by Unknown
He motioned for his men to come ahead and begin going from room to room. Looking back in the door window, he saw that no children were near the door itself. Aiming his pistol at the lock, he pulled the trigger twice. The door opened and he stepped inside to a scream. Some of the girls thought he was there to kill them. He motioned for them to quiet down, but they kept it up. Suddenly the light was flipped on and he turned to see a North Korean soldier standing in the doorway. He raised his pistol and fired before the man could spread the alarm, spinning the soldier around and slamming him to the floor. A second soldier appeared wearing an American uniform and the night vision goggles. He snapped the lights back off before firing one more into the North Korean.
Now the children were silent – too shocked to really comprehend what they had just seen. Dickson shushed the children to get their attention, then said in a low voice “American.”
The second soldier began rapidly speaking to them in Korean and the kids quietly followed them out of the room and down the stairs. He was about to go down the hall when Ricks caught up. “Second floor secured. Looks like the third is empty. All the guns and soldiers are on the fourth,” he said. “There are some children in another classroom down this hall. We’re bringing them out.”
A line of very young children began making their way down the hall. They were half way when a soldier came down the central stairs. He saw the children and one of the American soldiers and gave a shout of alarm. “Cover us!” shouted Dickson and he grabbed some children and began running toward the far stairwell.
Soldiers began firing down the central stairs and rushing down to stop the men and children. Discarding their pistols, Ricks and his men began firing their M-16s into the packed soldiers as they came down the landing, then tossed a grenade up one flight. Explosions shook the building as grenades cleared the initial assault. But the North Koreans now abandoned their big guns and took up their small arms. Ricks tossed another grenade and dashed up the stairs after it went off. He was followed by a squad of his men. They took cover on the third floor and watched as a squad of North Koreans bounded down the stairs going for the second. They were mowed down before they made it past the door. Ricks called his men to move down the hall toward the end stairwell where more shooting and loud explosions were heard.
They entered the landing to see several North Koreans descending the stairs toward the screams of the children. Ricks immediately opened up on the men while squad members tossed grenades up to the fourth floor landing. They ducked back inside the third floor hall before the grenades went off.
The explosion was horrendous. It peeled the roof off the school building and sent a fireball 100 feet in the air. The grenades landed near a soldier who used his rifle to knock them away. Unwittingly he knocked them into the ready service ammunition for the 78mm gun. The gun was blown out the front of the building onto the street below and parts of the fourth floor collapsed down onto the third. Seeing the explosion, Lt. Colonel Peterson figured correctly that things were not going well, loaded up the Bradleys, and headed in.
The carnage was nearly complete. As they approached the school they saw fires burning on one side of the building. Peterson’s men rounded to the back of the building just in time to see Dickson’s men crouching behind the retaining wall with some of the children. Quickly exiting the Bradley, Peterson was told there were more children and where they would be, then he got as many children inside the transport as he could and sent it off to meet up with the rest down the road.
The second Bradley entered the school from the area of the gym. Hufham quickly had his men spread out and begin making their way through the halls and up the stairs. Three children were found huddled in the hall on the first floor and were taken to safety.
Peterson entered the same way Dickson’s group had and met up with Hufham at the end of the hall. They were stopped on the first landing at the sound of muffled sobs coming from what looked like a body at the base of the stairs.
Hufham shined a light at the sounds. Lieutenant Dickson’s body lay huddled over a young boy, no more than 8 years old. In his last act, he had thrown himself over the boy to protect him from a grenade that dropped almost right beside them. His arms were still wrapped around the young boy. Gently, Hufham eased the Lieutenant’s body off the child and laid it back. He picked up the frightened boy and carried him back down the hall.
Peterson looked down at the face of the Lieutenant. His eyes were closed and there was a serene look on his face — as if he knew he had done a wonderful thing. Even his lips appeared to turn up slightly in a smile. Peterson knelt beside the young man and removed the Lieutenant’s helmet, brushing back his hair, then laying his hand on the young man’s cheek. “God bless you, Lieutenant,” he said softly, removing his helmet and saying a short prayer.
Another soldier came up to Peterson. “Sir, we have some wounded guys up on third.”
Peterson put his helmet back on. “Lead the way, Corporal.”
The two men made their way to the center stairwell, through the wreckage and up to the third floor. The devastation on the third floor was not so bad at first, but as they made their way farther Peterson could see parts of the fourth floor had caved in. Two men were being treated by medics and a small group had gathered toward the worst of the wreckage. Peterson walked up and looked down into the beam of the flashlights. “Oh no,” he sighed.
Ricks lay unconscious on the floor. His flack vest was peppered with holes and he was cut in several places on his face and arms.
“We can’t get him out, Colonel,” said one man. He pointed to Ricks’ legs trapped from just below the knees by a huge section of concrete and rebar from the fourth floor. One of the Medics was placing a tourniquet on a leg to stem the blood flow as the legs bled under the slab.
“Get Hufham. Then call in and get as many men as it will take to get that slab off him. I want this man alive,” he ordered.
Hufham arrived two minutes later. “The kids are in the trucks and on their way,” he said as he walked down the hall. “Who got hurt?” he asked. Peterson walked up and took his arm. He looked at Hufham in the semi-darkness.
“Son-of-a-bitch,” Hufham said as he pushed past to see his friend lying on the floor. He knelt beside Ricks and took his hand. “Dale? Dale, are you with me?” he asked.
“I gave him morphine, but he was already unconscious,” said the Medic. “I got tourniquets on his legs, but we’ve got to get him out from here,” he said.
Hufham nodded through his tears and looked around at Rick’s legs. “Well he ain’t gonna get away that easy,” he said. Turning to two soldiers, “You two find some crow bars or some long pieces of steel or pipe. Let’s see if we can pry him out of this,” he shouted. The men dashed down the hall and down the stairs.
“Watch after him,” Hufham ordered as he got up and sprinted to the fourth floor. That was where he found what he was looking for, two long steel rods used to position guns for aiming. Grabbing them, he dragged them down the stairs to the third floor. Calling up the rest of the squad, the men lined up and positioned the thin tip of the rods under the concrete on either side of Ricks. Using another piece of concrete for leverage, six men put their weight on the ends of the bars and the concrete slab lifted slightly. The medic and Peterson pulled Ricks from the rubble before the concrete fell back into place.
Ricks’ legs and feet were mashed flat. There was no substance to them and blood was everywhere. The Medic tightened the tourniquets once more and the men placed Ricks gently on a stretcher. Once done, they quickly took him to an awaiting Bradley and secured him inside. Peterson yelled up to the driver. “Floor this thing and get that man to a hospital now!”
The Bradley lurched forward and rapidly accelerated down the highway. Peterson and Hufham looked at each other. “Sorry, Paul. Damn!” Peterson exclaimed as he too felt the sorrow wash over him for a second.
“It’s OK, Boss. Let’s get back to work before we start sobbin’ like a couple of women wat
ching soap operas,” Hufham said. The two men made their way back to the school to mop things up. At least this one would be marked “mission accomplished.”
Pyongyang, North Korea
“Comrade Chairman, we have lost communications with our forward units” the Defense Minister stated. “They have been on the attack for the last eight hours and have failed to report. The telephone communications have been lost south of the former border and radio is out. I am unable to tell you of the results of that battle and have sent messengers by car to retrieve it,” he said.
“What have you done to restore communications?”
“We have sent technicians along the telephone lines to find the disruption. They are accompanied by additional soldiers in case there is trouble. I have also sent new radio units down to the commanders in case they have been destroyed in the fighting.”
“Any other reports?”
“We had a report from the commander in Seoul saying he was surrounded and trying to break out. I sent a message that he is to stand his ground. No Allied soldiers are between Seoul and Pyongyang and the North Korean Army is not that far away. Obviously the man is having mental problems. I sent a new commanding general to relieve him of duties. Once he arrives there will be an end to cowardice in the ranks,” the Minister said.
“Indeed. I wish to be informed the instant we receive word from the south,” Kim demanded. “I also wish for you to send the technicians to the ship. I believe it is time we demonstrated our real power,” he said.
The Minister nodded. “I will order it immediately.”
“Good. Now continue with the briefings,” Kim said.
Near Kaesong, North Korea
General Hu Dong Sui rode in his staff car through the North Korean countryside. The Defense Minister himself selected him to relieve the garrison commander in Seoul. His orders were quite clear – hold Seoul and maintain it as a base of operations for the People’s Army. The roads in North Korea were fairly poor. It took three hours so far to travel the eighty miles from Pyongyang to the area north of Seoul. He would cross the bridge at Munsan and from there would be very close indeed.
The driver saw the sign for Kaesong, one of the last towns before crossing the border. He could see lights up ahead and some vehicles. The driver slowed the car and eventually brought it to a halt.
“Why are you stopping?” asked Hu.
“Comrade, those do not look like our tanks,” said the driver. He was visibly nervous.
Hu looked at the vehicles ahead and then gasped, “They are Americans!”
Shots began to ricochet off the car as the driver jammed it into reverse and backed into the darkness. Sliding sideways into a turn, he quickly shoved the car in first gear and gunned the engine, sending a shower of gravel along the road behind them. The car sped along the road, often swerving and almost going into the ditch. At Kyejong-gol the driver slid to a halt outside the police station. Hu ran inside.
“I need a telephone line to the capital immediately,” he demanded. The man behind the desk produced an old telephone receiver and Hu dialed the operator.
“This is General Hu Dong Sui. I need you to connect me with the People’s Palace immediately!” After a minute someone answered. “This is General Hu. I must speak to the Defense Minister immediately. It is of great importance!”
“The Defense Minister is in a conference with the Chairman right now. He must not be disturbed.”
“Disturb him! The Americans are within our country!”
“That’s impossible.”
“It is possible and you must connect me now or I will have you shot!”
The line clicked and began to ring again. Someone answered quietly.
“This is General Hu, I must speak to the Defense Minister.”
“I am sorry, but the Def…”
“I do not care if he is available or not. Put him on the phone right now!”
In a few seconds the familiar voice came on the line. “This is the Defense Minister, who is this?”
“Comrade Minister, it is General Hu. The Americans are in Kaesong. I was nearly shot by one of their tanks on the road leading toward Pyongyang.”
“Are you certain, Comrade?”
“Yes, Comrade Minister. I have the bullet holes in the car to prove it. We must send troops immediately!”
“Where are you?” the Minister asked.
Kyejong-gol at the local police station. I can wait here for troops, but they must be sent now, comrade.”
“Stay there, it will be done,” the Minister said hanging up the telephone. He turned to the group. “Pardon me, comrades, but I have received alarming news. General Hu just told me that American tanks are in Kaesong. Somehow the Americans are north of our border and moving toward Pyongyang.”
The crowd of men began shouting back and forth. No one believed the report and everyone was trying to cast blame on someone else. The Defense Minister raised his hand to quiet the men. “Comrades, we must act quickly. Have the army troops guarding Pyongyang mustered and sent to the south to counter this threat. General Hu is waiting in Kyejong-gol. He can get things organized. Chairman, you are very correct in moving the technicians. I will get them on a train and have them there by tomorrow evening. I recommend we use nuclear attack plan bravo and launch against key installations in the south. This will stop any incursion and allow us to regain our footing,” he said decisively.
Kim was standing there with his mouth open, still processing the invasion of the motherland. He dumbly nodded. “Make your plans and prepare to move from the capital if necessary. Where are additional troops we can send into this?”
“There are none, Comrade. Your prior ministers failed to inform you we were using up our reserves? We drew down everything but the Chinese border guards and the troops around our military facilities and Pyongyang for this final push. We may be faced with no army at all!” he shouted. “We must act now and save what we can until we know exactly what we have!”
Kim nodded. “Make the arrangements. Choi and I will accompany you to see the missiles launch. I want all the ministers to meet with us there tomorrow evening. Now go!” he shouted.
The room emptied quickly leaving only Kim and Choi. “Have some of your men meet us there. Once the missiles launch that man is dead along with the other ministers. If we have to start new, then let it be with trusted advisors,” he said turning on his heel and leaving the room.
Seoul, South Korea
The North Korean evacuation of Seoul lasted only thirty minutes. Using all the vehicles they could scrounge up, the 30,000 man garrison departed from the World Cup Stadium and made a dash along the highway beside the Han River. They covered exactly eight miles before the shells from the battleships Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Missouri began pounding them to pieces. They were also harassed by artillery and tanks. The last six trucks remaining reached the bend in the river near Munsan before the Apache gunships blocked their way. The garrison commander died in the barrage. Only a lieutenant was left. He got out of the civilian truck he was in and raised his hands. He looked across the river into North Korea, only to see an American flag flying on the promontory.
Kaesong, North Korea
Just as before, General Richardson watched them come. The convoy of troops made its way across the dirt roads of North Korea putting up a cloud of dust behind them that could be seen from space. They stopped in Kyejong-gol, picked up General Hu, and made their way south. The convoy reached the place the General had seen the tanks, but nothing was there. They proceeded to Kaesong and drove straight to the government buildings. American flags were flying everywhere.
General Hu was furious. He got out of the truck and stormed into the building demanding to know why the flags were flying. Sitting at a desk in the main hall was General Claire Richardson. Behind her were the flags of the United States and the Marine Corps.
“What can I do for you, General?” she asked from her seat.
He started to draw his weapon when h
e heard the clicks of more than twenty rifles that came out from behind the curtains. He slid the pistol back in the holster. In perfect English he said, “I am here to demand your surrender.”
Richardson laughed hard. As she did, the sound of helicopters and other equipment filled the air around the building. “General, that’s funny. I suggest you look outside and rethink your proposal.”
General Hu was not used to being addressed in this manner, especially by a woman, but he could hear everything outside. He calmly walked to the curtains and a Marine pulled them back.
The whole building was surrounded by Apache and Cobra attack helicopters. Behind that, Ospreys were landing and discharging troops. A ring of M-1 tanks was wheeling in around the thirty trucks he had come with, and American troops were pouring out of every building. It had been a trap and he fell for it. It was a dejected man who turned to face General Richardson.
“General, we have been following your convoy through most of the mountains pulling off trucks one at a time. You were making so much dust you didn’t notice. My tanks have taken over the roads leading to Pyongyang and I will be entering the city within a few days. You can do nothing to stop it. Even if you shoot me right now, there are others who will take my place,” said Richardson. She stood and walked up to the man. “Your people are being well treated and will come to no harm. This fight is over. If you will follow these gentlemen you will be taken to a secure place.”
Hu looked at her hard. “You are not asking for a surrender?”
Richardson pulled the curtain back again. “General, do you see anything to surrender?”
The two walked out of the building and he climbed into her Humvee. After the vehicle left, Richardson turned to a Colonel on her staff. “Have the troops continue on to Pyongyang and take up positions as planned. I’m going back to Seoul and check in. I’ll catch up later this evening,” she said. The two exchanged salutes and the General climbed aboard an Osprey for the short flight back to Seoul.
