The Shadow of Arms by Hwang Sok-Yong Page A
Authors: Hwang Sok-Yong
Tags: United States, Fiction, Literary, Historical fiction, History, Family, Military, War & Military, War, translation, Brothers, vietnam, Combat, trafficking, Relationships, soldier, Korea, Korean War, Imperialism, black market, regime, Hwang Sok-yong, Da Nang
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Ericsson: The girl looked too weak to travel. I did think of slipping out of there with her. But I knew it would be dark soon. If we were on the run they might start shooting at us. I was the only one not an accomplice. I knew Misova would report me as a deserter and the others would probably take his side. They would all swear with a straight face that there had been no woman at all on the patrol and that I must be out of my mind. When I went back in the hut again, the girl seemed to have decided I was not going to hurt her. The moaning had stopped and it seemed like she trusted me. Trusted me! After I had already decided there was nothing I could do for her. It was the hardest decision I ever made in my life, and by no means the best. It was wrong for me to be a soldier in Vietnam. When the girlâs fever worsened and she kept coughing, Clark started insisting that we kill her then and there.
Manuel: Misova talked him out of it, told him to be patient. He said after a good nightâs sleep Miao might be in better shape. Then, in the morning they could have one more round of fun with her.
Raphael: The moon was bright. We took turns standing guard and the girl, crouched in the corner, coughed all night through. So Clark starting up again saying we should get rid of her.
Clark: I was afraid her coughing might lead the enemy to our position.
Misova: The next morning we all got up a little before 0600 and I wasnât interested in the girl anymore.
Ericsson: Because she was totally worn out and her fever and cough had worsened during the night. They all said it was time to get rid of her.
Interrogator: Did Misova say heâd kill her himself?
Ericsson: Misova ordered me to get rid of her. He threatened me, said if I refused, heâd report me as killed in action.
Raphael: He also ordered us to do it, but we refused.
Manuel: Clark volunteered to do it himself, but Misova said no, and that we all had to be involved so nobody took the blame later on. Misova said heâd have us each stab her with knives, and Clark said heâd bayonet her in the back.
Raphael: And he said we could dump the body off a cliff on Hill 192, which weâd come upon while on patrol the day before.
Ericsson: We dragged the girl up to higher ground. She was struggling to breathe. But as soon as we reached the ridge, we discovered enemy down below us.
Misova: The situation became urgent and we found the girlâs presence a hindrance to carrying out operations.
Raphael: I was the one nearest the girl, and Clark pulled her by the arm into the forest nearby. I saw he had the hunting knife in his other hand.
Interrogator: Did you hear anything when she was stabbed?
Ericsson: Well, I was a hunter back home, so I know what itâs like to gut a deer. I remember thinking that the sound was like sticking a knife into a deer. The girl screamed, but it wasnât very loud.
Raphael: When Clark came back, Misova asked him if heâd taken care of the girl and Clark said she was dead. But then we saw her crawling down the slope. Misova pointed at her and shouted.
Ericsson: Clark muttered he had stuck the knife all the way in, twice. Misova ordered all of us to fire at her, but we didnât.
Raphael: I shot one time, but my gun jammed and I couldnât fire anymore. Clark ran down the hill and unloaded his M16 in the direction of the forest. Clark then started joking, asking if we wanted him to go get her gold tooth. Part of her head was blown off. Then we got focused on our own operation and forgot about the incident.
Interrogator: Did Lieutenant Riley meet you at that point?
Riley: No, I only received a radio report that a female guerrilla had been shot to death. During the operation Misova reported that they encountered a woman who took off running toward the top of the hill, so I ordered him to capture her. About two minutes later, he told me they werenât able to catch her and had no choice but to shoot her.
Ericsson: The girl looked too weak to travel. I did think of slipping out of there with her. But I knew it would be dark soon. If we were on the run they might start shooting at us. I was the only one not an accomplice. I knew Misova would report me as a deserter and the others would probably take his side. They would all swear with a straight face that there had been no woman at all on the patrol and that I must be out of my mind. When I went back in the hut again, the girl seemed to have decided I was not going to hurt her. The moaning had stopped and it seemed like she trusted me. Trusted me! After I had already decided there was nothing I could do for her. It was the hardest decision I ever made in my life, and by no means the best. It was wrong for me to be a soldier in Vietnam. When the girlâs fever worsened and she kept coughing, Clark started insisting that we kill her then and there.
Manuel: Misova talked him out of it, told him to be patient. He said after a good nightâs sleep Miao might be in better shape. Then, in the morning they could have one more round of fun with her.
Raphael: The moon was bright. We took turns standing guard and the girl, crouched in the corner, coughed all night through. So Clark starting up again saying we should get rid of her.
Clark: I was afraid her coughing might lead the enemy to our position.
Misova: The next morning we all got up a little before 0600 and I wasnât interested in the girl anymore.
Ericsson: Because she was totally worn out and her fever and cough had worsened during the night. They all said it was time to get rid of her.
Interrogator: Did Misova say heâd kill her himself?
Ericsson: Misova ordered me to get rid of her. He threatened me, said if I refused, heâd report me as killed in action.
Raphael: He also ordered us to do it, but we refused.
Manuel: Clark volunteered to do it himself, but Misova said no, and that we all had to be involved so nobody took the blame later on. Misova said heâd have us each stab her with knives, and Clark said heâd bayonet her in the back.
Raphael: And he said we could dump the body off a cliff on Hill 192, which weâd come upon while on patrol the day before.
Ericsson: We dragged the girl up to higher ground. She was struggling to breathe. But as soon as we reached the ridge, we discovered enemy down below us.
Misova: The situation became urgent and we found the girlâs presence a hindrance to carrying out operations.
Raphael: I was the one nearest the girl, and Clark pulled her by the arm into the forest nearby. I saw he had the hunting knife in his other hand.
Interrogator: Did you hear anything when she was stabbed?
Ericsson: Well, I was a hunter back home, so I know what itâs like to gut a deer. I remember thinking that the sound was like sticking a knife into a deer. The girl screamed, but it wasnât very loud.
Raphael: When Clark came back, Misova asked him if heâd taken care of the girl and Clark said she was dead. But then we saw her crawling down the slope. Misova pointed at her and shouted.
Ericsson: Clark muttered he had stuck the knife all the way in, twice. Misova ordered all of us to fire at her, but we didnât.
Raphael: I shot one time, but my gun jammed and I couldnât fire anymore. Clark ran down the hill and unloaded his M16 in the direction of the forest. Clark then started joking, asking if we wanted him to go get her gold tooth. Part of her head was blown off. Then we got focused on our own operation and forgot about the incident.
Interrogator: Did Lieutenant Riley meet you at that point?
Riley: No, I only received a radio report that a female guerrilla had been shot to death. During the operation Misova reported that they encountered a woman who took off running toward the top of the hill, so I ordered him to capture her. About two minutes later, he told me they werenât able to catch her and had no choice but to shoot her.
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