I, Soldier - part 23

It was now mid 1973 and the war had taken another turn for the worse. After much pressure, the draft had ended, and the vast majority of US troops had been withdrawn from Vietnam. The fate of the war now lay in the hands of the South Vietnamese military, which the US had trained and equipped at enormous expense for more than a decade. At work, I tried to forget about the war and focus on translating accurately and writing unbiased reports. It was nice to get paid for my Vietnamese knowledge though the routine of civilian was a bit dull, at least by my standards. Alexandra and I were now married with a kid on the way. That part felt good. By this time, I written enough for a book, but not sure how to organize it into something coherent. I was beginning to think it was best to write something fictional. My real experiences were just too unbelievable or disturbing in most cases. I thought about re-interpreting my experiences through the lens of science fiction. I'd turn Vietnam into another planet and my Ka-Bar into a ray gun. 

My mind turned to politics, which in my opinion is stranger world than any in science fiction. Getting elected to anything would be an interesting challenge. Or better yet, getting Alexandra elected. I just didn't have the right look and personality for politics. I decided to call Trautman for advice.

"Hello, sir. How are you?"

"You can call me Sam, Tom. We're both civilians now."

"My life's gotten a lot better but I feel like I'm stagnating. Ever felt like that?"

"Considering the number of times you've almost been killed, you should appreciate the chance to stagnate."

"Do you think I have any chance of getting elected? I think there's a chance to make some positive changes in the military and foreign policy."

"Given your interests and abilities, I'd suggest the foreign service. It seems your wife enjoys travel as well."

"That's an interesting suggestion. I've never thought about that."

"How's that book of yours?"

"I was thinking of re-working it from an autobiography into a work of fiction. It gets pretty intense in places."

"I say just tone it down a bit, and it will be a great memoir, like the one Ulysses Grant wrote."

"Do you think Alexandra has a chance to get elected?"

"Pretty long odds, I'm afraid. But there are a few women in Congress, so who knows. You can't win if you don't play. The motto of British special forces is: who dares, wins."

"I have some experience in that. My basic plan was to use the notoriety from my book to launch her campaign. I thought the romance between a hardened soldier and a hippie has a certain appeal."

"Talk it over with her and stay positive. You have a lot to offer."

"Thanks Sam. Take it easy. Over and out."

I compiled my book as best I could and gave it to Truman and Alexandra for feedback. They had some suggestions, but the main one was to get a professional editor to look at it. So I did that and made the changes he recommended. Something was still missing, both in the book and in my life. I decided it was time to track down my mother and get her side of the story. 

It was time to use my interrogation skills peacefully on my dad and anyone else he pointed me to. I called him on the phone one evening.

"Hi, dad. All is well with my new job. They really appreciate my knowledge here."

"That's good to hear. How's Alexandra?"

"She goes in for check-ups. The doctor says she and the bun in her oven are ship-shape."

"More good news. What's on your mind?"

"Tell me more about mom."

"Like I said, she left me for a better man."

"Did she say who or where?"

"No, just left me with a note saying that when I got back from the war. My parents were looking after you at the time."

"Did you talk to her parents about it? Or her friends?"

"No, not really. I was too heartbroken at the time and just accepted it."

"Do you have any phone numbers or addresses for her family or friends?"

"Yeah. What's your plan?"

"I'll contact them and see if I can learn more. What harm could it do?"

"I'll give you the info I have, but whatever you find, please just leave me out of it. I'd prefer not to know."

"Will do."

So he gave me the info he had: names, phone numbers, and addresses. I began my search. It was a lot of phone calls and letters in the mail. I prefer to search directly in person, but that wasn't an option given my job and Alexandra being pregnant.

After various false leads and dead ends, I narrowed down the search to a convent a few hours away from where I grew up. It seemed my mom had always wanted to be a nun and was pressured into marriage. I decided it was time for a pilgrimage of sorts. I had a picture of my mom when she was younger to help me and had memorized various tidbits about her that only she would know. I could use that to get her or someone close to her to identify her. I figured my best bet was to know the names of her pets. Women always remember them, and they always talk about their pets with someone.

I used a few vacation days around Veterans' Day weekend to make the journey, so that I'd have enough time. The convent was secluded in a wooded area near mountains and a lake. The name was something like Carmelite Sisters of the Holy Cross. They baked bread, made jam, and churned butter, among other things. In the local area, they were famous for the quality of their products. I bought some of their goat cheese at a store on the way there. It was delicious. My investigation revealed that my mom loved animals and was very religious. I was sure I'd find her at a convent with a farm.