Another Place - Episode 15

Another Place Another Time

Book One

Jake and Whispers

Episode Fifteen

In the next four days, we had no direct contact with the enemy. During that time, Whispers showed me the locations of seven traps, and I redirected Isaacs to avoid them. I didn’t think anything about the number of direction changes, beyond the fact that we were doing our job.

Obviously, Lieutenant Barzuto thought seven direction changes without incident were a bit beyond routine, because a few days after our return to Bearcat, Riley found me in the mess hall having coffee with two other handlers.

“Jake. I’ve been looking for you.”

“What’s up, Riley? Another patrol?”

“I don’t think so, Sarge. The Old Man told me to find you. He wants to talk to you, right now.”

When we walked through the door, Captain Petty called out, “Jake, come on back, there’s someone here that I want you to meet.”

I entered the CO’s modest office and the two men who had been sitting in front of his desk stood up. I recognized Lieutenant Barzuto, but the other officer was a stranger. Captain Petty said, “Jake, you know Lieutenant Barzuto, but I don’t think you’ve met his Commanding Officer, Major Samuels.”

I started to salute, but Samuels stopped me, “Jake, we’re no more formal than you dog boys, maybe even less. And the truth is, if anyone should be saluting, we ought to be saluting you.”

We shook hands, and he sat back down. “That’s better. Have a seat; we won’t take but a minute.”

Just as I realized there was no chair for me, Riley magically appeared in the doorway and handed me an old folding chair. Everyone laughed as he disappeared.

Petty looked at Samuels. “Major, don’t even think about trying to get Riley. We couldn’t run this place without him.”

Samuels replied, “Petty, you must be a mind reader.” Then he looked at me. “Sergeant, Captain Petty tells me that you and your dog are new in-country.”

“Yes, Sir, we’ve been here a little more than two weeks. We’ve only been on two patrols, both of them led by Lieutenant Barzuto.”

“Then I suspect you don’t have any idea how you and Whispers stack up to other dogs and handlers.”

“I hadn’t thought about it, Sir, but now that you mention it, you’re right.”

“Well, let me clear that up for you. On a four-day patrol, it’s not unusual for a dog and handler to discover and avoid two, three, maybe even four traps. As far as I know, to find and avoid seven in one patrol is a record, and that’s why we’re here.”

He removed a sheet of paper from a folder lying on Captain Petty’s desk. “Jake, this is a Certificate of Commendation presented to you and Whispers from the 9th Division Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol Company. It commends the two of you for outstanding performance in support of the LURPs”

As he handed the certificate to me he added, “I’ve got an idea that this is only the first of many of these you and Whispers will collect.”

As I took the certificate, I recalled the others I had received for outstanding performance in Army training courses. Then, for some reason, I thought of Mr. Jones, the Principal at Harris Senior High School. I knew that one day I would have to tell him about all this.

I smiled and thanked Major Samuels. He started to get up, thought better of it, and sank back into his chair, “There is one question I’d like to ask you, Sergeant.”

“Yes, Sir, go ahead.”

“Jake, in our preparation of the commendation, we talked to Corporal Isaacs. He has been in our unit for almost twelve months, which means he has worked with many scout dogs and handlers. We asked him how Whispers let you know there was a trap or trip wire ahead, and he told us that all that happened was the two of you would stop walking. He said when you stopped sometimes you asked Whispers, ‘What is it, Boy?’ And other times you didn’t say anything. Then you’d stand there for a few seconds like you were waiting for something. He said after a few seconds you’d grin, turn to him and give him a new direction of travel.”

Samuels paused, looked intently at me, and said, “What am I missing here, Sergeant?”

“You aren’t missing anything, Sir. That’s exactly what happened.”

“What I’m asking, Sergeant, is what was going on while you were standing there?”

“Oh, that. Well, I’d ask Whispers why he stopped. Sometimes, I’d ask him out loud, but usually I’d just think it. Then, I stand there until I know what he sees, smells, or hears. What I mean is, I saw the trap, exactly the way that Whispers saw it. Somehow, he shows me the trap. Does that make sense, Sir?”

Major Samuels smiled. “No, Sergeant, it doesn’t make sense, at least not to me, but I believe you, and I know it makes sense to you and Whispers, so just keep on doing it.”

The room was silent for a moment, and then the Major asked, “When did you stumble on this way of talking to your dog?”

“It happened the first time I met him, Sir. Captain Cox, the Scout Dog Training Center Company Commander, told me Whispers was too young to go through the training without an exception, and he asked me what I wanted to do. Well, I figured it was up to Whispers, so I asked him, and he told me he could do it. I mean, he told me, and I heard him in my head…heard him say that he could do it. I asked Captain Cox to give Whispers an exception for age, and we finished first in our class, Sir.”

Major Samuels smiled, stood, and shook my hand again. “I’m glad you’re with us, Jake, damn glad, and I have a hunch we’ll be meeting like this often.”

Major Samuels and Lieutenant Barzuto left the office and Petty said, “Hang on a minute, Jake. I need to talk to you.”

Before the Captain could begin, Riley popped back into the office and neatly took the Certificate of Commendation right out of my hands, “This is for your 201 file, Jake. But, before I send it to personnel, I’m going to get the info from it and type a press release for your hometown newspaper.” As quickly as he had appeared, Riley was gone.

Captain Petty, still grinning at Riley’s performance, sat on the edge of his desk and picked up a piece of paper that was the only object on the desktop. He glanced at it, looked at me, then said, “Jake, it’s time for you and Whispers to go back to work. I’ve scheduled you for a three-day patrol that leaves this this afternoon at 1700 hours.”

“Is it anything out of the ordinary, Sir?”

“As far as I know, it isn’t. But, on the other hand, as far as I know, there is nothing ordinary in Vietnam.”

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