William Garrett

The Night Belongs to Charlie William Garrett

In The Night Belongs to Charlie, an army sergeant tells of events and experiences during his one year stint in Vietnam as a United States Army Intelligence Adviser. It follows a chronological progression from his arrival in Saigon April 1967 to his departure May 1968. Inserted among the chronology are chapters that tell of the organization and make up of allied (ARVN) and enemy (VietCong) units. One chapter identifies interrogation methods used on prisioners by indigenous military personnel. Another describes in graphic detail the atrocities perpetrated by these leaders on one female prisoner. The story weaves emotion and dialogue into scenes of daily routine, intimate encounters, and intense combat situations. It builds to its climax where events of the Tet offensive in January of 1968 are chronicled in an almost blow by blow description. The final chapters in the narrative tell of a rugged attack on the base camp and of an event on the last mission that almost ended the sergeant''s life. Two brief chapters conclude The Night Belongs to Charlie. The first is an expression of personal opinion. The second recounts a young girl''s escape from Vietnam. It is Lecuc''s story as she herself told it to the sergeant.