My Name Is Moonjumper

By Arthur W. Coffey

John Moonjumper, Moon to his friends, is a Seminole Indian retired from the United States Army and became bored with nothing to do so he joined the Seminole Nation Lighthorsemen, the security branch of the Seminole Nation. Ordinarily, his duties were mediating domestic disputes and arresting drunk and disorderly members of the Nation. When an elderly member of the Nation became involved in a dispute with an oil company, Moon found himself embroiled in murder, a dispute with an F.B.I. agent, a bomb plot, a cat fight with his wife as a participant, a drug raid, an actual bombing of his home and several attempts on his life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 20, 2010
• ISBN: 9781453536216

Arthur W. Coffey

Arthur Coffey was born near Little Ax in rural Cleveland County Oklahoma. He was educated at Venice High School in Southern California, Seminole State College and East Central State University in Ada Oklahoma. As a young man, he served first in the 40th Division, California National Guard and the United States Air Force. On release from the Air Force he returned to Oklahoma where he met and married a girl from Seminole. They and their children traveled through the Southern and Western states but returned to Seminole for the children’s higher education. Mister Coffey has written magazine articles and man short stories most of which have never been published.

Book preview

Chapter 1

"Hey Moon, whatcha gonna do after you retire?’

I’m gonna sit on my ass and lie to my grandkids when they say, whatja do when you wuz in the army granddad? The orderly room personnel laughed. Senior Warrant Officer John Phillip Moonjumper was one of the more popular Non-coms in the group. He had served in both Korea and Viet Nam and had been decorated and received the Purple Heart in both places. In Korea for a bullet wound in the buttocks acquired while rescuing his wounded commanding officer as a private. And again in Viet Nam for piloting his helicopter into a fierce fire fight to pick up the injured.

The company adjutant appeared in the open door of his office and put in his two cents.

What grand children, Moon? You ain’t even married.

What does that have to do with having grand kids? Moon boomed and elicited another chorus of guffaws. And anyway I was married and even got a couple of woods colts that call me daddy. The remark about the woods colts’ remark fell flat in the room occupied mostly by men under the age of thirty. Into the puzzled silence the adjutant posed another question.

Heard that you are going to make one more trip up to 347 before you take the rocking chair next week. 347 was the designation of a point on the opium trail between Laos and Viet Nam that the outfit was monitoring as a ‘courtesy’ to the DEA. It was also considered to be the most dangerous location in South Asia since the end of the Viet Nam conflict.

Well, Moon turned to face his inquisitor. I was asked to do just that.

They asked you? said a smooth faced kid sitting on the corner of a desk.

Yeah. Moon replied, very politely too, right after they offered me a promotion to major if I would re-up. That brought laughter back into the room.

What’d you tell ‘em? The lieutenant in the doorway inquired.

Nothing yet. Every one in the orderly room knew that the adjutant was the one who’d asked Moon to make the jump. And everyone in the room knew that the lieutenant had no authority to offer Moon the promotion; everyone including Moon. There was some friction between the adjutant and Moon but no one knew the cause. Most believed that it was just jealousy that caused the lieutenant to ride Moon so unmercifully. The lieutenant leaned against the door post and smirked.

What’re you going to tell them? Moon smiled as only a man with less than a week left before retirement can.

I’m going to tell ‘em, he paused and looked around the room, Hell no! The smirk never left the lieutenants face as he voiced one more question.

Chicken? It was Moons turn to smile as he replied.

The last time I was up there those DEA boys had me fly so low that some one bounced a rock off my bird. Next time they may have something a little more powerful, like, maybe a stinger.

Shit! Those druggies can’t get anything like that. He was no longer smiling. It was politically incorrect to speak such things aloud.

Lieutenant, anyone who’d believe that would believe that Korea was only a ‘policing action’ but I got a hole in my butt that testifies that it was a war. The lieutenant stepped back into his office and shut the door forcefully; and he was no longer smiling though everyone else in the room was. It was common knowledge that the lieutenant was afraid to fly; and certainly not into danger zones.

The smooth faced kid stood and faced Moon.

Do you really think that they might have some stingers up there? Moon looked at him. He was the newest in the outfit. The one who was supposed to replace himself as a matter fact. Twenty one, maybe twenty two; shiny gold bars on his shoulders; probably just out of helicopter training; and probably scared shitless.

Son, I have never had anything other than small change thrown at me, none of us have. he stared around the room as if challenging those present to deny his statement. "But stay low, let the foliage hide you. Some times it will sound like a hail storm with all the lead they’ll throw at you but you stay low. Small arms fire is not gonna hurt you in your black bird, so you stay low.’ Serious talk was a rarity in their orderly room and for good reason. They all knew that they might be only on flight away from eternity.

Hey Moon, Ain’t you afraid that Pie face will get you for putting him down in here? Pie face was what the company called the adjutant when he wasn’t around. Moon looked at the adjutants closed door and crooked a finger to invite them outside. Once in the open air Moon smiled and assured them.

Young men, Pie face don’t know it but there is a special plane comeing in here in, he looked at his watch, about two hours. On that plane will be a major or maybe a captain and he is going to fly yours truly down to PAC/COM for a special ceremony. You boys don’t know it but you got a gen-U-wine hero in your midst. ME! To a man the group smiled; they did know it. They all knew about the citations and Purple Hearts he had accumulated in Korea and Viet Nam; they knew that twice before he had been offered promotions but had turned them down because they were tied to a desk somewhere; and they knew that when Uncle Sam had pulled out of Viet Nam moon had been one who had volunteered to stay behind at this supposed ‘secret base’ to fish out some of our people who had been left behind accidentally, or purposely when the going got too hot. The rational for the base was to monitor the drug trails from Laos and Viet Nam for the DEA. And they also knew that should they ever find themselves in a hot spot John Moonjumper would go through hell to reach them and pull them out.

And while on that plane, Moon continued, that captain or major is going to offer me a promotion to get me to re-up. But to quote my Uncle Scooter Moonjumper when they came to haul him off in the draft in 1942, I ain’t a gonna do it!" The slamming of the orderly room screen door made all of them jump and turn toward it. The adjutant was coming down the steps at a trot carrying a flac-jacket in one hand.

Moonjumper on deck. he shouted as he began to race toward the helicopters on the flight line. Strength of habit caused Moon to begin to sprint in that direction also. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Jim Farney of the DEA come flying out of the ready room of hanger 5 that was reserved for his agency.

Moon reached the chopper at the same time a Jim and slightly ahead of Lieutenant Pie Face who was a step ahead of the smooth faced kid. Sergeant Roper was already cranking the rotor of the bird with the Seminole war axe painted on the side.

What the hell Jim? The DEA agent shook his head as he clambered into the back of the helicopter and then ducked it toward the adjutant who was handing the flac-jacket into the helicopter and grinning evilly.

347 you sonofabitch and I hope they shoot your ass off. The smooth faced kid heard the remark and with a shove of his shoulder boosted Pie face into the copilot’s seat just as Moon lifted the bird off the ground. What the hell are you doing you sonofabitch?

347 you said. Moon replied as Pie Face scrambled to haul himself upright against the sudden lurch as the helicopter changed directions.

Put me down. The lieutenant cried a look of panic on his face.

Jim, I can’t concentrate with all that racket in my ears. There was a gentle thump from the co-pilots direction and the lieutenant slumped forward. Jim Farney grabbed for his collar as he leaned toward the door

Better buckle him up. Moon said, We don’t want to loose him. The DEA agent was already fumbling with the lieutenant’s harness.

Heaven forbid. the agent said. What’s this all about?

Well, good buddy, you know how the lieutenant has always wanted to see what it was like on these little jaunts, and how he never had the time because of administration duties. Moon looked over his shoulder at the grinning face of Jim farney. Everyone knew of the adjutant’s fear of flying. And it was a slow day at the office when you boys called us out,

Wait a minute Moon. the agent interrupted, "we didn’t call you out. Moon again looked over his shoulder at the agent.

I know that old son, but I ain’t supposed to.

Then we’re not going to 347? he sounded relieved.

Oh yeah. The lieutenant said to go so we’re going. I’m too close to the rocking chair to take a chance on a courts martial. the DEA agent shrugged his shoulders.

It’s your bird. But I wanted you to know that he called us and said he got word that there was movement on the trail so saddle up Moon nodded as he dropped the helicopter to tree-top level. Stay low, he had cautioned the new kid. Damned good advice.

"A thin veil of dust rising above the trees off to the right caught Moons eye and he turned the bird in that direction. The dust cloud was very light showing that the vehicles that made it were going slow trying to avoid detection. Had he not been looking specifically for such a thin dust cloud it might have escaped even his trained eyes.

As he neared the place where the dust cloud was rising the helicopter suddenly bucked wildly as a loud WHOOMP assaulted his ears and his very brain. A thousand bits of metal, glass, fabric and maybe bone flew wildly throughout the interior of the copter. He fought the machine for control as a searing heat engulfed him. He tried to turn toward the home base.

Oh shit! he exclaimed as he felt something warm running down his cheek and into the padded collar of his flac-jacket. Stiffening his hold on the control stick he gingerly reached up and felt under his helmet. Something hard and sharp stuck his fingers as he announced another vehement SHIT! He glanced over at the copilot’s seat and saw that Pie Face was doubled over as far as his harness would allow.

Jim: A muffled grunt answered his call. Jim, dammit, are you okay?

Hell no! My head’s swimming, my right arm is leaking and I got a burning sensation in my right leg. Damn! My leg’s on fire. There was a thumping noise that Moon interpreted as Jim trying to beat out the flames on his britches leg. Hey! My right arm don’t want to work right.

Any pain?

Not yet.

Can you get up here and help me? This sonofabitchin bird is thrashing around like a fish out of water. He heard a shuffling noise behind him.

I can’t get my harness loose. Cut the sonofabitch."

I can’t reach my boot knife."

Bite it in two. I don’t know how long I can hold it alone. There was a loud report from the rear. What the hell now?

I shot the damned harness. There was a rustle and a slight giggle. It was dead anyway. Moon sensed a movement to his right but wouldn’t, couldn’t take his eyes off of the tree tops that were reaching up to grab the chopper. Pie Face has had it. Jim announced.

Dump him and get up here. He felt a slight change in the gyrations of the copter as it was freed of the lieutenant’s weight then he felt Jim brush past to sit in the copilot’s seat. He risked a quick look to his right and say that t Jim was buckling his harness.

What now? Jim inquired.

Grab that control stick in front of you and, Oh shit! A cough from the engine caused this last exclamation. Then