IN ANY ACTIVITIES OF UNITS SUBORDINATE TO FIFTH SPECIAL.

FORCES GROUP.

6. MEDICAL RECORDS OF SUBJECT OFFICER AT THE TIME OF.

HIS ABSENTING HIMSELF WITHOUT LEAVE INDICATE HIS CONDITION TO BE.

"RECUPERATING, STILL UNDER ANTIBIOTIC REGIMEN,.

WOUNDS HEALING NORMALLY. GOOD." IT HAD BEEN THE INTENTION OF MEDICAL.

OFFICERS TO CONTINUE ANTIBIOTIC REGIMEN.

FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER SEVEN (7) DAYS. TO ENSURE AGAINST A.

RECURRENCE OF INFECTION.

7. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DIVISION. PROVOST MARSHAL'S.

OFFICE, HQ MAC V HAVE DETERMINED THAT SUBJECT OFFICER.

LEFT TAN SON NHUT AIR TERMINAL SAIGON ABOARD NORTHWEST.

ORIENT AIRLINES FLIGHT 303 1305 ZULU 26 JAN 1962. SUBJECT OFFICER.

OBTAINED NECESSARY TICKETS BY PRESENTING HIS INVALIDATED DA ORDERS TO.

AIR TRANS OFFICER AT TAN SON NHUT.

AIR TERMINAL. ETA NORTHWEST ORIENT AIRLINES FLIGHT 303 AT.

SAN FRANCISCO CALIF 15 1715 ZULU 28 JAN 1962.

8. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT IF POSSIBLE SUBJECT OFFICER.

BE MET AT SAN FRANCISCO CALIF BY COMPETENT AUTHORITY.

AND IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO PATIENT STATUS. SUBJECT OFFICER HAS.

TICKETS FOR. BUT NO RESERVATION, FOR FURTHER.

TRAVEL TO FAYETYEVILLE, NC.

9. IN THE EVENT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO RETURN SUBJECT OFFICER TO PATIENT.

STATUS AT SAN FRANCISCO CALIF IT IS MOST.

STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT IMMEDIATELY UPON HIS RE.

TURN TO MILITARY CONTROL HE UNDERGO AN IMMEDIATE MEDICAL REEVALUATION.

AND BE SUBJECTED TO SUCH MEDICAL.

TREATMENT AS IS INDICATED, PRIOR TO WHATEVER DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS ARE.

DEEMED NECESSARY AND APPROPRIATE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

10. PHOTOCOPIES OF ALL MEDICAL RECORDS ARE BEING FORWARDED TO THE.

OFFICE OF THE SURGEON GENERAL, DA, BY.

COURIER.

11. AFFIDAVITS FROM PERSONNEL FAMILIAR WITH VARIOUS.

ASPECTS OF SUBJECT OFFICER'S ACTIVITIES WHILE IN THE REPUBLIC OF.

VIETNAM ARE BEING PREPARED AND WILL BE FORWARDED BY COURIER AS THEY.

BECOME AVAILABLE.

12. IT IS REQUESTED THAT THIS HEADQUARTERS BE ADVISED.

BY MOST EXPEDITIOUS MEANS OF SUBJECT OFFICER'S MEDICAL.

CONDITION WHEN SUBJECT OFFICER IS RETURNED TO MILITARY.

CONTROL, AND OF DISCIPLINARY ACTION TAKEN.

BY COMMAND OF GENERAL HARK INS.

ALEX W. DONALD, COLONEL, AGC.

It thus came as no surprise to Paul Hanrahan when Lieutenant Ellis showed up, hobbling on crutches, in Hanrahan's office. Lieutenant Ellis looked like death warmed over. When he saluted, Hanrahan thought Ellis was going to fall over.

"Lieutenant Ellis," Hanrahan said, "pending a decision regarding charges which may be placed against you, you will consider yourself under arrest."

As pale as Tom Ellis looked, Hanrahan was surprised that his face could get any whiter, but it did.

"I thought it would be better if I came home, sir," Ellis said.

"And you thought, What the hell, once I'm gone, what can they do to me?" right?" Hanrahan said icily.

Ellis did not reply.

"Lieutenant Ellis, you will consider the following a direct order," Hanrahan said. "You will report to the station hospital immediately. You will inform hospital authorities that you are in arrest status. You will remain in the station hospital, undergoing whatever medical treatment is prescribed, until released by competent medical authority. Is that clear?" "Yes, sir."

"Sergeant Major, would you please assist Lieutenant Ellis to the hospital? You may use my car." "Yes, sir."

"That is all, Lieutenant," Hanrahan said. "You are dismIssed."

Ellis saluted. When he tried to turn around, he almost fell. Taylor moved quickly and caught him.

Sergeant Major Taylor and General Hanrahan locked eyes. Hanrahan shook his head.

When they were gone, Paul Hanrahan went to his window and moved the curtain aside just enough so that he could see out. Taylor had one hell of a time getting Ellis into the staff car. Hanrahan wondered how the hell he had managed to get from the airport to Bragg.

Ellis's foot was wrapped in bandages. The bandages were dark with what looked like fresh blood.

Shit, I should have called for an ambulance, Hanrahaan thought.

When the staff car finally drove off, Hanrahan dialed a number.

"Hello?" his wife's cheerful voice greeted him. "Tom just walked in," he said. "Hobbled in." Thank God!" she breathed. "Is he all right?" "No, he looks awful." "You sent him to the hospital, I hope," Patricia asked. "Yes," he said. "Under arrest." "That was necessary?" "Yes," he said. "Can I go see him? Take him something?"

"I told you, he's under arrest," he said, more sharply than he intended.

Her reply was silence.

"Maybe tomorrow," he said. "He shouldn't have any visitors anyhow in his condition."

"All right," she said. Her tone made it evident that she thought he was a heartless sonofabitch.

"I've got to go," he said. Patricia hung up without another word. Hanrahan dialed another number. "Liberty 7 2338," a female voice said. "General Hanrahan for Colonel Felter," Hanrahan said. "One moment, please," she said, and then: I'm sorry, General. Colonel Felter is not in his office at the moment. Would you care to leave a message?"

"Please," Hanrahan said. "Tell him The Prodigal Son has returned."

"The Prodigal Son has returned," she quoted. "I'll give him the message, General."

Thank you," Hanrahan said, broke the connection, dialed a number from memory and got "Charley Company, 505th, First Sergeant, sir."

"Sorry," Hanrahan said, broke the connection, swore, and consulted the directory.

"Pathology, Sergeant Finster." "Dr. Parker, please," Hanrahan said. "The doctor is in the lab, sir."

Get her on the phone," Hanrahan ordered. "This is important." "Yes, sir." "Dr. Parker?" "Taylor is en route with Tom Ellis," Hanrahan said. There was a pause before Toni Parker replied.

"Well, he won't suffer from lack of attention, Paul," she said.

"What does that mean?"

"I've been reading about those punji sticks and the infection they cause," she said. "I hate to use this word, but the infections are interesting."

"Infections," plural?"

"Several strains of unfamiliar bacillus and such that resist antibiotics," she said. "Some of them seem to cause morbidity in tissue that's hard to stop."

"Great!" he said.

There's a couple of people here who are delighted he ran away from the hospital in Saigon. He'll be their first case."

"Which means they won't know what to do about it?" "They don't know much morein Saigon, Paul," she said.

"Have a look when you have a chance, Toni, will you, and call me."

"I'll be there when they bring him in," she said. "I'll call you when I know something."

"Thank you, Toni," he said. "If you can't get me, call Pat."

"I was going to call her first anyway," Toni Parker chuckled and hung up.

General Hanrahan started to dial the operator, changed his mind, went into the outer office and poured himself a cup of coffee, and then set it down untouched and went back to his office and put in a call to Miss Dianne Eaglebury at the Delta Delta Delta House at Duke University in Duiliam.

When he got Dianne on the line, he told her that he had nothing special in mind, except that he had sort of expected her to take the tour of the Special Warfare Center he had offered, and he just wanted to repeat the invitation.

She said that she really wanted to come down there, but one thing and another had come up, and she just hadn't been able to find the time.

"Well, whenever, we'll roll the carpet out," Hanrahan said.

"I appreciate the invitation," Dianne said. "One of these days, I'll take you up on it."

"Oh, incidentally, Tom Ellis's back. And doing well."

"Back? Back from where? Doing well?" Is something the matter with him?"

"I thought you knew," Hanrahan said. "He's been in Indochina."

"No, I didn't know," she said angrily. "What do you mean, He's doing well'?"

"He stepped on something over there," Hanrahan said. "They've put him in the hospital."

There, at Fort Bragg?" "Yes."

"Well, thank you for telling me, General," she said. "And thank you again for calling."

(Two) The Oval Office The White House Washington, D.C. 1715 Hours, 29 January 1962 The President's secretary walked into the office with an envelope and extended it to him.

"Mr. Kennedy sent it over marked for immediate delivery," she said.

"Thank you," the President said, and tore the envelope open and read the typewritten sheet it held.

"I've got a message for you too," the President's secretary said to Lieutenant Colonel Sanford T. Felter, who was standing behind the President's desk. There was a stack of aerial photographs on the desk.

"Oh?" Felter asked.

The switchboard asked me to tell you that General Hanrahan wants you to know the Prodigal Son has returned," she said.

"Why do I sometimes get the feeling that Senator Goldwater doesn't like me?" the President asked, and then he picked up on what his secretary said. "What Prodigal Son is that, Sandy? Your pal Lowell?"