The General’S Daughter

By Gerald Naber

It is a family saga beginning during the Vietnam War. It is centered on the many hardships encountered by an American soldier and a North Vietnamese soldier, their eventual encounter/love affair, and their attempts to escape from the raging conflict. The help from family and friendly forces/entities plays a key part in their survival. The story line begins with Max, the husband of the heroine, Quyen, undergoing a dangerous operation to remove a bullet that lodged next to his spine twenty-five years ago during the Vietnam War. His granddaughter, Sarah, overhears her distraught grandmother say that she shot Max. This comment causes Sarah to pester continually the members of the family about what happened. The story slowly unfoldsthe telling of Quyens work as a nurse in an underground hospital, the capture of Max, their love affair, doctoring the tribal people, having a baby, riding the gunship to Saigon, hiding in a convent, and eventually escaping to Hong Kong. Max gets separated from Quyen, is captured, and spends the rest of the war in a prison camp. Quyen sends a letter to Maxs sister, Elizabeth, telling her who she is and that Max is alive. This information startles Elizabeth, and she raises a ruckus with the military until they recognize Max is alive. Eventually Max and Quyen are reunited. The mystery of who shot Max remains a secret.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 5, 2018
• ISBN: 9781984551191

Gerald Naber

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Book preview

CHAPTER 1

VA Hospital

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Q uyen hated this hospital, its Spartan look and antiseptic smell. She also hated the way some of the patients looked at her. Too often, their eyes seemed filled with hate as she walked past in her expensive clothes, long black hair, painted nails, and five-inch heels. In their frame of mind, it was her countrymen who stole their future and gave them a life of despair. To some, it would appear she profited from their misfortune. With granddaughter Sarah at her side, who looked so much like her, she gave the appearance of a war bride, someone who latched onto a lonesome American soldier.

The hospital her friend was at seemed so new and pleasant, not like this one. Everyone at that hospital would talk to you. She was told the reason for the difference in the two hospitals was that the hospital her friend was at cared for paying customers and the patients at this hospital were here at taxpayer expense.

Sarah, a beautiful nine-year-old with long black hair too, and always acting fifteen or so, spoke softly to her grandmother. Ba, is Grandpa going to be all right?

Quyen replied, without turning, as she stared out the window to the distant fog-covered mountains, I don’t know. His fever is back, and that old bullet is moving again. It has to come out. She sighed and turned toward Sarah. The doctor says it will take all day to get the bullet out, and it will be a very dangerous operation.

Why is it dangerous?

Because the bullet is close to his spine, and there is a lot of scar tissue on the lung where the bullet went through.

Tell me how you and Grandpa survived in that jungle and how he got shot.

Your grandpa was brave, but had no patience. I had to teach him patience. He acted just like John Wayne did in that cowboy movie we saw last Saturday. You don’t make a stand when a hundred soldiers are chasing you! Sometimes your grandpa and I did not move and hid all day when the soldiers searched for us.

She made no attempt to answer the last part of the question.

Ba, why were they searching for you and Grandpa?

Because the North Vietnamese soldiers thought I was a traitor and your grandpa was an enemy American soldier. Your grandpa caused them big problems with his booby traps and his good shooting. They called him the Ghost Soldier because they never could find him.

Sarah shook her head. I don’t understand what happened during the war, and Grandpa won’t talk about it. You have to tell me the story from the beginning.

Quyen, not replying to Sarah’s comments, turned to look out of the window once more. She slowly raised her hand to wipe away her tears.

Ba, you are crying again. Mommy says you should not look at the mountains!

With the right conditions, you could see the mountains to the east of Los Angeles. They reminded Quyen of the Central Highlands in Vietnam.

Quyen was raising Sarah for her daughter, while she was on assignment in China, but everyone knew that Sarah was actually taking care of Quyen. Quyen’s mind sometimes slipped back to Vietnam, and this worried the family a great deal. There were also times she would wake up at night and start screaming that the tunnel was collapsing. On these occasions, it usually took her husband, Max, to calm her down.

Sarah was a very bright nine-year-old. Like her mother at that age, she had already skipped a grade in school. Tracy was working as a linguist for a United States diplomat in China. Languages came very easy for her, and she was considered fluent in seven of the Asian dialects. When Tracy and Quyen were seen together, some people mistook them for sisters.

I am sorry my tears run, said Quyen. I do not think very well when your grandpa is sick. I almost lost him once. Maybe tonight I will tell you the story. I keep thinking how your grandpa and I hid in the mountains that look like those over there. They were so beautiful. The clouds would envelope us, and we were safe then. Now, with your grandpa sick, I do not feel safe anymore. If your grandpa dies, I die!

Ba, exploded Sarah, you must never even think that! Who would take care of me? Mommy is going to be very angry and scold you again. Did you tell Mommy that Grandpa was in the hospital?

No, your mother has a very important job, and she should not leave it or worry about all this.

Mommy says she is working with the government in Vietnam to get passports for all of us so we can go meet your father in Hai Phong.

Quyen shook her head. They will never give me a passport. They still think I was a traitor because I saved your grandpa’s life.

Max had seldom been sick after he left Vietnam. A decision was made long ago that removing the bullet would be too dangerous.

Sarah reached over to Quyen and wiped the tears off her face. When Grandpa’s sister gets here, she will make your tears stop.

What! How does she know your grandpa is in the hospital?

She calls me every week, Ba. I told her Grandpa has a fever again and is spitting up blood. She got real upset and wanted to know why she was not informed of this sooner. She said she would fly in today, but that I was not to tell you because you would stay up all night cleaning the house.

Oh, the house is such a mess. I don’t want her to see it like that.

The house was not large, but very well-appointed in Oriental design. It was but one of many homes built in a tract in the ’70s. Many years after they bought it, they could have afforded a larger house, but they had become attached to this one and planned never to move. There were just too many memories here to walk away from. The garden, located behind the house and next to the pool, contained an abundance of tropical plants, and the pool was large compared with others in the neighborhood. Visitors to their home considered the bamboo plants the high point of the garden.

Sarah was really jabbering now. She adored Grandpa’s sister, Elizabeth, and liked to tell everyone about the time when Elizabeth received a letter from Ba after her mommy was born. Since it was written in Vietnamese, Elizabeth could not read it, but Grandpa’s name was printed on it, and there was a picture of Ba and her mother. Elizabeth said she drove straight to the military base in Omaha and demanded to see the general in charge. Finally, after much arguing, a general and an interpreter met with her. The general was quite taken aback by the blood-soaked letter. There were too many details for it to be a fake. He told Elizabeth that Max’s status would be changed from dead to missing. He also said that, as a result of this letter, finding out what had happened to Max would be top priority. The interpreter read the letter to Elizabeth, and she said she buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

Oh no, oh no, we will have a big mess here today, said Quyen. Elizabeth will make much trouble.

Ba, was Grandpa with you when Mommy was born?

No, he wasn’t. The gunship became too heavy when he climbed on, and he jumped back off so it could become airborne. There was much noise, and bullets were hitting the gunship and soldiers were screaming. I could not see very well from where I was in the gunship, but it looked like the enemy soldiers were closing in on your grandpa from all sides. I think your grandpa was trying to get back to our mountains. It did not look like he had Betsy anymore, which probably meant he was out of bullets.

Ba, who was Betsy?

Betsy was his rifle. It was an M14, and he was very good with it. He could take the rifle all apart and put it back together again with his eyes closed. Your grandpa has very good eyes and could hit targets far away.

Quyen sighed. I was praying they would take him prisoner and not kill him. I prayed to my Catholic god and to Buddha. I was ready to have the baby and hurting too much to think very clearly. A Green Beret soldier sitting next to me said he saw the enemy soldiers hitting him with the butts of their rifles. I cried so much. There was nothing I could do. I tried to see him, but the gunship was turned in the wrong direction.

Sarah leaned against Quyen and stroked her hand to comfort her.

Quyen looked out the hospital window to the distant mountains and thought again about how much they looked like the place where she and Max were in hiding so long ago. She prayed that her daughter and granddaughter would never have to go through something like that.

Goddamned gook, yelled an old black man with no legs in a wheelchair being pushed by a younger black man. The younger man hurriedly pushed the wheelchair into the hall. Everyone in the waiting room turned to stare at Quyen as tears started to stream down her face.

Sarah sat up with a start. What’s going on? Why did he call you—

Quyen put her hand over Sarah’s mouth. Sarah’s face flushed red with embarrassment as everyone continued to stare at them in silence. The young man who pushed the wheelchair came back into the room, walked over to Quyen, and sat down next to her. The man had tears in his eyes as he told Quyen how sorry he was for what his dad had said.

My dad’s mind was still in Nam. I try to visit him every day, but it’s becoming harder and harder because all he wants to talk about is Vietnam.

Quyen did not speak but patted his arm. She was too choked up to talk.

When the young man regained his composure, he tipped his head toward Sarah. Your granddaughter is the prettiest girl I have ever seen.

Quyen smiled with that comment.

He winked at Sarah as he rose. I’d better get back to Dad.

When he reached the doorway, he turned and added, Maybe I’ll see you both again sometime.

Ba, why did the old man in the wheelchair say that word? It didn’t sound nice.

When you are older, you will understand.

I hate it when you say that. I’m almost a grown-up!

Little bird, you are only nine.

And you were only fifteen when Mommy was born.

Quyen was trying to think of an appropriate reply when Pastor Bob walked into the room with a big smile on his face and greeted them. Pastor Bob was their minister and talked with them frequently. He asked how Max was doing.

I don’t know, said Quyen. They don’t tell me anything.

Without hesitation, Pastor Bob rose and headed out to find the head nurse. When he brought her back to Quyen, she explained that Max had been in surgery for an hour, and the situation was most difficult because of where the bullet had lodged. She explained that the bullet was in one piece and did not appear to be damaged because it had never hit a bone. The nurse went on to say that the doctors found it strange that all the other bullets went through him, but this one did not.

Quyen thanked the nurse for the update and turned to Pastor Bob. Pastor, you must talk to the doctors and tell them not to let Max see the bullet.

Pastor Bob, who knew a lot about what had happened in Vietnam so long ago, was puzzled by her request and the frightened look on her face.

Why shouldn’t he see the bullet?

Quyen explained, There were only four of us left at that time, and we all shot at Max as we charged toward him. I was the only one not using an AK-47. I was given an old French rifle with old bullets that did not always explode very well. If the bullet is not from an AK-47, he will know it was from my rifle. He will be very angry and leave me!

Pastor Bob said that he doubted that her husband would leave her after all these years, but he assured Quyen that Max would not see the bullet. He added that he would like to hear more about what happened in Vietnam sometime so he could understand why she had been so traumatized.

Sarah, having overheard the entire conversation, looked sternly at Quyen and said, Did you shoot at Grandpa? Why would you do that? Does Mommy know this?

Oh, what a mess, what a mess! Sarah, I have to explain something to you that might be very hard for you to understand. I will need to start at the beginning, but only if Grandpa is okay. If Grandpa is not okay, I will not be able to talk about it. Tears began to flow from Quyen’s beautiful dark eyes again and she repeated, If Max dies, I die.

Hearing this comment, Pastor Bob frowned and shook his head. And just who would raise Sarah then?

Before Quyen had a chance to reply, Max’s sister, Elizabeth, entered the room, talking a mile a minute. And why am I the last one to know about this? Is my brother okay?

Elizabeth was a big woman, very protective of her brother, and always in charge. I should have been told right away about Max needing an operation. What’s going on here, anyway?

This saved the day for Quyen as Elizabeth became the center of attention.

Sarah replied, as if she were the designated spokesperson of the group, Grandpa is still being operated on.

Elizabeth looked at her and commented, Sarah, you have grown so much. You look just like Quyen. That must be why your grandpa calls you little bird. Did you know that Quyen means ‘little bird’? Actually, you’re so tall for your age that the name ‘little bird’ doesn’t really apply to you anymore. Does it?

Sarah stared at Elizabeth intently. The important thing is that Ba is worried that the bullet in Grandpa came from her rifle. You see, Ba had an old French rifle that used a much different kind of bullet than what the guns the other soldiers had used.

Hush, said Quyen sharply. Now you make a big mess for me. I am in so much trouble. Your grandpa will not love me anymore if that is my bullet. He will send me back to Hai Phong.

No, he won’t, Ba, I see Grandpa smile when he looks at you. He loves you.

This soothed Quyen. She knew Sarah’s ability to read facial expressions and understand the meaning behind them. Sarah was much more intuitive than other nine-year-olds.

Oh my, said Elizabeth, how did you and Max ever have such a wonderful daughter and granddaughter with all this baggage? The good Lord must have been watching over you two. I am going to have to get this sorted out. The relatives in Nebraska will want to know everything about your shooting my brother.

She paused to take a deep breath and then continued as rapidly as before, And how is Tracy? Does she like China? I bet you did not tell Tracy anything. You are going to be in a lot of trouble if anything goes wrong.

What a mess, what a mess, Quyen repeated.

Finally, the doctor came into the waiting room to speak to them. He approached Quyen and said in a hushed tone, I have some good news and some not-so-good news. The good news is that the bullet was removed successfully. The operation caused no damage. The not-so-good news is that Max has a nasty infection, and it appears that he has had it for quite some time. The infection does not respond to the antibiotics we’ve tried so far. He is sleeping now, and I don’t want him to have visitors until tomorrow.

They all thanked the doctor in turn, and then, after a brief conversation about Max and his condition, they left—first Pastor Bob, who said he was available should Quyen need him; then Elizabeth, who stated that she would return to the hospital first thing in the morning to check on Max’s progress; and finally, Quyen and Sarah.

Sarah dozed on the drive home and, upon reaching the house, sat bolt upright and exclaimed, We forgot to ask what they did with the bullet!

CHAPTER 2

Tracy Comes Home

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B a, I fell to sleep last night, and you didn’t tell me the story!

Quyen looked at her and said, Sarah, you get ready so we can go and see Grandpa. Hopefully, he will be okay, and I will begin telling the story tonight.

Will we be eating American or Vietnamese today? asked Sarah.

Well, with Elizabeth here, we will have to eat American food.

Sarah rubbed her hands together and licked her lips. Good. That’s good.

You are becoming too American as far as I am concerned.

"Ba, I was born in America, remember? And besides, Elizabeth told me she would be our mamasan while she’s here."

No, she will be our guest!

It looks like she thinks she is. She’s already set the breakfast out on the table.

This retort resulted in a stern look and a pulled ear. Elizabeth doted on Sarah and this annoyed Quyen. Quyen guarded Sarah from any kind of physical harm, but it was Sarah who guarded Quyen from being slighted or discourteous behavior. Sarah sensed that her grandmother was different from Americans, but little did she know that petite though Quyen might be, it was rare that someone was a match for her physically.

Quyen’s father, General Dong, wanted a son but trained his daughter in the martial art of Viet Vo Dao. Few men were her equal in this martial art, and when they were, the general would put them on the most unpleasant detail. Years later, Quyen saved Max’s life a number of times in hand-to-hand combat. Max was a skilled marksman, but never skilled to her level in the martial arts. In addition, his wounds sapped his strength and limited the amount of punishment he could take. While they were in hiding, they spent many days practicing this martial art. Quyen was always careful not to strike the spot where the bullet had lodged.

Quyen barely touched her food. She still did not like American food. Max never complained about her eating habits. He always tried to please her and ate whatever she preferred. Sarah enjoyed the breakfast Elizabeth had prepared but hardly spoke a word. The stern look and the pulled ear were not forgotten.

Quyen was always in control in her home, but she felt lost when away from Max. She would frequently stare at the mountains when they were enveloped in mist, remembering the beautiful mountains of Vietnam. She cherished the times when Max took her to the restaurant on the pier. Max would always call ahead and reserve the table that had the best view of those distant mountains. With hands clasped across the table, nothing needed to be said. They both thought about how they had suffered and how happy they were now. In a strange way, they complemented each other almost to a fault.

Quyen did the driving because Elizabeth would not drive in California traffic. Elizabeth complained all the way to the hospital and, in subtle ways, let them know she was an American and she therefore was in charge. Sarah reminded Elizabeth that she too was an American, drawing a stern look from Quyen. Sarah smiled, for now she was even for the pulled ear. They were all a bundle of nerves by the time they reached the hospital because of Quyen’s erratic driving in rush hour traffic.

Sarah led the way through the hospital. Once again, they sat in the waiting room for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, a nurse came over and informed them that Max was awake and that two people could go in to see him. In no uncertain terms, Elizabeth informed the nurse that Sarah was not an adult and should not be left alone in the waiting room. The nurse did not give an inch and voices were raised. When others in the waiting room turned to watch the women verbally sparring, a supervisor came over and said that an exception would be made this time. Elizabeth beamed with pride at getting her way, and Sarah’s eyes were wide as saucers. She thought how great it would be to have Elizabeth in school with her to settle a score with one particular teacher.

Max had gone back to sleep by the time they got to his room. They sat quietly, not speaking, so they would not wake him. Nurses kept coming in and checking this and that, but Max slept undisturbed.

Remembering what Elizabeth said about her not being an adult, Sarah got angry. She also didn’t like the plastic tube in her grandpa’s nose.

Sarah turned to Elizabeth and said, Ba was a nurse once, which prompted another unfavorable look from Quyen.

Elizabeth looked over at Quyen in surprise. I didn’t know that.

Sarah wasn’t sure she should say more because of the unfavorable look from Ba, but hesitantly added, Ba worked two stories underground in a tunnel hospital in the Vietnam jungle.

Sarah regretted what she had said when Quyen got up quickly and left the room.

I don’t know why, but I think you upset your grandma.

Sarah sighed. Another big mess. I always seem to say something wrong.

Elizabeth got up and left the room to look for Quyen. She found her down the hall staring out the window at the mountains. Tears were running down Quyen’s face. It was raining and the rain had that effect on her. Quyen was so obviously sensitive and caring that Elizabeth could plainly see why her brother loved her.

Sarah feels very bad about what she said.

I am not upset with Sarah. I am afraid Max might not get better. His toes have not moved since we have been in the room. I want to take him back to the mountains and make him better. I made him okay before. If he dies, I die.

Oh dear, oh dear, said Elizabeth, not knowing if she should hug Quyen or lecture her; finally, Elizabeth settled for a gentle pat on her shoulder. Now Elizabeth too had tears running down her face. She took Quyen’s hand and said, Let’s go back to the room.

Upon returning to the room, they found Sarah chatting away with her grandpa.

Max said, I was wondering where you two were. My little bird told me someone pulled her ear.

Now Sarah was one ahead, a score more to her liking.

Quyen’s mouth dropped open. I see I still have much work to do with your little bird!

Just then Tracy walked into the room. Tracy, Elizabeth said with surprise, we weren’t expecting you. How did you ever get past that nurse out there?

I just told her I was going in to see my father whether she liked it or not. She gave her mother a big hug. Elizabeth looked at them and thought how easily they could pass for sisters.

Quyen frowned and asked, How did you know your father was in the hospital?

Tracy smiled and replied, I have my spies.

Sarah backed away a bit for fear that she was in more trouble. Tracy gave Elizabeth a hug, complimented her on her hair, and asked how the family in Nebraska was doing.

Everybody is just fine, and they always ask about you. Especially the farmer you met when you were there last time. You know, the one that wanted to show you his farm.

Tracy laughed. You better pour some cold water on him to cool him off. She went over to her dad and gave him a very gentle hug.

How is my little Ragtag?

Dad, remember, we stopped using that name when I was seven.

Max grinned. Well, it’s on your birth certificate.

Tracy changed the subject. How are you feeling?

I am a little tired, but I want to see that slug they took out of me. Do you know where it is?

The doctor doesn’t know what happened to the slug, Elizabeth quickly replied.

No one said anything for quite a while, not knowing what to say next in order to change the subject.

A nervous Quyen said, I think Max enjoys all this attention. She paused for a minute and then added, If he gets too much attention, he might become impossible to live with.

Tracy asked her mother, Is it the infection from the bullet, or has the malaria come back again?

It is from the bullet, and he should get better now that it is out. I think there was poison on the bullet, and we should throw it away if we find it.

Max beamed. All my girls in one room.

They all came because they think I cannot take care of you. You would have died a long time ago if I did not know how to take care of you. Remember when malaria made you sick and the monsoon rains kept you wet? But I made you better.

Max could see that she needed assurance that everything was going to be all right. Come here, Ragtag, and give me a kiss.

Quyen smiled and gave him a big kiss. She was more in love with him than ever. Her beautiful Asian face mystified those who looked upon it, and Max had once looked long enough to be captured for life.

Mommy, why did Grandpa call Ba Ragtag?

Your grandpa used to call her that a long time ago, and he was probably thinking about those times. I think your grandpa has a lot of medication in him, and it is causing his mind to wander.

Is this all part of the story about what happened to Ba and Grandpa in Vietnam? Do I have to wait until Grandpa comes home to hear the whole story?

We need to find out how Grandpa is doing before we ask him to tell his part of the story. It might be better to hear Ba’s side of the story first, or there could be arguments.

Elizabeth stroked the top of her brother’s head and said, You sure had us scared.

They always had trouble showing each other affection, so the stroking of the head was significant. She added, You must be proud that Tracy flew all the way from China to be with you.

I can be here for one week, and hopefully, in a few months we can all meet in Hai Phong.

Oh, I don’t know if that’s such a great idea. If they ever figure out that your mother was Ragtag, they might lock her up! He had a devilish grin on his face now. Quyen did not find this funny. She had a fear that if the wrong people were in power in Vietnam, they could still come after her. Even her father, a true hero, was under house arrest in Hai Phong.

Daddy! said Tracy. No one will care anymore.

Max kept it up, Oh, I don’t know, returning to Hai Phong is a terrible chance to take. Quyen now noticed the grin he couldn’t conceal, and she began to smile as well.

In any event, Elizabeth couldn’t help but smile herself. I think we’re going to have some wine tonight and listen to Quyen tell some of the story we’ve been waiting to hear for so long.

There was a light tap on the door as the doctor walked in, introduced himself, and said, "We want you to stay here a little while longer, Max, until we get a handle on dealing with that nasty infection.

By the way, here’s the bullet we took out of you—thought you might want to have it as a souvenir.

Unaware of the sudden tension in the room, the doctor said he would check in on Max later and left the room.

All the color drained from Quyen’s face, and she began to shake. Tracy reached out to steady and comfort her.

Max held the bullet up to the light and stared at it. Where are my glasses? I need my glasses to get a better look at this damned thing.

As unobtrusively as she could, Tracy grabbed Max’s glasses from the tray and hid them behind her back. Elizabeth nodded at Tracy and then Quyen as she grabbed