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  Washington Navy Yard

  Admiral Perry Johnson couldn’t believe the course of events that landed him the position of Chief of Naval Operations. He always tried to do the best he could in any job and had made a reputation of being a good leader. But he thought only the politicians could make it to the exalted rank of Chief of Naval Operations. Now he was ensconced in the Washington Navy Yard at his new quarters. The President had told him to get the Navy ready for war. The first day had mostly been briefings and meetings with departments trying to get him up to speed and to make their own plays for things. Yet despite it all he felt like something was missing.

  Now General Black was sitting in an easy chair opposite him. Black had been made Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, so technically he was outranked, but Black had called personally to “have a couple of drinks.” They had known each other for a while and worked together a few times. As a result, a little while was spent swapping sea stories and experiences. After a few laughs the atmosphere turned a little more serious.

  “Tell me Perry, have you figured this out yet?” Black asked.

  “Are you kidding? I can barely believe I got the call. If the President hadn’t told me personally I would have said it was a joke,” Johnson said. “But nobody has had the gump to tell me what really happened and what is really wanted. Most of these guys today have their own agenda,” he said seriously. Johnson’s eyes fixed on Black’s and began boring into him.

  Black didn’t flinch. Now was the time to shoot straight. His eyebrows shot up. “Well, Perry, you deserve the straight poop and that’s what I’m here for.” Both men sat forward slightly. “Your esteemed predecessor was too afraid of thinking out of the box. He saw this tragedy as a way to further his own ideas and not what was needed to get the job done. The President told us all to find ways to get assets online fast and be ready to fight this war. I believe he told you the same thing?” he asked.

  Johnson nodded. “Yesterday morning.”

  “Thought so. Well, the rest of us are making do with assets we can scrape together that will get the job done, while the Army and Navy chiefs kept screaming for new equipment and lots of time. They were saying they would not send their men into any situation where they had distinct superiority in equipment, planning, and people. Your predecessor told the President he wouldn’t have anything ready for more than a year.”

  “Shit. No wonder he was relieved,” Johnson said with a frown. He had watched fair weather admirals make the decisions for years. Now when the country needed leadership, they were waffling. After a moment, he looked back up at General Black. His face had changed and Black had never seen such determination on a face in his life. “Well, that kind of crap won’t happen on my watch, Howie. Our country needs us and we don’t need to screw this up. I think you can count on some changes as of tomorrow morning. My only question is, how many can I fire, and how many can I promote? That’s the problem with a peacetime force; too many bad apples end up in the pie. If we’re going to do this, I want people I can count on.” He paused a second. “By the way, whose idea was it to bring those battleships back?”

  Black laughed. “You’d probably like him. A black shoe named Hammond. He was the one that went down to Newport News with Granger just before he got the axe. He and Shranski wheeled and dealed. Of course you know I like the idea. I want those big guns behind me when I go ashore,” he said.

  “It wasn’t bad thinking either,” said Johnson. “Power projection at its finest. You know, somebody once told me something about those things that made a lot of sense to me. They said you can send a carrier in, and people wonder at how big it is and all the airplanes it carries. But you can’t tell if it can hurt you. You send one of those battleships off a beach and everybody knows what a gun will do. And by god, those are the biggest guns we ever put on a ship. I also found out Shranski threw in an 8-inch cruiser and a pot full of old destroyers. Howie, with that combination, we can protect your guys hitting the beach and we can keep a 20-mile corridor open around the whole peninsula,” Johnson said with enthusiasm. “In case you hadn’t heard, I talked to the Air Force today. Davis-Monthan is revamping me six squadrons of F-14s and A-6s. When I heard about the battleships, I thought about a couple of other ships that might help out. So they are being fast tracked as well. They should round things out very nicely.”

  “Which ships?” Black asked, his curiosity piqued.

  ‘The Saratoga and the Constellation,” he said. “Yea, I know we have carriers, but these are conventional, not nuclear. I won’t have to worry about these things getting stopped by more EMP or anything else for that matter. I can put these older squadrons onboard and keep the war going until the rest gets back online.”

  Black grinned. “You told the President yet?”

  Johnson shook his head. “Not yet, do you think he’ll mind?”

  That got a chuckle. “He may just kiss you,” Black said taking another sip from his drink. “As far as the hirings and firings, you’re the CNO right?”

  That got a nod.

  “Then the only one that will say stop is the President himself.”

  “It may get his tail feathers burned. Some of these guys have friends on the Hill.”

  “He likes a little vinegar in his greens. I’d say put your people in the key places and assign the others where they can’t do any harm. If they complain, you can say it was the rotation that met the needs of the service.” Black got up out of his chair. It was late and he already knew Perry Johnson would kick ass and take names.

  “By the way, I saw Jim Butler is the new Chief of Staff. I always liked that guy. Is he a player?”

  Black’s face split into a wide grin. “Best thing to happen to the White House since Washington. He is one smart son of a bitch. Between him and Hammond, they are coming up with the ideas and getting things done. If you really want to know how the President thinks, talk to Butler. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can bullshit him. Play with an open hand. They both like it that way.” Black took Johnson’s hand. “I’m glad you’re here, Perry. Let’s shake the tree a little.”

  The CNO walked the Chairman to the door. It had been a short but productive meeting. Johnson had been given a green light and almost carte blanche to get things done. As Johnson closed the door, dismissed the mess specialist there to assist him, and made his way to his bedroom. On the way he looked at some of the paintings on the wall of the mansion. Almost all of the portraits were of naval heroes. He stopped at one of John Paul Jones. After gazing into the eyes of the figure in the portrait, he looked around at the others. “Gentlemen, I intend to go in harm’s way,” he said to the silent portraits. It was strange. Somehow, as he made his way up the stairs, he could almost sense them smiling at him.

  Chapter 7

  May 20 - Initial Stages

  Pyongyang, North Korea

  “It is going well, Comrade Chairman,” said Lu Chen, Deputy for Defense. Chen had been raised to this level by Chairman Kim nearly six months before when he came up with the idea for reuniting Korea through military force. He was a slightly built man whose uniform seemed to almost hang from him. His face looked almost like death itself, but his black eyes burned with the thrill of conquest. He used a pointer to show the progress on the wall map. “Since we invaded, our forces were able to extend over 100 miles in just the last three weeks. Our surprise and preemptive actions were very successful in keeping our enemies off guard and unsure. The only holdout in the north is Seoul. Our forces have surrounded the city. They stand no chance,” he boasted.

  Kim Sung Nua had taken over as Party Chairman upon the death of his uncle Kim Sung Il. He was selected because, like his uncle, he did not worry about other countries and their opinions of his own. North Korea would make its own destiny and nothing could now stop that. Even his party was praising how he was defeating the Imperialists and finally uniting North and South. Best of all he was doing it with a standing army, not terror tactics. This would give him even greater prestige.r />
  Kim did not hesitate to use a heavy hand in the process. If the people of the South needed some discipline in their lives, he would be the one to do it. If they need persuasion to help them understand what was best for them, he would do that too. More prisons could always be built. He looked with pride at what had been accomplished in just a few short weeks. Lu had done a great job. He was dedicated and loyal. Once this was complete, Lu would be allowed to keep his job. Perhaps they could move into some neighboring countries – something his predecessors had not done. “When will we take their capital?”

  “It is just a matter of time. We have them completely surrounded and there is no way to get anything to them. Our forces are in total control. It may even be possible to simply starve them out,” Lu said. “It might set a good example,” he added dryly. He pointed farther down the line. “The enemy has strengthened its resistance along the line here. We have seen some massing of older armor and additional fortifications. There is also some indication that a few reinforcements are coming in from surrounding areas. I have ordered our air force to down any aircraft trying to make its way in and our submarines to sink any ships. That should effectively hamper their resistance,” he said. “They are fighting well, but we expected much more difficult opposition before now and have taken this into account in our planning. This last ditch effort to save them will not work,” he said confidently.

  Kim nodded in agreement. “This is good. Have the teams been effective in retraining the populations?”

  “They are making progress,” Hu Te Wan, the political officer said. It was a lie, but there was no way anyone could verify what he was saying. The population in the occupied lands had continued to resist in what ways they could. His people were being killed off when no one was looking. While the people attended classes as they were directed, he was not so sure they were listening. “Of course there will be some difficulties getting all the poisons out of their minds, they will all come to understand the benefits of the party and the state. I am sending more teams down every day to help out,” he said with a straight face.

  Kim nodded again. It had been planned perfectly and everything would go by the plan. He called the meeting to an end and made his way to his office. He now had to make plans on where he would take his country once this action was complete.

  South Korea

  “Dang it!” Ricks said softly in disgust. For a week since picking up Lee they had been moving through the brush trying to find a way back to the American lines. But as they got closer, it became much more difficult. This was the last bridge Lee remembered and it too was nothing but a pile of rubble, blown up by the South Koreans and Americans.

  Lee sat in the back of the Jeep and simply closed his eyes. Hufham shrugged his shoulders. “I guess I should have figured they wouldn’t leave any place untouched. Beats the hell out of me where we can go. This place is swarming with bad guys. Lucky we still have gas and food,” he said. Hufham looked back at Lee. “Anybody for a picnic at the beach?”

  The men were near exhaustion. Progress on the ground had been painfully slow. They had camouflaged the Jeep as best they could and had done the same for their uniforms and faces. Despite this, two patrols stumbled on them the previous day. The short but intense hand-to-hand ended up in their favor both times. Hufham stressed knives only. A gunshot would bring Democratic People’s Republic forces from miles around and they didn’t need that kind of attention.

  There was one exception. Early on the first day after Lee joined them, the men had come upon a small farm and heard rifle shots and screaming. The farm was out in the middle of nowhere but when they got closer they saw three DPR soldiers beside a small dirt house. Through their binoculars they saw a family lying dead on the ground where the soldiers killed them. Only a teen-aged girl remained. She was naked. Her clothes were in tatters around her and she was being held on the ground forcibly by another soldier. She was struggling hard – her legs and arms thrashing wildly. One of the soldiers had lowered his pants and was standing in front of her. A third soldier watched as the first soldier began showing himself and making crude gestures. All three men were laughing.

  Scanning the area, it appeared these were the only soldiers around. Ricks watched Hufham pull out his weapon and he did the same. Even Lee brought up the trusty M-1 and put a round in the chamber. “Ricks, you take the one holding the girl. Lee, take the one watching. I have the one with his dick out,” he said in a tone that made Ricks shiver. “On the count of three. One – two…”

  At three all three rifles discharged at once. They were over 150 yards away, but the aim was true. The soldier holding the girl and the one standing dropped first due to the higher muzzle velocity of the M-16. This just meant that the third one realized he was in trouble before his bullet struck.

  Hufham, Ricks, and Lee quickly made their way to the now hysterical girl. The first two men had fallen on top of her, bleeding out all over her. She had been too weak to push them off. When the three got to her she was wild eyed and hyperventilating. They dragged the bodies off of her and she quickly backed against the wall of the house covering herself up with a scrap of cloth that had once been her clothing. Lee told her to get up, but she was scared to death of him. Then Hufham reached down and offered her his hand. She could see he was an American and as Hufham spoke softly to her in Korean she eventually reached out and took his hand.

  Ricks stood back and kept his eyes open. They were vulnerable here and he didn’t want to be caught by the North Koreans, or DPRs for Democratic People’s Republic. He was having a tough time. She was a pretty girl and everything in his body was screaming to go help her out. He watched as Lee got a pail of water and splashed it on her to get the blood off. After she had calmed down Hufham had her clean up and gather some things so she could go with them. While she was doing that, the three men dragged the DPR soldiers deep into the brush where they would not be found. They took their weapons and more importantly, a map of the area. When the girl reappeared she was wearing loose working clothes and had a bundle under her arm. As she left her home, she didn’t look back, and she hadn’t uttered a word since that time.

  For the next few days Ricks took charge of the girl. When they ate, he made her a meal. He offered water and even his sleeping bag at night. She continued to eat in silence, and refused the sleeping bag, preferring to sleep in the open under a coat she brought.

  Now after Rick’s outburst at seeing the latest bridge gone, he was sitting in the front seat with his head in his hands when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He lifted his head to see the girl looking at him and rubbing his shoulder gently. Hufham looked over and grinned, then grabbed the map again. He gestured to Lee. “I don’t see any other places to go,” he said.

  Lee looked over his shoulder. Actually, I do know of one more place. It’s on the river here,” he said pointing to a point between the towns of Nut’i and Danjang. “There is a small bridge there made out of wood. You couldn’t get a tank across it, but this Jeep should.”

  Hufham sighed. “Well unless someone has another option, we’re on our way.” He started the Jeep and they made their way slowly along the path.

  Three hours later the four of them drove over the top of a wooded hill and saw their objective. The wooden bridge had rotted and fallen into the river. Beside it, however, the North Koreans were putting up a temporary bridge on boats, using wooden trestle-like supports on the sides. Troops, tanks, and artillery sat on the side of the road waiting for the chance to cross. Farther down the road was a small area where some of the men were eating. Some additional covered trucks with supplies appeared to be near the eating area as well. The road itself was clear of traffic so people and equipment could get through. The engineers were struggling with one of the sections three quarters of the way across. What surprised Hufham was the quiet. Usually there was a lot of yelling and noise from the hammers and the equipment. Except for an occasional thump of wood, very little sound could be heard. It was obvious they did not wa
nt to draw attention to their activity.

  “Nice bridge,” Lee whispered behind him. “Now how do we get across?”

  Hufham sat for a minute before a smile began to stretch across his face. “First, we wait until they get it finished. Then we go across,” he said.

  Ricks looked over at him. “Mind giving us a clue?”

  Hufham looked over still smiling. “You ever watch a movie called Kelly’s Heroes?” he asked. By the time he was finished, they were all smiling. After making a couple of assignments, the men left separately to perform their tasks.

  It was getting dark. Through his binoculars, Hufham could see the engineers putting the final touches on the bridge. Then in Korean, he told the girl (they still didn’t know her name) to get down in the back and hold on. He pulled out the flashlight, aimed it toward the rear area and flashed it twice.

  Within seconds a spark of flame appeared to fly through the air and strike one of the trucks. A second one came a few seconds later. The flame grew as the bottle of the Molotov cocktail smashed against the side, spilling and igniting the gasoline. Both trucks burst into flame, startling the DPR soldiers nearby and causing an uproar all along the line.

  Hufham quickly started the Jeep and gunned it down the small road toward the conflagration. In a moment both Ricks and Lee jumped in and Hufham jerked the wheel to the left sending the Jeep down another small road toward the bridge. Just as they burst through the bushes onto the main road a terrible explosion erupted behind them. One of the vehicles had been an ammunition truck. Tons of munitions showered the road and woods with flaming materials as the fireball jumped skyward. Men fell all around from the concussion, but Hufham kept his foot on the accelerator swerving the jeep through groups of men and machines. Seeing his opening, he swerved the Jeep right, losing his traction and skidding sideways almost right into a man who suddenly recognized them and began to shout. Hufham used his left hand to grab the man and jerk him into the back of the Jeep while downshifting and powering the Jeep over the edge and onto the bridge. More explosions rocked the small camp, illuminating the Jeep as it made its way across the river.