The Rangers Are Coming

by Phil Walker

  “By all means,” said Washington, “I’ve been eager to see all that equipment we saw in review in action.”

  “Then let’s start with a first-hand look at what we have.”

  Washington was growing more comfortable by the day in his new uniform. It was strong and very practical, with pockets and pouches located all over. He asked Manny about it.

  “You’re wearing the standard green camouflage fatigues. The reason the uniform is designed in this way is to cause you and your troops to blend into the environment. We are surrounded by green trees, so you can disappear into the forest and be very hard to be seen by the enemy.”

  The two men walked out of the VIP quarters and jumped onto an ATV. “This vehicle is used for reconnaissance and advance patrolling. It will go over rough ground, and on a flat road can go 50 miles per hour. It’s powered by an internal combustion engine, as are all of our vehicles. They run on refined oil, known as diesel fuel.”

  They roared off down the road, headed for the motor pool. For Washington it was an exciting and exhilarating adventure.

  Their first stop was at the garage that housed the Humvees. Manny came to stop inside, and an enlisted man, a sergeant with a patch that had three stripes up and three stripes down, came hurrying up. He saluted the Generals sharply. Washington was catching on to this acknowledgement of officers by the lower ranks, so his salute was a good deal crisper than it was the first time he saw it.

  “Good morning, First Sergeant,” said Compton. “This is General Washington, the Commander of the Colonial Army.”

  “Good Morning, sir,” said the sergeant. Washington returned his salute and then shook hands with the man.

  The Sergeant led the men over to the row of vehicles. The Sergeant rattled off the features of the vehicle. “This is the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, commonly known as the Humvee. It is a four-wheel drive military automobile that can carry eight soldiers easily. It has a wide number of uses. All of our Humvee’s have 50 caliber machine guns mounted though the roof. Since they don’t need to be heavily armored, they are capable of speeds of nearly 70 miles per hour and are designed to cross open country. They can ford a body of water that does not exceed 2 and ½ feet, and are powered by a V-8 cylinder diesel engine.”

  The next stop was the Bradley Fighting Vehicles. Another sergeant was on duty to conduct the briefing. “General Washington, The Bradley is designed to transport infantry or scouts with armor protection while providing covering fire to suppress enemy troops and armored vehicles. There are several Bradley variants, including the M2 Infantry Fighting Vehicle and the M3 Cavalry Fighting Vehicle. The M2 holds a crew of three: a commander, a gunner and a driver, as well as six fully equipped soldiers.”

  “The M2 model, which is what we have here, has primary armament of a 25 mm cannon which fires up to 200 rounds per minute and is accurate up to 2500 meters, It is also armed with a M240C machine gun mounted coaxially to the M242, with 2,200 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition.”

  Washington looked at Compton, “I suppose you are going to explain what all these terms mean?”

  “It will be a lot easier when we head out to the firing range and show you how all these weapons work,” said Compton.

  Next, they came to the artillery pieces. At least this was something that Washington recognized, at least in principal. Nevertheless, he was astonished with the explanation by the Artillery sergeant.

  “Sir, this is the M102 105 millimeter towed howitzer. It is a lightweight towed weapon that provides direct support fire to light assault forces. It can be towed by a Humvee. It has a very low silhouette when firing and a roller tire attached to the tail assembly that permits the weapon to be rotated 360 degrees. It weighs 3,000 pounds, has a maximum firing distance of about 7 miles, a crew of eight, and firing rate of 10 rounds per minute. It fires standard high explosive ammunition with a kill radius of 75 feet, or it can fire controlled fragmentation anti-personnel ammunition.”

  “Did you say that this weapon can fire ten rounds per minute,” asked Washington?

  “Yes sir, for about the first three minutes. Its actual sustained rate of fire is three rounds per minute.”

  “I’m beginning to understand why Arcadia said that we can defeat the British in no more than three engagements. I can hardly imagine this kind of firepower.”

  “Neither can the British,” said Compton. “But come along and let me show you the real strength of your army, the individual soldier.”

  They walked out of the garage and were met by a platoon of soldiers, standing at attention on the blacktop road. Compton motioned for the soldier standing in front of the formation to step forward.

  “At ease, sergeant,” said Compton. “We’re going to show General Washington you standard issue weapons and equipment.”

  Compton removed the helmet and handed it to Washington. It was curved along the sides to provide protection for the ears. “These helmets are made from an artificial component called Kevlar. That makes them lighter, but they will stop most military bullets and especially British musket balls.”

  “You can see that over the combat coat or shirt, our soldier is wearing body armor. It’s also made of Kevlar and the British can’t shoot through it. You can see that there are pockets and pouches all over the uniform. The belt is a two inch Kevlar, that has rings to attach all sorts of things, like these extra ammo packs, a canteen, a first aid kit, and anything else we can think of that might improve the efficiency of the soldier.”

  “Surrender your weapon, Sergeant,” said Compton. The soldier handed over his weapon immediately.

  “This is the standard rifle of our trooper. It is the M-16A1. It fires a 5.56 millimeter round from magazines that range from 20 to 100 rounds. The rifle weighs about 8 pounds fully loaded. It fires either semi or fully automatically. It will fire about 50 rounds in ten seconds to an effective range of 500 yards. As you can see, this weapon has a modified addition. Think of it as a shotgun however the round it fires is actually a grenade that is accurate to about 200 meters with a kill radius of 15 feet.”

  Washington was silent. He was overwhelmed by what he saw and was beginning to believe the British Army didn’t have a chance.

  “It’s time for us to go out to the firing range and see these weapons in action. I have sent out everything you’ve seen and they are ready for the demonstration.”

  The two jumped back into the ATV and drove out through the front gate of the Fort. Compton went straight ahead for about a mile and then turned onto a rough road that ended on a bluff, overlooking a long valley that was a big savannah. Just below the bluff were two Humvee’s, a Bradley, and small squad of soldiers. Compton clamped a small headset with a single earphone and a tubular microphone that went in front of his mouth. He handed Washington a similar radio and helped him fit it over his head and then put a helmet on Washington. He was surprised how compact and light it all was. He heard Compton speaking into the mike, “OK, Captain, we’re in place, run the exercise.”

  Compton pointed down the valley. At least a mile away was a large group of targets. There was a building, several large wagons, and several groups of upright silhouettes that represented British troops. One group had a hundred figures, another two had fifty, and there were several more groups with 10 to 20 figures.

  “The first thing you’ll see is the artillery. It’s back at the Fort, firing from the Parade grounds, only about three miles away. The target is that largest group of figures on the right, at the back.”

  Washington could hear the report of a cannon firing from a long way away. He had a pair of binoculars Compton had given him and showed him how to focus on the large group of figures. Suddenly there was a large explosion over the top of the figures, followed by many smaller explosions among the figures. The entire group was literally shredded to pieces. Not one figure remained standing.

  Next, the Bradley moved forward. It stopped briefly about 500 yards from the building and the wagons and the main gun began f
iring. The building was blown into nothing but a portion of the foundation. The main gun then turned on the wagons and blew them sky high in three quick shots. Meanwhile, the machine gun began firing at one of the groups of figures and mowed them all down in seconds.

  Now it was the turn of the Humvees. They raced across the field at high speed with a soldier manning a 50-caliber machine gun from the top of the vehicle. Another group of figures were destroyed.

  Finally, the soldiers split into two groups and slipped into the woods that surrounded the field. Try as he might, Washington could not see them moving through the forest. There was just a blur, now and then, that appeared and then disappeared. There were two groups of about 20 figures each on the edge of field. Suddenly the soldiers came out of the forest and charged the groups. They were firing their weapons and there were thumps of explosions among the figures. In less than 30 seconds, every figure was shot enough to cut them in half.

  “That’s the end of the demonstration, George,” said Compton. Our job now is to recruit 3000 men, train them to operate all these weapons, and then figure out a way to lure the entire British force into the field so that we can do to them what we just did to these cardboard figures.”

  11

  Fort Independence, Virginia

  The Colonial leaders were working hard, very hard.

  Franklin was busy learning the basics of a more modern steel making process. The engineer who was in charge of building the working plant explained the fundamentals to the eager scientist.

  “It’s actually not all that complicated Mr. Franklin,” said the engineer. “Of course there are many other improvements to the process I’m going to show you, but in future years we can add these improvements and get better, cheaper steel.”

  “The key principle is the removal of impurities from the iron by oxidation with air being blown through the molten iron. The oxidation also raises the temperature of the iron mass and keeps it molten. The oxidation process removes and skims off impurities such as silicon, manganese, and carbon in the form of oxides. These oxides either escape as gas or form a solid slag. When the required steel is formed, it’s poured out into ladles and then transferred into molds while the lighter slag is left behind. The conversion process called the "blow" is completed in only twenty minutes. During this period the progress of the oxidation of the impurities is judged by the appearance of the flame issuing from the mouth of the converter, after the blow, the liquid metal is decarburized to the desired point and other alloying materials are added, depending on the desired product. This process will revolutionize steel manufacturing by decreasing its cost. Prices for steel will go down from £40 per long ton to £6–7 per long ton, along with greatly increasing the scale and speed of production of this vital raw material. The process will also decrease the labor requirements for steel-making.”

  Franklin watched in awe as pig iron was heated in a huge container, air blown by simple, but large bellows, increased the heat and most of the purities dissipated as gas. Then the whole vat was turned by a geared apparatus and poured into a mold. In less than two hours, the process produced nearly two miles of steel railroad tracks.

  Franklin took the complete plans for the construction of a fairly sophisticated steam locomotive back to his room. He spent days studying the plans and making notes on how to build the first model using steel molds to form the parts.

  Madison and Adams were given the job of organizing both Continental Congresses and guiding the delegates through the Declaration of Independence, and the actual Constitution. Arcadia provided them a copy of the real constitution, amended, in her time, to incorporate the Bill of Rights, term limits for Congress, and the requirement for a balanced budget. Almost all of the amendments added over the last 250 years were eliminated.

  Hamilton was given a modern computer to use to study financial theory. He was able to see the outcome of his Federal Bank principle and refine it dramatically to produce an income flow to the Federal government that rewarded enterprise and capitalism, while maintaining a strong middle class. The process he evolved and then checked to see if what he conceived was successful, turned out to be a simple flat tax on all income with no loopholes or deductions.

  For Jefferson it was a pleasant and stimulating mission. Arcadia decided not to waste any time in putting her slave emancipation plan into action. Although Jefferson would be needed to help the others with the Continental Congress, she believed she could set up the system, work out the bugs, and get the whole operation up and running in a few months. In addition, Jefferson had a large estate, 5000 acres and owned about 200 slaves. That was more than Washington had, and Arcadia believed she had a better chance to test her plan with the bigger slave population.

  Jefferson wanted to make the 100-mile trip to Monticello by coach, but Arcadia nixed that. She couldn’t afford to spend two extra weeks in travel and she didn’t want to fan the flames of infatuation that Jefferson was already showing. She was fond of Jefferson, but knew that she could not afford any “foreign entanglements” of her own. In the end, Arcadia had Jefferson send a letter to his foreman to pick them up on a certain time on a certain day. The letter would take a week to arrive. Arcadia could fly with Jefferson after that, and be in a roadhouse near Monticello waiting for Jefferson’s coach.

  It worked out just that way. The two of them took the small chopper to a Roadhouse Jefferson knew, only a few miles from his home. Arcadia put the chopper down in a meadow, half a mile from the roadhouse and they just walked in. Nobody noticed much, except being happy to see Jefferson and meet his enchanting companion.

  Of course, this Monticello was not the Monticello of later times. Jefferson had only started building it less than two years before and the only part of the structure that was finished was the southern pavilion. However, Arcadia had her own room and lots of people to help her.

  Jefferson was a lifelong opponent of slavery. He morally, religiously, and personally despised the practice, so he was delighted to hear that somebody had a sensible idea about abolishing it without creating financial ruin.

  The day after they arrived, Jefferson sent runners and called for a general gathering of all slaves on the front lawn of the property for the following Sunday, after church. Arcadia made arrangements for caterers to supply a sumptuous dinner for all, and had Jefferson put together long tables and benches for all. She spared no expense and made sure the meal would be several notches better than anything to which the slaves were accustomed.

  On Sunday afternoon, 178 slaves, including their families arrived. Jefferson stood on a small podium and invited everyone to be seated for a meal, and that afterwards a matter of great importance would be presented by his guest, who was providing the meal. Jefferson then waxed poetic about the greatness, intelligence, insight, and religious purity of Arcadia. He said that she was the equal of any man, and deserved their most careful consideration.

  The meal was a tremendous success and by the time every one was stuffed to where they couldn’t eat another bite of the delicious food, were more than willing to listen to what Arcadia had to say.

  She climbed onto the platform and said, “Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you and praise you for your gift of life and the promise of eternal life in Heaven because of the sacrifice of our savior, who was crucified for our sins, and then rose on the third day to bring a new world of salvation to all people. We know you love us, dear Father, help us to live according to your will. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.”

  “My brothers and sisters, I am here today to offer each of you a new life, the kind of life that God intended for you. Slavery is an abomination of God, and must end!”

  There was a hush and then a general roll of conversation among the slaves. Some of them actually cheered. Arcadia smiled in satisfaction and continued.

  “Almost none of you can read or write, but that does not mean you are ignorant. However, the proposal I am offering you today will be difficult to understand since it’s so new and revolution
ary. I will attempt to be as clear as I can. Did everyone here understand what I just said? Raise your hands if you did.” Nearly all the adults signaled they did.

  “Very well let me begin with the most important thing I am offering you today…Freedom.” There was a gasp through the crowd as she spoke the word. “I’m talking about real freedom, freedom from slavery, freedom from lives with no future, freedom for you and your children to choose the way you will live.”

  The crowd cheered and applauded, even though they were still waiting for the rest of the story they knew must be coming.

  “Here is what I propose. I will purchase all of you from Mr. Jefferson. My first act after doing this is to give emancipation to every one of you. Now I’m sure that some of you will leave in search of a better life, but I think most of you are wondering where will I live, how will I feed my children, how can I survive in a world such as this?”

  “What if I told you that you can join a new company I am establishing, as a free worker who is free to sell your talents and skills as an employee of this new company? As a worker, you would be paid a monthly wage for your work.”

  “What if I told you that the new company, called ‘The Foundation’ would provide each of you with an opportunity to go to school, to learn to read, write and do numbers, to learn new skills, to educate yourselves in such a way that your skills could be sold to the highest bidder?”

  The crowd was halfway to its feet now, and growing more excited by the minute.

  “It is my intention to make this offer to every slave holding household in America. The Foundation will grow and the opportunities for all men and women, black, white, brown, or yellow, will grow along with it.”

  “Now, there is something you need to know. You have to start somewhere, and that somewhere is here at Monticello. However, I have good news. Mr. Jefferson is looking for workers and he has agreed to hire all the workers I enlist in the Foundation. You don’t need to worry about where you will go or how you will live. You can stay right here, as free people with a monthly wage.”