Cracker

Cracker knocks Rick over joyously when he returns. The handlers and their dogs board three cargo planes bound for Southeast Asia. From her crate, Cracker can see Rick’s seat on the plane. The plane lands a few times for the dogs to be let out. There is a sense of excitement among the men, and Rick comes back to her crate.

They arrive at Tan Son Nhut airport in Saigon. Rick knows that the US Army’s goal is to stop the spread of communism into South Vietnam. To do so, they must engage the Vietcong, communist North Vietnam’s army. This is challenging, as the Vietcong rely on guerilla warfare tactics such as booby traps. The dogs are there to identify these traps.

Rick sees a colorful platform and thinks it must be there to welcome the soldiers, only to realize that it is a pile of coffins draped in flags.

Rick and Cracker travel through Saigon toward Bien Hoa. Rick is amazed at the chaos of the city. The dogs all bark at chickens. They arrive at their temporary camp, which has no accommodation in place. Rick is assigned to fill sandbags to protect the perimeter while other soldiers set up tents.

Cody trades his precious watch for a tarp to set up over the dogs’ kennels and steaks for their dinner. It rains for days. On the fifth day, Rick receives a search and destroy mission. Rick is accompanied by a short-timer—a handler whose tour is almost complete and who is just fulfilling short assignments. Rick sees the handler’s pain as he bids farewell to his dog, Mack, who is to be retired.

Cracker and Rick walk ahead of a group of soldiers. Cracker identifies a string-loaded booby trap, which the soldiers intentionally set off in a controlled manner. They find seven more traps, and men nod respectfully at Rick that night at camp. Cracker feels satisfied to be a part of something important with Rick.

On their second assignment, Rick and Cracker search an area but find nothing. US soldiers move in afterward and set up mines. Rick isn’t sure whether he is relieved or frustrated to have not made contact with the Vietcong soldiers.

Over the next few weeks, the handlers build kennels and barracks. Because of his experience building things at home with the family’s tools, Rick leads the construction. Cody salvages a generator, which he trades for supplies for the new buildings.

Rick and Cracker are given an assignment to lead a team of 150 men in the field the next day. Rick feels awed and nervous. Twenty-Twenty and Cody return from action; they are both quiet and upset. Twenty explains that he killed a female Vietcong soldier, which rattled him. The three men shoot at rats in a nearby field. A captain comes to reprimand them, but Twenty refers to his decorated uncle, and they are let off with a warning.

The next morning, Cracker senses Rick’s nerves and knows that something important is happening. They take a chopper to the “hot zone,” an area where contact with the enemy has recently taken place. Cracker, overexcited, lunges at the end of her leash when they get out, pulling Rick face-first into the mud. He is embarrassed and frustrated as the men laugh at him.

They begin. Cracker signals that she hears people to the south, and Rick passes this on. Just then, he hears a shot from the south. Everyone drops. They lay still for a time, under intermittent fire, and then crawl as one toward the cover of the jungle. Cracker sometimes jumps up, and Rick hisses at her to stay down. When they finally stop, Rick realizes that she is jumping up because she has a leech on her belly. He has one on his cheek.

Rick and Cracker search the area once more.

Cracker lunges toward a monkey, which startles the men. Rick whispers to her that it is serious. He follows Cracker, watching her every movement with bated breath. He has to assess whether each flick of her ears indicates a target or merely a mosquito or distant animal. He decides that she is not signaling anything definite, and they continue. Abruptly, Cracker sits, indicating to Rick that there is a trap. Rick can only see a slightly discolored leaf but decides to trust Cracker’s signal. Hoping that she is right, Rick passes on this message, and the soldiers uncover a punji pit. Rick praises Cracker.

They continue. Cracker signals that she senses humans. Rick passes on this message, and a Vietcong sniper is discovered in the brush nearby and killed. A few US soldiers are wounded in the effort.

The men stop to remove leeches from their bodies. They nod respectfully at Rick.

Cracker steals a steak, one of the ones carefully procured by Twenty for the men’s dinner. Annoyed, Rick puts her in her kennel. Afterward, they go through an obstacle course. Over the next few weeks, Cracker and Rick do a few more missions, mainly clearing villages of any potential Vietcong soldiers. Rick marvels at the tunnels built through the country by the Vietcong. On the base, a bored cook tries to heat a massive bin of food but accidentally creates an explosion of food; the soldiers, including Rick, go without lunch.

One day, Cracker senses Rick’s nerves when he comes to collect her. He says that they have a secret mission with Special Forces. They get into a chopper and fly to Bien Hoa, where they meet Camel and Madman from the Special Forces. Rick, Cracker, Camel, Madman, and a few others fly to a training ground at Tay Ninh to train together. Cracker successfully finds planted booby traps. Rick learns to use a new type of gun—a CAR-15—as well as new types of harnesses for himself and Cracker.

That night, Rick eats dinner with the team. Rick goes to use Cracker’s new harness and can’t work it. The other men start laughing; it has been glued shut as a prank. Rick is supplied with another one. Camel mentions Rick’s sister’s undergraduate studies, and Rick realizes that he has been investigated for the mission. He is shocked and flattered to learn from Camel that “your sergeant said you’re the best there is” (170).

The next morning, they drive to a safe house. Rick is exhilarated and terrified to hear that they are infiltrating a Vietcong prison to rescue prisoners. They board a chopper that flies west for longer than Rick expects. He points out that they must be close to the Cambodian border, and Camel confirms that they are going into Cambodia, explaining that they have special clearance from the President to do so. 

They continue flying. Camel says that they are going to a hamlet in Kampong Province, which Rick has never heard of. The helicopter hovers to let the men and Cracker jump out. Rick orders Cracker to search. Almost immediately, she sits to indicate a trap. They spend the night in the jungle, careful to be extremely quiet.

In the morning, they continue toward the prison. Cracker signals booby traps, of which there are many. They crouch near the prison. Cracker signals people behind them: Vietcong soldiers. Camel whispers to avoid looking toward the enemy, or they will see their eyes. Rick orders Cracker to be quiet and shields her eyes with his hand. They all sit in silence for what seems like an age. Abruptly, one of the men, Vukovick, says that they are compromised.

The group comes alive with action. Rick and Cracker run with the men, who are all shooting at enemy soldiers. At one point, Rick is thrown to the ground, and a man goes to shoot him; Cracker tears open the man’s throat. The three prisoners are freed, and they run together with Rick, Cracker, and the Special Forces men. Camel releases a smoke grenade to tell the nearby chopper their location. Ropes fall from above, to which they tether themselves. They are all lifted to safety. Camel thanks and congratulates Rick and Cracker. Rick goes to open his rucksack and laughs when he finds it glued shut.