I have been down a few rabbit holes already this morning- sorry. The missing girl in Charlottesille and her accused abductor, the plague, the loony jihadis, all of that. Then I was trying to process the impact of the tweet that announced that Jean-Claude Duvalier, former dictator of Haiti, had died at exactly my current age. That led me off to memories of that sad island, and the adventures of a previous incarnation.

When I was there, Baby Doc was still a real presence, though in exile. Between the iron rule of his father and his time as dictator, the Duvaliers cast a long shadow on the island of Hispaneola, and the departure of Baby Doc set the stage for the tragi-comic rule of General Raoul Cedras.

(Baby Doc Duvalier in his days of power.)

The Clinton Administration had some issues with them, and as a minor official, I got an opportunity to help. I remembered the days in Haiti like they were yesterday…..

Prologue

We roared around the corner, swerved around a pothole big enough to eat a bus and emergency lights flashing went hell for leather out of Port Au Prince towards the desolate country near the border. The Peugeot was spinning wheels on the soft gravel of the new road. The young African man at the wheel held his arms rigid, but the beating the front end had taken make his arms shake like he had Saint Vitis Dance.

Beside us a slate-grey lake was placid, the low hills beyond them barren. Small boats smuggling fuel down towards the City made a brave profile in the morning, triangular sails bright in the low, soft light. The lake was lovely from this vantage. You could see no poverty, or pain, or even a mounting international imperative. It was just a place, and a pretty one, where the light reflected against the green and gray hills that ran away to the northwest.

We could see the Haitian border checkpoint to the right, low crude cinder block buildings that once might have been pastel. Brett pointed over the ear of our FAH’D Security Escort into the rosy light of the dawn over the dark green Dominican mountains that loomed before us.

“Look!” he said, leaning forward against his lap belt “the helos are landing at Jimani!”

I squinted into the dawn and saw the clouds of yellow dirt rising against the sun, just as they had the morning before as we plunged down out of the 21st century into the 19th. It seemed an eon before, as though life had undergone a fundamental alteration. For one, the vision before us meant almost certainly that we were going to live, and absent some mischance associated from the armed men around me, we would be home later in the same day.

The knot in my stomach began to unwind a bit. There was just a border crossing to go, a meeting with Senor Presidente and then we could leave the island of Hispaneola and return to our own. It all worked out, the meetings with the General and the helter-skelter transits through the Haitian night had passed. Soon this headlong high-speed Haitian Motorcade, headlights on and blinkers flashing would be history.

I wondered if Pierre Cardin (nom de guerre of our FAD’H Officer Guard in the front right seat) saw it the same way. They had done exactly what they promised. They were professional and mostly prompt, even if their jackets did not button well across their pistols. How did this all square with what we had seen? And the threat of invasion that loomed as a very real possibility?

This part of Haiti Trip II was nearly over and it was probably going to be OK. Really, what could happen?

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NOW, HERE IS THE OFFICIAL VERSION OF WHAT WENT ON, bulk without fiber. I will share the Summary with you now, and the chapter heads as they were written and as they actually occurred:

“Between 16-19 July, a Congressional Delegation headed by Representative Bill (D-NM) visited Port au Prince, Santo Domingo, Guantanamo Bay, and Grand Turk Island. While in Cuba, the delegation visited the headquarters of JTF-160 and inspected the migrant camps on the base.

On Grand Turk Island, the nearly complete but unoccupied refugee facilities were visited and the delegation dined with British Government officials. In the Dominican Republic, Congressman Richardson consulted with the Embassy Country Team and President Balaguer. Traveling by helicopter to the Haitian border at Jimani, the Delegation was escorted by Haitian Government officials to Port Au Prince where Rep. Bill met separately with Ambassador S and members of the de facto government, including a five-hour dinner hosted by Gen. Cedras.

(Plucky Despot General Raoul Cedras).

Congressman Bill characterized Gen. Cedras as “not altogether intransigent.” Departing the capital early the next morning, the delegation made outcalls on the U.S. Ambassador, President Balaguer and opposition leader Pena Gomez.”

Right. The above is an accurate, but altogether lifeless treatment of pathos, exultation, lack of sleep and sheer unadulterated fun. What really happened was something like this:

Bill, ace Congressman and former Foreign Relations Committee Staffer, had an interest in the political developments in the Caribbean. His committee-mate on the House Intelligence Committee, Rep Julian D (D-32-CA), had headed up a delegation to Haiti, the DOMREP and ships at sea, to assess the likelihood of success of the economic sanctions against the (intransigent) little island and it’s plucky bantam General Cedras.

Which is precisely where I came in to the story, hearing of this on literally my first day on the job in Navy Leg Affiars (OLA). The news that three Members of congress were going to troop down to the flashpoint of that morning’s Crisis de Jour filled most of the action officers with dread. Because the itinerary included the Naval reservation at Guantanamo Bay and the USS Wasp, it was inevitable that they would request military air services and an escort. Further, since they were from the House Intel Committee, it was likewise predestined that it would be the intelligence officer who would have the fun of planning the trip, getting the visas and handling the little details of travel to a place under formal embargo by the UN.

Which turned out to be easier than we had figured, despite the personal and heated intervention of the Assistant Secretary of State, Mr. Strobe Talbot. What a doof. Unfortunately for me, the leadership in Navy’s Legislative Affairs Office got the vapors at the prospect of having a new officer- much less the first Intel Officer ever assigned- escort the delegation as his first task with the organization. Accordingly, they sent my Boss along to supervise me. Thanks to the tit-a-tat between State and the Committee, only one military officer was to be permitted to go into Haiti and I was not it.

The State weenies got the vapors and would not permit Military Air to fly into Port au Prince (Oh! We’d have to ask the UN and it’s never been done before!), the Delegation flew in via American Airlines. I got them on the plane out of National Airport on Thursday Morning, delicately orchestrating the Government car pickups around town with only a 1/3rd failure rate. The Congressman from Rhode Island looked really pissed when he showed up. But, show up he did and it was Show Time indeed. The I went back to work and got Friday night with the family.

The next day I launched out of Andrews with a T-39 at 0700, alone in the back reading the newspapers and loving life. I picked up the Delegation in Miami as they flew out of Port au Prince that afternoon, and conducted them on the rest of the itinerary through the DOMREP, Cuba and out to sea with the merry band on the USS Wasp.

It was a successful trip, from all points of view. From the Members standpoint, they met with the U.S. Country Team in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, with the prominent opposition figures and some of the dupes and tools of both de facto regimes. They met with President Balaguer, the wizened and mostly blind ruler of the Dominicans. They profitably observed the areas which had been used for the last wave of Haitian refugees, and which were designated for expansion should another wave occur. And naturally, flying aboard the amphibious assault ship underway was a thrill for all of us, legislator and escort alike. We have some astonishing capabilities in the military, and it is a treat to show them off. So, the trip on the whole was well received and established me on the OLA team as an officer of acceptable demeanor.

But there the issue ended. While they had met everyone else of consequence on the big show trip, the Delegation Had Failed to meet with the Big Cheese, the Grand Fromage and Maximum Leader of the island that the ex-slave and Island Bonapart Cristophe wrenched from the French. They had not kissed the ring of Raoul Cedras. The little Creole General had not only refused to see the Delegation, he had directed his duty office to decline the carefully-crafted letter of introduction from the Delegation. Bad gri-gri, as they say.

So, the bottom line was that great forces were at work. Poor as it is, Haiti still has a GNP of around $2 billion, give or take a couple due to the recent unpleasantness. So, I suppose it should not have taken me by surprise that the call was going to come out of the blue…..that we were going back!

The Official version of the CODEL went something like:

“Rep. “Bill” (D-3-NM) was accompanied by Mr. Calvin Humphrey, Professional Staff Member of the House Intelligence Committee, Mr. Brett O’Brien of the House Majority Leader’s Staff and escorted by CDR Vic (LA-52). The delegation travelled via Navy T-39 aircraft to Guantanamo Bay, Cu, Grand turk Island in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Dominican Republic and Haiti.”
In the real version, the cast of characters was a cascade of memorable people.

The playbill included:

Congressman Bill, (D-3-NM). Latin, bi-lingual. A leader in the House, as Deputy Majority Whip. Olive complexion, given to weight due to his schedule but a jock none the less. Had a hell of a curve from the mound from the age of 11 through blowing his arm out in AA ball. Well-dressed, ironic sense of humor. Liberal. Father was American and Mother was Mexican; grew up partly in Mexico City. Held a variety of positions in Government before attaining elected office; Foreign Affairs Staffer; saw his chances and decamped to New Mexico to build a political base. Good trooper, state staffer, ran once against Manuel Lujan and got beat. Then had the chance to run in a new district due to some gerrymandering scheme and was elected.

In the house now for nearly 14 years. This being a tough year for incumbents, he is running again in the fall. He doesn’t think he will get his usual 70% of the vote but is not concerned about re-election. This man made me understand that Democrats are fun people, not up tight assholes like Republicans.

Congressman Julian D. An older African American, filled with the cynicism of age and the boundless optimism of one who has made it in an oppressive society and can give it back on his own terms. The major player in Haiti I; not invited back in Haiti II, the mini-series.

Calvin H, professional staff member of the House Committee on Intelligence. On the Committee since 1986; wily, A survivor. Has traveled with Bill before. A man to be watched and cherished, since at his whim, heads can roll…

Brett O. Personal staff member of the House Majority Leader, Representative Gephard. Harvard guy, former staffer to Senate Majority Leader Mitchell. Accustomed to dealing with the upper limits of American Society at a tender age, one at which I was still wondering how to spell “influence”.
Bob Baltazar. Haitian American businessman.

General Raoul Cedras, Plucky little despot.

General Biambi, ruthless Haitian Warlord with a sense of humor and an aversion to the term “Thug.”

Police Chief Francois. Known to Presidential Special Envoy Gray as one of the Three Stooges, but really a man trying to find a middle course and accordingly a fading star, valuable to neither side. A Man Not Invited to Dinner.

Ambassador William Lacey S. An awesome example of the cookie-pushing class. Trim, erudite, fierce commitment to justice, his mission and the nation.

Ambassador Donna H. One of a bold new breed of women rising in the State Department. Tough, smart, talented and beautiful. An awesome vista on how things are really going to be. I couldn’t figure out who the Latin guy with the unbuttoned shirt was at the residence until I figured out it was the Ambassador’s Spouse…

Assorted Marines God bless ‘em. Camouflage-clad welfare workers. But the Corps esprit has not yet been destroyed….They may be doing good works, but they would cheerfully blow them up if directed.

First Lieutenant Pierre Cardin, a heavily armed Haitian Security Detachment type. Undoubtedly a non de guerre but a goon with whom you never can tell. He made Raynal very nervous.

Raynal, a crazed driver.

President Juan Joquin Balaguer, an aged but still potent dictator. Undisputed master of the Dominican Republic, who lives in an Opera Buffo Presidential Palace with Comic Opera guards and Generals in the front office.

CDR Vic Socotra. A minor character in a cinema-verite exercise in amateur diplomacy. Well worth his 22 seconds on CNN.

Now It begins again….Like Needles and Pins. Like it was frigging yesterday. More tomorrow!

Copyright 2014 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com
Twitter: @jayare303