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Author’s Note: Meeting this woman warrior was a
real surprise and a true honor. Our timing was perfect so that we were at the
right place and at the right time – but of course there are no accidents in this
world!
A
CHANCE MEETING AT BLACK VIRGIN
MOUNTAIN
The mountain was officially known as Nui Ba Den - but it was known locally as
"Black Virgin Mountain" because of an old legend about a woman who jumped
off this mountain to avoid marrying someone she did not love. The mountain
itself is said to still contain that feminine energy. This old mountain used to be the resource of many a fierce battle when I was
doing my “tour of duty”. In fact, we had lost a full crew of men on that very
mountain when they were shot down and crashed on the hillside. It seems that we
may have been on the top of that mountain but Charlie and all his friends owned
all the real-estate from the bottom of that mound right up to the edges of our
bared wire fence at the top.
This mountain was honeycombed with natural
caverns were they could hide safety forever. You could see this mountain
landmark from any where in the south area outside of Saigon. It stood out like a
large sentinel watching over all the flat land around it. Yes – it was a very
special and sacred place – and we wanted to go back and visit the place. We were
warned that it was not like we remembered it at all any more – but when we saw
it I couldn’t have been any more surprised – you could have knocked me over with
a feather.
We pulled into a parking lot at
the bottom of the mountain and saw all the signs – this place had been turned
into an amusement park! I couldn’t believe my eyes at what I was seeing there.
Never in my wildest imagination could I have envisioned this transformation from
war time to peace.
We got on a children’s train for a
ride to the entrance for a cable car – the kind you see at Disneyland or at some
sky resort – takes you up on a long ride over the tops of trees and rocks on its
steady climb upwards to the summit area. The cable cars just hung by a thin
cable up in the air and I think my buddy Robert was not too happy about going up
on it as it rocked and rolled from side to side as it lurched forward on the
cable. You could see for miles around as we got higher up the side of the
mountain.
Right next to the cable lift was
their newest attraction – a slide that you rode down on a little car like
vehicle on small wheels. It was being tested and we watched as these “cars”
whizzed by right under us on their way down the mountain. It was opening up that
very afternoon and there would be a ceremony and some local celebrities there.
We got off the cable cars when they
pulled into the station near the top; from there we hiked up many flights of
rock stairs heading for the temples that were all located on this mountainside.
There were pilgrims making their annual trek to these Buddhist shrines and
temples. There was a place for the weary to rest on the floor of a building
right next to the man temple. The temples were spectacular works of art and
love.
We took our shoes off and softly
walked into the main temple. There was a little old monk standing by a large
gong that was hanging from a wooden frame at the back of the sanctuary. When we
bowed to the large golden Buddha the gong was rung – it sent chills up my spine
when it happens so unexpectedly. I offered my incense and another monk came over
to me to give me a fruit to put on the altar – he also gave me something for
myself to take with me – a folded old paper currency note and a small amount of
rice.
The monk seemed to be
intrigued by all of us but me in particular as he kept his focus on me. I sat on
the floor and did a short prayer and mediation. When I had finished and bowed to
the altar I could still see that he was watching me. I exchanged glances with
him and he smiled back at me and put both his hands together as if praying and
slight bowed to me. I retuned the same gesture and slowly backed out onto the
steps outside to put my shoes back on. I was emotionally moved by the whole
place – it felt so peaceful for a lack of any better words to describe what I
was feeling there. I really felt satisfied and very welcomed.
We went on to even more temples
that were located on this mountain and had to climb even higher rock stairways
to get there. On the way to the last one we were approached by a young man
selling birds – or actually he was asking for you to pay fro their release back
into the wilds. These birds had been captured (or bred and raised) and it was a
good luck and very spiritual gesture to pay fro their release. You were to say a
prayer and let hem go out of your hands.
I decided to release two birds –
one for each of my children. I offered a prayer for each one as the little birds
soared skyward to heaven from my open hands. I watched the birds flying away
carrying my prayers for each child across the very same skies that only 35 years
before I had fried machine gun bullets from – down onto this very mountain. I
was hit with the symbolism of it all and I stood there absorbed in the moment.
We meet several old NVA veterans who
were on tour from Hanoi and the north area. They were on a holiday and enjoying
the peace and serenity of this sacred mountain just as the four of us veterans
were doing. Al of us were having our own experiences and handling it a little
differently. We approached one of the veterans who had his old uniform on and
was wearing several medals. We all hugged and talked and took photos together.
When we eventually got back down off
the mountain and were walking around the concession area we saw our old veteran
friend and he wanted some of his buddies to meet us and get their photos taken
with us. We were all in the moment and enjoying each other when a guy in a
uniform approached me to ask for my audience with some famous woman veteran who
was in the back of a small limo with blacked out windows so I could not see
inside. I walked over to the car and the door swung open. Inside there sat an
elderly heavy set women with rows of medals draped on her jacket. She had a
walker next to her so I assumed she had some kind of physical problem. Her hair
was white and her teeth slightly stained but her smile was truly genuine and
warm as she put forth her hand to shake mine. I shook her hand and then stood
back at attention and gave her a big time military salute. She saw what I did
and cupped her hands together and put them on her mouth as an indication of her
surprise and the joy she was feeling. Her eyes said it all as the glistened a
little – she was actually tearing up. I stood there and finally retuned my
salute with a proud and proper gesture of friendship and respect.
I stepped back and happened to
look up at the 40 passenger bas that was backed along side of her car. There
were several dozen old veterans in their old uniforms standing near the windows
saluting me. I whipped my hat to the brim of my old hat and retuned to gesture
of friendship from one warrior to another.
We all just looked at each other for
several more seconds until I slowly turned to rejoin my friends.
There was a feeling in the air of
love – I do not know any other words to explain it. But all my feelings about my
former enemy and the war just melted into an understanding that we are all just
brothers (and sisters) on this small planet of ours. I loved these people and it
seemed they loved us too. Perhaps it was respect born out our battle – but
whatever it was I was happy to have shared that moment in time with them.
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