Court Martial by Donald E. Zlotnik

back in the shallow water. Woods and Sanchez were splashing water on their heads. Warner looked at his teammates
     and then staggered out into the center of the waterway and sat down. The ice-cold mountain stream felt so good that Warner
     lay back in it and let the fast-moving water rush around his throbbing head.
    Koski returned to the longhouse and gathered the team’s gear together on the porch. He looked around for the Sedang interpreter
     and saw him exit one of the communal houses where he had spent the night with one of the younger girls. Koski carried the
     team’s weapons and web gear down to the stream.arnason was getting dressed and Sanchez and Woods had joined Warner in the
     center of the cold stream. A group of Montagnard boys had gathered on the bank and watched as the crazy Americans tried sobering
     up.
    “How are you feeling, Sarge?” Koski askedarnason.
    “Better… but I still don’t think I’m alive.”
    “That’s a nice bracelet you got last night.” Koski pointed toarnason’s wrist.
    “You got one too, didn’t you?”
    “Sure, but mine is made out of brass.... Yours is gold.”
    Arnason lifted his arm and looked at the intricately carved pencil-thick gold bracelet. “Holy… ! I didn’t even notice last
     night!” arnason turned the band on his arm and admired the chain of elephants, tigers, and monkeys that encircled the gold
     friendship band.
    “Woods got a gold one too. I think they’re very special.” Koski nodded over at Woods, who was still too drunk to notice the
     gold band on his wrist.
    “It is a great honor to have a Bru armband made from yellow metal.” The interpreter had joined them by the stream. “An Bru
     people will protect you and you will never go without food and protection in the jungle.”
    “Why Woods and me?”
    “You gave the chiefs some very good gifts and their honor was at stake. Actually, it was one of the smartest moves that you
     could make with them. They were very scared about bringing Americans into their village.”
    Arnason’s thoughts went to the time and he looked down at his watch. “We have three and a half hours to set up a drop zone.”
     arnason changed the subject from the gold bracelets to the task at hand. “Have the Bru selected a site for the air drop?”
    “Yes. Chief’s son will take us there when you are ready.” The Sedang interpreter pointed back to the chief’s longhouse, where
     the young chief waited in the shade of his porch.
    “Is he sober already?”
    The interpreter shrugged. It didn’t matter if he was sober, as long as he could take them to the selected site for the air
     drop of weapons and ammunition.
    “Let’s get our stuff together. We’ve got to move out in an hour!” arnason yelled at his teammates in the water.
    Code words had been prearranged back at the First Cavalry Division Headquarters for the air drops, and the bundles of weapons,
     ammunition, medical supplies, and canned foods had all been rigged before the recon team had left the base area. All that
     was needed was forarnason to signal the forward air controller and give the grid coordinates for the drop zone and the time.
    Pain ripped along the base of Warner’s skull with every step he took. It was extremely difficult to concentrate on the trail.
     He reached into his jacket pocket and removed the vial that contained powerful pain pills that were supposed to be taken only
     in the event of serious gunshot wounds and they couldn’t be airlifted quickly by medevac. Warner figured the pain in his head
     was as bad as any gunshot could be and took two of the pills. Woods saw Warner take the pills and held out his hand. Anything
     was better than suffering from the rice-wine hangover, even getting shot.
    The Montagnard guides stopped walking a couple of hours after noon and spoke to the interpreter.
    Arnason waited in the shade of a large wild banana tree while the Montagnards discussed where the drop should take place.
     The interpreter