We Few (i)

from Nick Brokhausen at the Studies and Observations Group

Where is a Vietnamese translation of Henry V when you need it? Harry’s harangue to his men on Crispin’s eve at Agincourt performs both meanings of we in Vietnamese.

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. On the one hand the small unit commander rallies all who hear him to the cause. We, inclusive, chúng ta.

Chúng ta ơi, ít có ai may mắn như đoàn anh em! I should be surprised were you to find that an idiomatic or even possible translation. As I say, I need Uy-li-am Sếch-xpia.

My point is that in the drama Harry includes all who hear. Rally to us! But on the stage his we, on the other hand, excludes the rest of us who attend.

Chúng tôi, exclusive. We few. None of you groundlings nor the fancy in the boxes, both sorts accursed that were not there. Spectators, me and likely you as well.

Nick Brokhausen tells the tale of men of action running into Laos where the People’s Army of Viet Nam were looking for those very bands of brothers. Who would do that?

The cover of the book displays a photograph of Nick with a band of 10 clansmen or cousins or indeed brothers. Those are highlanders, hillbillies, montagnards, national minorities, transnational ethnics of mainland Southeast Asia, call them what you will they really don’t care what you think. What everyone loves about them.

They fight the Lao and the Thai as well as the Viet, joining with any offshore power that shows up. Great guys. It never works out for them and many now live in North Carolina, from where they continue to mess with the Vietnamese.

The cover also displays another we entirely, also exclusive. There is the patch of the Military Assistance Command, Studies and Observations Group. A line of copy runs through it, not also on the title page so not a subtitle:

BEIND ENEMY LINES WITH SOG. That is as exclusive as they come. Not many found their way up front and not all of them returned. U.S. SPECIAL FORCES IN VIET NAM. Less exclusive.

Includes all officers, for instance, and many SF not SOG. Well that is how it works. Bill Mauldin of the 45th Division, landing in Africa, Sicily, fighting through Italy, who only survived because they pulled him off the line for his funny pictures,

remarked in his Up Front that the men in the listening post regard those on the line as total slackers. Chúng tôi. Then all those who come back become veterans together. Chúng ta.

And that band of family in the photo on the cover of We Few? That we has since become rather Nick and his SF brother shooting the picture and those like them still living. Those actual brothers in the photo I daresay are no longer alive let alone We Few.

Never mind. As I say, they never cared what you think.

This was the first Viet Nam Letter of 3 so far addressing We Few: U.S. Special Forces in Vietnam by Nick Brokhausen. The second posted on September 7, 2022 and the third, also the seventh of 8 so far concerning Dawson’s War by B.K. Marshall, on February 25, 2023.

Viet Nam letters respects the property of others under paragraph 107 of United States Code Title 17. If we asked for permission it wouldn’t be criticism. We explain our fair use at length in the letter of September 12, 2022.

The colophon of these Viet Nam letters, directly above, shows the janitor speaking with poet David A. Willson on a Veterans Day.