Word Of Honor Page #6

in the groin with a rifle butt.

And then Lieutenant Tyson told the others

to pull a VC off the operating table...

-...and put Peterson up there, which we did.

-And then?

Then Peterson died.

And a few seconds later...

...Lieutenant Tyson told Corporal Cane:

''Kill them.''

l mean, it may have been ''Waste them''

or ''Kill them all.''

Dr. Brandt....

Major.

Excuse me, Your Honor.

''Kill them all.'' That's what he said.

-Did Larry Cane respond to this order?

-No.

-He resisted.

-What happened next?

Lieutenant Tyson executed him.

And then Sergeant Detonq

shot the doctor...

...then others started shooting,

l assume out of fear of Lieutenant Tyson.

And Kelly and Beltran, they left the room,

and l soon heard more gunfire.

-Did you say anything to Lieutenant Tyson?

-Yes. l could hear shooting all over.

And l could hear screaming.

And it seemed like the screaming...

...was louder than gunfire.

And l said, ''Lt. Tyson,

they're killing women and children.''

-How did he respond?

-He gave no answer.

He simply left the room.

He left the room...

...and after that...

...l didn't see him again...

...until we assembled outside the hospital.

-By which time the hospital was burning.

-Yes.

-And were people trying to get out?

-Some were jumping out the windows.

Some people were crawling out the door.

Many were on fire.

Did Lieutenant Tyson order anyone

to aid them?

No.

Lieutenant Tyson ordered them shot.

l have no further questions at this time.

Thank you.

Dr. Brandt...

...you told us that you bear no animus

toward Benjamin Tyson.

-That's right.

-You have no reason to invent a story...

-...in order to harm him.

-Correct.

l'd like the record to show that Dr. Brandt

has been re-advised as to his oath.

So noted, Mr. Runnells.

Dr. Brandt, l remind you

you're still under oath.

Regarding your account

of the death of Larry Cane...

...in your initial statement

to the Army investigators...

...you claimed that Corporal Cane was killed

by sniper fire outside the hospital building.

-Were you lying then, or are you lying now?

-Objection.

-Goes to credibility, Your Honor.

-Answer the question, Dr. Brandt.

Larry Cane's father was

a retired United States general.

His brother is a United States senator.

Out of respect for Mr. Cane's family,

l decided to maintain...

...that part of the cover story,

which we all agreed to.

To protect his memory?

From what? lf he was a hero

who tried to prevent a massacre--

Objection. He has acknowledged

his previous statements were inaccurate.

Did you ever assist the South

Vietnamese police...

...when they searched villages

for suspected enemy agents?

-Objection.

-Goes to his denial of animus.

Continue.

Did you ever assist

the South Vietnamese police...

...when they searched villages

for suspected enemy agents?

l didn't assist the police.

l supplied medical help.

Medical help...

...to the police?

To the suspects.

-Torture was not uncommon.

-l see.

As a courtesy, you occasionally

supplied medical assistance...

-...to suspects the police tortured.

-Yes.

Did the police ever...

...undress their suspects

before they tortured them?

-Yes. They stripped them naked.

-Did they ever torture young people?

Unfortunately.

Do you recall a night...

...when you treated a young girl

in a village near Quang Tri?

You treated her in a hooch while the police

held her mother and father...

...and the rest of the villagers outside.

-No.

-She was around 1 2 years old.

She was screaming in terror and agony

while you beat and raped her.

Does that jog your memory, Dr. Brandt?

You don't recall raping that young child

and the ensuing activity?

Get off of me, Tyson!

Get off of me! Get off!

-Objection.

-Mr. Runnells...

...please limit your questions to matters

directly relating to Lt. Tyson...

...his men or the incident at hand.

Didn't Lieutenant Tyson and his men...

Hey, what are you doing?

Let go!

...your fellow platoon members

who are presently in this hall...

...allow those villagers to hold you

underwater in a rice paddy...

Let me go! Let me go!

...until your body was covered

with leeches?

Please answer the question.

Yes.

And aren't you here today solely

to revenge yourself for that humiliation?

-No.

-And isn't it true that you never expected...

...this matter to come before this panel?

You thought you'd get away

with destroying Lt. Tyson's reputation...

...counting on the fact he'd never

come forward in his defense...

...and the Army would never have

enough evidence to prosecute.

-This is outrageous speechifying.

-Sustained.

-Mr. Runnells.

-Dr. Brandt, who was the first soldier...

...to begin firing into the hospital

emergency room itself?

-l'm not sure.

-Nobody expects you to recall...

...every specific moment

after so many years.

Yet your testimony places Lieutenant Tyson

on the same spot throughout.

According to you,

he just stood there the whole time.

-Yes.

-And you also stood there...

-...and did nothing.

-Yes.

You testified that Lieutenant Tyson

shot Larry Cane.

You told Major Harper Larry Cane was

killed by snipers outside the courtyard.

-l believe l've answered that.

-Of course.

You wanted to protect Larry Cane's family,

Larry Cane's reputation.

You didn't want to defame

an innocent man.

Your Honor....

l have no further questions.

This hearing is adjourned

till tomorrow morning.

There's five jurors on that panel.

We need three votes for acquittal,

and l know l've got two.

When my summation's over...

...l'm gonna get me that third.

l'm not gonna ask you why you chose

to protect those men all these years...

...because l don't think that l'll ever

really be able to understand that.

But l do need to know...

...why you never confided in me.

l've been living with this my whole life.

l just didn't want you

to have to live with it too.

Major Harper.

Your Honor, there's been

an unusual development.

-May l approach?

-Come on up here.

Mr. Runnells.

Your Honor, we have located

an eyewitness...

...a woman of unimpeachable character

who was at Misericorde during the incident.

-What the hell are you talking about?

-Sister Teresa.

The French government and the Vatican

helped locate her.

l got a call yesterday afternoon.

She arrived by plane just three hours ago.

-Do you have any idea what she'll say?

-l assume the truth, Your Honor.

Mr. Runnells?

l have no problem with that witness

at this time.

Bring her in.

Remember me, Sister?

Now, you keep your mouth shut.

-Don't say a word, or l'll find you--

-Detonq, stand down!

l don't take orders from you anymore!

And the Army can kiss my ass!

You gave your word, Ty.

You gave your word!

You gave your word!

Your Honor, there's no reason

for this woman to testify.

You're out of order.

You do not want this

on the public record.

You have had ample opportunity

to resolve this, lieutenant.

Now, damn it, we're going to hear

what this woman has to say.

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