was captured with all his men.

1890 Diem’s father is Minister of rights and Grand Chamberlin

to emperor Yhan Thai. First development of Viet natural resources began. Ho Chi Minh is born. Philippines are acquired by the U.S.

1896 Ho Chi Minh born. (Jacques and Lam born)

1901 Diem born.

1902 French divide Vietnam into two protectorates (Tonkin and Annam) each under a French Resident Superior and the colony of Cochin China under a French Governor. (Lam’s wife, Ba, born)

1904 So called university established in Hanoi.

1911 Ho went to Phan Theit and then Saigon.

1912 First French rubber plantation began to produce. Ho went to sea for two years.

1914 Vo Nguyen Giap born. Bao Dai born.

Ho left ship in London, signed on as seaman during war, left ship in New York, worked as a waiter in Harlem and Boston.

100,000 Vietnamese were taken to France as workers and soldiers. While there the soldiers were used to fire on French workers. They were returned home but were given no rights for administration or political positions.

1916 Emperor Duy Tan rebelled against the French but he was defeated by General Petain and loyal Viet units and was forced from the throne Khai Dinh (father of Bao Dai) named as emperor.

Ho went to France using the name Nguyen Ai Quoc and established contact with Viet revolutionaries. (Marie born)

1919 Japanese press issued statement that The Japanese will liberate mankind and We have faith in the Japanese mission to free the universe.

1920 Ho addressed the 18th congress of French Socialist party and asked them to assist the Viet struggle against French colonialism without success. Ho was recognized as spokesperson for 60,000 Viets in France.

1922 Ho made a brief visit to Moscow.

1924 Significant rubber production began in Indo-China.

1925 Ho was named political advisor and interpreter to Mikhal Borodin who Stalin sent as rep to Chaing Khi Shek. Ho, using the name Song Man Tcho, trained revolutionaries and sent them back to Vietnam.

1925 Sun Yat Sen died. He had been forced to accept help from Communist Russia. (Jacques and Marie arrive in Saigon). Indonesia producing half the world’s rubber.

1929 Ho in Moscow, then Brussels. He visited France, Italy, Germany and Switzerland. (Jacques and Marie visit France).

Ho’s hunger strike in Vinh seized French estates, divided them up and set up people’s republics. Ho visited and was almost captured. His associates were arrested.

1930 Ho went to Hong Kong using the name Tong Van So. He was arrested by police on a request by the French.

1931 (Lam’s son Phouc was born)

1932 Bao Dai ascended to the throne.

1933 Ho was reported by Hong Kong to have died in prison but was actually smuggled out and ended up teaching school in Singapore. French Communist party outlawed.

(Lam’s second son, Cuc, is born)

1934 Ho is back in Moscow. (Jacques’s son, Thomas, is born).

1935 Ho attended a meeting in Macao, which called for revolution.

1936 Ho was present in Moscow during the purges.

1937 Japanese invaded China at Shanghai, went to Nanking where they executed 100-200,000 Chinese and raped 5,000 women and boys before killing them.

1939 South Vietnam exported 1.5 million tons of rice. Half a million Viets attended lower elementary schools but only 10% went to higher elementary school and 1% went on to secondary school.

1940 Vichy France signed a treaty with the Japanese. They conceded Indo China to the Japanese. Delaying actions by the French in Hanoi resulted in Japanese attacking and taking border forts. (Marie goes to Hong Kong)

1941 Viet Communist leaders organized the Viet Minh to resist Japanese. FDR message to Petain says if Japan wins the war they will control Indo China—If the allies win we take over.

Japanese announced that the French Vichy government had agreed to a joint protectorate of Indo China. Ho returned to China and was arrested. Americans, with Chaing Khi Shek, pleaded for his release. Word was sent that he had died in prison. Pearl Harbor bombed on 7 December. Hong Kong fell to the Japanese on 25 December.

1941-42 Ho and Giap conducted war against Japanese and Vichy French. Ho had been co-operating with the Free French hoping they would agree to independence.

1943 Yamamoto killed. Ho arrested by Chinese for refusal to include Chinese quislings in the Viet Minh. Ho was released and agreed to work for the Chinese but formed a relationship with Americans OSS who provided training and some protection from the Chinese. In turn Ho provided intelligence and means of rescuing downed American pilots. De Gaulle stated intent to reestablish French authority in Indo-China.

1944 FDR note to Cordell Hull said France has milked Indo China, it should not go back to France but should be administered by an international trusteeship. He said that France has had the country for 100 years and the people are worse off than they were in the beginning. France has milked it for 100 years. The people of Indo China are entitled to something better than that.

Ho made a secret trip to Kunming, to the American OSS. Roosevelt personally directed the OSS to give Ho side arms and light weapons. FDR died April 12th.

1945 Ambassador Patrick Hurly wrote Truman that he had advised FDR that the French and Dutch were co-operating to prevent a trusteeship for Indo China.

The OSS informed the U.S. state department that in many areas of Vietnam 100% of the population share anti-French feelings Japan turned over Viet government to Emperor Bao Dai who turned it over to the Viet Min.

Ho formed a national liberation front to take over Tonkin and Annam. Ho entered Hanoi and staged an uprising and the city went over to him. Tran Van Giau, one of Ho’s associates, took over Saigon.

Emperor Bao Dai tells de Gaulle if the French should consider ruling the country, no one would obey you. Every village will be a resisting force. Each person will be your enemy. You will have to withdraw.

De Gaulle sent word to Ho that if the French were left back in they would guarantee independence in five to ten years, but de Gualle later revoked the agreement.

Ho appealed to Truman who took a strong anti-Communist line.

Former emperor Duy Tan, exiled by the French for 25 years, had joined the free French and had become a Major in the French army. De Gaulle asked him to return to Viet Nam to control Ho, but he died in a plane crash while picking up his family in Africa.

British arrived in Viet Nam.

Diplomat, George Kennan in Russia told U.S. secretary of state that Viet nationalist movement was directly related to Russian Communist expansion.

Acheson said that France could help in preventing that move toward Communism by moving quickly to satisfy national aspiration.

Ho told Patti of the OSS that he puts more reliance on U.S. than Soviets to support Viet independence. Says he is not a Communist in the American sense and will accept help from any place he can get it.

During the last three months of the year Ho sent numerous petitions to high-ranking U.S. military and civilians but received no replies.

1946 Nation wide elections were held. Ho defeated all rivals and Viet Minh won 230 0f 300 legislature seats. Election was observed by a British political officer who said free and full voting in Tonkin and Annam. No elections were held in French controlled Cochin China.

Ho signed an agreement for French troops to return for five years with French recognizing a democratic government as a free state in the French union.

French tell colonials in Saigon that the agreement does not include the South. French high commissioner in Saigon is to negotiate a cease-fire but arrests Viets who come to negotiate and puts a bounty on all others who do not surrender.

Ho goes to France to negotiate treaties but has to wait while France forms a government. Ho has to sign a worthless agreement.

Although the U.S. is neutral in Indo China the French diverted massive amounts of aid, intended for France, to Vietnam.

Fighting by Viet Minh results in French order to take the city.

General Valluy orders the city to evacuate within two hours and then shells the city, and launches a major attack. Air and naval attacks kill estimated 5,000 Viet civilians.

December 19th most electrical plants in the north are blown up by the Viet Minh and they launch attacks on the French.

1947 France says that before any negotiations it is necessary to have a military victory.

French bring Bao Dai back to rule.

Ho tells his people we must sacrifice even our last drop of blood to safeguard our country.

1948 (Lam shoots his oldest son, Phouc)

1949 Diem creates a party to resist both French and Viet Minh.

1950 Moscow recognizes Ho’s government. U.S. reacts by giving support to France and Associated states (a French invention with Bao Dai as figurehead leader of Vietnam).

The first members of the U.S. military advisory group arrive in Viet Nam in September. By October there are sixty-five officers and enlisted men in South Viet Nam.

French commissioner in Viet Nam told U.S. Brig. General Erskine he could not use more Viet troops because they were unreliable. Erskine asked him who in hell are you fighting but Vietnamese? The commissioner admitted that if he used more Viets they would have to make more concessions to Viet Nam.

1951 Senator Kennedy, after a visit to Vietnam said In Indo China we have allied ourselves to the desperate efforts of the French to hold on to the remnants of an empire.

With Truman in the White house and Dean Acheson Secretary of State, aid to French in Viet Nam was 5,000,000 dollars.

1952 Twenty nine percent of land owners hold title to forty five percent of the land in South Viet Nam. U.S. director of mutual security found that ninety five percent of the business generated by the U.S. for Viet Nam went to local French Business men who resold all material for a two hundred and fifty percent profit.

European born French forces are in a minority, remainder is from Algeria, Senegal, Morocco and 20,000 Legionnaires.

French troops losses from 3 generals down to 6,000 enlisted men total 11,235 while legionaries loses are 14,000.

1953 Diem has been campaigning in the U.S., saying that anti communist battle is not enough, but total independence is needed.

Eisenhower is elected president. Vice president Nixon says that the dilemma in Indo China seems to boil down to the fact that the native peoples were unwilling to fight Communism in order to perpetuate French colonialism.

Senator J.F. Kennedy said that victory would only come after the French made concessions necessary to make the Viet army a reliable force and that no matter what America did the war would not be won until the Vietnamese people supported it.

1954 U.S. aid to the French in Vietnam was over one trillion dollars or one third of total U.S foreign aid.

J.F. Kennedy said to pour money, material and men into Jungles of Indo China without at least a remote prospect of victory would be dangerous and self destructive.

In May Dien Bien Phu fell after intense fifty-six day battle. War with the French is over after two and a half years. Vietminh win 62,000 sq miles and population of 130,000,000. Cambodia and Laos become independent countries. Bao Dai should be Premier of Vietnam.

(Marie dies)

Bao Dai is voted out in favor of Diem. Balloting is rigged by Diem’s brother-in-law.

As required by Geneva accords, Ho contacts Diem concerning nationwide elections to be held in one year. Diem says elections would be meaningless since North Vietnamese were not free to vote.

1956 Diem abolished the elected village councils and replaced them with officials appointed by province chiefs.

Nationwide elections agreed upon during the Geneva accords are abandoned by U.S. and South Vietnam because it was an accepted fact that the Communists would win.

1958 Souvana Phouma’s Laotian government is replaced by right wing reformists. Coup said to be inspired by Americans.

1959 North Vietnamese central committee formally enforces the use of force to overthrow the South Vietnamese government. The infiltration trail from North to South is improved.

Kennedy is elected President.

1961-62 Diem and most South Vietnamese leaders are Catholics who fled North Vietnam when the country was divided. Diem has been prosecuting the Buddhists. He plotted to turn the military against them by claiming they are pro Viet Minh. He thought he could then blame the military for attacks against them. The Buddhists gained much attention by setting themselves on fire in protest. The immolation helped turn sentiment against Diem.

1963 Diem is overthrown and is murdered in an armored vehicle on the way to Tan Son Nhut airfield.

South Vietnam produced 3 million tons of rice.

1964 UN’s U. Thant, France and the Soviet Union were working for a negotiated settlement. They called for a meeting of the participants of the Geneva accords. The North Viet government was not opposed to convening an international conference to find a solution. South Viet government rejected the proposal and the U.S. agreed with them.

U.S. warships off North Vietnam allegedly attacked by North Viet patrol boats. (Possibly baited to do so). Attack is used as an excuse for U.S. planes to bomb North Vietnam. The patrol boat attack later found to be false.

1968 Astounding attack on most major cities in South Vietnam by the enemy. Although driven off the attacks resulted in reevaluation of the entire situation.

Paris peace talks begin.

1969 First U.S. troops leave Viet Nam.

Ho Chi Minh dies.

1975 War ends.

1978 Vietnam invaded Cambodia and won a victory over the Khmer Rouge within two weeks, but some Khmers escaped.

1979 China invaded Vietnam in support of the Khemers but withdrew after taking 12-15 thousand losses as opposed to 10 thousand Vietnamese.

1980 Approximately 12,000 students attending primary and secondary schools in Vietnam.

1989 Under international pressure Vietnamese withdrew from Cambodia.

1990 Number of students enrolled in primary and secondary schools is over 11 million.

1990-1994 Vietnam rice production is 21,360.4 tons of rice.

1990-2005 Vietnam became the world’s second largest exporter of rice.

1994 Vietnam literacy reaches 94%.

Normalization of U.S. relations with Vietnam began.

1995 President Clinton established Diplomatic relations with Vietnam.

2010 U.S. becomes Vietnam’s second largest trading partner.

Chapter One

Precession

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(A Funan empire in present-day Cambodia and including the Mekong delta was recorded in Chinese chronicles from the first century A.D. The walled Capitol city of Oc-Eo was a center of civilization and a trading port for areas as far away as the Mediterranean and China. French aerial surveys of the 1930’s and 40’s revealed the patterns of hundreds of elaborate canals and of large cities grouped around them.)

The two ships lay on a South China Sea that was as calm and gray as molten lead in the hot morning sunlight. The larger ship had been taken by subterfuge. It had been long after midnight when the lookout first spotted the lights off to port. The captain had been summoned from his sleep when the lookout had first spotted the other craft because these were dangerous waters. A study of the lights suggested there were two vessels. The Captain tried to ease away from them, to no avail.

It’s no use captain, reported his mate, They are after us for sure. Why don’t they close?

Perhaps they like to play cat and mouse. I’ll try to lose them before it gets light. Extinguish the lights and put on all the speed we can muster. Helmsman, steer four points to starboard.

The thought of the treasure they carried through these dangerous waters had weighed heavily on the captain’s mind since they had left the Bay of Bengal, and it weighed heavier still, as they approached the Straits of Malacca. When they cleared the straits, he had immediately steered northward for Oc-Eo, the Funan Kingdom’s Capital City.

He cursed the planners’ decision that continuing the long sea voyage was better than transshipping through the jungle from the Bay of Bengal. True, they would reach the mighty walled city of Oc-Eo sooner this way, but the deeper they sailed into the South China Sea The deeper they ventured into the territory of the Cham pirates who’s empire lay north of Funan.

(The Champa Empire lay north of Funan and along the coast of present day Vietnam.)

These Cham pirates had the daring to raid maritime craft right up within sight of the city. They appeared from nowhere, took what they wanted, and were gone before the empire’s forces could react.

Captain, reported the mate, We haven’t seen the lights for some time now. I think we may have lost them.

Have all hands keep a sharp lookout. I can’t believe it was that easy to lose those pirates.

There was no doubt in the Captain’s mind they were Chams. They had been hazards to shipping for as long as he could remember, and now they were causing problems inland on the northeastern frontier. Of course it wasn’t exactly inland. With the Empire drawn back south and west of the Mekong and the Song Ba Rivers, those waterways offered no protection from the Chams. Rather, they served as broad avenues for their raids. Soon it would be light and they would see just what they had to deal with.

Captain! Aft!

The warning came too late as it coincided with the scrape of the Cham’s bow along their mid-ships. All hands had been straining to watch for the lights of what they did not know were two small defenseless boats off their Port side only to be surprised by the larger Cham craft from starboard. The pirates came storming over the side. Most were stripped to the waist and some wore only a few rags to cover their nakedness.

In the fore was an unusually tall and muscular individual swinging a soon bloodied sword. The man, obviously their leader, pressed into the thickest of the fighting and was soon bloodier than his sword.

The fighting was fierce, but even with their crew on alert; the Funanese was no match for the Cham pirates.

Now, with the battle over the two ships lay locked together on the windless expanse. The pirate crew was starting to assay the booty when the Cham captain discovered the treasure.

The pirate leader came upon one of his men confronted by a Funanese woman. She was blocking a cabin door and screaming dire threats in her native tongue while slashing wildly with a long knife. Unlike his captain the man was not familiar with her language and quickly dispatched her with his sword.

The captain brushed aside her falling body and tried the door to find it locked. That presented no deterrent to the Captain who promptly forced the lock and stepped inside.

A Woman! What are you doing here?

When she did not reply, the captain repeated his question using Funanese.

Being accosted by a bloody pirate, who hasn’t the courage to face a lady without a sword, she retorted and pushed aside the bloody blade the surprised Captain held in his hand.

The Captain appeared dazed. He had no reply to the lady’s tirade, but stood staring at her fearless stance. Neither did he hear the call of the mate who now came looking for him.

Captain Phrang, called the mate. Did you hear me? There is a sail on the horizon, probably a Funanese ship. I suggest we leave at once. Let me take care of this one while you board our ship.

The last, by the mate, stirred the Captain, finally.

No! You go ahead. I’m taking her along.

We have never taken women prisoners before Captain. You can kill her or take her as you wish, but we must go now.

I said I’m taking her. Bring her along.

Sensing the import of the command, the woman responded:

I don’t want that pig touching me. If he does, one of us will die, vowed the prisoner.

Captain Phrang had at least partially recovered and gave reply:

That’s an option. Another is that you come along, but be quick about it.

The prisoner hesitated only long enough to snatch up what appeared to be some personal belongings. The Chams were long gone by the time the Funanese ship arrived to find a sinking craft they could not save.

The Cham ship, with the addition of the cargo from the most recent prize, was now heavily laden and bound for a homeport. These particular Chams were known as some of the fiercest of the marauders and had little to fear from either Funanese retaliation or from other pirates.

That was fortunate for them, as it would have been useless to depend on their normally capable captain.

Like their contemporaries in Europe, the Norsemen, the Chams were mostly sea-borne raiders.

Phrang was totally distracted. The ship that fell to their latest attack had been laden with a rich cargo, but it was obvious that the real treasure it carried was his prisoner. Phrang had seen no one like her.

He could be forgiven. Shari Kubian was possibly unique in her appearance. She had inherited only the best from her diverse ancestors.

Her grand mother had been a Nubian black, of African nobility, presented as a wife to a Persian king. Her daughter in turn had been the seal to a pact with a Brahmin ruler.

Shari had inherited a lithe and noble bearing from her grandmother, not the young boy leanness of the Chams. She was more rounded with softened bodylines.

The bloodlines of the Persian king flowed partially from north of the Himalayas and Shari’s almond shaped eyes hinted at this oriental lineage although the derivation of their jade green color was a mystery. Her mixed ancestry gave Shari Kubian a complexion of dusky gold to go with her exquisite green eyes. She was truly beautiful and Phrang was totally mesmerized.

The weather was pleasant as they sailed north along the eastern coast. They passed the mouth of the Mekong and then another large river. They sailed past, what would some day be the French resort town of Cape St. Jacques (Vung Tau to the natives).

Further north they watched a series of small hills rising abruptly out of the coastal plain, jutting hundreds of feet into the air. Some had homes excavated from their sides. The doors gave them the appearance of so many trap door spider lairs.

The appearance of the pirates had undergone a surprising change. They had long since cleaned up all the blood and were now dressed modestly. Shari had made one of her infrequent appearances on deck and, to Phrang’s surprise, commented civilly on the weather.

Are those the customary habitations of your people? she asked.

Well, they are some of my people but those are not our typical homes. We will be in our homeport soon and you will see that we probably live much as you.

Is this China? Neither you nor your crew look Chinese.

No, China is much further to the north in the direction we are going. We are not Chinese although some of our people have taken Chinese wives or husbands. Our ancestors came from islands far to the south. Sometimes we return there to trade. But you are not Funanese even though you do speak the language?

No. I am from far to the west and was only going to Oc-Eo for my wedding. The woman who died outside my door was Funanese. She was sent to my country as a maid to teach me the language and customs of Funan.

Oh, thought Phrang. I can see why she is not too friendly. Still, her demeanor has appeared to change considerably. It is too bad I reminded her of her situation. I am sorry I destroyed her plans but I didn’t know she was on that ship and I couldn’t leave her on board.

The day seemed to have become less pleasant. Shari’s mood seemed to change with the thought and she turned and moved toward her cabin. It had been the only private cabin on the ship and had belonged to Phrang. He had given it to her to provide a semblance of privacy. The cabin seemed an alien world, compared to what she had been accustomed. It was however comfortable and retained an essence of its former owner. Strangely