Word of Honor (80 page)

"What was Lieutenant Tyson doing during this time?"

"He seemed to be doing nothing. He had his rifle cradled in his arm, he was smoking a cigarette and speaking to his radio operator, Kelly. I should say that a state of chaos existed now. There was random shooting throughout the hospital. I could hear voices screaming in Vietnamese.

Most of the platoon had gone off into the rest of the hospital. There was a time when only Lieutenant Tyson, Kelly, and I were in the operating room. Tyson seemed unable or

WORD OF HONOR 9 619

unwilling to move ftom the spot and see what was happening. I I

"Did you speak to him during this time?"

"Yes. I said to him, 'They're shooting everyone.'

"And what did he reply?"

"He said he'd go see about it. He seemed almost unconcerned ... detached.

He and Kelly left, and I never saw them again until we'd all assembled outside the hospital. "

Pierce said, "Let's go back to the time when the men were reporting to him about finding suspected wounded enemy soldiers. How many men reported this to him?"

"Two or three."

"Did any of them make a suggestion as to what should be done with them?

Or did they ask for instructions?"

"One of them, actually it was Sergeant Sadowski, told Lieutenant Tyson that the enemy soldiers were under guard. He asked what to do with them.

That's when Lieutenant Tyson said, 'Shoot them.' "

"Those were his exact words."

"Yes. 'Shoot them.' "

Pierce began a series of questions meant to replay the entire episode of the operating room. He tried to establish elapsed time, sequences, distances, positions of men, and names. But Brandt wouldn't commit himself to details or specifics, which, Tyson thought, was the right way to handle an incident that was chaotic when it happened eighteen years before. He noted, too, that Brandt's testimony did not perfectly coincide with Farley's, nor should it. It would have been suspicious if it had.

He thought about his own five witnesses and their stories, and the sudden realization came to him that these men could not testify. Brandt and Farley diverted from the truth only on occasions when they sought to incriminate Tyson. But Beltran, Sadowski, Kalane, Walker, and Scorello would have to relate an entire battle episode that never happened. As Brandt went through his account again, Tyson leaned to Corva and said,

"We have no defense witnesses."

Corva replied, "We never did. I'll talk to you about that tonight. ' I 620 0 NELSON DEMILLE

Pierce took Brandt finally out of the hospital, into the rain-splashed courtyard, and it was as though everyone in the chapel breathed easier as they moved from the blazing fire, screams, and gunfire into the quiet rain.

Pierce said, "So now you were all together again."

"Yes. Then Kelly, Lieutenant Tyson's radio operator, saw someone leap from a window of the hospital. He fired at the figure, a female, and she fell over before she could run. Then Lieutenant Tyson ordered one squad of men to deploy on each of the other sides of the hospital."

"Why?"

"He said to shoot anyone who tried to escape. I stayed with him and Kelly and a machine-gun team on the courtyard side of the hospital."

Tyson looked at his watch. It was 8:15 P.m. Corva must be hungry, he thought. The pews were still full, though there was some coming and going as NIPS let people outside come in whenever others left. There seemed to be an inexhaustible supply of spectators, and Tyson found that interesting.

Pierce said to Brandt, "Do you want a recess?"

"No. I'm fine."

Pierce said to Sproule, "If the court has no objections, we'd like to continue. "

Sproule replied, "You may continue until twenty-two hundred hours, then we ought to adjourn."

Pierce turned to Brandt again and picked up the questioning. "You said Lieutenant Tyson was making false radio reports to his company commander, Captain Browder."

"Yes. He was reporting enemy contact and giving progress reports regarding the approach to the structure which he described to Captain Browder as a large government building. He was, in effect, going back in time and creating incidents that did not happen. Meanwhile, we were putting distance between ourselves and the burning hospital."

Pierce, to everyone's surprise, moved quickly ahead to the French bunker.

He asked Brandt, "What was the mood in the bunker?"

"Somewhat subdued. We had the two bodies with usPeterson and Cane. Some of the men smoked marijuana. Lieutenant Tyson passed around a bottle of Scotch. A few

WORD OF HONOR 0 621

men played cards. Lieutenant Tyson seemed intent on making them understand that they had to agree to a cover story for the incident. He coached everyone on what he should say if questioned. He congratulated them on a fine job. Then he even congratulated a man-Scorello--on using a phosphorus grenade to bum the hospital. He said something to the effect that there was no evidence to incriminate any of them. He even made up a body count."

"Did Lieutenant Tyson indicate why he was going through this trouble of fabricating a story-why he simply didn't report to Captain Browder on the sniper and leave it at that?"

"Yes. He indicated that too much time had elapsed. He had to account for several missed radio reports. Also, we were supposed to join up with Captain Browder and the main body of the company before dark. But Lieutenant Tyson did not want his men mingling with the rest of the company in the state they were in. So he reported we were still in the village of An Ninh Ha and would spend the night there. He also stated to Kelly, and I overheard this, that he wasn't going to have two dead and one wounded without being able to show an enemy body count. He was a man who did not Re to look bad in front of his superiors. So, he fabricated a battle that would bring credit on him. His radio operator, Kelly, wrote up a proposal for a Silver Star for Lieutenant Tyson."

Colonel Pierce concentrated on Brandt's recollections of the night in the bunker. Brandt, whose testimony had been almost dry, now described the atmosphere in the bunker in lyrical terms. He spoke about the flickering candlelight, the men speaking long into the night, the sotwd of nearby artillery fire, and the burning city of Hue, whose west wall was less than a kilometer away. Brandt described Tyson spinning his tale of a battle, and Brandt's story became a tale within a tale. Brandt described Moody crying out from the pain, administering morphine to him, and offering tranquilizers to the men, who declined, preferring marijuana and the lieutenant's Scotch instead.

Brandt ended his story by describing the dawn breaking and the men climbing atop the concrete bunker watching the smoke rise from Hue, silhouetted against the rising sun.

622 * NELSON DEMILLE

Pierce let an appropriate amount of time pass, then asked, "Did anyone in the bunker show any remorse?"

"A few men were quite shaken. But by and large, there was a feeling that the people in the hospital got what was coming to them. This was stated several times and in several ways by different people."

Pierce, through Brandt, examined the psyches of the men of the first platoon. At five minutes to ten, Pierce said to Brandt, "Did you ever consider reporting the incident as it actually occurred?"

"Yes. Nearly every day. At first, it wasn't physically possible for me to make contact with anyone who I could report to. But then we were given a brief two-day rest in a rear area. But on the way to camp, a delegation of six or seven men from the platoon took me aside and told me that if the story got out, they would assume it was me who let it out. They further stated that it would do no good to report the incident, anyway, since no one would believe me if everyone else swore that there had been no massacre. They were right about that, of course. Considering the time, place, and general conditions that prevailed, I saw no benefit in reporting what I'd seen. Of course, I should have, and that has been haunting me for nearly twenty years now. So when the opportunity arose to assist the author, Picard, by supplying the details of this incident, I immediately took it. I thought that a book would be an excellent format to tell the story of Mis6ricorde Hospital. I thought that if the Army and the government wished to pursue it, they would, and I would make myself available for any investigatory or legal proceedings that came out of the book's revelations. And I did, and that is why I am here."

Pierce said, "Thank you, Doctor. " Pierce looked at Colonel Sproule.

Sproule looked at his watch and nodded in satisfaction. Sproule announced, "The court will adjourn until ten hundred hours tomorrow."

Twelve hours after he'd taken the stand, Steven Brandt rose and walked off toward the side door.

M At 10 A.M. on Wednesday, Colonel Sproule surveyed the chapel

CHAPTER and announced, "The

court will come to order. "

Colonel Pierce said, "All parties to the trial who were present when the court adjourned are again

present in the

47 court."

Everyone sat except Pierce, who turned to Corva and asked, "Does the defense wish to cross-examine the last witness?"

Corva replied from his seat, "It does."

Pierce instructed the sergeant at arms, and within two minutes, Steven Brandt appeared.

Brandt took the witness chair, and Pierce said to him, "You are reminded that you are still under oath."

Brandt gave a slight wave of the hand in acknowledgment, which seemed an inappropriate gesture.

Tyson lit a cigarette and leaned across the table. He stud-623

624 0 NELSON DEMILLE

ied Brandt's face, but there was no sign of any apprehension at having to face a cross-examination.

The spectator section was again full, and Tyson noticed that some people seemed to be in the same seats as the day before, though perhaps he was imagining it. The press corps all seemed to have made friends with one another and with some of the MPs.

Corva was reviewing the previous day's testimony and made no move to rise and walk toward Steven Brandt, who seemed somewhat confused. Several minutes went by, then Pierce stood and addressed Colonel Sproule, "Your honor, did the defense answer in the affirmative?"

Sproule said to Pierce, "I believe so." Sproule turned to Corva. "Does the defense wish to cross-examine this witness or not?"

Corva stood, "Yes, your honor. " He came around the table, strode directly to Brandt, and stopped a few feet from him. Corva said to Brandt, "Shoot them."

Brandt seemed to move farther back in his chair.

"Shoot them," repeated Corva. "Is that what he said?"

"Yes. I I

"To whom did he say it?"

"To . . . Sadowski. "

"And Sadowski replied what?"

" 'Yes, Sir.' "

"And what did Sadowski say to elicit the order of 'Shoot thern'T'

"He said, 'We found wounded and sick NVA.'

"And Lieutenant Tyson replied what?"

Pierce was on his feet. "Objection. Your honor, counsel is badgering the witness. "

"Objection sustained."

Corva said to Brandt, "And Sergeant Sadowski left and shot them.

"Yes. I I

"Did you see him shoot them?"

"No. I I

"How do you know he shot them?"

"I heard the shots."

"That is how you know that Sergeant Sadowski shot them. "

WORD OF HONOR * 625

"No ... I heard afterward that he shot them."

"Who told you this?"

"I don't recall."

"Not Kalane?"

"Maybe it was.

"Not Walker?"

"No, it was . . .

"Objection." Pierce was on his feet again. "Counsel is badgering the witness."

"Sustained. Mr. Corva, if you don't mind."

"Yes, your honor." He looked directly at Brandt again. "What did you say to Lieutenant Tyson when Lieutenant Tyson said to Sadowski, 'Shoot thern'T'

"Nothing. "

"Did you think Lieutenant Tyson's order was an illegal order?"

" Yes.

"Yet you said nothing."

"I was only the medic."

"Only the medic."

"Yes. I I

"Did you tell Lieutenant Tyson that Peterson's wound was mortal?"

" Yes. I I

"Then why did he not listen to you?99

"I don't know."

"Did you tell him that only a medevac helicopter could save Peterson's life?"

"Yes. It

"Then why didn't you use one of the two platoon radios to call one?"

"It . . . it really wasn't my job to use the radio."

"Did you know how to use it?"

"No."

"You didn't learn how to use a radio at Fort Sam Houston?"

"No.

"Wasn't radio use a three-hour class at Fort SamHouston?"

"No. Yes."

"Why didn't you call for medevac?"

626 S NELSON DEMILLE

"It wasn't . . . I didn't have the frequency."

"The platoon medic didn't have medevac's frequency."

"No. I I

"Would anyone have given it to you if you'd asked?" "I don't know."

"Did you ask either of the radio operators to call medevac?" "Yes. Yes, I did." "Who shot the Australian doctor?" Brandt seemed momentarily thrown off by the switch in subject. "I don't know." "Was it an American?" "Yes. I I "You said you didn't know." "I didn't see who shot him." "Who shot the French doctor?" "I don't know." "The burial mound was in the center of a rice paddy." Brandt changed positions as though the change in subject necessitated it. "Yes." "Where could a search be done to insure privacy?'9 "I don't know." "Were there trees or bushes around the burial mound?" "I think so." "There are no trees or any vegetation on Vietnamese burial mounds. How would you have conducted the search?" "I don't know. I wouldn't have." .,Why?" "It wasn't necessary." "You were two hundred meters away." "Yes. " "Did Larry Cane die instantly?" Brandt licked his lips. "Yes. Bullet through the heart." "You said he was in the operating room." "Yes. 9 1 "Dead."

"Yes. I I "Did you have him carried there?" "Someone carried him there." .,Why?" "I . . . I don't know."

WORD OF HONOR 9 627

"Why did someone carry a dead body up a flight of stairs?" "I don't know." "Who killed Larry Cane?" "A sniper. -"He didn't die in the hospital?" "No. Outside. -"What was he doing upstairs?" "I don't know."