by Unknown
“You don’t know how much I have looked forward to seeing you again,” she said. They stood staring for a few seconds.
“Do politicians always affect you that way?” Butler said. They heard whistles and applause around them. It seemed like half the ship turned out when they heard the Mayor was coming aboard. The decks were crowded with sailors and Marines.
Both the Mayor and Hammond blushed a deep red and she waved as he led them to his cabin. Refreshments were served and they sat down to get reacquainted.
“Roger, you’ve done a lot to make this woman proud. It seems like every other day I am hearing something about Iowa and her crew. We even brought you a present,” Butler said. The young man who came with them produced a box and gave it to Hammond. “That box has every article, recording, and video news article about you or this ship since you left San Pedro. As you can see, it’s rather thick. We thought you might want your print shop to duplicate it for the crew to read and see.”
Hammond rifled through the myriad of articles and DVDs. “Thanks, Jim. We don’t get to hear a lot around here. I know the guys will appreciate this.”
“Don’t thank us. My boss thinks you are a living saint. He says he can’t wait to get you back to DC.”
That brought a laugh. “That’s okay, I think I like it right here. You guys didn’t have to throw in the star.”
“Perry Johnson’s idea. You made the Navy almost a household word and he has plans for you. Not the least of which is what you will do right after this is over.”
“OK, I’ll bite. What does he have in mind?
Butler chuckled. “That can wait. You know the Boss, he gets some wild ideas sometimes.”
“How’s he doing?”
“Not bad, Roger. The war seems to be going just right and the public got the biggest kick out of him not giving the media a free hand. His popularity is about 72% which is something that really gets in the opposition’s craw. He’s not too pushy, but not a pushover either. Even I’m enjoying it,” Butler said.
“More than the sea?”
Butler rolled his eyes. “Ahhh, much more civilized than what I’m used to.” They all laughed before Hammond turned to Mayor Crowell. “And how have things been going at home? Your letters have kept me going, but it’s nice to hear things first hand.”
“Well, Jack Latham says hello. His shipyard has been buzzing since he finished with you. The city throws a party with every news article they see. We are revamping the visitor center at the museum as a stand alone facility until your return. There’s even a petition to change the name of the city to Hammond when you get back,” she said with a grin.
“Oh no,” Hammond groaned.
Crowell laughed again. “Well, everyone is so proud of you and what the ship has done. It sure has brought the city to life. There are other things, but we can talk about those later. Tell us about the ship. How is everyone doing?”
“Why don’t we walk around and let you guys see for yourself?” Hammond said.
They stood and followed him out the door and down into the ship. From the moment she stepped out the door, crewmen wanted to greet her and say hello. They had grown quite attached to her before the commissioning and she of them. Everywhere they went crewmen stopped to show the Mayor around. For Butler, it was the first time he had seen a crew so attached to a city official. More than that, it was the first time he had seen a crew so proud of their ship. He couldn’t wait for Steve O’Bannon to step foot aboard.
Pyongyang, North Korea
The North Korean military command center was in chaos. There were no communications with anything south of the former border. Word had come that Seoul had fallen to the enemy and there were troops moving into North Korea, but they didn’t know where. Some areas of the border reported in and reported no activity. They were told to observe and report. But the worst news was the nuclear detonation in Yuktae-dong. No one knew if it was from a North Korean weapon or one from the United States. The propaganda ministry had already accused the United States of using nuclear weapons against Korea. They figured that would generate support from other communist and non-aligned nations.
Yuktae-dong had been the last of the naval facilities still operational. They knew about a few boats still there. Two days ago, the ministers boarded a train to take them somewhere secret to launch their own nuclear weapons. The place had been kept secret from all except a very few people. The ministers had not been heard from since. Surely they were not involved in that explosion. Even Chairman Kim was gone. With the war going badly, someone needed to make decisions, but no one there was willing to do so. The decisions were never made.
A call went out for all commands to report available troops. Slowly they were coming in. The Air Force had 18,000 troops, but they were aircraft maintenance technicians for the most part. The Navy reported having another 20,000 sailors, mostly station personnel to handle ships and boats. The Army units were very slow to respond. There were 12,000 border guards along the Chinese border, 8,000 troops in various provinces, 3,000 still around Pyongyang and another 4,000 along the former border at the control points. There was no telling how many were still in South Korea. With the losses in transportation and fuel, none could be moved easily.
One senior officer walked to the People’s Palace and tried to speak to a party official to get guidance. Office workers were plying back and forth as usual, shuffling papers between departments and offices. When he tried to speak to one of the deputies, however, they were not in. A second was ‘in a meeting,’ and a third was on a fact finding trip to the People’s Republic of China. For three hours he roamed the halls only to find no one was actually there. The bureaucracy was operating solely on its own.
Dejected and tired, the officer went back to the ministry, told the people there not to worry about any decisions that day and went home.
North Korean Army HQ, in South Korea
It was a no-win situation. His supplies had been cut off and he could not communicate with his superiors. A week before, the army lost over 160,000 people in one battle alone. The reports from his units indicated they were surrounded and the enemy was using far superior weapons. Already the food was beginning to run short. He could make one last daring attack, but he doubted it would make any difference at all.
North Korean General Moa felt helpless. He knew he could surrender and save his men, but he would be marked as a traitor and shot by some assassin in the future. North Korean leadership had long arms. They expected everyone to die in a blaze of glory. Just to be thinking those thoughts would brand him a traitor. He sat in his tent and looked at the maps before him, trying to find a way out.
A soldier appeared at his tent door. “Comrade, there is a voice message coming in asking for the Commanding General.”
“Finally. Our communications are back. Is it the Defense Ministry?”
The soldier looked very afraid. “No Comrade General, it is from a South Korean General.”
Moa felt the twang of fear run through him. So the time had finally come. Something terrible must have happened and all hope lost. The South Korean was going to demand his surrender. Nothing in his training had prepared him for this. Politically, he must refuse. But as a soldier he knew things were hopeless. He nodded his head and stood. Straightening his uniform, he placed his hat on his head and moved outside toward the communications truck.
When he arrived inside the mood was somber. Everyone knew what was happening. He sat down beside the microphone. “This is the Commanding General of the Forces of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. You wish to speak?”
“General Moa, this is General Yao of the South Korean Forces. I am sure you are aware of the current situation so I will not bring such things up. If I may, I would propose a cease fire for both our forces beginning one hour from now. At that time, with your permission, I propose the two of us have direct talks so this conflict between us may end. To facilitate those talks, I propose we meet in your camp at your headquarters. I will
come with my aircraft and two staff members. Would this be acceptable to you, sir?”
That was different. He would be speaking to a South Korean and not an American? Meet in his camp? Was this a trick? He tested the waters. “General, would any of these staff members be American or from another nation?”
“General, it would be me, my chief of staff, and a Korean stenographer to take notes. Only Koreans should make these decisions.”
“Then it is agreed. You say you will come by aircraft?”
“That is correct, General. It will necessarily be an American aircraft, but there will only be one and they will depart once I get off. I hope you can guarantee my safety.”
“My forces will not fire unless we see treachery, then I make no guarantees.”
“Then I will approach from the Northeast in one hour.”
General Moa was curious. The call was courteous and respectful. There was no mention of an immediate surrender. Perhaps the countries would return to their former positions and maintain a cease fire as they had done before? Too many things were going on here with no help at all from his government. He rose from his seat and walked back to his tent, calling in his staff.
As the staff entered the tent, Moa sat in his camp chair deep in thought. After a few minutes, when all were assembled, he laid out the plan.
“Comrades, I have been contacted by the South Korean Army to begin talks on a cease fire.” There were gasps in the room and several men began to feel uneasy in their seats.
“There will be no such talks!” demanded the political officer. “That is against the will of the people and the will of the party!” he screamed.
Calmly Moa addressed the man. “Comrade political officer, I fully realize you and some others do not wish this to be so; however, there are other factors we must consider. We have been cut off from our government for more than two days. Our supplies are cut off. Our food is starting to run down. Our fuel and munitions are low. I could press forward with one massive attack and achieve some ground, but in the end we would sacrifice every soldier out here and really gain nothing. Does the State wish us to all commit suicide?” he asked
“The State demands loyalty and results! We must achieve those results by any means!”
“And Comrade, I am saying no matter what we do, those results cannot be achieved. You saw the results of the attacks on our forces last week. Over 160,000 troops are gone. They vanished as if they were never there due to the enemy force’s strength. That is a fact despite your politics!” he said raising his voice.
“You do not know the politics! We may just be a small wheel in an ever growing movement that will ultimately achieve victory!” the political officer shouted feeling the political fervor he was raised with. “Everyone here must do their duty to the end!”
“So it is suicide that the Party wants,” Moa said quietly, his point made. “Comrade, I believe you have no idea what the Party wants. I suggest you continue to try and make contact with our headquarters and get instructions. Until then, I will run this army as I see fit,” he said firmly.
“You will not!” the political officer said reaching for his pistol. He had pulled it partially out of its holster when a shot rang out in the tent. The political officer’s eyes rolled upward and blood began to pour from a hole in his forehead. He fell face first to the ground.
Moa stared at the lifeless body and looked up. There was a young officer standing there with a smoking pistol in his hand. He handed it to another officer. “I place myself in custody, Comrade General, for shooting our political officer,” he said nervously.
Moa stood, took the pistol and handed it back to the young man. “Thank you,” he said. He turned to the others. Do you all agree on this course of action?”
The men nodded.
“Good. Relay to our troops there will be some kind of aircraft coming into our area from the northeast. It is not to be disturbed. As a matter of fact, until further notice, we will not shoot down any further aircraft. Pass the word that in forty-five minutes there will be a cease fire. It will remain in effect until I say so. I want a tent set up with lights and refreshments in the center of the camp. Clear out a wide space for this aircraft to land. I assume it will be some sort of helicopter. I am told it will be American. I want this meeting purely professional so that, no matter what, the Army of the Democratic People’s Republic will be respected. Make the arrangements!” he demanded.
The men scattered and things began to happen. A 200 yard wide area was cleared and a tent set up nearby for the meeting. It was wired for electricity and heat. Tables and chairs were rounded up and placed inside. Two officers were assigned to make sure things went well.
They were putting the finishing touches on the area when a strange sound was heard getting closer. From the northeast came one of the strangest aircraft the men had ever seen. It had the wings and body of an airplane, but at the ends of the wings were two huge propellers. The plane flew over and banked around the valley before the rotating propellers began to tilt upward. The Osprey slowed and eased in toward the landing area. Gracefully it moved to the center of the field and sat down. Three men exited the aircraft from the rear and, when clear, the Osprey lifted off again departing the area.
General Yao saluted General Moa along with the others and the men went inside the tent.
“Please be seated, General. Would you like some tea?” Moa asked.
“Thank you, I would welcome some,” Yao said graciously. The tea was poured and the men got down to business.
“General, I thank you for meeting with me. As soldiers, neither of us like losing our men to no purpose. It is my hope and the hope of my government that we can prevent that.”
“I am glad we agree.”
Yao reached into his briefcase and pulled out what looked like a laptop computer and a small antenna. “I wish to show you something.” He placed them on the table and turned it on. The screen came up showing the satellite feed of every unit on the Korean Peninsula. He turned it for Moa to see.
Moa took one look and knew everything was done. He clearly saw the outline of Korea, his forces and all the others. With technology such as this, there was no chance and had been no chance.
Yao began pointing things out. “As you can see, General, here are your forces and here are ours. Off shore, here are four battleships, three aircraft carriers, and a number of smaller ships. Here are our aircraft flying along the borders. I also show you where our forces are in your country. As you can see, we are at Pyongyang. As of tomorrow morning my forces will enter the city. We have reason to believe it has been abandoned and your political leadership has either fled or been killed. Your forces are totally surrounded and we cut off your communications with the outside world two days ago, as you know.” Yao sat back. “I tell you this simply because I wanted you to see the complete situation. You are an honorable man and have led your army with great skill. We do not wish to see the slaughter continue.”
“What do you propose?”
“General, I propose you go home. We will not ask for a surrender and you will not actually give one. You and your men will be allowed to mount your trucks and take enough supplies to return home. You will leave your heavy weapons, but your rifles and side arms you may keep. Our forces will provide escort to Pyongyang. From there, you may go as you wish. We simply want your assurance that the fighting will cease. I anticipate that there will be a new government in Pyongyang when you arrive. I anticipate they will need a security force to help in the transition. In this way, you will not be betraying your people. You will be helping them adjust to a new situation. If you desire, I can meet you in Pyongyang and we can discuss the situation. Would this be acceptable?”
Moa had never heard terms like this. Could it be that simple? “What are the alternatives?” he asked.
Yao shrugged his shoulders. “If you persist, tomorrow morning this valley and all in it will be reduced to cinders by air power, artillery, and finally tanks. Please, General, let
us not resort to suicide for your men.”
Moa thought a moment. “I have a request.”
“Please name it.”
“Allow my men one night of peace before we must leave. This will allow us the chance to rest, gather our things, and leave by noon tomorrow. Also, I am not sure if we would have enough transport.”
Yao held up his hand. “General, I can provide unmarked transportation for your men. You came as soldiers and you will leave as soldiers. I am happy to wait until all is ready before you leave. The time can be at your discretion. May I be of further assistance?”
“I thank you for your courtesy and your understanding. Do we need to sign any agreements?”
“No, General. I will simply offer my hand in pledge that all we have said here today will happen. None of your men will be harmed as long as none of ours are. I give you my word,” he said extending his hand.
General Moa grasped it firmly. “Then we are agreed. Thank you.”
The two men left the tent, followed by the others. There were smiles all around. One of the staff members made a call over a radio. In just a few minutes, the Osprey came into view. As it made its approach, Moa pulled Yao in closer. “One more request.”
Yao looked at him questioningly.
“Some day, can I get a ride in that thing?”
Both men laughed as Yao nodded. After formal salutes, Yao and his staff members entered the back of the Osprey and it lifted back off.
USS Iowa
Hammond was busy getting last minute things done to get underway. For two days he escorted Butler and Crowell around when he could. The night at the restaurant was spectacular. Hustvedt and his XO joined them and the six of them had a great time telling stories and sharing experiences. Butler even asked Hustvedt to tell them about the battle he had won two months before. Everyone could see the respect and admiration he had in his eyes. Even Patricia Crowell was impressed. It was nearing curfew when they drove back to the ship. Hammond insisted that they both stay aboard while there, but now the ship was getting back to her station and Butler, Crowell, and their handler were firmly ensconced in a local hotel.
