Semi-OT: Red Dawn fan fic

[Matt Wiser]

Part III:


1355 Hours: Broadsword Leader, south of Hispaniola:


Colonel Duarte led his regiment on its southeasterly track, and occasionally turning on their missile radars to search for any targets. So far, nothing yet, and no word from the pathfinders since their last check-in, when they cleared the Haitian shoreline. Where are they Duarte asked himself. He began to wonder if this was another wasted effort, when his copilot said, oeTime to climb, Comrade Colonel.

He meant climbing to 10,000 meters. Or 33,000 feet. Duarte nodded, and began to climb. As the Badgers did so, they also switched on their radars to search for targets.


1400 Hours: Kennedy CIC:


oeStarbase, Seahawk 601, the Hawkeye controller called. oeMultiple bandits, bearing Three-four-zero relative, angels thirty and climbing.

Mattingly nodded at that. oeHere they come.

The group's AAW officer on Valley Forge called it. oeMultiple contacts bearing Zero-Zero three relative. Bandit count is estimated at thirty-plus. Picking up Short Horn radars. Designate Raid-One.

oeAdmiral the chief of staff asked.

oeThat's it. Light everybody up. And sic the Tomcats on the bombers. Mattingly ordered.

The carrier and her escorts lit up all of their radars, and the Hawkeyes began to vector the Tomcats onto the approaching bombers. oeAll Camelot and Gypsy elements, this is Seahawk 601. Your vector is two-seven-zero to two-seven three, for ninety-five. Kill. Repeat: KILL.

CAG acknowledged the call, oeGypsy 200 copies. Let's go get 'em.

Tomcats acknowledged the calls, and began lighting up the Badgers with their AWG-9 radars. Some of the fighters closed into get visual ID with their TCS systems before shooting, while others simply let loose with their Phoenix missiles. And within a minute, Badgers began to explode and drop out of the sky.


Broadsword Leader:

oeWhat the... Duarte yelled as the first two Tu-16s exploded. The bombers lacked the RWR gear the pathfinders carried, and thus the first hint they were under attack was when the first two bombers exploded. He yelled into the radio, oeScatter!

Then his weapons officer shouted. oeTarget to the east! Single ship, bearing zero-zero-two relative.

oeIt must be a picket ship! Target him and fire! Duarte yelled.

Before his weapons officer could do just that, a Phoenix missile tracked down Duarte's bomber and blew the cockpit off, and the headless bomber tumbled out of the sky, trailing fire.

More and more bombers took Phoenix hits and either fell out of the sky, or simply exploded. Three bombers, though, managed to find the single contact and launch their missiles, before turning away. Four others kept on coming, despite the sight of their comrades dropping out of the sky, and closed the carrier group. One of the four Badgers got a radar contact on one of the escorts and fired, and the other three followed suit, before Tomcats closed in with Sparrows and Sidewinders, killing all four Badgers.


Kennedy CIC:

oeVampire! Vampire! We have inbound missiles! the AAW officer called.

oeHere we go, Mattingly said.

The Aegis cruiser began shooting SM-2 missiles at the inbounds, and thanks to data links, South Carolina began doing so as well. Very quickly, a dozen SM-2s smothered the eight incoming AS-5s, and soon there were no more inbounds. But there were six others targeted on the surface contact to the west, the ship ID'd as a neutral. Two late-launching Tomcats were vectored onto the missiles, and they launched four Phoenixes, killing three missiles. Three others closed the contact. And the various CIC crews watched as the missile symbols closed onto the ship, and two merged with it.


Not far from the Swedish freighter, the two A-7 pilots who'd ID'd the ship watched in horror as two Kelt missiles slammed into the Swede. . One missile landed in the ship's stern, while a second slammed into the freighter's midships section, just aft of the funnel. Both one-ton warheads simply ripped the hapless freighter apart, but she didn't sink. Not immediately, anyway.

Commander Doyle watched from above. oeBuns, follow me in. Call out if you see anything in the water, like a boat or raft. When the raid warning had gone out, they had been told to orbit and wait for the all-clear. Both pilots had a ringside seat to the freighter's demise, as well as seeing aircraft fall out of the sky to the west.

oeRoger that. And the two A-7s went down onto the burning, drifting freighter.

oeGood lord.... Doyle said as he made his pass. The stern of the Swede had been blown off, and the midships section looked like somebody had taken a meat cleaver to it and simply gouged a huge portion out of it. And the whole ship from the bridge aft was afire.

oeStarbase, Clansman 304. That Swedish ship took two hits. She's still afloat, but barely. No sign of any...wait. One raft in the water. Doyle called in.

oeClansman 307 confirms. And there's a second raft now, and two survivors just went over the side. Buns called.

oeStarbase copies. Clansman 304, orbit and assume on-scene command. We'll get some help out there real quick.

oeRoger. Have fuel for nine-zero minutes. Doyle replied.


oeAdmiral, we'd best get a couple of helos out there ASAP. the chief of staff said.

oeDo it. Notify sick bay to stand by to receive survivors. Mattingly ordered.

The AAW officer then called in. oeThree bombers off scope to the west. Tomcats unable to pursue. Vampires all accounted for. Raid-One is now history.

oeAll right, Mattingly said. oeHave four Tomcats top off from tankers, and keep them airborne. Bring everybody else home and get them turned around ASAP.

On deck, flight ops resumed, as two SH-3Hs lifted off on the search-and-rescue, while Tomcats and tankers whose jobs were now done, began to form up in the pattern for landing. Within minutes, those aircraft due for recovery had trapped, and the carrier resumed normal flight operations.

oeAdmiral, recommend securing from General Quarters. the chief of staff said.

oeMake it so, Mattingly said.


1445 Hours, Clansman 304:

Commander Doyle watched as the two SH-3s came in for the rescue. Both helos hovered, and their rescue swimmers went into the water to recover survivors. The swimmers worked quickly but cautiously, not knowing if any of the survivors were injured, and indeed, one of the survivors had to be lifted into a helo with a rescue litter. Once the survivors were aboard, the helos turned for the carrier. And as the two Corsairs turned to follow, the freighter did a heave, a final gout of smoke and flame erupted, and she plunged into the deep, stern first.

oeStarbase, Clansman 304. The freighter has gone down. Helos are inbound with survivors, and we are RTB at this time.

oeCopy that, 304. Come on home.

The two A-7s peeled away and headed east, back to the ship. They beat the helos back to the carrier, and both Popeye and Buns watched from Vulture's Row as the two helos arrived with their human cargo. Sure enough, one was a definite stretcher case, two others needed assistance, but four were able to walk off the helos unassisted. Popeye turned to Buns and commented, oeWrong place, wrong time.

oeThis war doesn't play favorites, Buns noted.

[Matt Wiser]

Part IV:


1610 Hours: Camp 32, Holguin, Cuba.


The rumble of jet engines got Lieutenant Kelly Franklin's attention again. This time, she was in the cell she shared with Navy Lieutenant Tyler Brookes, who'd been an A-7 pilot from the carrier Oriskany, until she'd been shot down in November, during a raid on Santiago de Cuba. Both had spent the better part of the day in their cell, despite having had work details-for Franklin, it had been sweeping the courtyard, while Brookes had been on the dishwashing detail. Now, the rumble of engines got their attention, and Franklin went to the cell window and peered through the bars.

oeBombers. And they're coming back.

oeAny underwing cargo Brookes asked.

oeNope. But thirty went out. And here's three coming back. Franklin said. oeThey must've run into a buzz saw.

oeWant to bet those were Tomcats Brookes wondered.

oeNo takers. Franklin said. She got down from the window and went to the wall. oeClear me.

Brookes nodded and went down to the floor and peered through the crack between the cell door and the floor. oeClear.

And Franklin began to tap to the next cell, and then went to the other wall and repeated the tap. Soon, the word would go from their cell block to the next one, and eventually, even if it took a week, all over the camp. And finding out that the Cubans had gotten a bloody nose in the air was a definite boost to everyone's spirits.


1625 Hours: 38th Bomber Regiment Operations Room, Holguin AB, Cuba.


Captain Manuel Ochoa stormed into the operations room in a rage. He was the senior ranking pilot to survive the mission, and to say that he was highly displeased was an understatement. That anger was also tempered with the fact that he was now the senior ranking pilot in the 38th-or more correctly-what had been the 38th Bomber Regiment, now only five strike aircraft and one reconnaissance aircraft strong. The first man he saw was the regiment's intelligence officer. oeWHAT DID YOU SEND US INTO he screamed.

oeComrade Captain, the intelligence officer-a Major-replied, oeWhat are you talking about

oeIt was a massacre! There's no other way to describe it. Aircraft falling right and left, missile trails all over the place, and all we have to show for it is an attack on a possible picket ship. Twenty-six aircraft and crews lost! And for what Ochoa yelled, not caring in the slightest if he was insubordinate.

oeMother of... the major replied. He went to the phone and got on the line to Air Force Headquarters and relayed the mission results. The major nodded, and held the phone for Ochoa. oeHavana wants a word with you, Captain.

Ochoa took the phone and said, oeThis is Captain Ochoa. Who am I speaking to

oeComrade Captain, this is General Estrada at Air Force Operations. the voice on the other end replied.

oeComrade General... Ochoa said.

oeI'll be blunt, Captain. What happened out there Estrada asked.

oeComrade General.....there is no more 38th. Thirty aircraft-all of our serviceable bombers-went out. And only four returned. The reconnaissance flight was also hard hit: only one has returned. Ochoa said.

oeI see..... the voice on the other end trailed off. oeAnd mission results

oeComrade General, we found a ship that may have been a picket ship, and several aircraft did launch missiles against it. Several did hit, and we're claiming a kill. Four more aircraft closed with the carrier group, and they did launch, but none of those aircraft have returned. Ochoa concluded.

oeSo, one ship sunk, and unknown results in the actual strike on the carrier Estrada asked.

oeThat's correct, Comrade General.

oeAll right, Captain. You're now acting commander of the 38th, despite your rank. I'll see about getting you the rank that goes with the job, and work on getting some replacement aircraft. Estrada said. oeRight now, just be glad you're alive.

oeYes, Comrade General.

With that, General Estrada hung up, leaving Ochoa holding the receiver. He then hung up and turned to the intelligence officer. oeI don't think we'll ever go up against a carrier again. Not after today.

oeComrade Captain, I believe you're right.


1700 Hours: Sick Bay, U.S.S. John F. Kennedy.


Admiral Mattingly came into Sick Bay with Captain Darrel Cramer, the carrier's captain. They found the head of the Medical Department, Commander Neal Walton. oeCommander, how are the survivors asked the Admiral.

oeOne is critical. Two others are still in surgery, and the rest are recovering, Walton said. oeThe one critical case ....his chances are no better than 50-50.

oeCan we talk to any of them Captain Cramer wanted to know.

oeOne who's doing fine is more than willing to talk: he's the ship's Fourth Officer. Commander Walton said. oeHe's been demanding to speak with a senior officer, as a matter of fact.

Both the Admiral and the Captain nodded. Mattingly said, oeLet's see him.

Commander Walton escorted the two senior officers to the room, which had a Marine guard. The guard nodded and opened the door. Inside, sitting on a bunk, was Sven Kossborg, the Gotland's Fourth Officer. He turned and saw the three officers come in. oeMr. Kossberg, Walton said, oeThis is Admiral Mattingly, the battle group commander, and Captain Cramer, the JFK's captain.

oeAdmiral, Captain... Kossberg said. oeThank you for rescuing us.

oeNo thanks necessary, Mr. Kossberg. Even in wartime, the rule of the sea still applies. Mattingly said. oeDo you know what happened

oeNo, Kossberg shook his head. oeThe aft lookout said he saw aircraft in the distance, and that one or two were falling in flames. Then he shouted that there were smoke trails closing in on us. The Captain ordered a message sent that we were under attack, but I have no idea if it went out. The next thing I know, two explosions, and I am in the water.

oeYou're lucky, Walton said. oeFirst-degree burns, and a broken ankle.

Kossberg looked at the cast on his ankle. Yes, it could be a lot worse. oeHow many

oeOnly seven, Walton said. oeAnd one is in very critical condition.

oeWho attacked us Kossberg asked.

oeCuban Tu-16 Badger bombers. Mattingly said. oeThey probably thought your ship was a radar or ASW picket, and since they were under attack from our fighters, you were first in line.

oeOf all the.... Kossberg said. oeHow soon can we go ashore

oeYou'll have to stay aboard ship for the time being. None of your crew are in any shape to travel, I'm afraid. Commander Walton said. He looked at the Admiral. oeHowever...

oeHowever, Admiral Mattingly said, oeI'll notify my superiors, and they'll pass on your names to the Swedish Ambassador in Philadelphia. Your families, at least, will be notified.

oeThank you, Admiral. Kossberg said. oeAnd all this for a mixed cargo of coffee and bananas.

The door opened and a Navy Nurse-one of those newly assigned to the carrier, asked for Commander Walton. He listened to her, looked at Mr. Kossberg, then came back. oeMr. Kossberg, I've got some bad news. The one crewman in critical condition

Kossberg had an idea of what was coming. oeYes

oeI'm afraid he's dead. There was only so much we could do for him. Even if we'd gotten him flown to a base in Puerto Rico, even they might not have saved him. Walton said.


oeI see...I am sure you did all that was possible. If it's possible, his body should be sent home to his family. Kossberg said.

oeAgain, I'll inform my superiors, and those arrangements will be made, Admiral Mattingly said.




The next day, the Kennedy/CVW-3 team moved into position and launched strikes into Southeastern Cuba, while the Bon Homme Richard/CVW-21 team did the same. A five-day series of strikes against targets deeper into Cuba went on, with Cienfeugos, Banes, and other targets being hit, before the carriers broke off to replenish. Each carrier air wing lost several aircraft, with Kennedy losing two A-6s and four A-7s, and Bon Homme Richard losing an F-8, an RF-8, and three A-7s.

Fallout from the failed strike reached into the corridors of power in Havana, when General Lorenzo reported the failed strike to Fidel Castro. That failure, plus the bad news coming from the front in North America, led to Lorenzo's dismissal. Furthermore, the Swedes were not pleased that one of their ships had been sunk by Cuban aircraft, with Fidel's refusal to apologize for the sinking led the Swedes to recall their ambassador oefor consultations, and was one of several factors leading to the fall of the Palme government in Stockholm. After Palme lost a no-confidence vote in the Swedish parliament, his successor apologized to the U.S. Ambassador for the downturn in U.S-Swedish relations that had occurred under the Palme government, and that if the U.S.-and by extension, its allies, wished to purchase NATO-standard small-arms, tank, and artillery ammunition from Swedish firms, the new government would have no objections to such purchases, and if additional systems, such as the RBS-70 SAM, were on the Allied shopping list, any objections in parliament to the new policy would be easily overcome.

[Matt Wiser]

This one's set in the final week of the war in the Lower 48, and the 335th's crews find out that not all MiG drivers really belong in the cockpit....

Part I

Nearing the End: Burnout


Laredo AFB, Texas: 1 October, 1989, 0620 Hours Central War Time


Major Matt Wiser, the CO of the 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron, was doing something that the 335th had hardly ever done since the war began: holding a mass briefing. There had been one on the first day, four years earlier, and one or two since. Mainly at the start of PRAIRIE FIRE and LONG RIFLE, but apart from that, he didn't recall any. No matter. The 335th had taken over some offices that prewar, had been used by an air charter company, the base having been closed a number of years prior to the war. The Soviets and Cubans had made use of the facilities since, both here and at Laredo International Airport, and now, the USAF, along with the Marines, had returned.

Crammed inside a meeting room was every crew in the 335th: he had eighteen flyable aircraft and thirty-two crews. Two aircraft were down for maintenance, and he was expecting four more to come, either from deep overhaul at McClellan AFB, or newly built from the Mitsubishi line in Japan. Well, when we go south into Mexico-and as far as Mexico City, we'll need those new birds and some new crews. But that was in the future-he hoped, but today's business-and those in the days ahead, came first.

oeAll right. You've probably noticed something. There's no preplanned targets for today. Everybody that can fly in MAG-11, along with the entire Tenth Air Force, is going south. Other than the Monterrey Air Defense Zone, anyplace in Northern Mexico from Amistad Reservoir down to Roma is fair game.

His Exec, Captain Don Van Loan, asked, oeSo what are we doing, hitting opportunity targets

oeThat, and armed reconnaissance, Major Wiser, call sign Guru, said.

Pilots and WSOs looked at each other. Then Capt. Valerie Blanchard, or Sweaty as she was known on the radio, said, oeSoutheast Asia all over again

oeNo. The reason Monterrey's a no-go area is because of the air defense threat. The only restriction, other than that, is no southbound traffic. Intel says the ComBloc are shipping POWs south in trucks headed deeper into Mexico, so no hitting southbound vehicles. Other than that, any military traffic on any road, whether the Mexican Federal roads, or the local ones, is a target, Guru said.

oeThis all prep for the invasion Capt. Kara Thrace, or Starbuck, asked. She was the Operations Officer for the 335th, and had submitted a strike plan for Mexico City. One that Guru had reluctantly turned down.

oeThey wouldn't say, but even money says it is, the CO replied. oeAt least, it forces the ComBloc to realize there's more than just Brownsville.

Heads nodded. Anything that made the bad guys remember there was more than that pocket on this front was a good thing. oeOpportunity targets Capt. Lisa Eichhorn asked. Goalie was her call sign, and she was Major Wiser's WSO.

oeAnything military or military related. This includes bridges, power substations, airstrips, you name it. If it's defended, it's a target. the CO told everyone.

Then Capt. Bryan Simmonds, Sweaty Blanchard's backseater, asked, oeOrdnance loads

oeGood question, Preacher. Major Wiser said. oeRight now, you're going out with either dumb bombs, CBUs, or a mix. But when you come back from the first hop, the ordnance guys will have whatever they've got ready. You might get napalm, or all dumb bombs, all CBUs, Mavericks, rocket pods, whatever. But you still get at least two AIM-7s, two wing tanks, and a full load of 20-mike-mike. And Sidewinders. Flight leads get an ECM pod as well.

oeAnd MiGs Hoser, or Capt. Nathan West, asked.

oeOK, here's what the deal is. If the MiG or Sukhoi has a good driver, or if it's got a Red Star or Cuban insignia on it, go ahead. Kill it and claim the kill. If it's flown by some Mexican who's flying like he expects to be shot down, different story, Guru said.

oeWhat does that mean Sweaty asked.

oeI haven't been claiming those kills. I've got five of those, and so does Kara. You've got four, Don has three, and several of you also have at least two. These have been too easy, Major Wiser said.

oeLike those Syrians in the Bekaa Valley Turkey Shoot back in '82, Boss. Van Loan said. oeLot of those guys acted as if they knew they'd be shot down, but took off anyhow.

oeYeah, Guru responded. oeHere's what I've been doing. When I've killed these guys, I say that I've fired an AIM-9 or AIM-7, depending on what I did use, but the missile missed, prematured, failed to guide, or whatever. And the target got away, the CO said. He knew that several of those he'd mentioned had done the same. oeIf you want to claim the kill, go ahead. It's up to you.

Heads nodded. And Major Wiser noticed one thing. The old hands in the squadron were those not likely to file these claims, even if it kept somebody from a better score. The new people-and the 335th had several new crews-were more likely to do otherwise. To them, killing some guy fresh out of flight training was no different than killing a high-time flier. He knew the saying, oeA kill's a kill. Normally, he'd agree. But with these greenhorns they'd been splashing, it was all too easy. He'd rather get into the transport stream from Mexico City to Brownsville instead and be like a shark in a school of fish.
oeAny other questions

oeWhat's the weather, Major asked one of the new guys.

oeCAVU all day. the Major said. That meant clear skies and visibility unlimited. A fighter-attack pilot's dream. oeAs for bailout areas south of the river: anyplace away from the roads. If you can, stay with the bird as long as you can and get your asses north. The closer to the Rio Grande, the easier time that the Jolly Greens have to get you. And if you can get across the river, best of all.

Heads nodded again. Major Wiser looked around the room. oeAnything else

Then one of the sergeants came into the room. oeMajor, this should've been handed out yesterday. It's from Major Ellis, the sergeant said, handing the CO a letter.

oeThanks, Sergeant, Major Wiser said. oeBefore we go, anyone want to hear from Mark

Multiple heads nodded. oeCome on, Major, Kara said, oeRead it. Sweaty Blanchard said the same thing, as did Goalie.

oeOK, hold your horses, Guru said as he opened the letter. oeHe's home-back in Ohio. 'I'm at Rickenbacker's base hospital,' he says. 'I'll be back in the cockpit, but the docs say it's at least a year. More likely eighteen months. That's what happens when you break one leg in two places, along with the other leg, and your shoulder, too. I saw you guys on CNN a couple of times, and it looks like you're all doing OK. Drop me a line, and if I don't see you guys before the war's over, I'll be there at the reunion. Check Six, and kick those bastards back to Mexico City.' There's more, but that's about it. Oh, he's getting married once he can walk down the aisle.

Clapping and cheering followed. Mark Ellis had been a well respected pilot and Exec. He and Guru had run the 335th the best way they could, even if they had to fold, spindle, bend, or mutilate a few regs to get things done, so be it-as long as it got results. And having both MAG-11's commander and General Tanner at Tenth Air Force have the same attitude helped a lot. Then he'd been shot down during that Midland-Odessa offensive, what some had called Ivan's last roll of the dice, which had drawn parallels with the Battle of the Bulge, and had been rescued by the Jolly Greens. But his war was over. Major Wiser gave the letter to one of his ground officers. oePut that on the bulletin board, so everybody can read it.

oeGlad to, Major, the man said.

oeOkay. Anything else Major Wiser asked. There wasn't.

oeGood. Let's hit it. Wiser said, grabbing his flight helmet.

With that, the room emptied as those crews assigned to fly the first sorties of the day went to their aircraft. And soon after that, the runways were filled with aircraft as F-4s (both AF and Marine), Marine A-4s, A-6s, F/A-18s, and some A-7s from a shore-based Navy squadron, began taxiing for takeoff. It was going to be a very busy day.


1430 Hours Central War Time: Over Northern Mexico.


Guru was on his fifth flight that day; he and Goalie had flown four before noon, and they'd finally had a break. Lunch, taking care of squadron paperwork, and then back in the saddle. He was in his usual mount, 512, and he had eleven Red Stars painted on the side. So what if the bad guys saw that in combat At least they'd know they were up against a proven MiG-killer.

They were flying with their usual wingmates, 1st Lt. Kevin McAllen and his WSO, 1st Lt. Toni Grey. Since Kara had graduated to flight lead, a year earlier, these two had been their wingmates. And had made ace in the process. But kills had been few-other than these rookies, and neither Kevin or Toni (Cowboy and Nooner as they went in the squadron) had claimed any of those, either. Then they heard Sweaty call on the radio oeAny Chiefs north of Sabinas Hidalgo Chiefs was their squadron's nickname.

oeSweaty, Guru, Wiser called. oeWhat's up

oeBig convoy at the junction of Highway 85 and Route 22: somebody dropped the bridge north of that on 85, and they're all backed up, Sweaty called.

oeCopy. Cowboy, you hear that

oeRoger, Lead, Cowboy said.

oeSweaty, Guru. We're on our way. Wiser said.

oeRoger, Boss. Sweaty called. oeWe're Winchester right now and are RTB. That meant she was out of ordnance and had to return to base.

oeRoger that. Any other Chiefs working 85, head to Sweaty's target location. Guru said, not waiting for any acknowledgments. And he took his element to that location. Sure enough, there was military traffic backed up on the highway, and the bridge was down over the Rio Salado. His two Phantoms had six Mark-82 500-pound bombs and six CBU-58/B cluster bombs. These had one advantage over Rockeyes, his favorite CBUs: they had incendiary submunitions mixed in with the antivehicle and antipersonnel ones. And ripping up a truck convoy like this one was one thing CBUs could handle.

The two Phantoms came in on the target. oeAnything on the threat receivers Guru asked Goalie.

oeNot a peep. They must not have any radars down there. Goalie responded.

oeTwo, this is Lead. First pass Mark-82s. Second pass CBUs. Then we RTB. Both runs south to north. Guru called.

oeCopy, Lead, Cowboy responded.

With that, Guru rolled in on his first pass. He picked out some trucks and unloaded his six centerline Mark-82s from low level. The six bombs ripped into the convoy, blasting some trucks, and tossing others aside as if they were toys. Cowboy followed his leader, and his bombs, too, had the same effect. The two Phantoms then came around for another run.

As the two Phantoms came in, the crews noticed small-arms fire and even some 23-mm coming up. It looked like to the crews that somebody-Russians, Cubans, or Mexicans, had put 23-mm guns on either trucks or BTR-152s as improvised antiaircraft vehicles. No matter, they were coming in too fast. And both F-4s laid down their CBUs on the vehicles cramming the northbound lanes of Highway 85. Both crews were rewarded with multiple secondary explosions, as trucks, BTRs, and armored vehicles exploded. As they pulled up, two more elements from the 335th, Don Van Loan's and Hoser's, came in.

Guru called Van Loan. oePouncer, Guru. Who's that with you

oeHoser, Boss. Van Loan called back.

oeCopy that, these guys are all yours. I'm Winchester, and RTB. Watch out for 23-mm and possible SA-7s.

oeRoger that, Boss. I'll be taking Rifle shots, Pouncer said. Rifle meant Maverick missiles.

oeCopy that, Pouncer. Go get 'em. Guru called as he headed north. Just then, AWACS called.

oeMustang One-One, Crystal Palace. Bandits, Bandits. Threat bearing two-four-zero for fifty-five.

Uh-oh, Guru thought. oeRoger, Crystal Palace. Say Bogey Dope

oeMustang, Crystal Palace. No Joy, the AWACS controller called.

Lovely, Guru thought out loud. And Goalie felt the same way. But it was showtime. oeCowboy, Guru. Bandits inbound. Drop tanks and fight's on.

oeCopy, Lead. Drop tanks and fight's on. Cowboy responded.

Both F-4s dropped their wing tanks and turned into the incoming bandits. As they did so, the WSOs had their radars on, trying to pick up the bandits. And Crystal Palace kept giving range and bearing.
oeMustang One-One, Crystal Palace. Bandits on your nose, seventeen miles.

Then Goalie called Guru on the intercom. oeTwo hits at twelve o'clock.

oeGot it. Crystal Palace, Mustang One-One. Judy. That meant the F-4s were taking over the interception. oeSay Bogey Dope

oeMustang, Crystal Palace. Bogeys are Fitters. That meant anything from Su-7s from the mid '60s to the latest Su-22M4s. And those Fitters were very effective attack aircraft.

oeRoger that, Guru called. oeGoalie, anything

oeI've got a lock!

oeCopy that. Fox One! he called out, signaling a Sparrow missile launch as he squeezed the trigger on the stick. Then he fired his second Sparrow. oeFox One again!

Two AIM-7E Sparrow missiles streaked towards their target. Then the enemy aircraft became visible. These were swing-wing Fitters: Su-17s at least. As Guru's missiles streaked towards their target, Cowboy called, oeFox One! as he ripple-fired two Sparrows.

Guru's two missiles missed. Cowboy's first one burned out short of the target, while his second flew right past the Fitter and exploded well behind the aircraft. As the Fitters broke, they jettisoned their external ordnance and fuel tanks, and tried to break away. And when they did that, their insignia became clear. Red stars on the tail. That meant Russians. oeTwo, Lead. I've got the leader.

oeRoger, Lead. I've got the other one. Cowboy called.

Guru got in behind the Fitter. This one might have been an Su-22M version, but it was impossible to tell visually. And he could see the Fitter had two AA-8 Aphid missiles for self-defense. He grinned underneath his oxygen mask. No way, Ivan, he thought as he turned his missile selector to HEAT. His AIM-9L missiles were now armed. And the seeker was tracking. The growl went loud in his headset: missile lock. oeFox Two!

Guru's first AIM-9 shot off the rail, corkscrewed right, then left, and then smashed into the Fitter's tail. The explosion blew the tail off the aircraft, and as it spun down to the left, the canopy came off, the ejection seat fired, and the pilot was in his chute. oeSplash one Fitter! Guru called.

Just as Guru made that call, Cowboy got in behind the wingman. He, too, got Sidewinder lock, and fired. Once again, an AIM-9 went off the rail, and flew up the Fitter's tailpipe. This time, when it exploded, the plane blew in half. The rear half fell away and broke apart, while the cockpit and wings tumbled end over end, before smashing into the desert floor. This one didn't have a chute. Cowboy gave the call, oeSplash two!

oeCopy that, Two. Any chutes Guru asked.

oeNegative, Lead.

oeRoger that. Crystal Palace, Mustang One-One. Guru called to the AWACS.

oeMustang One-One, Crystal Palace. Go.

oeSplash two Fitters-Su-17s or -22s. One chute. We are RTB at this time. Guru said.

oeRoger that. Do you need a vector the AWACS controller asked.

In 512, Goalie shook her head. oeDo those guys think we're lost

oeYou know the AWACS guys, they're like the backseat driver from hell-no offense intended. Guru said.. oeCrystal Palace, Mustang One-One. Negative.

Goalie smiled underneath her oxygen mask. oeNone taken, my dear Major, and she laughed.

Mustang Flight soon was short of the Rio Grande, and the crews looked down. Neuevo Laredo looked like Berlin in 1945, and inbound aircraft gave the place a wide berth: all the artillery fire being poured into the city meant that the sky over Neuevo Laredo was a dangerous place-and a 155 shell didn't care if you were friendly or not. Then Guru heard Starbuck on the radio. oeGuru, Starbuck. Got something here.

oeGo, Starbuck, Guru called back.

oeWe've got a MiG-21MF here, no gun pack, two Atolls, and he's got a centerline tank, but he's flying really weird. Straight and level at times, then he's all over the sky, Starbuck called.

Guru frowned underneath his mask. oeWhat's he got on the side He was asking about insignia.

oeFARM, was Starbuck's response. That meant the Revolutionary Air Force of Mexico.

oeStarbuck, he trying to signal or anything

oeHe did wave, Kara said. oeThis guy might be a defector.

oeETA home base

oeFifteen mikes, Kara said.

oeStarbuck, fly alongside and see if you can get him to follow you. Have your wingie right behind him in the kill slot. He does anything funny, just roll out and away, and have Grumpy take the shot, Guru ordered.

oeRoger that. Kara replied. oeSee you on the ground.

oeCopy. Major Wiser then called Laredo operations and advised them of what was coming in. Then his flight came into the pattern, with each doing a victory roll, before landing. After taxiing in, his crew chief was waiting. oeMajor, what's up

oeSergeant, your guess is as good as mine, the CO said. oeGet the strike camera film unloaded, and what have you got for the next hop

oeShake'n bake, Major. the crew chief replied. oeSix Mark-82s centerline, and two napalm tanks each wing. And we'll get you two new wing tanks. Be ready in thirty minutes.

Nodding, Guru and Goalie headed to squadron ops. They ran into Capt. Darren Licon, the squadron's intelligence officer. oeSir, Starbuck's inbound. ETA seven minutes.

oeAnything new Goalie asked.

oeNo, other than Starbuck said the guy looked like he could barely see out of the cockpit, Licon said.

Major Wiser's flight looked at each other. This was strange. They went into ops, and quickly reviewed their flight. AWACS had confirmation of the Fitter kills, so those claims were valid. Then Major Wiser went into his office, grabbed a pair of binoculars, and went back outside. He turned to Licon. oeGet a Humvee or a truck. When Kara lands, I want to be there.

oeRight, Major. Licon said as he raced to grab a Humvee. When he came back, it wasn't just Major Wiser's flight, but a number of other aircrews, who were gathered there. Word was going around. Then Licon, who had his own set of binoculars, said, oeThere they are, pointing to the southeast.

The three-ship made a pass over the base, then flew around for landing. Kara put her Phantom down first, and taxied away as fast as she could. Then the MiG-21 came in, and several pilots watched in shock as the pilot nearly ground-looped the MiG, but managed to get the plane down in one piece. Grumpy, Kara's wingmate, pulled up and did another flyaround, before coming in himself.

Then a dozen aircrew jumped into the Humvee, or so it seemed. Goalie drove, while Major Wiser and several others were wondering what kind of pilot they had on their hands. They drove past Kara's plane, which had taxied into its revetment, and the crew was quickly getting out. The MiG taxied to the edge of the ramp area, before it shut down. And armed Combat Security Police and Marines converged on the scene. Then the pilot got out. And it was Sweaty who spoke first. oeMy God! He looks like an Eighth-Grader in a flight suit!

Goalie drove as close as she could. As the aircrews got out of the Humvee, Kara came running up. She hadn't bothered to get out of her G-Suit and harness, and she ran up to the MiG pilot and slammed him against the side of the aircraft. Guru and the others came rushing up, as Kara was yelling, oeWhat in the hell were you doing She asked the Mexican, who looked quite terrified.

oeWhoa, Kara! Guru said, separating the pair. oeTake it easy! He turned to the Mexican pilot. He looked like he was way too young to be flying fighters. oeDo you speak English

oeY. Y. Yes, I do Senor. the Mexican said.

oeHow old are you Major Wiser asked.

The Mexican paused, as if he was choosing his words carefully. oeIn two months, I'll be Seventeen.

Jaws dropped, as both Air Force and Marine aviators, digested what they'd just heard. Colonel Brady, the MAG-11 commander came up. oeMajor, did we hear right He asked.

Guru looked at the Mexican. oeDid you say 'seventeen'

oeSi.

oeGuru, I think I'm gonna be sick, Goalie said.

Major Wiser knew it right then. He got the same sick feeling. oeMy God. That explains it. The Major turned to his squadron mates. oeWe've been killing kids in those MiGs!

Kara exploded. She cursed out anyone who would even consider such a thing, and those who actually trained these kids to fly. They barely belonged in Piper Cubs, and had no place being in a fighter. She stormed off, still yelling, and headed straight for the Officer's Club tent.

Colonel Brady came up to the Mexican. oeHow much flight time do you have, son He asked.

oeTwo days of taxi training. Then two days of takeoffs and landings, with three days of formation flying, the boy said.

Not just Guru, but everyone else there from the 335th, as well as the Marines there, realized it then and there. They'd been killing kids who were being sent out with a week's training in MiGs, and who were expected to fight the Americans. Most of the fighter pilots-whether Air Force or Marine, had at least one of these in their kill sheet, even if the kills hadn't been claimed. Then Licon spoke up. oeLike the Kamikazes: those guys were sent out with a week's training.

Sweaty swore. oeYeah, but they weren't expected to fight. These kids, though...Major, what have we been doing

oeI know. This isn't what we all signed up for. Major Wiser said, looking at the Mexican, then Colonel Brady, who nodded. He knew what everyone was thinking. What kind of people would put teenage boys in fighter cockpits

oeWhat now Goalie asked.

Colonel Brady responded. oeWe get on with the job at hand. I know you're not in the mood, but we've still got a job to do. He turned to a Marine sergeant. oeTake this boy to Intel and have the intel shop have a long talk with him. And pass them this: ask the kid if he's got family in the States. If he does, get one of those 1140 forms for him.

The Marine nodded. oeAye, Aye, Sir. And several Marines took the Mexican away. A 335th line crew brought up a truck with a tow bar to pull the MiG out of the way. Brady turned to the aircrews. oeWe've got three hours or so of daylight left. If you're angry about this, make some Mexicans-or Soviets-or Cubans, feel that anger.

The crowd broke up, as aircrews and ground personnel headed back to their jobs. Back at 335th Ops, Major Wiser found 1st Lt. Keith Crandall, the Deputy Ops Officer. He talked to Crandall, who was grounded with a cold. oeKeith, pull Kara and Grumpy off today's schedule, and tomorrow's as well.

oeRight, Major. Crandall nodded. oeGoing back out, sir

Guru looked at Goalie. And the rest of his flight. Though angry, they knew they still had a job to do. oeYeah. But this is our last one for the day. Tell Don when he lands: no more flying today. Those being turned around, and are ready, go. Anyone airborne doesn't go back out. Even if there's daylight left.

oeYes, sir.

Guru corralled his flight. oeI know what you guys are thinking. We're going to make somebody-Russians, Cubans, Mexicans-pay. They'll burn, bleed, and blow up for sending that kid out in a MiG. Get back into Game Mode.

Heads nodded. oeThen what Goalie asked.

oeKara's probably getting sloppy drunk. And she's not going to be alone. Got that

And with that, Mustang flight went to their aircraft, mounted up, and went back out. And they did make someone pay-dearly-for what they'd seen earlier. When they got back, and checked in with ops, Don Van Loan was there.

oeMajor, what happened I heard about a defector, but why's everybody so pissed off

oeThat defector was a sixteen-year-old. A kid. And they gave him a week's training before sending him into combat. Those MiGs we thought were flown by greenhorns We've been killing kids. Wiser told his Exec. And Van Loan turned pale.

oeMajor...what kind of people do that he asked.

oeYour guess is as good as mine. I'm headed over to the O-Club and drown my anger in a couple of beers. And I bet everybody on this base who could is gonna be there. Major Wiser said. oeYou did get what I told Keith

oeYeah. No more flying today. We've still got an hour of daylight left, though. Van Loan reminded his CO.

oeI know. But the Marine ramp is almost full: they saw the same thing-and they've got some of those MiG kills in their log books, Wiser said. oeNobody's in a flying mood after hearing that.

[Matt Wiser]

Part II:


1815 Hours Central War Time: Officer's Club Tent, Laredo AFB

Major Wiser and Captain Eichhorn went into the Officer's Club. Normally, a juke box would be playing, some poker games might be going on, and generally, people would be trying to blow off steam. Not today. The mood was very subdued, as the grim realization of who had been in the cockpits of the Mexican MiGs they'd killed sat in. Major Wiser went up to the bar, and ordered two Foster's-one for Goalie, and one for himself. Then he asked the bartender. oeWhere's Captain Thrace

The bartender pointed to a corner. Four empty bottles were on a table, and Kara was working on a fifth. Nodding, Guru and Goalie went over to Kara's table. oeWant to talk about it, Captain Guru asked as he and Goalie pulled up chairs.

oeNo, Major, but if you insist, Kara said, taking a pull on her bottle.

oeLook. This sure isn't what we all signed up for. We can't change the past, Captain, no matter what.

oeI know, Major. But you and I...Hell, most of the squadron's got these guys in our log books, even if we didn't officially claim the kills! We've been killing kids who should still be in high school, not in MiG cockpits! Kara yelled.

oeYou're drunk, now sit down. said Guru.

oeMajor, I had to get that out of my system.

oeYou're not the only one, Goalie said, pulling on her beer. oeI'd like to find out who stuck those boys in those cockpits and make him pay.

oeJoin the club, a voice said. It was Colonel Brady. oeMind if I join you

Kara nodded. oeMight as well, Colonel.

oeI've been looking for you guys. Intel's got some news. Brady said.

oeWhat is it Guru asked.

oeFor starters, that kid is in their equivalent of the Air Force Academy. About six months ago, the word went out for volunteers, he said, for what they called 'advanced fighter school.' He volunteered, and went through what should be, in our military, a year's worth of ground school in three months. Then he had some primary flight, then some backseat rides in a MiG-21U trainer, and they pronounced him qualified, Brady said.

oeWhat the hell Kara said.

oeYeah, Brady said, pulling on his own beer. oeThen he had his training in the MiG-21, and what tactical training they gave him was all models and chalk talks. They sent him to a unit at Monterrey IAP, and other than a couple of patrols, this was his first real combat flight.
oeOf all the....Even we wouldn't have been that desperate! Goalie yelled.

oeBe glad we never had the chance to find out, Wiser said. oeWhat else, Sir

oeThey've all been heavily indoctrinated. The Mexicans have convinced a lot of their people that if they don't stop us at the Rio Grande, we're going to keep on pushing south to Mexico City. Brady said.

oeSo Kara asked. oeThat's what we should do. Make them pay for hosting the Russians and Cubans.

oeYou get no argument from me on that, Captain. Brady said. oeBut they've taken it to extreme.

oeHuh Goalie asked.

oeThey've told their people that when we do come south, we'll steal more of Mexico. A repeat of 1846-48, basically, and not only slice off more of Mexico, but turn it into a depopulated wasteland.

oeOh, boy.... Guru said. oeThey're that convinced

oeCorrect, Major. Brady said. oeThey're convinced that we'll do to them what the ComBloc did to us.

oeThey've got their own Goebbels down in Mexico City, looks like, Goalie observed.

oeYeah, Kara said, motioning to the bartender for another beer. He looked at Guru and Colonel Brady, who nodded.

oeThis is your last one, Captain. You're not on the schedule tomorrow, so sleep it off, Major Wiser said. oeLook at the entrance. Doc Waters is there. Waters was the 335th's flight surgeon. oeHe's got two CSPs with him, and when I signal him, they are going to take you to your quarters, and they'll watch you overnight. Tomorrow morning, sleep in as long as you want. When you do wake up, eat, take care of your squadron paperwork-believe me, we've all got some of that-and just blow off steam. Go to the Marines' shooting range-use that SiG-Sauer of yours, and your M-16, and burn off as much ammo as you can. Go to bed early, because I want you up and ready, 0600, day after tomorrow. Do I make myself clear, Captain

Kara glared at him. She knew he was very serious. Then she nodded. oeYes, Sir, in a subdued voice.

oeGood, because you are the best I've got. Finish that beer, Captain. That's an order, then Doc Waters will take it from there. Major Wiser said. He then turned to Colonel Brady. oeSir, we need to talk. Privately.

The two officers left the tent and went outside. It was a clear night, and though most flying had ceased, there were Marine Hornets going up on Combat Air Patrol. oeWhat is it, Major Brady asked.

oeSir, this squadron's getting at the end of the rope. We've seen and done too much. Once this Brownsville business gets wrapped up, I'd like a stand-down. Wiser said.

oeChances are, we'll all get a stand-down, Major, Brady said.

oeI realize that, sir. But we need two weeks. Just like before PRAIRIE FIRE, LONG RIFLE, and this one. Wiser said.

Colonel Brady nodded. oeCan't promise you that much, Major. But you'll get a few days off. Once Brownsville's finished up.

oeThank you, Sir. Wiser said. oeAnd what about the kid

oeHe's got family here. Someplace in Northern California. Oroville, Yuba City, someplace near there. They'll contact his relatives-a cousin if I heard right-and if he's got an 1140, they'll take him in. He doesn't see the inside of an EPW Camp. Brady said.

Guru nodded. oeThat's good to hear.

oeYeah. Hell of a war, isn't it Just when you've thought you've seen everything, something new bites you. Brady commented.

oeAin't that the truth, Sir.


3 October, 1989: 0545 Hours Central War Time, Laredo AFB.

The 335th's aircrews were all gathered in the briefing room, before the day's flying. Major Wiser looked at the assembled faces. They'd had a day to soak in what had happened two days before. The previous day, they'd gone out and made the ComBloc pay for that-and everything that had happened since the war began. And this time, though several of the Mexican MiGs had come up, the 335th, along with the Marines, had declined combat. Nobody wanted to add another cheap scalp to one's score, not after what had transpired.

As he looked around, he saw all the familiar faces he expected. He noticed Starbuck, and said, oeGlad to have you back, Captain. Got everything out of your system

oeThat I did, Major. Refreshed, recharged, and ready to go back to work, Kara said.

oeGlad to hear it, Captain, Major Wiser said. oeSame drill the last couple of days: Armed Reconnaissance and Opportunity Targets. Weather is CAVU, and stay away from 9th Air Force's AO, and the Monterrey area. Other than that, it's a wide open hunting ground. And there's no bag limit.

Heads nodded. Then Sweaty raised her hand. oeMajor, what about MiGs

oeGood question. After what happened on the First, nobody wants to take a chance on killing a kid. Gain Visual ID before shooting. If it's Soviet, Cuban, East German-why they're still fighting I don't know-or any non-Mexican ComBloc, kill. Major Wiser said.

oeAnd if it's Mexican Starbuck asked, with grim seriousness.

oeAvoid combat for the most part. If it's a honcho-somebody who knows what he's doing-and he's serious about it, is the fight still on. Other than that, we can outfly, outrun, and outmaneuver them. Nobody's killing anymore kids. This comes from Tenth Air Force, guys, so word's gotten around.


Everybody understood this one. This was ROE that they could live with-and no one, not even the new guys in the squadron, wanted to kill anymore kids. oeMajor, what about the kid Goalie asked.

oeColonel Brady told me. He's got family in Northern California: a cousin in Yuba City or Oroville, someplace north of Sacramento. They'll take him in. He gets an 1140 form, and doesn't see an EPW Camp. Wiser said.

oeWhat about Mexico City Starbuck asked.

oeI thought it over, Starbuck, Major Wiser said. oeI sent your strike proposal to Colonel Brady. He'll send it to Tenth Air Force with his endorsement. No guarantee when we'll fly it right now, but you can bet, when we do go south, that's one mission I'll look forward to flying.

Starbuck grinned. And so did most everyone there. Even the CO was relishing the prospect of going to Mexico City-and putting some bombs on those who not only had enabled the invasion and everything that followed, but had put sixteen- and seventeen-year olds into fighter cockpits. Major Wiser looked around. Then he noticed a Marine MP. The Sergeant was beckoning him to come over. oeSergeant

oeSir, before he left, Ricardo wanted to see you all. the MP said.

This was weird, but why not oeOkay, bring him in, Major Wiser said.

The boy came into the briefing room. At first, there was silence. Then applause. This kid was getting a second chance, and in a few years, he'd be an American himself. He politely nodded. And Major Wiser offered his hand, and the boy shook it. oeCalm down, people!

oeThank you, Major, Ricardo said, with tears in his eyes.

oeGoing to be with your relatives

oeYes, Senor. I can go to school, work in their restaurant, and maybe go to university. Ricardo said.

oeJust remember this: America's the land of opportunity. Even after all that's happened here, you've got a second chance. If I were you, I'd think of October 1 as my second birthday. Major Wiser told the young man.

oeI already do.

Then something happened that surprised everyone. Kara came up, and not only shook the boy's hand, but hugged him. oeJust stay out of airplanes for a while, Okay she said.

oeOh, not for a long time. I have all the flying I want for a while. Ricardo said.

The Marine Sergeant came in, oeSir, it's time for him to go.

oeYou take care of yourself. And here's a promise. When we have our squadron reunions, you're invited. Anybody have a problem with that Major Wiser asked.

There was a chorus of oeNO, SIR! from the aircrews.

oeThank you, Major. Ricardo said, and as he turned to leave, he did one thing for the last time. He stood to attention, like he was on the parade ground, and snapped a perfect salute. And the Major returned it. And Ricardo waved goodbye as the Marine sergeant took him on the first leg of his new journey in life.

Major Wiser turned to the squadron. oeAll right. Brownsville's going to be done in a week. Maybe less, if we keep it up. Let's see if we can't do that.

oeYou got it, Major! Sweaty said, and heads nodded.

oeOkay, let's hit it. And the room emptied as the 335th went out and on with their jobs. And forty-eight hours later, it was over in Brownsville.

[BillyS]

This is a great storie, I spent my service time in the army, your storie gives me many ideas for my RPG. Thanks, keep up the great work.

[Matt Wiser]

Thanks very much! The more feedback, the better. And there will be more to come.

[Matt Wiser]

Here's the next one:

An Interesting Divert



2 May, 1987: Williams AFB, AZ: 1245 Hours Mountain War Time


In what had been a classroom used prewar by a T-37 squadron, Captain Matt oeGuru Wiser, the Executive Officer of the 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron was having lunch, along with his WSO, his wingman, and her WSO. First Lieutenant Lisa oeGoalie Eichhorn was Guru's WSO, and she handed him a chicken sandwich. oeWant another one

oeNo. I've had enough roadkill sandwiches from the Jarheads' mess people for one day. Guru replied. The Marine air group to which the 335th had been attached since the war's early days had a reputation for good chow at breakfast and dinner. Lunch, though....a different story.

oeToo bad they can't steal the chef from the Sheraton and at least give those guys some lessons, Second Lieutenant Bryan oePreacher Simmonds, said. He was WSO for Guru's wingman, First Lieutenant Valerie oeSweaty Blanchard.

Sweaty grinned at her WSO, who'd been studying for the priesthood when the war began. oeReady to violate one of the Ten Commandments

oeIn this case, I think the Good Lord would forgive, Preacher said. He'd been having doubts about going on with his studies after the war, if he lived, and was thinking about making the Air Force a career-as a WSO, not as a Chaplain.

Then Captain Mark Ellis, the Operations Officer for the 335th, came in. oeGuru, got a mission brief for you guys.

oeWhen, Mark Guru asked, taking a swig of lemonade.

oeTen minutes, so finish up, Ellis said. Then he went to talk to the next flight.

The crews finished lunch, then First Lieutenant Darren Licon, the Squadron Intelligence Officer, came in. oeCaptain, here's your mission.

oeWhat's up for us Guru asked.

oeDenver Siege Perimeter, Licon said. oeThey need some more air today, and you guys are it. It's essentially on-call CAS. When you get there, talk to ABCCC will get you in touch with a FAC. The ABCCC was an EC-130E airborne command post, and one of them was controlling the air activity in support of the defenders of Denver, which had been under siege since September, 1985. Though the noose around the city had been loosened considerably, the southern and eastern siege lines were still in place.

oeSo this could be anything, Goalie said. oeTroops, artillery, supply dumps.

oeThat's about it, Licon replied. oeThe air threat is mixed. Mostly it's MiG-21s and some -23s for air-to-air, but there's Su-17s or -22s, and Su-25s. And they're mixed: Soviet, Cuban, Nicaraguan, Libyan, Czechs, Poles, even some Angolans, of all people. Ground threats vary: there are SA-2s, SA-3s, plus the usual stuff at unit level-regiment to Army.

oeOkay, Darren, Guru said. oeWeather

oePartly Sunny, in the upper 60s, and winds variable.

oeOkay, Sweaty nodded. oeBailout areas

oeAnyplace in the Front Range, and anywhere away from the roads, Licon said. oeIf you get into the mountains, that's Resistance territory, and they'll help you out.

oeI know from experience, Darren, Guru replied. He remembered his five months with the Resistance down in Southern Colorado.

oeYes, sir, Licon said. Guru had briefed the squadron on his experience, and everyone knew that was something he didn't want to repeat. oeOther than that, Jolly Greens are active at night, and they'll come for you. As long as you're away from major enemy concentrations.

oeDivert fields Guru asked.

oeStay away from Stapleton International and Lowry AFB, Licon replied. oeBoth are airlift-only at the moment. The airlift in support of the besieged city had lightened up since the Army had partially lifted the siege the previous fall, but the three main airports in the Denver area were still dedicated to the airlift, which brought in food and medicine, and flew people out. oeAnd Buckley ANG Base is still too exposed to enemy artillery fire.

oeSo where do we divert if we have to

oeCheyenne Municipal, if you can. Otherwise, the only two fields that can take an F-4 that are open to you are either Aspen-Pitkin County or Walker Field in Grand Junction, Licon said. oeEagle County Airport is open only to Army Aviation, Special Ops, or C-130s.

oeOkay, Darren. Ordnance loads Sweaty asked.

oeCaptain Wiser gets dumb bombs: six M-117s and six Mark-82s. Licon said, glancing at the Frag order. That meant six 750-pound bombs and six five-hundred pound bombs.

oeAnd what do I get

oeTwelve Rockeye CBUs. Four AIM-9s and two AIM-7s, each airplane, with an ALQ-101 pod and full 20-mm.

Guru and Sweaty looked at each other. oeLooks good, Darren, Guru said, and Sweaty nodded. oeWhen do we launch

oeWhenever you're ready, sir, Licon said. oeYour birds should be armed and fueled by now.

oeFair enough, Guru said. oeLet's gear up, people. Meet me at 512.

After the crews geared up, they met at the XO's plane for his final instructions. As promised, both aircraft were armed and ready to go. oeAnything else, XO Preacher asked.

oeJust that we go by call sign, not mission code, unless we're talking to AWACS or anyone else, Guru said. oeAnything else Heads shook no He grabbed his helmet, oeOkay, let's hit it.

The crews did their walk-arounds, then mounted their aircraft. After the preflights in the cockpit, the pilots started their engines, and after warm-up, were cleared to taxi. After taxiing to the end of the runway, they held short of the runway so that the armorers could remove the weapon safety pins. After that, they were cleared to taxi for takeoff.

oeWilliams Tower, Camaro One-one with two, request clearance for takeoff. Guru called.

oeCamaro One-one, Tower. Cleared for takeoff. Winds are two-six-five at five.

oeCopy, Tower, Guru replied. He released his brakes and applied throttle, and Sweaty did the same. Both F-4s rolled down the runway, then lifted into the air.


Over West Central Colorado, 1330 Hours Mountain War Time:

Camaro Flight was orbiting over Leadville, Colorado, one of the big Old West mining towns, and had topped up from a KC-10 further to the west, and were now waiting for AWACS in this area to tell them their services were needed. It didn't take long.

oeCamaro One-one, Bandsaw, the AWACS controller called.

oeBandsaw, Camaro One-one. Go, Guru replied.

oeCamaro One-one, contact Hillsboro Seven-one for tasking.

oeCopy that, Bandsaw, Hillsboro Seven-one, Camaro One-one.

oeCamaro One-one, Hillsboro, We have tasking for you. Vector is Zero-six-zero. Contact Nail Six-two for further instructions.

Guru nodded. oeCopy that, Hillsboro. He led Sweaty on the new course, and as they crossed the Front Range, a sense of deja vu came over him. It happened every time he and Goalie flew a strike into Colorado, and it brought back memories of his shootdown, and the time he and Tony Carpenter spent with the Resistance. And there were things he saw that, though he'd told the debriefer after a trek over the Rockies, he didn't talk about to anyone else. Not even Goalie.

The two F-4Es came down from the mountains and as they got into the Colorado prairie, their EW gear lit up. oeGuru, Sweaty. Picking up search radars, Sweaty called.

oeRoger that, Guru replied. It was time to call Nail Six-two. oeNail Six-two, Camaro One-one.

oeCamaro, Nail Six-two. Say aircraft and ordnance please.

oeNail, Camaro has two Foxtrot Four Echoes. One with Snakeye iron bombs and one with Rockeyes. Full load twenty-mike-mike, Guru radioed back.

oeCopy that and wait one, the FAC told him.

oeDon't have the gas to wait all day, fella, Guru muttered over the intercom.

oeYou want to get out of here fast, Goalie observed from the back seat. oeToo many memories

oeYou could say that, Guru said.

oeCamaro, Nail. You have the Aurora Reservoir on your maps Nail called.

oeThat's affirm, Nail. Guru replied.

oeCopy. There's long-range artillery one mile north of the reservoir, firing on Buckley. Will mark target area with Willie Pete, Nail said.

Guru and Sweaty looked up in their respective cockpits and saw an A-7 loitering overhead. With all the radars working, why hadn't he been shot at or splashed Then they recalled previous strikes: this area was held by Category III Soviet and Soviet-allied forces, and their antiaircraft defenses near the front lines weren't as nasty as Cat I or II. But they could still be deadly under the right circumstances. oeRoger that, Guru replied.

The A-7K orbiting overhead dove, then fired two WP rockets to mark the target area. oeThat's your target area, Camaro.

oeRoger. Can give you one pass only, Guru replied. oeNorth to South.

oeYour call, Camaro, Nail replied.

Guru led Sweaty around, then oriented them on the target. oeSwitches set' He asked Goalie.

oeSwitches set. All in one pass, she replied. oeAll set back here.

oeCopy, Guru said. oeSweaty, on me. Camaro One-one in hot. Guru then rolled in onto the target, which looked like dug-in artillery pieces. Your bad day, Ivan or Fidel, or whoever.


Down below, the gunners of the Libyan Army's 1457th Artillery Battalion were serving their M-46 130-mm guns, firing another series of concentrations against the Americans. This portion of the siege perimeter was in the hands of the Cuban, Mexican, Libyan, Angolan, and Czech forces, and some were more enthusiastic about their role in the war than others. Their battalion was supporting not only Libyans, but also Mexicans, and even if their shells didn't land on the intended target, they were making the lives of those in the American perimeter miserable. And to them, that counted as a victory.

The Libyan Captain in command of the battalion had a look around as his men served their guns. While they had stacked sandbags around the guns and set up camouflage netting, there were hardly any slit trenches nor personnel shelters. The defenders didn't have the guns to go around, and those they did have weren't used on counter-battery fire. Not that they could reach their position, anyway. Though there was a risk of air attack, his unit hadn't been attacked from the air, so why bother Besides, he'd been told by his superiors that the Soviets and Cubans had air superiority in the area. Just as his deputy, a lieutenant, came in, there was a shout. oeAircraft alarm!

As he rolled in, Guru spotted the guns. oeSteady, steady....HACK! he called as six Mark-82s and six M-117Rs came off the racks. He pulled up and called. oeLead's off safe.

The Libyan Captain watched in horror as an F-4 came in from the north and released its bombs as it came overhead. While some of his men tried to take whatever cover they could, he just stood there. oeAllah Akbar- Then a five-hundred pound bomb exploded barely twenty feet from him....

oeGood hits! Goalie shouted. Though they'd have to look at the strike camera footage, it looked like their bombs had ripped apart several guns, and had also it some kind of command area. And a couple of ammo trucks had been blown apart for good measure.

oeTwo's in hot! Sweaty called. She rolled in, and decided the ammo trucks were a good enough target. She laid her Rockeyes on the trucks, and as she pulled away, the CBU bomblets covered most of the battalion's ammo trucks and prime movers. And there were quite a few secondaries. oeTwo's off safe.

oeCopy, Two, Guru said. oeNail, Camaro. We are Winchester.

oeRoger that, Camaro. I give you one hundred percent bombs on target. Thanks a lot, guys and gals, and have a nice day.'

oeWill do, Nail, Guru replied. He took his F-4 back down low and headed southwest, and Sweaty was right in trail behind him.

About a minute had passed when Sweaty called, oeGuru, Break left!

Guru responded instantly, and broke to the left, and rolled away. As he did, Goalie was looking around. oeWhat

Sweaty lined it up in the pipper. oeFOX TWO! She called. And an AIM-9P came off one of the port missile rails, and tracked towards a helicopter. The Sidewinder flew straight and true, and smashed into a Libyan Air Force Mi-8 Hip. The Sidewinder's warhead tore off several rotor blades, and shrapnel flew into the two saddle fuel tanks, exploding the helo. Sweaty pulled up slightly and rolled to avoid the fireball and debris, and shoutedoeSplash!

oeGood kill, Sweaty, Guru called.

oeBetter be, she replied. oeThat's number three.

Just as she rolled back, and came in to rejoin Guru, both F-4s were, unknown to them, approaching a sector manned by Mexicans. And the first hint of that was several vehicles on State Route 83, south of Parker. And they were BTR-152s escorting a supply convoy, and those BTRs had ZU-23s mounted on top. The crews saw the F-4s, and promptly opened fire, spraying 23-mm fire at the two aircraft.

oeFlak coming up, Goalie saw from the back seat.

oeI see it, Guru said. oeBreak! And both F-4s broke away, Guru to the left, and Sweaty to the right. They avoided most of the tracer fire, but not all, for both Guru and Goalie felt two small thumps.
oeSweaty, we've been hit.

oeHow bad, Lead Sweaty responded. oeComing back in. She rolled her F-4 back in. oeCan't see any smoke.

oeEverything seems okay, Guru replied. oeNo warning lights, no nothing.

oeHey, Goalie called from the back seat. oeLook at the TIESO mount. The TIESO mount on the left side of the aircraft was a EO sensor used in conjunction with the Maverick missile. Now, a jagged hole was in the mount. oeIf that's all that was hit....

Guru nodded, then checked his control panel. Everything looked normal, then he saw it. oeEngine temp on Number one's a little too high. Not bad enough, but enough to worry.

oeDivert Goalie asked.

oeYeah. Bandsaw, Camaro One-one.

oeCamaro, Bandsaw, go, the controller replied.

oeBandsaw, we need to divert. Can you give us a vector to the nearest divert field Guru said. oeAnd make it fast, fella.

oeCopy. Stand by.

Guru frowned underneath his oxygen mask. oeCan't wait all day.

oeCamaro, the controller called after what seemed like forever, but was only about thirty seconds. oeYour vector across the mountains is two-six-five. Nearest open divert field is Grand Junction.

oeBandsaw, what about Aspen Guru replied.

oeCamaro, they're cleaning up after an air strike. Grand Junction is your best bet.

oeRoger that, Guru said. oeSweaty, on me.

oeRight on you, Lead. his wingman said. And the two F-4s crossed the Rockies.

In his cockpit, Guru was checking the engine dials every few seconds, it seemed. The engine temp on the port engine had climbed some, but it wasn't high enough to shut down. Yet. After clearing the mountains, the two F-4s climbed to altitude and Guru had Sweaty come in beneath him to have a look.
oeAnything'

oeNo fluid, no nothing coming out, Sweaty replied. oeBut there's a hole right beneath the port engine.

In 512's back seat, Goalie grumbled. oeSomebody got dammed lucky back there.

oeNo skydiving into bad-guy land, this time, Guru replied. oeIf we have to bail...

oeBeats the alternative, Goalie said.

The two F-4s kept on heading west, and soon it was time to talk to Grand Junction. oeBandsaw, Camaro One-one.

oeCamaro, Bandsaw, go.

oeBandsaw, can you notify Grand Junction they have an F-4 coming in with battle damage

oeCamaro, that's affirm. Do you need the equipment The controller asked. The oeequipment meant fire and rescue services.

oeNegative, Bandsaw.

oeCopy that, and good luck, buddy.

oeThanks, Bandsaw, Guru replied. Then he called the Grand Junction tower. oeGrand Junction Tower, Camaro One-one.

oeCamaro, Grand Junction. We've been notified. Do you need the fire trucks Asked a tower operator.

oeNegative, unless I declare an emergency, Guru said. oeClear the field, fella. I'm coming in.

oeRoger, Camaro. Winds are two-seven three at five. Clear for landing on Runway two-nine. Field elevation four-nine-five-eight.

Both Guru and Goalie got ready to put down, while Sweaty flew alongside. Guru put the gear down, and things looked okay. oeSweaty

oeBoth gears down, she called. oeStill no smoke.

oeCopy. Guru said as he lined up on final. As he came in, he saw the fire trucks waiting, on the north end of Runway 22. Somebody thought oebetter safe than sorry, he said to himself as he put the F-4 down. As he did, he hit the brakes and popped the drag chute. Sweaty saw him land, then she gunned her engines and pulled up. But instead of heading for a tanker and then back to Williams, she got into the traffic pattern.

The F-4 taxied off the runway, the fire trucks following, then Guru was met by a oeFollow Me truck, and he followed the truck until he got to an open area of the ramp, then he stopped and shut down. After popping the canopy, he and Goalie stood up as the fire crews arrived. He gave them a thumbs-up, but they still approached the aircraft with caution. Only when they saw no signs of fire did they begin to relax. As they did, Sweaty brought her plane in. After the firemen brought a crew ladder, Guru and Goalie got out and had a look at the aircraft.

oeYou guys okay One of the firemen asked.

oeWe're fine, Goalie replied. oeNeed to see how the plane is, though.

Guru got down and crawled underneath the aircraft. Sure enough, there was a small hole beneath the port J-79 engine. oeOne lucky shot.

oeEnough to hurt the engine Goalie asked.

oeEnough to make me want to divert, Guru said. oeBut I'm not flying back to Williams on that engine.

Just then, Sweaty and Preacher forced their way through the firemen. oeComin' through, she yelled.

Goalie had crept down to have a look for herself. oeOne round did that

oeIf it's still in the engine, yeah, Guru said, getting back out from underneath the Phantom, and he found Sweaty and Preacher there. oeYou were right. One nice hole.

oeWhat now Sweaty asked. oeOr let me guess: we need a Combat Repair Team.

oeAnd a new engine. I'm not flying back on that one, Guru said.

Then a deuce-and-a-half pulled up, and an AF officer in a flight suit came over. oeWho's the pilot

oeRight here, Guru said.

oeLee Kirby, the officer said. He was a Captain, like Guru. oeWhat happened

oeFlak, Guru replied. oeOne shot wrecked our TISEO, and the other Put the hurt on my port J-79 engine. Can I make a phone call I need to notify my base, and get a Combat Repair Team up here. With a new engine.

oeNo problem, Captain Kirby said. oeGet in.

The four F-4 crewers got into the truck, and Kirby took them over to Base Operations. On the ride over, they noticed the place was busy, with Counter-SOF ops flying A-37s, OV-10s, even a couple of ex-warbird Skyraiders. That reminded them of a guy who'd flown a Warbird A-1E to Williams the second week of the war, to offer his services. Someway, somehow, they found some 20-mm guns that used to be on Skyraiders, got the weapons control to work again, and put on a desert camouflage paint job. The pilot, who'd flown A-1s in Vietnam before flying for the airlines, was reactivated as a Major, and was now flying his warbird in the Counter-SOF role. In addition to those folks, C-130s and even C-123s were on the ramp, along with a couple of HH-3 rescue choppers. Just another field supporting the war.

The deuce-and-a-half pulled up to base operations. oeCaptain, just go in there, and I'll be right outside, Kirby said.

Guru nodded, and the four F-4 crewers went in. After he asked a sergeant, Guru led them to the main ops office, and asked another Captain for a phone. oeNeed to call Williams AFB.

oeNo problem, Captain, the officer, Captain Toby Wright, said. He made the call, and asked, oeWhich unit

oeThe 335th TFS, Guru replied.

After telling the operator, Wright handed the receiver to Guru. oeHere you go.

After two rings, there was a pickup. oeCaptain Ellis, 335th TFS.

oeMark, it's Guru. Put Colonel Rivers on, Guru told the 335's Ops Officer.

oeWhat And where are you, man

oeGrand Junction, Colorado, with an F-4 with a sick engine. And it happens to be mine. Sweaty's here with me as well. Before you ask, her bird's okay. But she put down anyway. Get Colonel Rivers.

oeGot you, Ellis said.

While Guru was waiting for Rivers to come on the line, he saw Preacher striking up a conversation with a female First Lieutenant, while a Sergeant got coffee for Goalie and Sweaty. The sergeant then offered him a cup, and he gratefully accepted. oeThanks, Sergeant.

Then a familiar voice came over the line. It was Lt. Col. Dean Rivers, the CO of the 335th. oeXO, what's going on, and where are you

oeBoss, I'm in Grand Junction, Colorado, and my bird has a sick J-79 engine, thanks to some flak damage. I need a Combat Repair Team up here, and they need to bring a new engine.

oeOkay, XO. Just stay calm. I'll put you on hold, while I get things rolling on that. And Guru was then on hold. And while he was waiting, Goalie tapped him on the shoulder. oeWhat

She pointed to an officer who looked like an AF version of Lt. Fuzz from the Beetle Bailey comic strip. oeThat.

oeWho are these officers out of uniform' A pipsqueak-looking First Lieutenant said.

oeWho's asking Guru said, seeing the pipsqueak and tapping his Captain's bars. oeI've got two bars. You've got one. Beat it.

The lieutenant looked at him. oeI'm getting the CO, he said. Then he left the room.

Goalie came over. oeA junior version of Carson Major Frank Carson, or oeThe 335th's Frank Burns as he was called, was the most despised officer in the squadron, infamous for blindly going by the book, even when wartime circumstances meant dropping parts of the book.

oeSure hope not, Guru said, while Sweaty shook her head.

Then Colonel Rivers got back on the line. oeXO, found a CRT, a new engine, and a C-130. Wheels up in a half-hour, and they should be there in two and a half hours. Best we can do.
oeThanks, Colonel, Guru said.

oeI'll find you thorough Base Ops up there, Rivers said. oeLet me know when you're getting ready to leave.

oeWill do, Boss, Guru said just as a slightly grey-haired AF Lieutenant Colonel came into the room. As everyone came to attention, and someone shouted oeTen-hut!, Guru said, oeBoss, I gotta go. I'll let you know when we're coming back.

oeI heard, Riverrs said. oeStay cool, XO.

oeWill do, Guru replied. Then he handed the phone to one of the sergeants.

oeSir, the pipsqueak-looking lieutenant said, coming out from behind the colonel. oeThis is what I've been trying to tell you. Transiting aircrew out of uniform!

oeI'll handle this. the colonel said. oeCaptain, he said to Guru. oeThat your sick F-4 out on the ramp

oeYes, sir, said Guru. oeTook some flak south of Denver. Put a hole in one of my engines, and I didn't want to chance it getting back home.

The colonel looked Guru and Goalie over. oeYou two crew

oeYes, sir, Guru said. oeLieutenant Eichhorn's my GIB.

oeMiG kills

oeYes, sir. Five, including a MiG-29. But she was with me for only two.

oeDon't worry, Lieutenant. Your time will come, the colonel said to Goalie.

oeIf you say so, sir, she replied.

oeAnd the other two are your wingmates Asked the colonel.

oeYes, sir, Guru nodded. oeLieutenant Blanchard is my wingie, and Lieutenant Simmonds is her GIB.

oeAny MiG kills The colonel wanted to know. He was looking Sweaty over.

oeSir, two. Including a MiG-29 with the Captain, Sweaty said. oeAnd a Hip just this afternoon.

The Colonel nodded, then shot an icy look at the pipsqueak. oeLieutenant, I strongly suggest that you have a look at someone's rank insignia, or if they've got wings of any sort before you call them out-on anything! In my office, in five. Understood

The lieutenant wilted under the withering glare of his superior, said, oeYes, sir, in a weak voice, then left the room.

oeAs you were, people, the colonel said. He put out his hand to Guru. oeJim Osborne, Captain. F-100s out of Tuy Hoa in 1967-68, and F-4s for LINEBACKER I and II.

oeCaptain Matt Wiser, sir. 335th TFS, Guru said, shaking Osborne's hand. oeAlways a pleasure to meet a Vietnam vet.

oeThe Air Force's Bastard Orphans, I see. Word's gotten around about you guys, Osborne said. oeI'd be back in the saddle myself, but a heart murmur....comes from dodging too many flying telephone poles in Pack Six.

Guru nodded, while Sweaty said. oeSir, speaking from experience....

Colonel Osborne nodded. oeAnd you all have quite a bit of experience. He looked the four F-4 crewers over. oeI'd like to apologize for my subordinate's actions. He's been like this ever since he showed up here.

Preacher nodded. oeSir, I was studying for the priesthood when the war began, and I can tell when someone's got something in their craw. What's with this fellow

Osborne looked at Preacher. oeHe washed out of basic flight, and he's been like this ever since.

oeSir, that would do it to anyone, Sweaty said.

oeColonel, if I may Guru asked.

oeCaptain Osborne asked.

oeSir, perhaps a transfer to a place where the climate might induce a change of attitude Someplace like Loring, Goose Bay, or Gander Guru suggested.

oeThat's certainly possible, Colonel Osborne noted. oeAny other suggestions

oeSir, Goalie spoke up. oeWe've got a few GIBs in the 335th who washed out of flight, but did pretty good at nav school. One's even the GIB for our CO. He may not have cut it as a pilot, but...

Colonel Osborne looked at Goalie, then at Preacher, who nodded in the affirmative. oeThat's also a possibility....but his attitude when I see him back in my office will determine which one I take up. Then Captain Kirby came in.Captain, take these four officers over to the terminal. The cafe there is open, and the food's pretty good. If they need anything while they're here, give it to them, within reason. And Captain If Kirby can't get what you need, call or ask to see me. I'll see what I can do. Then Colonel Osborne left to return to his office.

oeJust like our CO down at Williams, Goalie said. oeHe's the kind of guy who takes care of his people, and you'd fly with him anywhere.

Kirby smiled. oeThat he is, and word has it he wanted to retake a flight physical and get back in, but his wife said no.

oeAnd she who must be obeyed.... Preacher said.

oeThat's about it. Kirby said. oeCome on, I'll take you guys over to the terminal.

As they left the ops office, they could hear shouting from Colonel Osborne's office. oeSounds like someone's getting torn a new hole, Goalie said.

oeHe deserves it, Kirby admitted. oeHe's been like this to everyone, base personnel, the counter-SOF guys, Special Ops aviation-AF or Army, transiting aircrew, C-130 guys flying into Denver, you name it.

The F-4 crewers nodded, and as they got into the Deuce-and-a-half, Guru asked, oeHow's the food

oeNot bad, Kirby said. oeBeef, not so much, but Deer, Elk, Chicken, Pork They've got it.

oeFair enough, Guru said. oeLet's go.



Airways Cafe, Grand Junction Regional Airport, CO: 1540 Hours Mountain War Time:

The four F-4 crewers were sitting around a table, and at this time of the day, they were the only ones in the cafe. So they were just sitting there, having either coffee or lemonade, and yapping. Anything to pass the time.

oeSo, when does that CRT get here Goalie asked.

oeAbout another hour and a half, Guru said. oeThen at least an hour for the engine change, then fifteen minutes for the check flight, then another hour and a half back home.

Sweaty looked at her flight leader. oeThat means we eat here.

oeThat's a given, Guru said.

Preacher nodded. oeSwell. Oh, well, there's probably worse places we could divert to.

oeYou're probably right about that. Or worse, we could've gone skydiving.

oeNot your cup of tea, Goalie said. oeStuff you still don't want to talk about She was referring to Guru's E&E and his time with the Resistance.

oeYeah. I told the debriefer when I got to 7th ID, and I told a SERE Psychologist when I was at Kingsley Field, getting ready to requalify, but other than that... Guru nodded.

Sweaty looked at him. oeThey have SERE shrinks

oeYep. If you're on the ground behind the lines for more than twenty-four hours You have to see one before they'll let you back in the cockpit, Guru replied. oeWhy, I have no idea.

Preacher nodded. oeLot different from Vietnam. They say if you got rescued after a day or two on the ground It was 'Welcome back, take a day off, then you're back on the flight schedule.' Lot simpler then.

The others nodded. oeIt was, but then again, you didn't have to worry about bailing out and finding out that the folks who helped you got tortured and killed, and their ranch burned down, Guru said. oeThat happened to Lori's parents and siblings.

oeThat explains why she's so brutal in a fight. No prisoners, as I remember you saying, Goalie nodded.

oeYou're dead on, Guru replied. oeWe never took prisoners unless it was for interrogation, and after that They were killed. Period. Couldn't keep them and couldn't release them-for obvious reasons.

oeDon't blame them, Preacher said. oeAfter all I've seen and done I'll tell you guys right now: when this war's over I'm staying in the Air Force.

Preacher's flight mates looked at him. oeWhat made you do that Goalie asked.

oeWhere has God been when I've been killing people three or four times a day Or where has he been when Guru there has seen things no one should ever see Going back to the seminary No thanks.

oeDon't blame you, Guru said. oePlenty of people have asked the same thing, I'll bet.

oeAnd every one of those guerrillas you were with has a horror story Sweaty asked.

oeAlmost, Guru nodded. oeA few were caught in the back country when it all started, and some ran to the hills on Invasion Day, but most of 'em went after seeing bad things happen-either to relatives or friends, or just plain seeing one of Ivan's reprisals against people they didn't know. 'I'd better make myself scarce before that happens to me.' if you get the idea.

Heads nodded at that. oeI'd do the same, Sweaty said.

oeThink we all would, Preacher added, while Goalie just nodded.

Then the waitress came over. oeCare to order, or just refills She looked liked she'd been waiting on tables well before any of the fighter crews had been born.

oeNothing against eating dessert before dinner, Guru noted. oeI'll have a banana split. All chocolate ice cream, and all chocolate syrup.

oeOkay, and you She asked Goalie.

oeWell...if my pilot's having one, then I will. All vanilla ice cream, though, and half chocolate syrup, half butterscotch, if you have it.

oeWe'll find some, the waitress said. oeHow about you She nodded at Sweaty.

oeI'll have a slice of three-layer chocolate cake, Sweaty decided. oeWith a side scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Goalie muttered to her pilot, oeThat's the Sweaty we know.

oeOkay...and last but not least.. The waitress nodded at Preacher.

He looked at the menu. oeI'll have the hot fudge cake sundae. That was a three-layer slice of chocolate cake, with a large scoop of ice cream, and covered in hot fudge,

oeAll right, and refills on your drinks The crews nodded. oeOkay, back with the refills, and we'll get this going. The waitress then went off to fill the order.

The crews were eating when a pair of CSPs arrived, and behind them were two AF Intelligence Officers, bringing with them a real live Soviet pilot in a high-altitude pressure suit. One of the intel folks-a female Captain came over. oeMind if we sit close to you people

oeWhat for Guru asked. oeNot that we don't mind the company.

oeMajor Belov there, the Captain pointed to the Russian, oebailed out of a recon Foxbat from 65,000 feet....

oeLong way to skydive, Goalie observed.

oeIt is that, the intel officer said. oeAnyway, a shore-based F-14 and a Phoenix missile did the deed. The Army found him, and turned him over to us. When Base Ops told us some fighter drivers were here for a while, we figured he'd talk more if he was near you guys.

The F-4 crewers looked at each other. They nodded, while Guru shrugged. oeWhy not Bring him on over.

A minute later, the intel people brought the Russian over. The waitress was surprised, but still got coffee for them, the Russian included. Then Goalie broke the tension with the Russian. oeHe's lucky.

oeWhat do you mean Guru asked, playing along.

'You were with the Resistance, right She asked, and Guru nodded. oeWhat would they do to a Russian or Cuban pilot

oeDo you really want to know Guru asked, and the intel officers nodded politely. oeWell, if they found him in his chute, snagged in a tree Use him for target practice.

oeThat bad The female intel Captain asked.

oeWorse. If he was a chopper pilot, from a Hind or Hip The group I was with lost a few people to gunships, so after they shot down a Hind with a captured SA-7 The pilot climbed out of the wreckage, only to get shot in the stomach. The guerrillas left him to bleed out, Guru said, matter of fact.

oeOuch! Sweaty said. They'd heard the story before, but best not to let the Russian know that.

Preacher nodded. oeAnd the weapons officer

oeHe was trapped in the wreckage, and one of the guerrillas just went over and slit his throat, Guru recalled.

oeThere you have it, Major, the intel told the Russian. oeBe glad you're with us.

oeHey, you guys been in Arizona Goalie asked the intel folks.

oeNo, Lieutenant, the female Captain asked. oeWhy do you ask

oeIf he'd gone down on, say, the San Carlos Apache Reservation The Apaches would have gotten him. Then they would've scalped him, flayed him alive, and staked him out in the desert. No joke, it's happened several times.

Hearing that, the Russian's eyes were as big as saucers. oeThe Wild Indians still do that

oeThey haven't changed, Guru said.

oeSo, Major, want to have a nice talk The Intel Captain asked.

The Russian looked at the F-4 crewers. oeSo, you must be cargo plane crews.

oeWhat makes you say that Preacher asked.

oeWomen. You don't allow women to fly combat aircraft. Unless the Political Officer has been lying about it, as he does about many things.

Goalie grinned. oeWrong, buster. One of those F-4s on the ramp I fly back seat in it.

oeShe's right, Guru said. oeI'm her pilot. We've got 225 combat missions together. I've got nearly 400 total.

Major Belov looked at them, incredulous. oeWhat You mean you're really using women in combat

oeWhy not Sweaty asked. oeYou did it in WW II. Oh, I'm their wingmate. And it's 200 combat missions for me and my WSO, by the way.

oeInteresting, the intel Captain, who introduced herself as Jenny Brand, said. oeHow about MiGs

oeFive for me, Guru said. oePlus two or three probables. And my Girl in Back has two of them. One's a MiG-29.

When Belov heard that, he was surprised. oeAn F-4 shooting down a MiG-29

oeNot just one F-4, Sweaty said. oeWe got the other one.

Belov just shook his head in disbelief.

oeWell, Major Captain Brand asked. oeYou're in the presence of a fighter ace and a crew on their way to becoming aces. Ready to have a nice chat

oeOne more question, please, Belov said, his voice shaking. oeDid they assign you to Phantoms Or did you...

oeDid we sleep around to get the slots Goalie asked. She was indignant at the suggestion. oeIf that's what you're suggesting, the answer is NO.

oeWe volunteered, Sweaty added. oeNobody made us.

Belov shook his head again. oeNow I have heard everything. He turned to Captain Brand. oeWhat is it you want to talk about

Captain Brand smiled as she took out a tape recorder and a notepad from a bag she had been carrying. oeLet's go to another table. Then we'll talk.


After the waitress brought their desserts, the F-4 crewers dug in. They noticed that the Intel people were listening intently to Major Belov's remarks, and not only did they have a tape recorder going, but they were taking copious notes. One other thing they noticed was that the Major's coffee cup was kept nearly full, though the Major was drinking cup after cup, savoring it like it was the finest brandy or vodka. They were still at it when the C-130 arrived from Williams, and Captain Kirby brought over the NCOIC of the Combat Repair Team, Tech Sergeant Phil Cutler. oeCaptain, here's the guy you've been waiting on.

oeThanks, Guru said. oeSergeant, have you looked over 512

oeYes, sir, Cutler replied. oeJust a straightforward engine change. Had a look at the hole, and it's no big deal. You'll be flying again in an hour and a half. It was 1730.

oeLet me guess, Sweaty asked. oeAn hour for the engine change, and half an hour to patch the hole.

Sergeant Cutler nodded. oeYes, Ma'am. But you can take that to the bank.

Guru nodded, looked at Goalie, who smiled, then turned to Cutler. oeOkay, Sergeant. Don't waste any more time talking to us. Let's get 512 back in the air.

oeYes, sir, the Sergeant replied, very eagerly, then headed out to get Guru's bird wheeled into a hangar so that they could do the work.

Kirby grinned. oeYou'll be out of here shortly. Anything you need..

oeWe'll let you know, Guru said. oeThanks, Captain.

After Kirby left, Sweaty noted. oeAn hour and a half more here, then another hour and a half flying home. We better eat.

oeShe's right, Goalie said. oeEating here beats MREs when we get back.

oeIt does, Guru admitted. He motioned to the waitress, and he asked, oeCould you bring the menus back We'll be here a while longer.

oeSure thing, Captain, she replied cheerfully, then she went and came back with them.

Scanning the menu, Guru said. oeIf have any more deer or elk, I'll start to grow antlers.

Goalie laughed. oeCan't have that in the cockpit, and the others laughed as well.

oeHad enough of that in the mountains Preacher asked.

oeToo much, Guru nodded. oeAlmost all the meat was what you shot. Deer and elk mostly. Unless you raided a supply convoy and got something out of that. Don't want to go through that again.

oeDon't blame you, Sweaty said. oeLet's see...fried chicken, roast chicken, turkey dinner.

oeThat's mine, Preacher said. oeWhere's the rule that says Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only times you can have that

oeThere isn't, Goalie nodded. oeElk steak-and our dear friend Guru is staying away from that.

oeWith a passion, Guru added.

The waitress came over. oeReady

oePreacher, go. Junior member first this time, Guru said.

oeThanks, Preacher replied. oeTurkey dinner for me.

It was Sweaty's turn. oeI'll have the grilled ham.

The waitress nodded, then turned to Goalie. oeMe Fried chicken dinner for me

oeSame here, Guru said.

The waitress smiled, and said, oeBack with your salads. Then she went off to fill the order.

After she brought the salads, Colonel Osborne came in. oeColonel Guru said.

oeJust checking up on our visitors, Osborne said. oeI noticed your C-130 arrived.

oeYes,sir, Guru replied. oeAnd the CRT got to work.

Osborne looked at the four. oeDon't worry. I'll make sure they get something to eat before they head back to Arizona.

oeThank you, sir, Guru said.

oeMind if I pull up a chair

Sweaty looked at Guru, who nodded. oeAs my flight lead said, always a pleasure to talk with a Vietnam vet.

oeThank you, Osborne said, sitting down. Like many a Vietnam vet, he was curious as to how this generation of fighter pilots was doing. Though he'd been initially skeptical of women in the cockpit, He'd been impressed with what he'd seen so far, and his mind was changing. oeSo...you all have had your share of combat, I gather. It wasn't a question.

oeYes, sir, Guru said. oeI'm the only one here who was flying on Day One. Though Lieutenant Eichhorn, my GIB, was flying C-130s as a nav.

oeHow bad was it that first day Where were you Osborne asked as the waitress came over. oeDecaf, and what's the junior member having

oeTurkey dinner, sir, Preacher said.

oeNo problem, Colonel, the waitress said.

oeDay one We were at Nellis for a Red Flag. First thing we know is a couple explosions at the front gate, then small-arms fire, then the word we're at war. And tasking Get to the Mexican border and kill anything painted green headed north. Guru said, recalling that hectic first day.

oeLosses Osborne asked.

oeTwo planes and crews. Three or four others came back with battle damage, Guru said. oeBut we stopped the push up I-19, and with the Hogs and an Army Reserve Cobra unit, turned I-19 into a junkyard.

oeWhen did the women show up Osborne wanted to know.

oeJune, sir, Goalie said. oeRight after my pilot came back from an E&E with the Resistance.

oeJuly for me, Sweaty said. oeThey put me as his wingmate, She pointed to Guru, and we've been together ever since.

oeAnd you Osborne asked Preacher.

oeSame time as Lieutenant Blanchard, Preacher said. oeWe came out of the RTU together.

Colonel Osborne thought for a minute. These people would've fit in with the old 31st back at Tuy Hoa, or in the 8th TFW out of Udorn in '72. oeYou did an E&E He asked Guru.

Guru nodded, just as the waitress brought their meals. oeYes, sir. Shot down in January, '86, ran with a Resistance group for five months, along with my then-GIB and several other downed aircrew from all services. Got over the mountains in May, and back with my squadron Then I found out Lieutenant Eichhorn was my new GIB, and we've been flying ever since. Saw and did some things I'd rather not talk about.

oeYou're not alone, Captain, Osborne said. oeI've run into other 'lost sheep' and they tell pretty much the same thing. You also mentioned MiGs

oeYes, sir, Guru replied. oeFive. Three before going down. Two more since. Last one was a MiG-29.

oeAnd you, Lieutenant Osborne gestured to Sweaty.

oeTwo, sir. Plus a Hip this afternoon, Sweaty said.

oeWell, we could've used you all in Pack Six back in the day. Ever hear of Steve Ritchie Osborne asked. Brig. Gen. Steve Ritchie was the AF's only pilot ace in Southeast Asia, with five MiG-21s to his credit.

The crewers smiled. oeYes, sir, Goalie said. oeHe's come by a couple of times. And he's said the same thing about Pack Six. Even if most of our tasking is air-to-ground.

Osborne nodded. These guys and girls were doing the job, just like he did back in Vietnam. They were younger than he'd been in his '72 tour, but all of them, women included, would've fit in with the Wolfpack. oeWell, changing the subject. Lieutenant Eichhorn I thought about your suggesting that eager-beaver get a second chance. We'll see if Mather can knock him into shape. Mather AFB near Sacramento was home to not just a SAC B-52 wing, but the AF's navigator training unit in peacetime. Now, it was home to nav training for all services on the West Coast, while the Navy at Pensacola did the same on the East Coast.

oeGood to hear, sir, Preacher said. oeSome people do deserve a second chance. But if he washes out...

oeHe's shoveling snow, Goalie finished.

oeChances are Yes. Osborne said.


They were still chatting when Captain Kirby came in. oeColonel, the CRT sent me over, he said. oeCaptain, your bird's finished.

oeYou're sure, Captain Osborne asked, while both Guru and Goalie were listening intently.

They ran up the new engine, and it's ready, they said. All it needs is the check flight.

Everyone stood up, and Osborne nodded. oeCaptain, you and your GIB take care of business in the latrine, he pointed to the restrooms. oeThen get ready to fly. Lieutenant Blanhard You and your GIB come with me to Base Ops. We'll watch the check flight from there while your bird's prepped. If everything checks out, you'll go up after him.

Heads nodded. oeYes, sir! Guru and Sweaty said at once.

oeI'll take care of the bill. Get going! Osborne said.

Guru and Goalie ran for the restrooms, did their business, then ran over to Base Ops. oeColonel, I need to make a phone call, Guru said. oeNeed to tell my CO we're coming.

oeNot a problem, Captain, Osborne said. He had the duty officer make the call, then the man handed the receiver to Guru.

oe335th TFS, Captain Ellis, the voice on the other end said.

oeMark Guru. We're about to leave. Put the CO on.

oeGotcha, Ellis said. oeThere's quite a few people here, waiting. Hoping you're coming back and not having Carson as Exec.

oeFrank can shove it, Guru replied.

Ellis laughed. oeHe can. Here's the boss,

oeXO Rivers asked. oeYou coming

oeCheck flight first, Boss. Then we're coming straight home. Not even landing back here, Guru said.

oeThe CRT

oeThey're eating, then they're on the way.

oeGot you. We'll be waiting.

oeOn the way, Boss. Guru said. He handed the receiver to the NCO and turned to Goalie. oeLet's go. Colonel He said to Osborne. oeThanks for your hospitality.

oeAnytime, Captain. When you get back to Williams Keep kicking some and taking some.

oeWill do, Colonel.

They got ready to fly, then Captain Kirby drove them over to the hangar, where Sergeant Cutler was waiting. oeSir, Ma'am, the run-up went fine. She's ready to go.

oeThen let's go, Guru said. He and Goalie did a very quick walk-around, then got into the cockpit. After an equally quick preflight, it was time to start engines. Guru watched as Sergeant Cutler gave the oeStart Engines signal, and ran up Number One. Everything was normal, then he started Two. Again, everything was normal. Then he contacted the Tower. oeGrand Junction Tower, Camaro One-one requesting permission for taxi and takeoff.

oeCamaro One-one, Tower, clear to taxi to Runway Two-Niner. Hold short of the runway.

oeRoger that. Camaro One-one rolling. Guru taxied the F-4 to the runway.

oeCamaro One-one, watch for inbound traffic to your right, the tower called.

oeRoger that, Guru replied. He and Goalie watched as a C-123, part of the Denver Airlift, came in to land. After the transport landed and taxied away, Guru called the Tower.Camaro One-one requesting takeoff instructions.

oeClear to taxi for takeoff. Tower said.

Guru taxied the big Phantom onto the runway, held his brakes, and applied full power. oeSo far, so good, he told Goalie on the intercom.

oeSame here, she called back. She was checking her own instruments. One thing about the F-4, it had a complete set of flight controls in the back seat, a holdover from the days when there were two rated pilots in the aircraft, before the AF put navigators in the back seats.

oeTower, Camaro One-one. Request clearance for takeoff.

oeCamaro One-one, clear for takeoff. Winds are calm, the tower replied.

oeRoger that. Guru said. He released the brakes, went to full afterburner, and the big Phantom went down the runway. He pulled back on the stick, and the F-4 climbed into the air.

Sweaty and Preacher were watching from their plane, 519. They were already in the cockpit, waiting. oeFifteen minutes, she said.

oeStart engines when

oeIn ten.

Colonel Osborne and Captain Kirby were next to 519, watching with binoculars. oeWish you were with them, sir Kirby asked.

oeJust one more flight in a fighter, Captain. That's all I ask. Osborne said wistfully.


Guru took 512 north of Grand Junction, and climbed to 30,000 feet. He then went down to 10,000, and put the tough warbird through its paces, and he wrung the plane out. All the time, he and Goalie were watching the port engine. And after ten minutes, he headed back to Grand Junction. oeGrand Junction Tower, Camaro One-one.

oeGrand Junction Tower, Camaro, go.

oeHave Camaro One-two crank up. Tell 'em time to hit the sky and head home.

oeWill do, Camaro, and will notify AWACS. Safe trip home.

oeThanks for your hospitality, Tower.


Sweaty had started 519's engines at the ten-minute mark, and they were rolling to the runway when Guru called the Tower. There being no inbound traffic, she was cleared to taxi right for takeoff, and when she asked for clearance, it came. She firewalled the engines, and 519 rolled down the runway and into the air. They formed up at 24,000 feet.

oeLet's go home, Guru called. And he saw Sweaty blink her formation lights in response. And the Two-ship headed back to Williams.


Williams AFB, AZ, 2130 Hours Mountain War Time:

The two-ship got into the traffic pattern for Williams AFB, and there were Marine A-6s going in and out, so the two F-4s had to wait their turn. Then the tower cleared them to land, Guru and Sweaty brought their planes in, and after landing, they taxied to their revetments. It had been a long day, even with the divert, and they were tired.

oeAll that food we ate Goalie asked.

oeYeah, but it was worth it, Guru said as he climbed down from the cockpit. Waiting for them was Staff Sergeant Mike Crowley, 512's Crew Chief. oeSergeant.

oeWelcome back, sir! Crowley said. oeThey told me about the new engine and the battle damage repair. Don't worry, Captain. I'll make sure the patch is solid. Even if we have to do an all-nighter.

oeThanks, Sergeant, Then Sweaty and Preacher came over. oeLong day.

oeLonger than usual, but it beats holing up somewhere, waiting for Jolly Green to come, Sweaty nodded.

oeOr having Kasha and Borscht, Preacher added.

oeIt does, Goalie said.

Then a pair of slitted headlights came over. They revealed a Dodge Crew-Cab pickup, and the squadron's senior NCO, Master Sergeant Michael Ross, was behind the wheel. oeCaptain, Lieutenants, Colonel Rivers sent me to pick you up.

oeWe need to debrief, you know, Goalie reminded her pilot.

Guru nodded. Right now, all he wanted to do was get back to the squadron's billets at the Sheraton and find his room, and get some sleep. oeForgot about that little detail. Let's get it over with.

The four crewers climbed into the truck, and Ross drove them over to the squadron building. A few lights were burning, the night duty staff, they thought. When he pulled in front of the building and stopped, he said, oeHere you go, sir.

oeThanks, Sergeant, Guru said, and the others nodded. They were all tired, and frankly, wanted the debriefing over and done, so they could get some sleep. He opened the door, and as the four officers went in, they found most of the squadron's aircrew waiting for them. What the...

oeLooks like our lost sheep are back, Colonel Rivers said, oeYou had us worried for a while.

oeBoss Guru asked.

oeThere was a rumor going around that both of your planes were down. Carson was drooling at the thought of his becoming Exec if something happened to you, Rivers said.

oeWhat Goalie asked.

oeYou got it, Lieutenant. Until the XO called, people were dreading the thought of Carson as Exec. But when you called, XO, Rivers said, turning back to Guru. oeI tore him a new hole, told him he wasn't going to be Exec today, and gave him a kick in the ass.

oeDid he- Guru asked.

oeHe never touched your office, XO, Rivers said.

oeBut he was getting ready to move in, Mark Ellis said.

Guru shook his head.

oeGuess we need to debrief, Sweaty said after a minute.

oeThat you do, Rivers said, He waved the SIO, Lieutenant Licon over. oeSo, what happened before the divert

oeMade some artillery go away, Boss, Guru said. oeBig ones, either 122 or 130, looked like.

oeHit the guns Licon asked.

oeThat, and some ammo trucks, Goalie said.

oeHow about Sweaty Rivers wanted to know.

oeSame thing, Sweaty replied. oeGot some secondaries with the CBUs.

Rivers and Licon nodded. oeAnything else of note Asked the SIO.

oeGave the XO a break call, and as he did the break, I shot a Sidewinder into a Hip. Blew him apart.

oeDid you see it, Captain Licon asked, and Guru nodded, as did Goalie.

Licon nodded, then turned to the CO. oeSir, that's three now for Lieutenant Blanchard. Two more and she's an ace. And there was applause from their friends when they heard that.

Rivers shook hands with Sweaty. oeCongratulations, he said.

oeThanks, Boss, she replied.

oeNow, how'd you get to Grand Junction Rivers asked.

Guru shook his head. oeDon't know if it was a flak trap or what, but we're egressing the area, and there's some vehicles on one of the north-south roads. They sprayed us with light flak-maybe 23-mm, and we took two hits. One wrecked the TIESO, the other hit the port engine. Wasn't going to risk coming home with a bum engine.

oeGood call, XO, Rivers said. oeNow, Sweaty, why'd divert with him instead of coming back

oeSir, Sweaty said. oeThe Exec never told me to return to base, and lacking such orders, I did what any wingman would. I remained with my leader.

Rivers laughed. oeWell, no one can argue with that, Lieutenant. He looked at the quartet. oeYou guys are off the flight schedule tomorrow. Catch up on sleep, take care of your paperwork, and we'll properly celebrate Sweaty's Hip kill tomorrow night. But for now.. He motioned to Sergeant Ross, who brought some paper cups, and several bottles of Seven-up. oeThis'll have to do.

Sergeant Ross carefully measured a cup for everyone, then passed out the cups.

After everyone had a cup, Rivers asked, oeWhat'll we drink to

Mark Ellis spoke up. oeHow about our lost friends Especially those looking down on us.

oeHear, hear, Capt. Don Van Loan, the assistant Ops Officer, said, and several echoed that.

oeTo our lost friends, Colonel Rivers said as he raised his cup.

[RN7]

Matt I really like the stories. One question AS you are the star of the show which movie star who acted as a pilot in a war movie should we imagine you look like Powers Boothe, Clint Eastwood, Val Kilmer, Tom Cruise

[Matt Wiser]

Mark Wahlberg.

[Matt Wiser]

I've got a couple of stories from the Soviet POV-one's pretty big, being over 2.8 MB, and several stories dealing with a former POW's experiences in Cuba (she was shot down there); shootdown, a move from one POW camp to another, release, and confronting demons in a return to Cuba after the fall of the Castro Regime, and at a war crimes trial, so stay tuned.

[Matt Wiser]

One of the Soviet-centric stories: How Marshal Sergei Akhromayev became the Defense Minister of the USSR (a job he didn't want)....

Congratulations, Comrade Marshal


Defense Minister's Office, Defense Ministry, Moscow, USSR, 1400 Hours Moscow Time, 16 May, 1987:


Marshal Sergei Sokolov, the Defense Minister of the USSR, sat at his desk. A career soldier, he had taken the job of Defense Minister after the death of Marshal Nikolai Rostov, who had succeeded Dimitry Ustinov. Rostov had been in the job when the war with America and her allies began, and at first, the Soviets and their fraternal socialist partners had experienced success, as well as neutralizing the Chinese threat for the foreseeable future. But, when the Spring-Summer Offensive in 1986 had failed to finish the war in North America, Rostov had been forced out and then liquidated. The General Secretary, Viktor Chebrikov, had then appointed him to the position of Defense Minister, and was tasked with planning oethe final victory of Socialism. However, after the American counterattack that summer, and the disasterous Vancouver campaign, it was his opinion that the best the Soviets could hope for was to bleed the Americans white, and force them to accept a negotiated settlement on Soviet terms. But the Chief of the General Staff, General Pavel Grachev, had reminded him the last time a general promised to bleed his enemy white. That general was the Chief of the German General Staff, General Erich von Falkenheyn, at a place called Verdun. And the man wound up resigning after the German failure.

Now, the promised Spring offensive in America had gone off, and to his horror, the Americans had been waiting for the Soviet forces. The attempt to seal off and eliminate the American salient around Wichita in an operation similar to Operation Uranus in 1942 had failed. According to the GRU, the American media was hailing it as the greatest tank battle in history, surpassing Kursk. And the Americans had won. And all that could be done now was to wait for the inevitable American counterattack. So far, there had been an American attack, but TVD Amerika was hopeful that this attack could be halted, and the situation restored.

Then his speaker buzzed. oeYes

oeComrade Minister, his secretary said. oeIt's General Maslov, the chief of Operations. He says it's urgent.

oePut him through, Sokolov ordered. He picked up the receiver. oeYes, Maslov

oeComrade Minister, would you please come down to the Operations Room We have a situation here.

oeI'll be there right away, Sokolov said. He got up and left his office. In the outer office, he told his secretary, oeGalina No calls.

oeYes, Comrade Minister, his secretary, a very attractive female signals Captain, said.

Sokolov nodded at his ADC. oeMikhail Petrovich, let's go to the Operations Room.

oeComrade Minister, Major Mikhail Bosak, an airborne officer who had won the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union in 1985 for seizing the bridges over the Red River along Interstate 35, nodded. The Major rose and followed his Marshal out.

The two went to the secure elevator and went down several stories below street level. There, in a bunker hardened to withstand the effects of a nuclear blast, though Sokolov doubted that it would, in the event of a direct hit, After passing thorough two security checkpoints, the Marshal and his aide entered the Operations Area. There, he found Col. Gen. Nikolai Baranov, the deputy Chief of the General Staff, waiting. The Chief of the General Staff, General Grachev, was on an inspection of the Beylorussian Military District, and was thus unavailable. oeYes, Baranov

oeComrade Minister, General Maslov sent me to receive you. I think you had better come this way, he said, gesturing to the Operations Room.

oeThis had better be important, Sokolov growled.

oeIt is, Comrade Minister, Baranov nodded. It appeared to Major Bosak that the General had a very grave expression on his face. He conducted the two officers into the Operations Room, which had several maps of various regions of the world. On the map of Europe, Soviet air and naval action against the British was shown, along with the assembling forces in Baltic ports for the planned assault on the East Coast of Britain, while Allied air and naval action against Soviet convoys bound for Cuba and Mexico was also noted. In the Mediterranean, Allied convoys with war materiel from Egypt and Israel, as well as Middle East oil, were passing through without much interference, and the same was said for the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. The map for the Far East had the nuclear strikes on China still pinpointed, as well as those PLA units still active in Manchuria. That was still causing the Soviets trouble, though the occasional theater missile strike was needed to keep those bastards quiet. It also showed, much to the Marshal's displeasure, targets in the Soviet Far East that had been hit by American and British bombers flying from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Okinawa, as well as the Soviet convoys going to and from occupied Alaska.

The next map showed the Northern Theater, from Alaska down thorough Canada, and that theater, since the disaster in Vancouver, was a stalemate. Though the key towns and the roads in Alaska were under Soviet control, the large areas of the state marked oeGuerrilla showed just how tenuous the Soviets' control was, and that the prewar plan to incorporate Alaska into the USSR after victory was likely to be grossly overoptimistic. The same was said for Canada from the Yukon into British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies, where Soviet and North Korean control was also limited to the roads, and there were settlements that had never seen a Soviet or North Korean solider, and those areas were known to be under the control of the Canadian Western Partisan Command. The rest of the Canadian Front was, from east of Vancouver all the way to the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, stalemate. The Soviets weren't getting enough supplies forward from Alaska to sustain offensive operations, while the Allies, mainly British and Canadian, with some Americans in British Columbia and Southern Alberta, were content to keep the Soviets entertained, with minor attacks, probes, and deep raids being the norm. But the main focus was on the Southern Theater, where the Soviets' main offensive had been launched.

oeWhat is it Sokolov growled as Gen. Andrei Maslov, the Chief of Operations, came into the room.

oeComrade Marshal, we're about to update the map. I suggest you have a careful look at what you see.

Sokolov, Maslov, and the other staff officers now gathered watched as the map showing the American heartland, from Colorado and New Mexico in the West, to the Mississippi River in the East, showed the current battle lines. Though, given the time lag in updating the map was twelve hours, it was generally sufficient, given how things had gone since 1985. Now, though...

First, Sokolov watched as the last siege lines near Denver fell back, and several American formations pushed forward south from Interstate 70, the main east-west highway in this part of America, headed south and southeast, while another American force, this one pushing through Eastern New Mexico, was headed to meet them. It appeared to Sokolov that the U.S. Fourth and Sixth Armies were intent on creating a pocket similar to that the Soviets had created in Operation Uranus, back in 1942.

Then, to his horror, the forces that had launched the Wichita Offensive were being steadily pushed back, as the U.S. Fifth Army was now pushing not only into Western Kansas, but also down into Eastern Kansas and even the Northeastern tip of Oklahoma. And in Arkansas Counters now showed the U.S. First Army pushing into Northern Arkansas, and across the Mississippi from Kentucky and Tennessee into the eastern part of the state. Several hundred kilometers of his front line, in fact, nearly all of it, had simply disintegrated.

And to the west...in New Mexico, the U.S. Sixth Army was carving through the state like a butcher carved meat. And it looked as if they wouldn't stop until they reached the border with Texas. About the only bright spot was Louisiana: the U.S. Third Army had limited itself to harassing attacks, but no full-scale offensive. Though that could change at any time. oeMy God... Sokolov muttered. oeIs this right'

oeYes, Comrade Minister, Maslov said. oeThe Americans have launched a general offensive, all along the front. And given that many of our tank reserves were sent to the Wichita offensive, we lack the armored strength to counter them.

Sokolov looked at his Operations Chief as if the man had suddenly grown two heads. And yet, he knew that Maslov was right. Proud units like the First Guards Tank Army, the Seventh Guards Tank Army, and Third Shock Army, had been gutted, losing at least half their strength, and in one melee east of Wichita, the First Guards Tank Army had run into their old NATO adversaries, the Americans' V Corps, and had been shattered. The same had gone for Third Shock Army, encountering the U.S. VII Corps, which had last been known to have been in Southern Alberta and Northern Montana, and instead had run into a hornet's nest. Now, those tank armies, along with the rest of the Soviet and Fraternal Socialist forces, were pulling back as fast as they could. It was that, or stand fast and be destroyed. oeWhere is Marshal Kribov

oeWe do not know, Comrade Minister, Maslov replied. oeHe went to a forward headquarters to observe, and if necessary, take control of the battle, but we have not heard from him in several hours.

oeThen find him. In the meantime, notify his deputy, General Alekseyev, and instruct him to take all necessary measures to restore the stability of the front.

oeYes, Comrade Minister, Maslov said. He nodded to his communications man, who went off to the communications center to send the message.

oeIn the meantime, we'll wait until this takes clearer shape. I'll be in my office. Thank you, Comrades. Sokolov nodded, then he and his aide left the Operations Room, leaving Maslov and his deputy, Col. Gen. Piotyr Boldin, dumbfounded, along with General Branov, who was quite disgusted.

oeWhat Boldin shouted. oeWe've just had a combination of Operation Uranus and Operation Kutuzov inflicted on us, and all he says is 'wait'
oeI don't like it any more than you do, Maslov replied calmly. The Operations Chief thought for a few moments, then nodded to his aide. oeWhere is General Grachev

oeIn Minsk, the aide replied. oeHe's on an inspection trip to the Beylorussian Military District.

Maslov looked at General Baranov. oeWe need him here.

oeI agree, Baranov replied. He turned to his own aide. oeGet to the communications center. Send a message to General Grachev in Minsk. He thought for a moment, composing the message in his head. oeAdvise him that the situation at the front requires his presence in Moscow. Baranov looked at the man. oeDo it on my authority.

oeYes, Comrade General, The aide, a tank forces major with a burn scar on his neck, replied.

oeWait, Maslov said. oeWhere is Marshal Akhromeyev

oeIn Omsk, inspecting the Ural Tank Works, Baranov replied. oeWhy do you ask Then it occurred to him. When Chebrikov found out about the scale of the disaster now unfolding on the American prairie, Sokolov would be out. And then the deputy Defense Minister would take the job. oeYou want him back here

oeWe'd better, Maslov said oeEspecially if the Minister is.....retired.

Barnaov looked at General Boldin, who nodded. oeI agree, Comrade General.

oeWell, Baranov Maslov asked. oeDo you send that message, or do I

Baranov looked at the other two generals, then at the map. He then turned to his aide, who had waited patiently. oeSend the same message to Marshal Akhromeyev.

oeYes, Comrade General, the aide replied, heading for the exit.

oeAnd do it fast.


Marshal Sokolov and his aide returned to the Minister's office. oeThat will be all for now, Bosak, he said to his aide.

oeComrade Minister, Major Bosak replied, heading for his desk.

oeAny calls, Galina

oeNo calls, Comrade Minister, his secretary replied.

oeThank you, Sokolov nodded. He went into his office and sat at his desk. There, he thought for a few minutes. The General Secretary had insisted on this offensive, and Sokolov, knowing the consequences of not doing otherwise, had acceded. Now, not only had the Americans stopped the offensive in its tracks, but they had themselves gone over to the offensive. The map didn't lie. Most of his line in the American heartland was threatened with collapse, and there wasn't much anyone could do about it, except give Marshal Kribov, or Alekseyev, if Kribov had been killed, the freedom of action to stabilize the front. And the General Secretary would not be pleased when he was told of the disaster now unfolding, and that there would be an obvious target of his wrath. He took out a pen and paper, and composed a note for his wife. He then wrote another letter, meant for his successor, and a copy for General Grachev as well.

Marshal Sokolov then went to his liquor cabinet, poured himself a glass of vodka, and then sat back at his desk. He then took out his service pistol, put it to his temple, and fired.

His secretary and aide heard the shot. They came into the office to find the Marshal slumped over his desk, bleeding from a single bullet wound to the brain. oeI'll get a doctor, Galina, his secretary, said.

oeDon't bother, Major Bosak said. oeCall Generals Maslov and Baranov. Ask them to please come to the Minister's office.

oeYes, Comrade Major.



Omsk-Sevrinny Air Base, Omsk, RSFSR: 1600 Hours Moscow Time:

Marshal Sergei Akhromayev left his staff car at the Base Headquarters, and went into the operations section. A phone call had come in on his staff car's telephone, saying that an urgent message had come in for him from Moscow. He was now wondering what the fuss was about. The Marshal found the base commander, a harried Voyska PVO Colonel, waiting for him. oeYes, Comrade Colonel

oeComrade Marshal, the Colonel nodded. oeThis message is for you.

oeThank you, Comrade, Akhromayev replied. He read the message form, then turned to his ADC, a young airborne major who still had a slight limp. oeWell, Arkady, the rest of the trip is off. Notify the advance party in Krasnyoarsk.

Major Anatoly Sorokin, a holder of the Red Banner who had been wounded outside some town in Colorado on the first day, said, oeYes, Comrade Marshal. We are....

oeReturning to Moscow, The Marshal replied. Have our aircraft readied for departure as soon as possible.

oeRight away, Comrade Marshal, Major Sorokin replied. He first went to send the message to the advance party, then informed the commander of the Marshal's aircraft, an Il-62 fitted out as a command plane with the latest communications equipment the USSR could provide. A half-hour later, the aircraft was airborne, heading west.

oeWhat's going on in Moscow' Akhromayev asked his aide.

oeComrade Marshal, I haven't the faintest idea, Sorokin replied. oeIt could be anything. Though news from the front would be my guess.

oeIt would be mine as well, the Marshal nodded. oeIt's a five-hour flight, Comrade Major. Wake me when we're getting ready to land.

Sorokin nodded. oeComrade Marshal. His Marshal nodded back, then closed his eyes and sat back in his seat. In minutes, he was fast asleep. The Major then went aft, to the aircraft's communications and staff area. oeAnything new he asked the Communications Officer, an army signals Major.

oeNothing except the message asking him to return to Moscow, the signals man replied.

Sorokin nodded. His brother was still serving in America, with the 76th Guards Air Assault Division, and he wondered how Arkady was doing. Hopefully, his unit hadn't seen service in this Wichita business, and from what they'd seen before leaving Moscow, that attack had been turned back, and the Americans were building up to something. Oh, there had been local counterattacks, but nothing major. Had that changed Well, in five hours or so, he thought, they'd find out. Though the Major was outranked by several of the staff, his position as ADC to the Marshal meant he could give them orders. That was a unique feature of the Soviet system.....Very well. Don't disturb the Marshal unless it's absolutely important. And I'll be the judge of that.

The staffers looked at each other, then at Major Sorokin. oeUnderstood, Comrade Major, the signals man replied.

Five hours later, the Il-62 landed at Vunokuvo-2, the VIP only airport outside Moscow. The Marshal had awakened a half-hour before landing, and he actually felt refreshed. After the aircraft taxied to a stop outside the military terminal, and the mobile stairway put in place, the Marshal saw a pair of staff cars, and a familiar face; General Grachev, the Chief of the General Staff, waiting. Had he been recalled as well Grachev was on an inspection tour of the Beylorussian Military District, and the two had left on the same day. Well, he'd soon find out.

Grachev was waiting for him at the foot of the stairs. oeComrade Marshal, he said, saluting.

oeGeneral, Akhromayev replied as he returned the salute. oeWhat's this, bringing both of us back to Moscow

oeThey didn't tell you Grachev replied, puzzled.

oeTell me what The Marshal shot back.

oeI just found out a half-hour ago. Defense Minister Sokolov took his own life in his office earlier today.

oeWHAT The Marshal shouted. oeHe killed himself

oeThat's all I know, Comrade Marshal, Grachev replied. oeYour presence is urgently needed in the Ministry.

oeLet's go, then, Akhromayev replied. A staff car was waiting, and the Marshal, Grachev, and their respective aides got in. And the car then left the base and headed into Moscow.

The staff car raced through Moscow, in the special traffic lanes reserved for high party or military officials, and the Moscow Militia simply waved the car through. After a half-hour, the car pulled up to the Ministry, and pulled up to the entrance. General Maslov was waiting. oeComrade Marshal, he saluted.

oeMaslov, replied the Marshal. oeWhat happened

Maslov oePlease, Comrade Marshal, inside. He indicated the entrance. After Akhromayev and Grachev went in with Maslov, he turned to them. oeThe Minister went down to the Operations Room, where the map was updated. The picture isn't good, and he gave orders to relay to either Marshal Kribov or General Alekseyev to take whatever measures are needed to stabilize the front. He then went back to his office, and both his aide and secretary then heard a shot. They found him slumped on his desk, a bullet in his head, and his service pistol in his right hand.

Akhromayev nodded.All right, Maslov. Has the General Secretary and the rest of the Defense Council been informed

oeThey have, Comrade Minister-

oePlease, not that tile, Akhromayev said sternly. oeI know, I'm now Acting Defense Minster, but right now, it's the last thing I want right now. He looked at the other officers. oeI'd like to see the Operations Map.

Maslov nodded. oeYes, Comrade Marshal. He conducted Marshal Akhromayev and General Grachev to the elevator, and then down to the bunker. General Boldin was waiting for them when they arrived after passing through security.

oeBoldin, Akhromayev said. oeLet's have a look at the map.

Boldin looked at General Grachev, then General Maslov, who nodded gravely. oeYes, Comrade Marshal, Boldin replied. oeThis way, please. He conveyed his superior officers to the Operations map.
oeThis is what Minister Sokolov saw.

Akhromayev and Grachev took a look for themselves. oeMother of God... Grachev said. oeHas this been updated since

oeNo, Comrade General, Maslov said. oeWhen I saw it, I was wondering if it was like this in Hitler's Headquarters during the Kursk battle.

Akhromayev nodded. oeWorse. It's like it was during Operation Uranus and Little Saturn. Not only did he see the blue arrows striking deep, but the blue pins sprouting up all over the Ozarks in Arkansas, the Quachita Mountains in Oklahoma and Western Arkansas, and the eastern Rocky Mountains in both Colorado and New Mexico. The American resistance had come out of their lairs, and would surely be a oeforce multiplier as the Americans called it. oeAre we in touch with Marshal Kribov

oeNot exactly, but General Alekseyev reports that he has turned up at the airport in Ponca City, Oklahoma. He no longer has secured communications due to his forward headquarters being abandoned in the face of an American penetration, Boldin said.

Akhromayev nodded. oeAll right: inform Kribov to pull back to the Red River line. Do it, and fast.

General Grachev stared at the Marshal. oeComrade Marshal If we do that...

oeI know, but right now, we need to stabilize the front. The Red River is the only real natural defense line available at the moment. Try and hold onto Northern Louisiana, and do what we can in West Texas, but that's all we can do. At least right now, Akhromayev said. oeIf we can read a map, so can the Americans' Joint Chiefs. They will no doubt whip their commanders into more decisive action. And that, we can't allow. Do it, Grachev. Do it now.

oeImmediately, Comrade Marshal, Grachev said. He nodded at his communications man, who went off to send the message.

oeComrade Marshal, a question. What about General Secretary Chebrikov Major Sorokin asked.

oeI'll tell him these are Sokolov's orders. And that it's too late to countermand them.

oeYes, Comrade Marshal. Sorokin said. Though he wasn't too sure about that, it was likely that, when the rest of the Defense Council was informed, it would certainly be too late to countermand those orders.

oeNow, Akhromayev said. oeThat pocket that's forming in Colorado. I hate to tell Kribov what to do, but get those forces out of there. The Americans are about to form a pocket, and this is too much like the early days of the war with the Fascists in 1941. Remember Bialystok

Heads nodded at that. They remembered the first big German encirclement of the attack on the Soviet Union, where two Soviet Armies had been destroyed near that occupied Polish city. And the Commander of the Western Front, General D.G. Pavlov, his Chief of Staff, and several other officers were immediately summoned to Moscow on Stalin's orders-and shot. oeExactly so, Comrade Marshal, Maslov nodded.

oeSo....A general breakout Grachev asked. That was the only solution that appeared to him as possible. While there were two Soviet Armies, the 14th and 22nd, there were East Germans,
Poles, Czechs, Nicaraguans, Libyans, an Angolan brigade, and Mexicans as well. Those forces had been deemed sufficient to maintain the Denver siege perimeter, and even though the siege had been partially lifted, the southern and eastern siege lines had been held. Not anymore, and some of the American spearheads had penetrated into undefended territory. No, those forces had to break out before it was too late.

oeThere's no choice, Akhromayev said. oeIssue the orders.

Grachev nodded, a grave expression on his face. oeImmediately, Comrade Marshal.

Akromayev nodded, and kept looking at the map. oeWe've lost the initiative. And we're not likely to get it back.

The Chief of the General Staff looked at the map. And as he turned to head to the Communications Center, he said, oeComrade Marshal, I'm afraid you're right. So what do we do now

oeThe best we can, General. Issue those orders.

After Grachev left, General Vitaly Berkenev, the Director of the GRU, came in. oeComrade Marshal,

oeBerkenev, Akhromayev nodded. oeHave a look for yourself. The Marshal indicated the operations map.

The GRU Director did so, and he wasn't surprised in the least. oeWhat now, Comrade Marshal

oeWe do the best we can. It may not be enough, but we'll have to try anyway.

oeThe Foreign Ministry has been trying to find a way out, Berkenev said. oeTheir demands on the Americans and their Allies have been....unrealistic, to say the least.

Akhromayev turned to his intelligence chief. oeWhat went on at those meetings

oeThat, I do not know for certain, Comrade Marshal, Berkenev nodded. oeBut I can find out.

oeDo it, and fast. Because any hope of a compromise peace is now gone, replied the Marshal. oeRight now, I recall the words of a Japanese Admiral, before they launched their own war with the Americans, also in 1941.

oeYes, Admiral Yamamoto, Berkenev said. oeAnd his words

oeI don't recall exactly what he said, Akhromayev replied, waving at the map. oeBut, it went something like this: 'We have awakened a sleeping giant who will destroy us all.

[Matt Wiser]

Part II:


Vladimirsky Hall, the Kremlin, 19 May, 1987; 1500 Hours Moscow Time:


Marshal Sokolov had received a full State Funeral, with interment in the Kremlin Wall, and now the funeral party was gathered in one of the Kremlin's grand halls for a reception. After the funeral procession from the Defense Ministry to the Kremlin, Marshal Sokolov's remains were interred in the Kremlin Wall, next to one of his predecessors, Dimitry Ustinov, who had died in 1984. Though many of those in attendance no doubt felt that Sokolov would now be kicking Ustinov in the rear, because he, along with many other officers, blamed Ustinov for laying the military groundwork for the war, a war that the Soviet Union was now losing.

After the funeral, there was a reception in Vladimirsky Hall, and many generals, admirals, Central Committee Members, and a number of both candidate and full members of the Politburo had gathered. Not only to pay their respects to Mrs. Sokolov, but also to talk business. And the current situation at the front was a major topic of discussion.

oeHow bad is it' General Mikhail Mosiyev, the Commander of the Moscow Military District, asked General Grachev. Both men glanced over at Marshal Akhromayev, who was paying his respects to Mrs. Sokolov and her two sons, both of whom were generals themselves. One was the commander of a training tank division in the Ukraine, while the other son was on leave from a combat post. Not in America, mind, but as Chief of Staff of the 40th Army in Afghanistan. oeBad as they say

oeWorse, Grachev replied. oeI've been wondering: was it like this in the OKW Operations Room during Kursk

Then Marshal Akhromayev came over. oeThis is Operation Bagration, only this time, we are the Fascisti. I imagine that Marshal Kribov is feeling like Model right now. Trying to put out the inferno that men like Zhukov, Rokossovosky, Bagramyan, and such set alight.

oeAnd who is our fireman this time Mosiyev asked. oeIf it's as bad as General Grachev has said-

oeIt is, General, Akhromayev said. oeWe'll be lucky if we keep the Red River line in Texas and Louisiana, and hang onto West Texas as best we can.

Moisyev shook his head. oeAnd whose genius was it to start this war

Just then, the members of the Defense Council arrived, led by General Secretary Viktor Chebrikov. KGB Chairman Boris Kosov, Interior Minister Boris Pugo, Ivan Volkov, the head of GOSPLAN; Feydor Alexandrov, the Chief Ideologist of the Party; and Foreign Minister Dimitry Tumansky. There was the ritual applause given the General Secretary, who gave a polite nod, then went over to where the widow, dressed in mourning black, sat, with her two sons and the rest of the family. Chebrikov spoke to the widow, and to those watching, something must have made Mrs. Sokolev very upset, for she stood up in a towering anger, and slapped the General Secretary on the face. There was a hush in the hall, and many expected Chairman Kosov to order his protective detail to arrest the widow on the spot. Instead, Chebrikov spoke further to the widow, and told Kosov not to get involved. Then he went to a microphone.

oeComrades, I am glad that all of you could come. First, we honor the late Marshal Sokolov, a man who gave his all to the Rodina, and to the inevitable triumph of our cause. Though we have had some setbacks-

oeThat, Comrade General Secretary, is an understatement, General Grachev muttered.

oeOur cause is just, and victory is certain, Chebrikov continued. oeThough one can certainly understand why a grieving widow would react as she did, having lost a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. Still, Marshal Sokolov gave everything he had to achieving the final victory, and we will continue to march on until we have done so. And now, I have an announcement to make.

oeNow what General Moisyev said. oeWe've had enough blather for one day.

oeThe full Politburo has met, and has decided on an new Defense Minister.

oeLet me guess: Yazov, General Berkenev said to Akhromayev. Marshal Dimitry Yazov was CINC-FAR EAST, and was engaged in not only supporting the resupply effort to Alaska, but also conducting operations along the Soviet-Manchurian border, keeping the remnants of the Chinese Army on their side of the border, as well as conducting air attacks against targets in South Korea and Japan. However, the consensus in the General Staff was that the success that Yazov had was largely due to his staff, and that Yazov wasn't fit to command anything higher than a division.

oeWould you rather have Marshal Orgakov Akhromayev asked. Marshal Nikolai Orgakov had been the Chief of the General Staff prewar, before being sent to become CINC-WEST in East Germany. Though NATO had been dissolved, there were still forces in East Germany and in Czechoslovakia, just in case. Though a number of GSFG's premier units had been sent to North America, they had been replaced with divisions brought forward from the Soviet Union. However, Orgakov was loathed in Moscow, for he had helped with the initial planning for the war, and he had been blamed for the plan's initial failure. CINC-WEST wasn't the post it had been earlier, but was a decent way to put a general out to pasture.

oeNot particularly, Berkenev said. oeYou, though, are the only other choice. Unless they want to bring Marshal Kribov back from his command.

oeThe man has enough troubles at the moment, General Grachev said.

oeAfter considering a number of possible candidates for the position, the Poliburo has decided to appoint Marshal Sergei Akhromayev to the position of Defense Minister of the USSR, General Secretary Chebrikov announced. And there was at first a hush among the crowd, then there was the ritual round of applause.

Several generals turned to Akhromayev, who simply nodded. oeWell, I have been tried and condemned, and must go forward to execution. He went up to the General Secretary, shook hands, and embraced. oeI accept the post, Comrade General Secretary.

oeI realize that this is a difficult time, Chebrikov said. oeHowever, in spite of the untimely death of your predecessor, and the situation at the front, I know you will take things in hand, and get a firm grip on the situation. And lead our forces to final victory. You have the support of the Politburo, the Central Committee, the Party, and the People.

oeI serve the Soviet Union! Akhromayev said.

oeGood, Comrade Minister. You are not only Defense Minister, but are also a full member of the Politburo and the Defense Council,

oeThank you, Comrade General Secretary, Akhromayev nodded. Though silently, he was wishing that Chebrikov would be the next one to drop dead.

oeCongratulations, Comrade Minister, Chebrikov said, and there was another round of applause. Then Akhromayev went back to the generals.

oeCongratulations, Comrade Minister, General Grachev said. oeThough I imagine you would rather have a field command.

Akhromayev nodded. oeYou imagine correctly, Grachev, he replied. oeFirst, when you get back to the Ministry

oeComrade Minister

oeI want a list of candidates for the position of Deputy Defense Minister. And please, leave Orgakov and Yazov off the list.

oeAs you wish, Comrade Minister, Grachev said.

Then the service chiefs came over to offer their congratulations. Though one, Admiral Vladimir Chernavin, lingered for a few minutes. oeComrade Minister, I need a one-on-one talk with you. In your office, as soon as possible.

oeOf course, Comrade Admiral, Akhromayev said. oeWhat can I do for you

oeYou know the naval situation

oeYes, and your predecessor, the great Admiral Gorshkov, built the Soviet Navy into a world-class fighting force. However...

oeHowever, it is not the Navy we need. And we've taken serious losses in this conflict. I need more materials for cruiser, destroyer, and submarine construction. If I'm to escort our convoys to Alaska, Cuba, and Mexico, I need cruisers and destroyers. And submarines to interdict the enemy sea lines of communication, Chernavin pressed.

Akhromayev knew exactly what was needed. He had been regularly briefed on the war at sea. oeCome by my office, tomorrow morning. I'll press the Defense Council to allocate more resources to new construction and for battle-damage repair in the shipyards.

oeThank you, Comrade Minister, but it's not just that. My Naval Aviation force needs more long-range bombers. And we need to finish our carrier construction as soon as possible. If our convoys had their own air cover....

Akhromayev knew what the Admrial meant. oeYou know the saying, you go to war with what you have, not with what you wish you had. But...bring that up as well. I'll see what can be done.

Chernavin was relieved. oeThank you, Comrade Minister.

Then Major Sorokin brought over a young Tank Forces Major. oeComrade Minister, may I present Major Nikolai Sokolov, from the 734th Independent Tank Regiment He is the grandson of Marshal Sokolov.

oeComrade Major, Akhromayev nodded politely. oePlease accept my condolences on the loss of your grandfather. He will be deeply missed.

oeThank you, Comrade Marshal, Major Sokolov replied. oeI was able to get emergency leave from Cuba. Our regiment was supposed to be in Kansas for the offensive, but never got there. We were in Cuba, awaiting our T-80s. They never arrived. Some American or British submarine commander got lucky, they say, and sank the ship carrying my battalion's tanks.

oeHow much of your regiment's equipment made it to Cuba' Akhromayev asked.

oeBarely half, Major Sokolov replied. oeRight now, we're not fit to deploy any further.

oeYour unit was a veteran one, correct

oeYes, Comrade Marshal. We deployed with T-64s and BMP-1s. And we were very good. In February, we turned over our equipment to another unit, and went to Cuba to await the T-80s. Only one battalion's worth of tanks arrived, though.

oeI see... Akhromayev said. oeWhen do you fly back to Cuba

oeDay after tomorrow, Comrade Marshal, Sokolov replied.

oeNot anymore, Akhromayev said. oeReport to my office at 1200 tomorrow. New orders will await you. I want veteran officers on my staff, and we'll be cleaning out the useless ones. And it will look good on your record, should a regiment or brigade become available.

oeComrade Marshal, Sokolov gave a slight bow. oeThank you.

oeAnd the rest of your family'

oeMy uncle only has daughters. However, my brother Vitaly is a fighter pilot in Alaska. He's been busy defending against American air strikes from carriers and their long-range bombers. He is a fighter pilot, and is doing what fighter pilots want to do.

oeI understand, Comrade Major, Akhromayev said. oeHowever.....your family has paid dearly for its service to the Rodina. If he is injured severely enough, he will be evacuated home. I promise it.

oeThank you, Comrade Marshal.

While Akhromayev was making his rounds, General Maslov was doing so as well. He met several candidate members of the Politburo, and found that they had only found out the day before the extent of the disaster, and were shaken. Minister of Petroleum Mikhail Sergetov was visibly upset. oeHow bad is it, really My son is a tank officer, and has seen his share of combat.

oeIt's worse than you think. We'll be back halfway to Mexico if we're lucky, Maslov said.

Mikhail Gorbachev, a former full member who'd been demoted to candidate status after Andropov's death, asked. oeNow what

oeComrade Minster, Maslov said. oeWe'd better start thinking of a way out.

Boris Yeltsin, the Party Boss of Moscow and also a candidate member of the Politburo, nodded. oeThis war has gone on long enough. And have you heard the latest

oeWhat Maslov asked. What could this civilian have heard to interest him

oeAt the last meeting before Marshal Sokolov's death, Interior Minister Pugo suggested releasing Gulag inmates, those sentenced for criminal offenses and are between the ages of eighteen and thirty, and drafting them into the military.

Maslov was appalled. oeWhat Robbers, rapists, and murderers In the Army That's the last thing we need. We have enough trouble with the ALA having done the same thing.

oeComrade General, given the need for military manpower... Yeltsin said. oeIf you have another solution, you people in the ministry had better come up with one.

oeI'll inform the Marshal. He won't like this any more than you do.

While Maslov had been talking with some of the civilian opposition, Akhromayev had been talking with General Berkenev and Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Bessmertnkyh. The Deputy Minister had been talking with American and British negotiators in Geneva about a possible diplomatic solution to the war. And, like the generals, wanted a way out.

oeI'll be returning to Geneva, but I doubt the Americans and British will even talk, Bessmertnkyh was saying. oeAll of our offers, even the most recent one, have been turned down.

oeAnd what was that Akhromayev asked.

oeWe would give up our demand about annexing Alaska, and make it an independent state, along with British Columbia. As well as our intention to give California, Arizona, and New Mexico back to Mexico, and make Texas an independent Socialist state, under our tutelage and the Cubans, the diplomat replied.

oeAnd the Allies rejected those out of hand Berkenev asked.

oeTotally, Bessmertnkyh replied. oeOur last offer eliminated all of that, except for Texas. An independent Texas would be a buffer between America and Mexico.

oeAnd after the failure of the Wichita offensive, Akhromayev said. oeThey summarily dismissed that offer as well.

oeTotally, the diplomat nodded. oeThey threw down a copy of Le Monde in front of me, With a headline about the American offensive. I was told, bluntly, that 'We'll see you on the Rio Grande.' Talk to us then. And the American, British,and Canadian negotiators walked out.

oeThey mean to settle this on the battlefield, oe Berkenev observed.

oeYes, the Marshal confirmed. oeThey have the initiative now, and they won't let go.

oeI see... the diplomat noted.

oeWhat are the chances they'll return to the talks Akhromayev asked. oeIf we can hold them, and inflict a sharp reverse.

oeIf you can do that, Comrade Marshal, it would give me some leverage. If they return, that is. Right now, I don't see that happening. I'll return to Geneva, but I'm not optimistic about my chances.

oeBetter you stay there for a while, Berkenev said. oeIt's more beneficial to your health.

oeI see no reason to argue with that, Comrade General.


Minister's Office, Ministry of Defense, Moscow, RSFSR, 21 May, 1987, 0800 Hours Moscow Time:

Marshal Akhromayev sat behind his desk, and looked at his staff. After receiving the morning situation briefing, he had been appalled. The pocket in Colorado was being steadily ground down, and several attempts at a breakout, by Soviet, Cuban, and East German troops, had been a slaughter. Only a division's worth of Soviet troops had managed to get away, while the Poles, Czechs, and Hungarians had fought for a few hours, then allowed themselves to be overrun by the Americans. General Berkenev had even shown the staff a clip from American television, with a reporter talking to a Nicaraguan lieutenant. The reporter had asked the Nicaraguan why his battalion had surrendered without a shot being fired, and the man had replied with sound civilian logic. oeWe didn't fire back because that would have been a mistake. Already, there were rumblings from Managua that the Nicaraguans' enthusiasm for the war was cooling significantly. The same was true in Warsaw and Prague.

oeThe American pincers will close in a few hours, Comrade Marshal, if they haven't already. Every attempt at a breakout has ended in a massacre, Grachev reported. oeOnce the forces inside the pocket have exhausted their ammunition, and they will within four or five days, they will surrender.

oeAnd Kribov can't relieve them, Akhromayev noted. oeIf he had another tank army, he could try. Or if General Kozlov, the commander of 2nd Central Front, hadn't committed 3rd Shock Army... Third Shock Army, one of the most powerful formations in GSFG, had been in America since the start. They had run wild in Texas and Oklahoma, and now...they had been gutted at a place in Kansas called Newton, north of Wichita, and found the U.S. VII Corps waiting for them. It had gone as expected-if one was an American, and Third Shock had been sent back reeling. Its commander, Starukhuin, had reformed and tried again, but had run into a buzz saw of tanks and anti-tank guided weapons. Now, the entire Soviet front line was being steadily pushed back into Eastern New Mexico, Oklahoma and Arkansas, and only a fierce delaying action was preventing things from getting worse.

oeYes, Comrade Marshal, Grachev replied, and the other officers nodded agreement.

oeAll right. Now that Kribov's back in full command, we may have a chance on the Red River line. Keep pressing the Navy to get more supplies and equipment into Cuba and Mexico, and see what we can do about getting those units that have been shot up refitted. We'll need them all in the weeks and months to come.

oeComrade Marshal, Baranov nodded.

oeI'll be taking with Admiral Chernavin later today, and see what we can do to help the Navy. Now, I'm not in favor of this idea to draft inmates out of the Gulag into the Army. We've got reservists called to the colors in 1985 who were in either the Strategic Rocket Forces or the Voyska PVO, correct

oeYes, Comrade Marshal, his chief of personnel, a full general, replied.

oeGood. Get me CINC-SRF and CINC-PVO here, as soon as possible. I want to cut those reservists loose and get them into the Army. We need the manpower. PVO men can go into army air defense units, while the SRF personnel are mainly guards, correct

oeThat is so, Comrade Marshal.

oeGood. We can use those guards in motor-rifle units, while PVO men can also go into artillery fire-direction teams. It's better than using Gulag inmates. Akhromayev said, relaying what he'd been told about drafting Gulag inmates into the Army to help with the manpower shortage.

oeYes, Comrade Marshal.

oeAll right: Berkenev: try and get some back-channel contacts of your own with the Americans. I don't care if it's in West Berlin, Bangkok, or Hong Kong. Find out what their minimum conditions are for ending the war. I know, this is the Foreign Ministry's job, but with Tumansky, he's as hard-line as they come.

oeI will see to it, Comrade Marshal, Berkenev replied.

oeNow, talk with the candidate members of the Politburo, and see what they're up to. They aren't happy about being left in the dark, and only briefed when the Defense Council feels like it. Do you have anyone in mind

oeGeneral Maslov does, I believe, Comrade Marshal, Berkenev said, gesturing to the Deputy Chief of the General Staff.

oeGood. Talk to him, and start sounding those people out. Before you go: I want you to remember this. As of today, we are not fighting for the final victory of socialism. Anyone who still thinks we are needs to see the footage the Americans are beaming all over the world. Footage of burning tanks, wrecked APCs, corpses of Soviet soldiers, and shocked prisoners being sent to the American rear. We've lost the initiative, and right now, we're losing the war.

oeComrade Marshal General Georgy Novikov, the Chief of the Red Army Political Directorate, asked.

oeParty dogma is a poor substitute for battlefield reality, Akhromayev said. oeRight now, we're fighting for an honorable peace. A peace that enables us to withdraw from the war with our dignity and honor somewhat intact. If, that is, the Marshal added, nodding at Berkenev, oethe Americans and their allies will let us.

His staff looked at each other, then at the Marshal.

oeRight now, if we get out of this with a return to the prewar status quo, we'll be damned lucky. That's what we're fighting for, Comrades. Thank you, and I will see you tomorrow morning.

After the staff had left, only Major Sorkin had remained. He knew that the consequences for his brother might be serious, but Arkady was airborne through and through. The Major saw as Akhormayev filled his tea cup, then went to his office window, and looked out over Moscow. oeComrade Marshal

oeThere's only one thing I'm wondering, the Marshal said. oeHow many good Russian boys are going to die in a losing war before all is said and done

oeToo many, I'm afraid, Comrade Marshal, Sorokin replied. oeBut we can only do our duty.

oeExactly so, Comrade Major, Akhromayev said, finishing his tea. Then his speaker phone buzzed. oeYes

oeComrade Marshal, his secretary's voice came over the speaker. oeAdmiral Chernavin is here.

oeSend him in, please. Before the Admiral came in, Akhromayev turned to Sorokin. oeMajor, before today is over, arrange a visit for me to the Airborne Officers' College in Ryazan, and the Kharkov Guards Tank Training College. I want to get into the field as much as possible, even in this job.

Sorokin smiled. oeYes, Comrade Marshal.

oeGood, off with you, then, Akromayev said as Admiral Chernavin entered the office. This would be an earful, he knew. oeAnd close the door after the Admiral enters.

oeComrade Marshal, Sorokin replied.

oeGood morning, Admiral, the Marshal said as the doors closed. This would be a long talk, he knew.....

[Matt Wiser]

Coming soon.....a POW's story in Cuba. Be warned, it goes into some detail about her experiences in Cuba, and is gritty as possible without being graphic. And you've already been introduced to her in a previous story.

[RN7]

Matt that was a great read. A few points

I may have missed something but do US nuclear forces not target Moscow in retaliation for Soviet nuclear strikes on the USA including Washington DC

If the US Army is fielding huge numbers of tanks then much of America's industrial base must still be intact

If US forces in the West coast are able to launch a major offensive on their own and also send forces across the Pacific, then the Mexicans must have been cleared out of California Also there must be an established land link or a major air corridor with US forces east of the Mississippi The reason I say this is because the US West Coast doesn't have the population and arms and heavy industry of the US eastern states, and unless the Soviet's largely bypassed the west coast it would need support from the east to both resist a major Soviet attack or launch a major offensive on its own.

If NATO has been dissolved then US Army forces in Europe were pulled back to CONUS or elsewhere Also some USAF and air defence forces in Europe must have been transferred to Britain

If Britain is directly involved in the war then the BAOR must have been withdrawn to the UK If so then many British Army armoured and mechanised formations would be idle unless the UK has been invaded. So would some British Army divisions or brigades have been sent to North America to help out the US and Canada

How badly was China damaged by Soviet nuclear strikes

Is Australia, New Zealand and South Africa allied with the US

[Matt Wiser]

Moscow was not targeted, but the Strategic Rocket Forces HQ bunker and the DA (Long-Range Aviation) Command Bunkers were struck by ALCMs fired from B-52s.

Most of America's industrial base is intact, yes.

The Mexicans (with some Soviet and Cuban assistance) tried pushing into California and Arizona. They were pushed back within 72 hours, hot having reached further north than the Salton Sea in the Imperial Valley, and never even got to Downtown San Diego (National City is as far as they got-being more interested in looting than fighting). Arizona I-19 and other roads north from the border were turned into junkyards of wrecked armor and dead and maimed men thanks to USAF and USMC tac air and some Army Reserve AH-1Fs...The Rio Grande is the western battle line from 1985-87.

The Soviets and their lackeys never cut I-90 or I-94 in Montana, Wyoming, or the Dakotas. And after Summer '86, I-80 was reopened with the recapture of Cheyenne. A bypass had to be built around what was left of Omaha, though.....

Most U.S. forces in Europe redeployed to CONUS. Those who didn't went to Britain. The Brits hang on, despite Colonel Tanner's prediction. One redeployed division plays a key role in the Southwest: 3rd Armored, based at Yuma Proving Ground, while 2nd ACR is based at Fort Huachucha (they mop up after the AF does its thing)

BAOR redeploys home, then most go to Canada.

China became an SS-20 and SS-18 live-fire range. Their nuclear forces, C3, and much of their industry were slagged. They fired a few MRBMs and IRBMs, though, tearing holes in Soviet air defenses, which SAC and the RAF exploit with B-52, B-1, and Vulcan strikes out of bases in the Far East. One Chinese IRBM landed on Tashkent (3 MT yield) and the Chinese received a second Soviet salvo....China falls apart as a country, pretty much. Warlord central.

The ANZACs are allies, and the U.S., Britain, and Canada made a deal with the devil, and dropped their anti-apartheid stances, in return for strategic minerals, NATO-standard tank, artillery, and small arms ammo, and keeping the SLOCs open around the Cape of Good Hope for supertankers from the Middle East.