`Apache Moon`

By Becky Grey Eagle

Laos/Cambodia June 1970

Night Winds Whispering has seen her husband die in a terrible night vision in which she felt the impact of the bullets that took his life. She watched as the Recon team, outnumbered by more than 2,000 NVA troops fought their last fight.

She watched as each man was wounded time and time again, how each man tried to shield his brother with his body as the man was robbed of life. She watched as they fell where they fought, their blood staining the ground red and forming a river of red that ran down the hill.

She felt the ground tremble with each exploding mortar shell, with each RPG that exploded and spread its deadly hail of death in all directions. She heard the sounds of AK-47s, the higher pitched staccato sound of CAR-177's, She heard the thump each time the M-79 fired and she heard the booming sound of a shotgun.

She watches as the battle rages for 1 hour, then 2 hours, she watches as the fight goes on for 18 hours until finally only one remains. The others are gone, laying as they died in macabre twisted positions, some holding pictures, some trying with their last breath to reach their

brothers to shield them from further harm.

Throughout the battle she hears no voices save those of the NVA, not

a sound from the surrounded Team is heard, eyes move, heads nod, fingers make a movement, each followed by the death of many, many NVA.

She watches as the last one, tenderly picks up the now dead bodies of his Team Mates, she watches as he quietly and without a sound moves

them away from the bloody battle ground and places them in a place of

safety, away from the NVA Soldiers who will mutilate their bodies if they find them. As she watches the last one, she hears the voices of the approaching NVA, and she screams, silently "RUN, RUN, THEY ARE COMING FOR YOU! FOR GOD'S SAKE RUN!!”

She watches as he slowly stands to his full height, his fatigues torn and shredded and covered in blood, she watches as his huge body is struck by bullets time and time again, each time he only shakes his head as if they are but mere mosquitoes that are annoying a Great Cave Bear.

She watches as he places a small signaling device in the hand of her now dead husband, she watches as he makes one last call to the Covey

rider, she watches as he picks up the PRC-25 as if it were a mere toy.

She watches as he moves silently towards the approaching NVA. She watches as he sets the radio down, sets the first of his traps, and then silently moves away, leaving the radio in view and crackling with static. She watches as he moves thru the NVA soldiers, all unaware that death will be shortly stalking them. She watches as he moves beyond his foes and as she watches, she sees him stop, fill his weapons and he looks right into her heart as she hears his voice tell her "I'm sorry sis, I tried, I really tried, he's coming home but not how you or I wanted him to. I'm so sorry Sara, so very, very sorry, They will pay, they will know the vengeance of the Apache Moon, they will pay my darling sister, they will pay in blood”.

She watched as he started to move away and then turned and blew her a kiss and gave her a smile that made her blood run cold, there was nothing but death in his last smile. She watched as he gave an Apache War Cry and then ran into the jungle, not caring if he was heard or not, sounding for all the world like a mad desperate dash for life, she watched as the NVA turned to pursue, leaving but just a few to find the others.

She watched as those left behind found the radio, left by the one in flight, she watched as they lifted the headset and she watched as they died. She sat as if in a trance, unmoving, eyes straight ahead, she watched as he ran thru the jungle, as he drew his foes away from his friends. She watched as he stopped his mad dash and she shivered as she saw him smile, this was not her brother, this was Death, and he was ready to join the melee.

For a brief moment, she saw his heart, and she felt his hand, she heard his words and then he was gone and she was alone, terribly alone with the sure and sad knowledge of her husband’s death and that of her brother as well. He was sending her love home to her at the expense of his own life.

So began a silent, unrecorded 79 day war in the jungles of Laos, Cambodia and Viet Nam, a war in which the modern day soldiers of North Viet Nam experienced the Rage of the Dark One, for that was how he became known. No one could describe him; they only saw the results of his vengeance.

For 79 days, not a soldier was safe; each day more died, some quietly without a sound, others with their screams echoing throughout the jungles. One, two, ten, twenty - the toll finally reached 300 before he walked out of the jungles and back into the world. 79 days of warfare the like of which had never before been seen in those dark jungles, and which has never been seen since.

True? Maybe, strange things happen in the dark jungles ruled by the Gods of War and the Queen of death.

©Rebecca Sara Ann Grey Eagle

5 July 2002