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CHOP-CHOP, the pig

Once upon a time, there was one pig who DID NOT go to market. Chop-Chop was a pot belly pig who belonged to the Brigade Communication section Sergeant while the unit was based at Quang Tri. Though the exact details remain cloudy, Chop-Chop made the trip to Tay Ninh when the Cav moved south late in 1968.

The pig had the run of the compound, and was pretty much agreeable with one and all -- except for the Flying Circus dog at the time. With a name like "Chop-Chop" for the pig, it should surprise no one that the dog was named "Bark-Bark".

The dog could be encouraged to go after the pig -- during the day. At night, when the troops were not around to lend moral support, it was a different story. GAUCHO recalls that he nearly got knocked over by Bark-Bark coming around the corner of a building at full tilt one evening. Hot on his heels was Chop-Chop, evidently getting revenge for the tortures earlier in the day. Bark-Bark eventually learned to hop up on the revetments, which put an end to the chase.

Chop-Chop's other claim to fame(?) was as an "early warning system for incoming mortars", or so one gullible Stars & Stripes reporter was led to believe. That damned pig got himself a write-up in the Stars & Stripes, somewhere around July or August of 1968, all because of some B.S. that somebody in Communications fed to a visiting reporter.

story submitted by W. Sullivan (GAUCHO)