The Day They Lynched Tyrone VN

The Day They Lynched Tyrone VN

(C) James J Alonzo

I was s squad leader in Viet Nam, and I was responsible for my squad members. The first time I saw Tyrone was when I entered our hooch one day, and i knew that i wouldn't like him. He was sitting on a bunk with another soldier named Billy Dunn. Tyrone was nothing to really to look at,,tall, slender, black, flat nose and short real corse black hair. However, Billy and Tyrone seemed fast friends, in fact Billy seemed possessive over his friendship with Tyrone. Little did I know that this relationship would eventually become a big problem.

Our platoon having first arrived in Viet Nam in 1967, lived in what we called our hooch, but in actuality they were wood sided structures with a tent roof. There were four for every platoon, in our base camp area. 

Tyrone moving in our hooch was going to be tough, because no one really like Tyrone. Tyrone had poor hygiene, and would piss in our hooch! He seemed to lazy to go outside. Sometimes for entertainment, he would reach up grab the rafter poles that supported our tent roof and swing from each rafter. Maybe Tyrone thought this was funny but he would pee as he he did his trapeze act! Tyrone did this in our hooch and I heard in other hooches too!

After getting complaints about Tyrone I had to talk to Billy Dunn about this because some of the men wanted to waste Tyrone for these antics.

"Listen Billy," I said, "you got to get Tyrone to stop this nonsense, or he is going to get the s\!#% beat out of him or fragged."

"I am trying sarge, but he doesn't listen!"

"Billy, you get your friend under control, S!#%, even the company dog doesn't like Tyrone, the way the dog is always yapping and barking at Tyrone."   

Tyrone didn't bother the company mascot dog much, but the Dog just wouldn't leave Tyrone alone. One day when Billy and Tyrone were heading to the mess hall, the dog was barking and yapping at Billy's feet  and apparently Tyrone had enough of this and jumped on the dog. 

In a quick move Tyrone had the dog in a head lock and was beating the hell out of the dog, then he would try to ride him like a horse, and then switch back to beating the hell out of dog again. 

A small crowd had gathered to see what was going on, and watch Tyrone. However when Tyrone got in behind the dog, the crowd got angrier, because Tyrone tried to plug Charlie right in the butt! The shouting and angry outbursts from the men forced Tyrone to run off in fear!! 

I just knew this was going to end in a bad way. That very night after i spoke to Billy we were being sent out on a night ambush. As we formed up Billy came to me,

"Hey sarge. Have you seen Tyrone? I can't find him!"

"No, and I hope he never comes back!" I said, I wasn't going to concern myself with Tyrone until I got back.

When we got back that morning it was real quiet, there was a ghostly like mist or fog at our hooch area. Before I had a chance to enter our hooch, I heard Billy Dunn's screaming and crying from inside the hooch! 

When I stepped in the hooch I saw what everyone was looking at, and the reason for Billy's cries and tears. There, hanging by his neck, from the center rafter was Tyrone, the monkey, hands tied behind his back, feet tied, and a note secured to Tyrone's black chest,

"This is what happens to monkeys
 who pisses and shits in our hooch!"

*****************