Begging of Operation Apache Snow, late May 1969.
Yes Sir!
Alright Gentlemen, We need you to secure this rice paddy and scout ahead for any VietCong Traps. Am I understood?
In the mid-spring of 1969, I was stationed in Da Nang with my mate Private 2nd class Cole Averella. His name was Cole, but everybody called him ACE because of his poker cheating habit.
My name Is John Hughs and I am a Corporal For the United States Military and our forces fighting in Nam. When Apache Snow began, everything changed
I was leading Ace through a paddy just hours after I had received the orders. We were looking for traps and soldiers, but we had no idea what we were actually going to discover
Watch my ass Ace! This place is very dangerous
We had to take the risk. I could not let him die because he could be a spy. He looked less than 10
Oh My god! Ace look! Its a kid. We need to get him back to camp now! he is all alone out here he will die in hours
As we walked carefully, we came across a child all alone. they were crying very loudly.
It could be a trap Hughs
Tôi tên là Nguyễn, bố mẹ tôi đã mất.
Are you okay? What is your name? do you speak english?
We need to get him back to camp and to the translator. We can find this kid's parents.
Slow down man. breathe.
I new I had to change My actions. the innocent Vietnamese civilians had suffered too much in our patriotic war.
We began our journey home, trying to get the kid home. Or at least back to base. I felt like we had committed so many atrocities to these people and I would not let abandoning this kid be one of them.