CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Major General Harry Ucclese, said, "It is a dangerous thing for the military to decide who ought to be President, and who ought to be government. Militaries of the world who have taken on this responsibility have often found it difficult to resist the temptation of having intervened once, not to do it again and again. Many nations have seen coups, counter coups, and even more coups, led by Generals, colonels, or even sergeants. Military governments usually follow.
"The military becomes the institution that sees itself as the preserver of the nation. Then if the Armed Forces oppose the decisions of any future government, they either force them to change policy, or overthrow them. Once an Army starts on this path, it tends to stay on it. That is not the way America works. American governments are chosen by the people at elections. The American Armed Forces stays out of politics, picking governments, or overthrowing them."
"Usually, but not always!" Bull, said. "...American Armed Forces decided we would have a government in the first place, during the Revolutionary War. If the war had been lost, another government would have been imposed on America."
"But the government that formed was civilian made and lead!"
"Yes it was. We did not become a militaristic nation."
"And we mustn't now!"
"Agreed! But the American Armed Forces decided who the government would be during the Civil War, too. The Confederacy said that despite an election, Lincoln was not their President, and Congress was no longer their legislature. The military settled that issue."
"And then got out of the way."
"Exactly! ...Leaving the people to elect civilian representatives and Presidents to run the country. Considering as much as happened, I suspect many countries would have fallen under a military government. But not the United States. In the North, and in the South, there was a belief in the people, and in elections deciding things. Strong Generals, Admirals, officers, soldiers and sailors, believed in our republic, and representative government, not in military governments."
"But, Bull, you are asking me, a two star major General, to decide who the President is. Who elected me or gave me the authority to make that choice?"
"The American people did! Through their elected representatives they formed these Armed Forces, and then sent their sons and daughters to serve in them. They made everyone who became part of the military to take an oath that they would protect and defend the Constitution. They not only need you to make a choice now, they demand you do so; and that you make the constitutional choice. They don't want you to choose between "two Presidents" because of their policies, because of their charisma, or because you like or dislike one or the other. They don't want you to make your pick because you are afraid of the consequences. They want you as a soldier to defend the Constitution.
"As a soldier, and a General, you have to make a pick, because you have to decide whose orders you will obey. The Bible says that 'No man can serve two masters,' and we know you can't serve two Presidents.
"Ishnik, has decided that he is going to overrule the lawful vote of the people's representatives in the House. He has decided that I could not be made Speaker, and that even if I were, it would not matter because he has declared that the Speaker could not succeed the President. He has also decided if the latter is true, that the Secretaries of State and Treasury, are not going to be President, though they are ahead of him in order of succession. No, by his own authority, apart from the Constitution he has decided that he is going to be President, and he has sent you and the troops to accomplish his will.
"If you send your troops into the State Department, and then the Treasury Department, and seize those Secretaries; if you arrest me, the lawfully made 'Acting President,' you have pulled a coup d'état, against a constitutional government. You will have opened that Pandora's box of military installed government."
"But I would be doing the same thing if I withdrew my troops, I would be giving you the Presidency."
"No, no you wouldn't. That was done by the Constitution, and the laws of the land, abetted by a free vote in the House of Representatives. You cannot make me 'Acting President,' you can only keep me from serving."
"What about 'Acting President' Ishnik? What do I do about him?"
"Right now I am not asking you to do anything 'to' him. I will have to handle him. You just need to do your duty and refuse an unlawful order. It's tough, I cannot promise your career won't be affected, that he won't turn on you. In the immediate future your very life might be in danger. But you will be doing right, maintaining the Army's place in the nation, and your own personal honor." With a small smile Pinchon said, "...And who knows Harry, if I survive, there could even be a medal in it for you."
"Yah, Yah, considering your present situation, that medal could be a bullet in my heart ...from a firing squad! Have you considered that with or without me your situation is not too good. Ishnik has more troops to command if I do not do his bidding."
"I am going to have to be bold, and take charge of the situation. I am going to have to turf him out."
"That is going to be easier said than done. You don't have an Army, Navy or Air Force."
"But I have the Constitution, the law, and right on my side, and therefore I believe that I have the people on my side. If I have all that, I believe I will have the rest of the military on my side too. I have great confidence that Ishnik has greatly overreached, and that he is going to yet do so even more.
"So General Ucclese, what are you going to do? You have to choose right now which side you are on?"
Ucclese, wrinkled his brow and said, "In all my life, and in all my days as a soldier and an officer, I never in my wildest imagination thought I would face a decision like this. I have fought the enemy in hand to hand combat, left my blood on the battlefield, and required others to spill theirs, I have sent men out to face death; but I have never willfully disobeyed an order from my commander."
As Colonel Sanchez watched, Major General Ucclese turned and faced Pinchon, saluted smartly, and said, "Mr. President, I and my troops are at your command."
Pinchon asked, "You have been listening Colonel Sanchez, what are you going to do, are you going to try and arrest us both?"
"No Sir," Sanchez said, as he too saluted, "It's a terrible situation for a soldier to be in, but I accept that you are the lawful President."
"'Acting President,' because Woods is just incapacitated."
"The need for us to follow your orders is the same."
"Good, General, I need Sanchez to take me back to the White House. So we do not spook Ishnik yet, or have him try to arrest you or send more troops in. I propose that you and your men stand your positions for a few more hours. In fact, I will have the Secretaries open the doors of the federal department buildings, and your men go into the lobbies. That will be reported by the news, and Ishnik will think you have done what he commanded.
That will buy us a little time, and may motivate Ishnik to show what he is planning next."
"But Sir," Colonel Sanchez said, "if you walk in the White House, everyone will know that we have not arrested you. Will it not follow that we are not following our commanders orders?"
"General Ucclese, were you ordered to arrest me?"
"No Sir, I had no instructions concerning you. I am sure they never imagined that you would walk out of the White House."
"Well then ...you can tell the press that you simply returned me to the White House, and that your troops remain around the perimeter. Let them imagine what they will ... hopefully that you are still confining me there.
"Colonel Sanchez, let's go, I need to get back to the White House to calm their worries there. They did not like me coming here, particularly the Secret Service. I brought agent Melman with me, as my 'security' detail."
"You were only facing the Airborne!" Ucclese said.
"General, you have confirmed my faith in the Army, and in the entire American Armed Forces. They are the gr
eatest in all the world, not because of their numbers or equipment, but because of their heart, courage, and honor. You have brought honor on yourself to stand with our republic, and to disobey an unlawful command." Pinchon returned a salute and wheeled around and followed Sanchez to the Hummer.
As they were driving back, Pinchon asked Sanchez, "How did your units get here so fast? Even the Airborne takes longer to deploy than this. You were here almost as soon as Ishnik broadcast that he was sending the Army into D.C."
"Sir, we were secretly pre-deployed down at Quantico. We didn't fly in, or parachute in; we just drove in. This operation was planned well before today. In fact, we had practiced this kind of an operation six months ago, and even had advance teams make two quiet reconnaissance missions around the capital, so that we knew where we should deploy."
"How could that be? Ishnik didn't know what was going to happen. I mean he didn't know back then that President Carr would be killed, and that Woods would get sick, or that the House would elect me Speaker. He could not have anticipated all those events. So how is it he had you guys good to go?"
"My understanding is that it was part of a contingency plan in case of a national emergency. We have plans for invasions of Port-au-Prince, and capitals like that. We have even done that mission. But we had never had plans for one like this.
"I know General Ucclese thought it highly unusual, and was disturbed by it. When General Yates came by our base four months ago, General Ucclese said he had never been involved with such a plan before. Yates said it came right from Ishnik himself. That the Secretaries of Defense and also the Army, had thought it appropriate to make plans for extraordinary events. Yates admitted that he had never before ordered making such a plan, but that Ishnik was always thinking way ahead."
"So this mission came from way back then ...from Ishnik and Strate? ...And Yates was just sending it down the chain of command. It didn't come out of the Army's strategic planning."
"Not this plan. Yes, that's right."
"That does not add up. I mean what kind of national emergency was Ishnik planning for. If it was a hurricane or natural disaster FEMA would have run it. If it was a case of riots, the police would handle it. How was he foreseeing the events of today. Right now I don't know what it adds up to, but I am going to find out.
"Colonel, let Melman and me out at the north gate of the White House. You stay with your men, but let the news media ask you what is going on. Tell them, that General Ucclese's units are entering the State Department and Treasury Department. Tell the media that he had ordered you to bring me back here, and that your men would remain surrounding the White House and Executive Office buildings.
"... And quietly tell your men not to provoke the Secret Service, or get too close to the fence or gate. I don't want there to be any confusion that leads to anyone getting shot."
"Yes Sir."
With that the vehicle arrived at the White House, and Pinchon and Melman got out and walked over to the gate. Agent-in-charge, Thompson, had joined the uniformed Secret Service agents out in the gatehouse, and was nervously chomping on a big wad of gum.
"Thompson, you look nervous, did you not think you would see me again," said Pinchon. "Melman kept me safe."
Thompson said, "I did not know where you had gone or whether you would be back. I cannot protect you out there."
"Right now, if these troops were very insistent, I doubt you could protect me in the White House."
"Events have occurred, Mr. President, that mean you especially need to let the Secret Service keep you secure."
"What has happened?" Pinchon asked.
"Let's get you safely in the White House first," Thompson said, as he encouraged Pinchon up the sidewalk to the North Portico.
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Four Days In February Page 14
