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ia　understood　that；　because　she　said　to　the　general；　〃But　I　would　like　you；　sir；　to　tell　us　what　actually　happened　out　there；　and　why　it　happened。〃
　General　Campbell　sat　back　in　his　chair　and　nodded。　He　said；　〃All　right；　then。　The　story　actually　begins　ten　years　ago　。。。　ten　years　ago　this　month　at　West　Point。〃
　
　CHAPTER　TWENTY…EIGHT
　
　General　Campbell　related　to　us　what　had　happened　at　Camp　Buckner；　West　Point's　field　training　area。　In　regard　to　the　actual　rape；　he　knew　not　much　more　than　we　did；　or；　probably；　the　authorities　did。　What　he　did　know　was　that；　when　he　saw　his　daughter　at　Keller　Army　Hospital；　she　was　traumatized；　hysterical；　and　humiliated　by　what　had　happened　to　her。　He　told　us　that　Ann　clung　to　him；　cried；　and　begged　him　to　take　her　home。
　He　offered　the　information　that　his　daughter　told　him　she　was　a　virgin；　and　that　the　men　who　raped　her　made　fun　of　this。　She　told　him　that　the　men　had　pulled　off　her　clothes　and　staked　her　on　the　ground　with　tent　pegs。　One　of　the　men　had　choked　her　with　a　rope　while　he　was　raping　her；　and　told　her　he'd　strangle　her　to　death　if　she　reported　the　assault。
　Neither　I　nor　Cynthia；　I'm　sure；　expected　the　general　to　provide　these　small；　intimate　details。　He　knew　that　this　incident　was　only　related　to　the　murder　in　a　peripheral　way；　and　there　was　no　clue　there　regarding　her　murderer。　Yet；　he　wanted　to　talk；　and　we　let　him　talk。
　I　got　the　impression；　though　he　didn't　address　the　issue　directly；　that　his　daughter　expected　him　to　see　to　it　that　justice　was　done；　that　there　was　no　question　that　she'd　been　brutally　raped；　and　that　the　men　who'd　done　it　were　to　be　expelled　from　the　military　academy　and　prosecuted。
　These；　of　course；　were　reasonable　expectations　for　a　young　woman　who'd　been　trying　her　damnedest　to　live　up　to　Daddy's　expectations；　who　had　put　up　with　all　the　hardships　that　were　part　of　life　at　West　Point；　and　who　had　been　criminally　assaulted。
　But　there　were　some　problems；　it　seemed。　First；　there　was　the　question　of　Cadet　Campbell　being　alone　with　five　men　in　the　woods　at　night。　How　did　she　get　separated　from　the　forty…person　patrol？　By　accident？　On　purpose？　Second；　Cadet　Campbell　could　not　identify　the　men。　They　not　only　wore　camouflage　paint；　but　they　had　mosquito　nets　over　their　faces。　It　was　so　dark；　she　couldn't　even　identify　the　uniforms　and　could　not　say　for　certain　if　the　men　were　other　cadets；　West　Point　cadre；　or　soldiers　from　the　82nd　Airborne　Division。　In　all；　there　were　close　to　a　thousand　men　and　women　on　training　exercises　that　night；　and　the　chance　of　her　identifying　her　five　attackers　was　almost　nil；　according　to　what　General　Campbell　had　been　told。
　But　this　was　not　precisely　true；　as　Cynthia　and　I　knew。　By　process　of　elimination；　you　could　begin　to　narrow　the　field。　And　as　you　got　closer　to　the　perpetrators；　it　was　inevitable　that　one　of　them　would　crack　to　save　himself　from　long　jail　time。　And　also　you　had　semen　tests；　saliva　tests；　hair　tests；　fingerprints；　and　all　the　other　magic　of　forensic　science。　In　fact；　gang　rapes　were　easier　to　solve　than　solitary　rapes；　and　I　knew　that；　Cynthia　certainly　knew　it；　and　I　strongly　suspected　that　General　Campbell　knew　it。
　The　real　problem　was　not　identifying　who　did　it；　the　problem　was　that　the　rapists　were　either　cadets；　cadre；　or　soldiers。　The　problem　was　not　in　the　area　of　police　science；　but　in　the　area　of　public　relations。
　Basically；　it　came　down　to　the　fact　that　five　erect　penises　penetrated　one　vagina；　and　the　entire　United　States　Army　Military　Academy　at　West　Point　could　be　torn　apart　in　the　same　act　that　had　torn　Ann　Campbell's　hymen　imperforatus。　These　were　the　times　that　we　lived　in；　rape　was　not　an　act　of　sex…consensual　sex　is　easily　available。　Rape　was　an　act　of　violence；　a　breach　of　military　order　and　discipline；　an　affront　to　the　West　Point　code　of　honor；　a　definitive　no　vote　against　a　co…ed　academy；　against　women　in　the　Army；　against　female　officers；　and　against　the　notion　that　women　could　coexist　with　men　in　the　dark　woods　of　Camp　Buckner；　or　the　hostile　environment　of　the　battlefield。
　The　exclusive　male　domain　of　West　Point　had　been　infiltrated　by　people　who　squatted　to　piss　in　the　woods；　as　that　colonel　at　the　O　Club　bar　would　put　it。　During　the　academic　year；　in　the　classroom；　it　wasn't　intolerable。　But　out　in　the　woods；　in　the　hot　summer　night；　in　the　dark；　men　will　revert　to　ancient　modes　of　behavior。
　The　entire　field　training　experience；　as　I　remember　too　well；　was　a　call　to　arms；　a　call　to　war；　a　call　to　bravery；　and　an　intentional　imitation　of　a　primitive　rite　of　passage　for　young　men。　There　were　no　women　in　the　woods　when　I　took　my　training；　and　if　there　had　been；　I　would　have　felt　sorry　for　them　and　been　frightened　for　them。
　But　the　people　in　Washington　and　the　Pentagon　had　heard　and　heeded　the　call　to　equality。　It　was　a　good　call；　a　necessary　call；　a　long…overdue　call。　And　certainly　attitudes　and　perceptions　had　changed　since　I　was　a　young　man　training　for　Vietnam。　But　not　everyone's　attitudes　changed；　and　the　move　to　equality　proceeded　at　different　paces　in　different　sections　of　the　national　life。　There　are　glitches　in　the　system；　little　pockets　of　resistance；　situational　behavior；　primitive　stirrings　in　the　loins。　This　is　what　happened　on　a　night　in　August　ten　years　before。　The　mandant　of　West　Point　did　not　announce　that　a　hundred　women　in　the　woods　with　a　thousand　men　did　not　get　raped　during　recondo　training。　And　he　wasn't　about　to　announce　that　one　did。
　So　the　people　in　Washington；　in　the　Pentagon；　at　the　Academy；　had　reasoned　with　General　Joseph　Campbell。　And；　as　he　related　it　to　Cynthia　and　me；　it　certainly　sounded　reasonable。　Better　to　have　one　unreported　and　unvindicated　rape　than　to　rock　the　very　foundations　of　West　Point；　to　cause　doubts　about　a　co…ed　academy；　to　cast　suspicion　on　a　thousand　innocent　men　who　did　not　gang…rape　a　woman　that　night。　All　the　general　had　to　do　was　to　convince　his　daughter　that　she…as　well　as　the　Academy；　the　Army；　the　nation；　and　the　cause　of　equality…would　best　be　served　if　she　just　forgot　about　the　whole　thing。
　Ann　Campbell　was　given　a　drug　to　prevent　pregnancy；　she　was　tested　and　retested　for　sexually　municated　diseases；　her　mother　flew　in　from　Germany　and　brought　her　a　favorite　childhood　doll；　her　cuts　and　bruises　healed；　and　everyone　held　their　breath。
　Daddy　was　convincing；　Mommy　was　not　as　convinced。　Ann　trusted　Daddy；　and；　at　twenty　years　old；　for　all　her　world　travel　as　a　military　brat；　she　was　still　Daddy's　girl　and　she　wanted　to　please　him；　so　she　forgot　she　was　raped。　But　later；　she　remembered；　which　was　why　we　were　all　sitting　in　the　general's　office　that　evening。
　So　that　was　the　sad　story；　and　the　general's　voice　cracked　now　and　then；　got　husky；　got　quiet。　I　heard　Cynthia　sniffle　a　few　times；　too；　and　I'd　be　a　liar　if　I　said　I　didn't　feel　a　lump　in　my　throat。
　The　general　stood　but　motioned　us　to　remain　seated。　He　said；　〃Excuse　me　a　moment。〃　He　disappeared　through　a　door；　and　we　could　hear　water　running。　As　melodramatic　as　it　sounds　now；　I　almost　expected　to　hear　a　gunshot。
　Cynthia　kept　her　eye　on　the　door　and　said　softly；　〃I　understand　why　he　did　what　he　did；　but　as　a　woman；　I'm　outraged。〃
　〃As　a　man；　I'm　outraged；　too；　Cynthia。　Five　men　have　a　memory　of　a　fun　night；　and　here　we　are　dealing　with　the　mess。　Five　men；　if　they　were　all　cadets；　went　on　to　graduate　and　bee　officers　and　gentlemen。　They　were　classmates　of　hers　and　probably　saw　her　every　day。　Indirectly；　or　perhaps　directly；　they　were　responsible　for　her　death。　Certainly　they　were　responsible　for　her　mental　condition。〃
　Cynthia　nodded。　〃And　if　they　were　soldiers；　they　went　back　to　their　post　and　bragged　about　how　they　all　fucked　this　little　West　Point　bitch　cadet。〃
　〃Right。　And　they　got　away　with　it。〃
　General　Campbell　returned　and　sat　again。　After　a　while；　he　said；　〃So　you　see；　I　got　what　I　deserved；　but　Ann　was　the　one　who　paid　for　my　betrayal。　Within　months　of　the　incident；　she　went　from　a　warm；　outgoing；　and　friendly　girl　to　a　distrustful；　quiet；　and　withdrawn　woman。　She　did　well　at　the　Point；　graduated　in　the　top　of　her　class；　and　went　on　to　postgraduate　school。　But　things　were　never　the　same　between　us；　and　I　should　have　thought　of　that　consequence　of　my　behavior。〃　He　added；　〃I　lost　my　daughter　when　she　lost　her　faith　in　me。〃　He　took　a　deep　breath。　〃You　know；　it　feels　good　to　talk　it　out。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃You　know　about　her　promiscuousness；　and　professionals　have　explained　to　me　what　that　was　all　about。　It　wasn't　just　that　she　was　trying　to　corrupt　the　people　around　me　or　to　embarrass　me。　She　was　saying　to　me；　'You　thought　nothing　of　my　chastity；　my　decision　to　remain　a　virgin　until　I　was　ready；　so　what　I'm　giving　to　every　man　who　wants　it　is　nothing　you　care　about。　So　don't　lecture　me。'　〃
　I　nodded　but　could　not　and　would　not　ment。
　The　general　said；　〃So　the　years　pass；　and　she　arrives　here。　Not　by　accident；　but　by　design。　A　person　in　the　Pentagon；　a　person　who　was　closely　involved　with　the　West　Point　decision；　strongly　suggested　that　I　consider　two　options。　One；　that　I　leave　the　service　so　that　Ann　might　decide　to　leave　also　or　might　decide　that　her　misbehavior　was　no　longer　profitable。〃　He　added；　〃They　were　quite　honestly　afraid　to　ask　for　her　resignation；　because　she　obviously　had　something　on　the　Army；　though　she　never　had　a　name。　My　second　option　was　to　take　this　uncoveted　mand　at　Fort　Hadley；　where　the　Psy…Ops　School　has　its　submand。　They　said　they　would　have　Ann　transferred　here；　which　would　be　a　natural　career　assignment　for　her；　and　I　could　solve　the　problem　in　close　quarters。　I　chose　the　second　option；　though　my　resignation　would　not　have　been　unusual　after　the　success　in　the　Gulf　and　my　years　of　service。〃　He　added；　〃However；　she　told　me　once　that　if　I　ever　accepted　a　White　House　appointment；　or　ever　accepted　a　political　nomination；　she　would　go　public　with　this　story。　In　effect；　I　was　being　held　hostage　in　the　Army　by　my　daughter；　and　my　only　options　were　to　stay　or　to　retire　into　private　life。〃
　So；　I　thought；　that　explained　General　Campbell's　coyness　regarding　political　office　or　a　presidential　appointment。　Like　everything　else　about　this　case；　this　Army　post；　and　the　people　here；　what　you　saw；　and　wh