CHAPTER TWELVEThe Michelin Rubber Plantation was not too far from the Black Virgin Mountain, which the Vietnamese called Nui Ba Dinh. From a distance of several miles, the mountain appeared to be black and laced with white crevices and tears, taking on a marble-like appearance. No other hills or mountains stood between the plantation and Nui Ba Dinh; it towered, tall and alone in the distance, and could be seen for miles.
Stories circulated about that mountain. The Americans had a base at the top of it accessible only by helicopter; a radio relay station boosted communication signals between the military officials in Saigon and the rest of the country. The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) had a large compound at the base of the same mountain. They were allies to the Americans, but c
