The Ugly American

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

My office was hidden above a laundry on Thong Naht Boulevard in the center of Saigon. We were a two man operation which included my Vietnamese contact and I. His English was excellent; he was witty and got along well with everyone. He sat at his small desk pouring over a stack of documents.

“Good morning; is there any new information from the north?”

Smiling he said, “Oh, intrigue and subversion...”

“That’s the same old crap; anything new?”

“General Giap has moved two battalions of his troops to guard the main road heading up toward Hanoi.”

“Is this information from a reliable source?”

“He has been in the past but this type of movement is less aggressive than usual. Also, we received a cable from Langley inviting you back to head an analytical unit.”

“Go back to that den of vipers to sit at a desk; no way!”

“I thought you liked DC; what’s changed?”

After some thought, it was clear that sitting at a desk, perusing dry reports, was out of the question. The freedom and excitement in the field was the way of life for me. “It’s time for me dig under the surface to find the key for our success here. Our contacts up north should shed some light on VC efforts to infiltrate Diem’s regime. Let Langley know what’s up and that my engagement here is critical. Don’t give them any other response and stress the need for my direct involvement if they inquire further about my return.”

“It’s tough to stay under the radar up there; why not expand our network to increase the flow of information.”

My response was, “We must have someone who can sneak me into the area. Forget about the brass for now!” It was time for me to meet with Dewey and bring Huong along to hide the real reason for the meeting.

We met at one of Huong’s favorite tea shops and Dewey was waiting for us at one of the tables in front of the shop.

“Huong, this is Mr. Dewey.”

“Please call me Tom; it’s wonderful to meet you Huong!”

He was obviously smitten by her beauty; she was wearing her favorite floral silk dress with a slit running up one of her shapely legs. It accentuated her medium sized breasts and showed a perfect amount of cleavage.

Dewey immediately took over the conversation and Huong seemed to enjoy his banter. Soon it was time for me to excuse myself and they immediately agreed. Down the street there was a small bar where a contact of mine hung out. There he was, sitting at one of the small tables in the back of the place.

“Hi Jim, could we chat for a bit?”

“Yah, what’s up?”

“Have you heard anything about General Giap’s plans for a major attack up north?”

“How the hell should I know? I did hear a medical team from the Red Cross was denied travel past Da Nang.”

“Jim, what do you think about my heading up there to press the flesh? There is a Catholic village in the North that could be a good place for me to poke around?”

“Could we flush out your plan further over dinner? Maybe your new friend and Huong could join us?”

“They’re a couple blocks from here; let’s go.”

Once we arrived at the tea shop, Dewey and Huong were engaged in a flirtatious conversation. They liked the idea of dinner so we headed to the Chalet Restaurant and agreed that Jim should join us for dinner. By the time dinners arrived, Jim had too much to drink. Dewey suggested that he get a cab for Jim to bring him home. When we finished dinner, Dewey invited Huong to go dancing with him at the club in Lam Son Square. This freed me up to research the best method to sneak north at my office. The next day Dewey filled me in on his evening with Huong.

He said, “When we arrived she directed me to the ticket booth and explained I needed to buy one for every dance. As we danced, I quizzed her about the design of her dress. She explained that it represents the meaning of her name. She challenged my ability to understand Vietnamese so I accepted but soon admitted that my ability only included two words. After a few dances, I said good night and left. As you know, she needed to stay and earn money, dancing into the wee hours.”

Smiling at him, I commented, “She is one of the loveliest and most engaging ladies in Vietnam. Was there anything else you discussed with her?”

Looking down he responded, “Yah, she asked if both of us could join her at the dance hall this evening.”

My only thought was, “Why would Huong use Dewey as a go between rather than coming directly to me? She is so strange.”

When we walked into the hall that night, she sat at a table with another young lady, who was gorgeous. They both were drinking from large frosted glasses of ice tea with a sprig of mint.

As we sat down Huong said, “Hello, this is my sister. We are happy to see you and hope you both like to dance much with us.”

Dewey said, “We have our dancing shoes on and I love to dance! Hope you both are ready to dance your fool heads off.”

The sister said to me, “Who is this guy? I have never seen him before.”

“He is new to the country; meet my friend Mr. Dewey.”

“Please call me Tom!”

She responded, “Are married too; what are you doing in Vietnam?”

“No and I’m in Vietnam to help you all with your economy.”

“He’s here from America and is a friendly, helpful person.”

Huong added, “You should know that he is poor dancer and is funny to talk with.”

The sister smiled saying, “Why do the French keep fighting when the people tell them they are not wanted here? We do not understand their thinking.”

This comment surprised me because Huong has never stated a political opinion. Dewey looked surprised and seemed dumb struck. Neither of us said a thing.

Huong quickly jumped in, “My sister made our father angry when she spoke her mind. She always is looking for reactions.”

“Well, that is what I hear all the time. If they left, people would no longer be killed. Your friend seems nice. Would either of you like a drink?”

Dewey whispered to me, “Is this place ok, it’s not a communist hang out is it?”

“Don’t be such an i***t; most of the people think like her! Ask around and you’ll find out for yourself.”

Huong sensing a problem says, “It was a pleasure to meet you; we should meet again soon!”

It was clear to me, she was uncomfortable, “Yes, very soon. Let’s meet here again after my trip to the north.”

“Why are you going there? Please stay safe!”

“Huong, you know it is important for me to get a direct look into conditions there.”

“Mr. Dewey, you must join my sister and me for dinner while he is away.”

Dewey said, “What a great idea and the three of us must go dancing after dinner. It will be my treat.”

We excused ourselves and left. Both ladies smiled and gave a shy wave as we left.

As we entered onto the street, we heard a shot and we both dove for cover. The streets were packed and most of the people kept walking as if, nothing had happened.

Dewey peered back at me with a smile on his face. He told me that he liked being in the middle of action. Just as he spoke, the next shot hit the trash barrel he was using as a shield. Keeping our heads down, we raced down the street and ducked into a small bar. We walked to the end of the bar and ordered a couple of doubles. We found a table that gave us a view of the door but out of the line of fire.

We said nothing for a few minutes while we peered at the door. After enough time had passed, my curiosity got the best of me.

“What is your mission here in Vietnam?”

“To strengthen the agricultural ecosystem and improve the standard of living throughout the region. Right now, my team is analyzing the impact of terrorist activity on the farming community. That’s enough about me, tell me more about the purpose of your trip north.”

“We need to study the power sharing between village chiefs and centralized control of the communist government. Also, the possibility that government programs from the south can sway the village leaders in the north. The information being collected will be collated so that conclusion can be reached about the Vietnamese culture.”

“Do you believe the French have the will to prevail? They have controlled the country for many years and remnants of their culture are everywhere.”

“They became lazy up to the point that the Japanese invaded and kicked the French out. Ho Chi Minh supported our efforts to defeat the Japanese with the expectation that we would reward them when the invaders were defeated. Well now we know how that turned out.”

My intent to get across my perspective on the country without tipping my hand was a delicate balance. That’s when it was time to reference a famous OSS report which read: “Cochinchina is burning, the French and British are finished here, and we ought to clear out of Southeast Asia.” It was important for me to maintain my cover as a scientist while divulging my point of view. This meant that showing my impartiality was critical which Dewey just couldn’t comprehend.

Dewey now really unloaded with his biased position that we can’t abandon the people of Vietnam! The US picked up the beacon for freedom upon entering WW II and needs to make sure that the communist tide is stopped where ever it raises its ugly head. He spouted how they call us “Ugly Americans” while assuming the role as their savior! We are looking for any Vietnamese who have the guts to kick ass!

At this point, my quizzing focused on where USAID fit into his efforts in Vietnam and said the unmentionable, “Are they just a cover for your true mission? Who do you really work for?

He smiled slyly and refused to answer. He continued with his harangue against anyone not willing to fight communists! There are many Vietnamese that are committed to freedom and fear communist domination. They are willing work with the US to save their country.

This is when I reminded him that President Eisenhower had voiced the warning that we should never become involved in a land war in Asia and most Americans have no stomach for another war. Also, how my research shows that the US cannot intervene every time a new hit spot pops up.

He reminded me that China would not have fallen into communism’s hands if we had intervened and Western powers were making the same mistake as they did prior to WWII. “The Domino Theory is real and Vietnam is the next that could fall.”

My hope was to make Dewey aware of the similarities between America and Vietnam. That’s why I spouted a direct quote from a historical study which stated: Ho Chi Minh and his top general, Vo Nguyen Giap, modeled their war to some extent on George Washington's fight against the British—wear down the enemy, avoid catastrophic defeat, keep the army in being and simply make it too expensive for your superior enemy to continue the war.

It seemed to resonate because his eyes dramatically widened and his mouth dropped open. He remained speechless for quite some time, appearing to process the information as best he could. Finally, he said, “I do admit that it’s a huge challenge but with brains and a “can do” attitude we can prevail. He obviously missed my point which most ultra conservatives have a way of doing! In that instant, my expectation that cooler heads could be the ones that prevail dimmed significantly.

It was time for me to stop pissing in the wind and call it a night. He agreed and we both headed home. Walking into my flat, Huong greeted me, “What will I do if you leave me?”

“Don’t worry Huong, Vietnam is the place for me. Why are you getting concerned?”

“You keep leaving with no warning. It frightens me.”

“Please trust me. My place is here in Vietnam. What is going on with your sister? She made Dewey nervous.”

“She has many friends that hate the French and could be freedom fighters. If she hears anything she will tell me and I will immediately tell you.”

“That would help me support the Vietnamese people. You and your people are extremely important to me!”

She smiled and headed toward the bedroom, wagging her finger as a message to follow her. She was the most passionate woman I have ever known and that night was like a dream. Yet, many of the events that followed were more like a nightmare!