gn ant ▁wife ▁standing ▁in ▁an ▁empty ▁living ▁room , ▁surrounded ▁by ▁three ▁tiny ▁children ." ▁ ▁H ank ▁crossed ▁the ▁Pacific ▁" very ▁unh appy ." ▁Ord in arily , ▁he ▁would ▁have ▁gone ▁first ▁to ▁the ▁river ▁pat rol ▁boat ▁school ▁in ▁Cor on ado , ▁but ▁his ▁orders ▁had ▁him ▁going ▁straight ▁to ▁Vietnam . ▁He ▁chose ▁to ▁believe ▁that ▁the ▁n avy ▁had ▁an ▁ur gent ▁need ▁for ▁him , ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁replacing ▁someone ▁killed ▁in ▁the ▁line ▁of ▁duty . ▁" I ▁got ▁over ▁there , ▁and ▁the ▁gu y ▁I ' m ▁replacing ▁meets ▁me ▁at ▁the ▁air port , ▁at ▁Tan ▁Son ▁N h ut , ▁in ▁whites ," ▁H ank ▁re called . ▁" This ▁was ▁not ▁my ▁idea ▁of ▁Terry ▁and ▁the ▁Pir ates ." ▁His ▁assignment ▁was ▁to ▁Sa ig on , ▁to ▁the ▁staff ▁of ▁R D ML ▁Nor v ell ▁G . ▁Ward , ▁a ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁sub marine ▁hero . ▁H ank ▁settled ▁into ▁a ▁room ▁in ▁a ▁hotel ▁in ▁Ch ol on , ▁Sa ig on ' s ▁Chinese ▁section . ▁From ▁the ▁out set , ▁he ▁made ▁Ward ' s ▁life ▁" m iser able ." ▁" Every day ▁I ▁went ▁in ▁and ▁said , ▁' I ▁got ▁to ▁get ▁out ▁to ▁the ▁field ▁and ▁get ▁a ▁job .' " ▁Two ▁weeks ▁after ▁H ank ' s ▁arrival ▁in ▁Vietnam , ▁his ▁cousin ▁Joe ▁Howard ▁suddenly ▁appeared . ▁Joe ▁was ▁in ▁Sa ig on ▁for ▁two