The Barbe of Ankhe

I served in the army during the early part of the 1960's. During that service I was sent to Ankhe, Viet nam, 1965, with my newly designated 1st Air Calvary Division. While there I had some association with the wonderful people of Viet nam. Below is about just one association with the local barber. The story doesn’t have anything to do with my membership in the church but it does address our obligation to all of Heavenly Father’s children. Be they an enemy or not! I truly believe that the only true enemys, in the case of war, are their political leaders and not the people.

                                    The Barber of Ankhe

The other night I watched "This Week In History" on the History Channel. The subject was the Viet Nam War Memorial, which was built to honor those soldiers who died in Viet Nam. There has been a lot of hoopla about those who's name appear on this memorial. Having served in Viet Nam, luckily for only a year, I too have an association with some of those who's names appear on the memorial. I often think of some of my friends and coworkers that were killed while they were supposedly serving their country in Viet Nam. I wonder if the young husband and father we all called 'Sloopy' (after a then popular song named "Sloopy Hang On") was lying in his bunk the night the recoilless rifle round landed in my replacement's bunk. The very bunk I slept in for almost a year! Our bunks were side by side! If he was there as usual, his name is on the memorial along with my replacement.

I also have an association for some of those who's names don't appear there. I speak of some of the people, of Viet Nam, we called Viet Cong. Were they evil people? Definitely not! I new some of these people personally. They were husbands and fathers just like 'Sloopy'! They loved their family and country just like 'Sloopy'! They also loved freedom. Many of them didn't want to be Viet Cong. Don't be shocked! Many of the Viet Cong were just like you and me, husbands, fathers, wives, children, butchers, bakers, candle stick makers and on and on. They wanted no part of the political struggle that was raging in their homeland! Most Viet Cong were forced to serve in a war they wanted no part of! During the Viet Nam Conflict, In America there were many war protesters as well as draft dodgers. The American draft dodger, when caught, went to prison or some lesser punishment. In Viet Nam, if you were sought out to be drafted into the Viet Cong army, you weren't treated so lightly. The leaders of the Viet Cong had other methods to assure your service. An example is the 'barber of Ankhe'.

He was a very amiable, kind, generous, and likeable fellow. He loved his wife and children, his neighbors and his country. He also loved to be left alone, to do for himself and his family and friends. I know because he cut my hair and cleaned my ears (if you were in Viet nam you know about that) many times. I had many pleasant conversations with him and his lovely wife. I really liked this guy! One day while he was cutting my hair, a boy about six years of age came running through the hooch he used as his shop. He was a lively little guy and full of fun like most six year olds. As he came through from another direction, I noticed his left cheek had a large hole in it, a little larger than a quarter. It took a little while for me to get enough courage to ask the barber if this young man was his son. The answer was, "Yes. Me V.C." He then related how the Viet Cong leaders had visited him many times attempting to recruit him to serve in their army. He always refused. Then one night they came by again. They said this was the last time they would come because tonight he would join them! The leader stuck the business end of his rifle in the barber's son's mouth and said to the barber, "Sign Here"! He refused again, thinking that they surely wouldn't shoot his son. The leader pulled the trigger. The boy jerked to one side just as the rifle went off. The bullet went through the boy's left cheek instead of the back of his head. Thus the boy was alive but now has a large hole in his cheek. The barber immediately signed the enlistment papers as I'm sure you or I would! Several weeks later the American military base at Ankhe was attacked by the V.C. During the clean up after the attack, we found the body of the 'barber of Ankhe'. I never knew what happened to his family and I'm certain his name doesn't appear on the Viet Nam Memorial. Who will build a memorial for all of the people who die in political wars no matter what side they are on. Thankfully Heavenly father knows each of us and is aware of our sufferings.

Robert Christian/Westphal