Announcement

**Matt Wiser** · 04-07-2015, 07:09 PM

ADCs for generals are usually Majors or Light Colonels.

**Matt Wiser** · 04-07-2015, 09:40 PM

Things are winding down....

1920 Hours: 76th Guards Air Assault Division/47th Tank Brigade, east of Brownsville, Texas.

General Andreyev was actually pleased. His division and the 47th had managed to extract themselves from their previous position, and had established new positions on high ground, about halfway between Brownsville and the coast. One battered air-assault regiment, the tattered remnants of another, and one full-strength, supported by the 47th, which had been reduced by half, but was still formidable, despite American air attacks and naval gunfire. Now, he hoped, they were out of range of those blasted naval guns, and could meet the advancing U.S. Marines on more equal terms. Andreyev turned to his chief of staff. ,c,,oeThis position's good, Anatoly. High ground above the beach and tidal flats, no sand or marsh, just nice, firm ground.,c,,

,c,,oeYes, Comrade General. Though I expect they won't come forward until dawn.,c,, the chief replied.

,c,,oeQuite so; they'll have to get those wrecked tanks out of the way that block the road,,c,, Andreyev observed.

,c,,oeThere is that, Comrade General. And we still have two days' worth of ammunition: we can still make it hot for somebody,,c,, said the chief.

Andreyev looked at his map. ,c,,oeAnd Glavchenko's brigade?,c,,

,c,,oeOne battalion, here, Comrade General: right in the middle, between the 234th and 236th. What's left of the 235th is in front of us, with the rest of the 47th. Division artillery is at half strength, as is Glavchenko's own artillery.,c,, the chief noted.

,c,,oeDivisional reconnaissance?,c,, Andreyev asked.

,c,,oeOur reconnaissance has patrols out in front, as does both the 234th and 236th. They do report that the Americans are consolidating their positions, and there is some patrol activity, but they do not appear to be preparing to resume their advance at night.,c,,

The General nodded. In their position, he'd do the same: get more supplies and some reinforcements up from the beach, clear those wrecked tanks-even if it meant shoving them into the marsh, if necessary, and wait until dawn. Then have as much air strikes as possible to prepare for the attack to resume. And hopefully, he thought, when they do fire their naval guns, all they'll be doing is hitting empty positions; just like the Fascists did to us: hit an empty sack, and our own defense is intact-and waiting. He checked his watch: ,c,,oeThey'll move in what, ten to twelve hours?,c,,

,c,,oeI would expect that, Comrade General. Not until then.,c,, the chief said.

,c,,oeGood. Now, let's have something to eat. It has been a long and trying day, and tomorrow will be no better.,c,, Andreyev said.

1945 Hours: U.S. Third Army Headquarters, Edinburg, Texas.

Commander Carlisle went into the gym, freshly showered and wearing her flight suit, fresh out of the laundry. Powell's naval liaison didn't have anything available for her, so she made do. Major Dixon was by her side, and the first thing she noticed was the crowd of reporters there, as well as staff officers, and liaison officers from not just the other services, but from the other Allies. There were British, Canadian, Australian, South Korean, and Taiwanese officers there, as well as observers from several other countries, such as Israel, South Africa, Brazil, and a few others that had been minor combatants. Major Dixon had explained that even if they couldn't contribute much in the way of equipment or manpower, these countries had done their part, and had earned a spot at the end. She also noticed that the reporters were in two areas: one for American and Allied media, and one for those from neutral or ex-neutralist countries. And the reporters from the Allied media were sneering at those from the neutralist countries, especially those from newspapers or other outlets that had championed the neutralist cause in their editorials.

The Commander did recognize some of the reporters there: CNN's Christiane Armanpour was there: covering this war had made her a star reporter, and she'd been there almost from the beginning. Jan Fields, also of CNN, was there as well: her constant presence with units such as 3rd Armored Division or the 7th Infantry Division, not to mention a live broadcast from the front lines at the Battle of Wichita, had made her a household name-along with an Emmy Award. The other networks had sent their DOD correspondents, though: CBS' David Martin was talking with a PAO, while ABC's Bob Zelnick and NBC's Jim Michelweliski were glaring at each other: Zelnik had been in the Pentagon on Invasion Day, and had picked broken glass out of his producer's arms after the bomb had gone off, while Michelweslki had been on vacation, and had never made it on the air that day. The reporters from the wire services: AP, UPI, Reuters, were also there, chatting amongst themselves, while the big papers, like the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, the Boston Globe, and the East Coast Times-Post, were also there, glaring at the TV reporters-the old rivalry between the broadcast and print media was still there. And there were the allied reporters: the BBC, CBC, ITN, two different Australian channels, KBS from South Korea, The Times of London, Sydney Morning Post, and on and on. There was just so much.

The other side, the neutral or neutralist reporters, were somewhat subdued, though some were able to exchange pleasantries with their Allied counterparts-especially those from Swedish or Swiss media, though those from West Germany, Italy, Holland, Belgium, and even France got more hostile looks than warm smiles, though the West German networks like ZDF or Deutsche Welle were more welcome, but the newspaper correspondents were not so well regarded. Old stories about atrocities in North America being ,c,,oewildly exaggerated,,c,, or editorials urging the Americans and Canadians to accept Soviet peace offers were still not forgiven or forgotten, and the American media people-not to mention the PAOs, made sure of that.

Major Dixon pointed to where the staff officers and Allied liaison officers were gathered, ,c,,oeOver here, Commander,,c,, and the two walked on over. Several shook her hand, as her story had spread, and a PAO came by: the reporters had sniffed out her story, and Jan Fields of CNN and a couple of print reporters wanted to have interviews. ,c,,oeAfter this is over,,c,, Carlisle said, and the PAO nodded. He went off to speak with some of the media, and Dixon told her, ,c,,oeNow that you've said you'll talk with 'em, they'll make sure you keep those appointments.,c,,

,c,,oeI know, Major,,c,, Carlisle replied. ,c,,oeWhat's taking so long?,c,,

,c,,oeWho knows? This is the first time something like this has been laid on since the Germans surrendered to Eisenhower, back in '45.,c,, Dixon replied. Then he noticed General McCaffery coming into the gym. ,c,,oeI think it's time.,c,,

McCaffery came to a microphone; ,c,,oeLadies and Gentlemen, General Powell and Marshal Alekseyev will be here momentarily. Remember; there will be no questions, so don't bother asking. Though there may be a statement from both, that's not a given.,c,, McCaffery then looked at a side door. ,c,,oeThey're here. It's showtime.,c,,

Commander Carlisle watched as General Powell walked in with his senior staff officers, and sat down at the table set up in the middle of the gym, right where the center of the basketball court would be. Then Marshal Alekseyev and his officers-she recognized Chibisov and Sergetov, though the airborne officer was somebody she hadn't seen, came in and sat down, and a hush set in. While Alekseyev was calm, as was Chibisov, Sergetov looked nervous, while the airborne officer was stiff as a board. Then she caught his eye, and Alekseyev gave a slight nod. And she returned it. And then General Powell adjusted the microphone, and began to speak.

,c,,oeLadies and Gentlemen, we are gathered here now to conclude hostilities in the Continental United States. While this surrender does not apply to Soviet and Soviet allied forces in Mexico, nor does it apply to the war at sea, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, 'it is not the end of the beginning, but it is the beginning of the end.' I have given Marshal Alekseyev the terms of the cease-fire, and he has accepted them totally. I will read them for the record, and after that, we will sign the document.,c,,

And Powell read the terms of the cease-fire. It was obvious: Soviet and Soviet-allied forces were to lay down their arms, release all prisoners held in the pocket, disclose all land and sea mines as well as demolitions, turn over all KGB or ALA/PSD personnel, halt the airlift, and reveal any stocks of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons. Soviet and Soviet-allied wounded would be cared for, and all would be treated as prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions. ,c,,oeThe cease-fire takes effect at one minute after midnight, Central War Time, and U.S. Forces will move forward to take the surrender, and reestablish civil law and order, at 0800 Central War Time tomorrow. Marshal Alekseyev, you do understand these terms?,c,,

Alekseyev stood. ,c,,oeI do, General.,c,,

,c,,oeAre you prepared to sign?,c,, Powell asked, and Alekseyev simply nodded. Powell then turned to General McCaffery: ,c,,oeGeneral, show him where to sign.,c,,

General McCaffery stood, and showed Marshal Alekseyev where to sign. He did so, and then returned the document to General Powell, who signed on behalf of the U.S. After he did so, Powell asked, ,c,,oeMarshal Alekseyev, do you have any kind of statement to make, for the record?,c,,

Alekseyev nodded and stood. ,c,,oeThank you, General. With this signature, the Socialist Forces in Texas are delivered into the hands of the victor. It is my hope, and earnest wish, that the victor will, despite being flush with victory, treat them with generosity, despite what has happened in the past.,c,,

Powell then stood up. ,c,,oeThank you, Marshal. You may return to your headquarters to make the necessary arrangements on your side. And I will see you tomorrow morning. And this concludes our business.,c,,

The Soviets stood up to leave, and they were escorted out. As Powell stood up, there was applause from the media. Then Powell went back to the microphone and had a further statement: ,c,,oeLadies and Gentlemen, in four hours or so, the shooting stops on this front. So many good men and women have died, or been seriously wounded, to make this event happen. Let us pause for a moment of silence in their memory.,c,, Following the moment of silence, Powell went on. ,c,,oeDue to the fact that there may be those in the pocket who wish to continue fighting, despite the Marshal's signature, there is a news blackout on this until 0800 Central War Time tomorrow. He has indicated to me privately that certain elements within the pocket need to be put under his firm control, and that there are no unpleasant events before U.S. forces arrive. So: no civilian communications in or out until then. I know you want to share this with America and the world, but everything needs to go smoothly on his end to make this work out. Now, I'll take exactly two questions.,c,, He noticed Christiane Armanpour ,c,,oeYes, Christiane?,c,,

,c,,oeGeneral, first, my congratulations on achieving this victory. Now, when the Marshal said there were those who wished to continue fighting, did he mean the KGB or ALA?,c,,

,c,,oeHe didn't say exactly, but we can assume that there are such elements present. Those with everything to lose if they come into our hands. He needs time to deal with them, in one way or another. One more question. Yes, Joe?,c,,

,c,,oeGeneral, Joe Galloway from AP. I'd like to add my congratulations. Will you be going into the pocket tomorrow?,c,,

,c,,oeYes. I will be there to meet the Marshal at his headquarters, and watch as the Soviet flag is lowered, and the Stars and Stripes are raised. And then we'll be busy for quite a while as we try and get some sense of normalcy restored. This won't be like Oklahoma City or Waco: it'll be more like Dallas or San Antonio after things wrapped up there. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a very important phone call to make. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.,c,, And with that, Powell and his staff left the room, to the applause of the media.

Dixon turned to Commander Carlisle. ,c,,oeWell?,c,,

,c,,oeJust like that?,c,, she asked.

,c,,oeYep. Just like that. Let's get you over to the Officer's Mess, and get you something to eat. I'll find you a bunk someplace, and you can get some sleep. You can see those hyenas in the morning.,c,,

,c,,oeMajor, lead the way,,c,, said Commander Carlisle.

2015 Hours: Gulf Front Headquarters, Rancho Viejo, Texas.

General Isakov, Malinsky's chief of staff, came into his office, what had been the principal's office at the high school. He found Malinsky taking a nap, sitting back in his office chair. ,c,,oeComrade General?,c,,

Malinsky had long since developed the habit of waking when he was called, no matter how deep his sleep was. ,c,,oeOh, Isakov. It's you.,c,,

,c,,oeComrade General, Marshal Alekseyev is here. He has come from a meeting with General Powell.,c,,

Malinsky stood up. ,c,,oeWell, Isakov. I think we know what that meeting was about. You disagree?,c,,

General Isakov shook his head. ,c,,oeNo, Comrade General. I think the Marshal had no choice. The only question was when.,c,,

General Malinsky nodded. ,c,,oeLet's not keep the Marshal waiting,,c,, he said.

Isakov nodded, and waited for his general. Both went back to the Operations Room, where they found Marshal Alekseyev, General Chibisov, and Alekseyev's aide, Colonel Sergetov. ,c,,oeComrade Marshal,,c,, Malinsky said.

,c,,oeMalinsky,,c,, Alekseyev said solemnly. ,c,,oeIt is done. The cease-fire goes into effect at one minute after midnight, local time. American forces will move in beginning at 0800.,c,,

,c,,oeComrade Marshal....,c,, Malinsky said. ,c,,oeWe have done all that we can do. Any further fighting only gets good Russian boys killed.,c,,

,c,,oeI'm glad you agree. Remember that meeting, not that long ago, with the Army commanders and yourself? The only one who really opposed any kind of termination of the war was that brute Starukhin.,c,, Alekseyev reminded Malinsky.

,c,,oeYes, Comrade Marshal. And I was wondering whether or not someone would either shoot him, or he would shoot anyone who disagreed with him.,c,, Malinsky said, remembering that meeting.

,c,,oeMy thoughts exactly, Malinsky. Now, to business. Are there any KGB, ALA, or PSD units in the vicinity? They're the ones most likely to cause trouble. They must be....neutralized, before Powell's forces arrive.,c,,

,c,,oeThe only KGB were those assigned to checkpoints, Comrade Marshal. I can assure you that they have been all dealt with. And I have instructed all Army commanders to secure any ALA or PSD personnel-by force if necessary. Though most appear more concerned with saving their own skins than causing trouble.,c,,

,c,,oeGood. Now, whatever chemical warheads left in your ammunition dumps are to be handed over to the Americans. And one other thing: have your chief of medical services ready to go forward.,c,,

,c,,oeMay I ask why, Comrade Marshal?,c,, Malinsky wondered.

,c,,oeThe Americans have indicated they will take care of our wounded. They need to know how many, and what kind of conditions they'll find when they arrive.,c,, Alekseyev said.

Both Malinsky and Isakov nodded.,c,,When does he leave?,c,, Isakov asked.

,c,,oeRight away. Send him to the 77-83 highway junction: the same one that had so much blood spilled on both sides. The Americans will receive him, and he'll be taken to meet with General Powell's senior medical officers.,c,, said Alekseyev.

Malinsky turned to Major General Mikhail Levechenko, his chief of medical services. ,c,,oeYou do know what you'll need to do?,c,,

,c,,oeOf course, Comrades,,c,, Levchenko replied.

,c,,oeGood. Go at once,,c,, Aleksyev said. ,c,,oeNow, we'll be returning to headquarters. Inform your army and division commanders, by whatever means are necessary. If you can't contact anyone by radio or land line, send reliable staff officers to inform them.,c,,

Malinsky nodded. ,c,,oeUnderstood, Comrade Marshal.,c,,

2040 Hours: 76th Guards Air Assault Division/47th Tank Brigade, along Highway 4, east of Brownsville, Texas.

General Andreyev went outside his command post, and peered through his binoculars, to the east. So far, the Marine lines were quiet. And visibility was good, so good that he could see almost to the beach. The Americans were still unloading, he could see, even at night, and no doubt they were landing troops and additional supplies. Come morning, he knew, they'd resume the attack, and maybe, just maybe, he'd give them a bloody nose before his forces were overwhelmed. Then he noticed his chief of staff coming with a message form. ,c,,oeAnatoly? What have you got there?,c,,

,c,,oeComrade General.....,c,, the chief of staff said, ,c,,oeIt's over.,c,,

Andreyev was surprised. So soon? But he knew from talking not only with General Chibisov, but Marshal Alekseyev, that the end would be coming. ,c,,oeWhen?,c,,

,c,,oeOne minute after midnight, Comrade General. The Americans will come beginning at 0800.,c,, The chief replied.

,c,,oeThat's it, then.,c,, Andreyev said. ,c,,oeGet all secret materials together and destroy them the best you can.,c,,

,c,,oeYes, Comrade General.,c,,

,c,,oeHas the 47th been notified?,c,, Andreyev asked.

,c,,oeYes, Comrade General. Colonel Glavchenko was relieved, but he mentioned some of his staff and at least one battalion commander were more....distraught.,c,, the chief said. ,c,,oeBut Colonel Glavchenko was firm, and two of those officers went out from the command post-and shot themselves.,c,,

,c,,oeI'll bet there's going to be a lot of that: especially those who were supposed to leave but weren't able to do so.,c,, Andreyev commented. ,c,,oeAll right. Recall all of our patrols. Tell our men to fire only if fired upon.,c,,

,c,,oeRight away, Comrade General.,c,,

Andreyev looked at his chief of staff. ,c,,oeOne other thing: I realize there may be some of our officers and men who do wish to continue the fight. If they want to make a run for Mexico, release them from their duties. I, however will stay, and share the fate of the men.,c,,

,c,,oeI'll relay the message, Comrade General, but I don't think hardly anyone will take the offer.,c,,

**Matt Wiser** · 04-07-2015, 09:43 PM

And the reaction, especially in Moscow. And has anyone caught who the KGB Chairman is?

2115 Hours: 4th Guards Tank Army Headquarters, Harlingen, Texas.

General Suryakin breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. Not quite yet: the clock hadn't reached 0001, but for all intents and purposes, it was over and done. Alekseyev had stopped by the headquarters to inform him personally, and to start the process of notifying unit commanders. All units were to stay in their present positions until the Americans arrived, and that any ALA or PSD were to be taken into custody and handed over to the Americans. If necessary, by force, Alekseyev emphasized.

Now, he looked at his situation map one last time. The 38th Tanks had been reduced to a battered remnant, while 24th Tanks had been finally overwhelmed. On the left, 52nd Tanks and 6th Guards Motor-Rifle had been split, while the 105th Guards Air Assault Division and the 41st Tank Regiment had clung to the highway junction, but had been ground down in the process. If the Americans had launched a major attack that day, or had the surrender not happened, both units were not likely to hold out much longer. It appeared now that the Americans had gotten word of the cease-fire, as they had halted. Though some units still reported exchanging small-arms fire, that was likely soldiers on both sides who hadn't gotten the word. Still, he ordered Golikov to send reliable staff officers to all units to ensure compliance with the cease-fire.

Suraykin walked back to his command vehicle. He fully intended to have a good night's sleep, the first in days, and then in the morning, he'd put on his best uniform and receive the Americans when they arrived. If he was going into an American POW compound, he wanted to show the Americans that he was not a brute like Starukhnin was, nor a barbarian like the KGB or the GRU field security units. As he did so, he heard sobbing coming from another vehicle. He opened the hatch and found his political officer, crying hysterically.

,c,,oeComrade Zampolit?,c,, Suraykin asked.

,c,,oeComrade General....,c,, Major General Vassily Ossipov said. ,c,,oeI know what awaits me.,c,,

,c,,oeI don't follow,,c,, Suraykin said.

,c,,oeComrade General, I was told by the intelligence officer before he boarded that helicopter that I was on an American 'wanted' list. I was on the staff of General Gennady Bratchenko in Louisiana, and they want anyone who was even associated with him.,c,, Ossipov said, tears streaming down his face.

,c,,oeBratchenko....that brute....,c,, Suraykin remembered. He'd been a divisional commander in 1985-86, but he'd heard stories about that monster. Even his front commander at the time had felt the man was out of control, but due to his rank and position, nothing could be done about him. ,c,,oeYou were his political officer?,c,,

,c,,oeNo. But I was in the political department for that area. And the Americans consider political officers equally responsible for rear-area suppression: and justifiably so. Many of us not only condoned such activity, but actively encouraged it, even if we did not participate. Now....if I'm convicted of even one of what the Americans call war crimes, I face either life in prison or a trip to the gallows.,c,, Ossipov said.

,c,,oeComrade...,c,,

,c,,oeNo. I will not run like a coward, trying to escape to Mexico. Nor will I go into American hands.,c,, said Ossipov, determination creeping into his voice. He got up out of the vehicle, pulled out his service pistol, and went outside. Suraykin and those inside heard a shot.

2145 Hours: Soviet Headquarters, Brownsville.

Marshal Alekseyev came into the operations room once again. After returning to the headquarters, he'd actually sat down with Chbisov and Sergetov and had a meal, though the Americans had offered a more substantial dinner once the cease-fire had signed, he had politely declined. There would be time enough for things like that the next day, he felt. But he wanted one last meal with his staff before things were truly over and done. After the meal, he'd taken the opportunity to thank those who didn't work in the operations room, but helped keep the headquarters running. Then he went back into the operations room, where the staff was waiting. ,c,,oeComrades. I take it things are going smoothly?,c,,

Chibisov nodded. ,c,,oeYes, Comrade Marshal. The KGB and ALA are more concerned with getting away than causing any trouble, though the PSD is a different matter.,c,,

,c,,oeI take it they're refusing to surrender?,c,, Alekseyev asked.

,c,,oeYes, Comrade Marshal.,c,, Chibisov said. ,c,,oeThey're holed up here, in what used to be the Brownsville Police Headquarters.,c,,

,c,,oeSend a company from the headquarters guard battalion, with a tank platoon. Give them one chance to follow my orders. If they refuse, destroy the building, and kill every last one of them you find. In this case, we'll do the Americans a favor-and do something we should have done ourselves a long time ago-and cleaned up those scum.,c,, Alekseyev ordered.

Chibisov smiled. ,c,,oeIt will be a pleasure, Comrade Marshal.,c,,

Marshal Alekseyev then turned to his communications officer; ,c,,oeSend this message to Moscow, then destroy your remaining radios, codes, and code machines.,c,,

,c,,oeYes, Comrade Marshal,,c,, the man replied.

,c,,oeThe Socialist Forces in Texas have given their last full measure of duty. We have done all that can be done and are in a position where no more can be done. The strategic and tactical situation is hopeless. With no reliable resupply, shortages of fuel, ammunition, food, and medical supplies, and thousands of wounded who need to be tended to, my forces have done all that can be done given the circumstances. I have arranged for the surrender of the forces remaining in the Brownsville area, and I hope that those who have withdrawn to Mexico will continue to do their duty when the Americans move south. Greetings to the Rodina. We are destroying our communications. Alekseyev.,c,,

,c,,oeIt will be done, Comrade Marshal.,c,, the communications man said.

,c,,oeVery good. Now, once you're finished destroying the radios and code equipment; if you so choose, you and your men may go south to Mexico. Though the communications gear has been destroyed, the Americans would dearly like to have a few words with you and your men.,c,, Alekseyev said.

,c,,oeComrade Marshal, I will stay, but will relay the offer to the men. Some will go, I have no doubt.,c,,

,c,,oeAs you wish. Now, get that off at once.,c,,

Alekseyev then turned to address the staff. ,c,,oeComrades, we have done everything that can be done, and we can do no more. There comes a time when loyalty to those who serve under you takes precedence over loyalty to a particular individual. My first duty now is to our men, and to see to their survival and welfare. Nothing more. Those of you who wish to leave before the cease-fire takes effect, and want to continue the fight in Mexico, may do so. Otherwise, we still have our duty to the men, and we shall carry on, until the Americans arrive.,c,,

Chibisov looked around the room. No one wanted to leave. ,c,,oeComrade Marshal, it appears that the staff wishes to remain.,c,,

Alekseyev nodded. ,c,,oeVery good. Now, we still have things to do. There are still Spetsnatz teams in the pocket, correct?,c,,

,c,,oeOf course, Comrade Marshal,,c,, Chibisov replied.

,c,,oeHave them eliminate whatever KGB, DGI, or PSD they can find. Let's do the Americans a favor, and give them a head start in cleaning up this mess.,c,,

2200 Hours Central Time (0800 Moscow Time): The Defense Council, the Kremlin, Moscow, RSFSR.

The Defense Council was holding its morning briefing, one of two held each day since the start of the war, to review developments overnight, and consider what the day might bring. Given the time differences between North America and Moscow, often, the situation at the front lines in the two theaters had changed since the Defense Council had met, and the morning briefings were a way of getting the Defense Council caught up on developments.

Marshal Sergei Akhromayev, the Defense Minister, had the message from Marshal Alekseyev in his hand. He looked about the room, where General Pavel Grachev, the Chief of the General Staff, was waiting to give his briefing to the Defense Council. Unfortunately for the Marshal, the other members of the Council were firmly in favor of continuing the war. He had been forced to go along, despite one-on-one meetings with other members, showing the reality of the situation on both fronts, and that the Soviet Union had clearly lost the war. Saving the Army in North America, and finding an honorable exit, ought to be the priority, not continuing to throw away lives and treasure in a useless struggle, one that Akhromayev knew should never have been started in the first place.

Now, who might change? He knew that Kosov, the Chairman of the KGB, had been wavering. He knew full well what the battlefield situation was, and that given how despised and loathed the USSR had become ever since 1987, a way out was very desirable. But, as the Marshal knew, Kosov was one who owed his job to General Secretary Chebrikov, and very much wanted to retain that position and the power that went with it. The Marshal looked at Tumansky, the Foreign Minister, whose job had gotten a lot harder than his predecessor, Gromyko, had ever been. The longtime Soviet Foreign Minister had died of a stroke not long after the war began, and Tumansky had been appointed to replace him. He, too, was a hardliner, someone who would have fit right in under Khrushchev, and didn't care what the rest of the world thought of the USSR, as long as they were winning. He also didn't care now that the USSR was losing the war, and had been losing for two years.

There was Boris Pugo, the Interior Minister, who controlled the Interior Troops, the VV, who had military training and equipment, and had been used to brutally suppress any dissent in the form of strikes or riots-which had become more commonplace since 1987-88. Not even the KGB had been able to silence every dissident, and when strikes broke out in the Ukraine, or ethnic riots in Central Asia, the VV came in to crack heads, and when necessary, summarily execute rioters. And Pugo was one of those who'd been on the Council, back in 1985, when the decision to go to war had been made.

Of the two other members, Volkov, the head of GOSPLAN, valued his job more than anything else, and would hardly oppose the General Secretary. And Alexandrov, the Party Ideologist, was just as doctrinaire as his predecessor had been, the man who had said ,c,,oeAll we have to do is kick in the door, and the whole rotten edifice of capitalism will come crashing down,,c,, and had sanctioned the nuclear strikes on cities such as New York and Kansas City, saying that ,c,,oeif the heart of capitalism is burned out, they will not fight for such a rotten system.,c,, Clearly, those statements had proven blatantly false, and no amount of Party dogma could change the reality of the battlefield situation.

The door to the meeting room opened, and everyone stood as Viktor Chebrikov, former head of the KGB, and General Secretary since 1984, came into the room. He was accompanied by his bodyguards, and the Army Colonel who carried the ,c,,oefootball,c,, the case containing the Soviet Union's nuclear release codes, a book of strike options, and a transmitter. Chebrikov had become increasingly detached from reality, both at home and at the front, with Eastern Europe in turmoil, instability in Central Asia, a naval war that had long since been lost, and a land war in North America on the verge of being lost. ,c,,oeBe seated, Comrades,,c,, he said, and everyone took their seats. ,c,,oeI trust you all had a pleasant evening. Now, I see General Grachev is ready to brief us. You may begin, General.,c,,

Grachev began his briefing by going into the situation in Canada and Alaska-where things had been stalemated for nearly three years. The overland supply route from Alaska into Canada was a treacherous one, and only a third of what was delivered to Alaskan ports had made it. The situation would have been better, both Ahkromayev and Grachev knew, had the Battle of Vancouver gone the Soviets' way, but that campaign, which some on the General Staff compared to Stalingrad, had gone the Allies' way, and there wasn't much the Soviets could do about it. Then there was the naval interdiction: the U.S. Navy and both Japanese and South Korean naval forces had devoted considerable efforts to interdict supply convoys from Far Eastern ports to Alaska, with considerable success. And the Americans and British with their Operation EASTERN EXPRESS bombing raids, the Americans with B-52s and B-1s, and the RAF with Vulcans and their own B-1s, made life difficult along the Trans-Siberian and BAM railways, hitting industrial centers, power plants, and the rail lines themselves.

Then Grachev turned to the situation in Texas and along the Mexican-U.S. Border. No U.S. or Allied forces had as yet crossed the border in strength, having closed up along the border everywhere except in the Brownsville Pocket. So far, there was no sign of a U.S. invasion of Mexico becoming imminent, but the presence of the U.S. Fifth Army close to the border meant that such an invasion was a distinct possibility.

,c,,oeAnd the pocket itself, General?,c,, Chebrikov asked.

Grachev looked at Akhromayev. Then the Marshal stood, with a grave expression on his face. ,c,,oeComrades. I have a message from Marshal Alekseyev. He has arranged for the surrender of the forces in the pocket.,c,, Those on the council were stunned. ,c,,oeHe cites a lack of fuel, ammunition, food, and medical supplies, and is clearly in a hopeless position. He has destroyed his communications, and has signed off.,c,,

,c,,oeHe did WHAT?,c,, General Secretary Chebrikov said.

,c,,oeMarshal Alekseyev has surrendered his forces, Comrade General Secretary. There is no more Brownsville pocket.,c,, Akhromayev replied.

,c,,oeOf all the....Doesn't he realize that I promoted him so that he would organize his men for a final stand, and go down fighting? They got a Marshal of the Soviet Union! No Marshal of the Soviet Union, or Russia, has ever been taken alive!,c,, Chebrikov was raging.

,c,,oeComrade General Secretary-,c,, Kosov was saying.

,c,,oeHe doesn't have the decency to even kill himself? I can't believe this! The bravery of so many officers and soldiers is stained by that, that, coward! At the very most, he could have organized and led a final attack, and gotten himself killed leading it! If he wasn't willing to do that, then he should have killed himself!,c,, fumed the General Secretary.

Kosov looked at Marshal Akhromayev, then back at Chebrikov. ,c,,oeComrade-,c,,

,c,,oeHe surrendered! He didn't commit suicide! And then I offered the command to Malinsky, who only bothered to indicate he'd received my message. Clearly it is obvious that the rot of defeatist and treacherous behavior has spread throughout that command! Alekseyev and his generals could have chosen eternal glory and national immortality, but instead, they prefer to go to Philadelphia or Boston!,c,, raged Chebrikov. ,c,,oeThis meeting is adjourned!,c,,

With that, Chebrikov stormed out of the room, followed by Tumansky, Pugo, and Alexandrov. The other members left, until only Marshal Akhromayev and Chairman Kosov remained.

,c,,oeComrade Chairman, I fear our dear General Secretary will soon not be fit to hold his office.,c,, Ahkromayev observed. ,c,,oeWho knows what kind of rash actions he may decide to take?,c,,

,c,,oeI know what you mean, Comrade Marshal. You may be assured that those who carry the codes have been informed of the grave responsibility they bear, and that nothing will happen along those lines.,c,, Kosov replied.

The Marshal let out a sigh of relief. ,c,,oeThat's a relief. Nothing of the sort will happen unless you issue the codes that you possess.,c,,

,c,,oeCorrect. Now, I believe we must act as our predecessors did in 1964. Obviously no one on the Council can replace him, and hardly anyone else on the Politburo. We must look elsewhere.,c,, Kosov said.

Ahkromayev nodded. He turned to General Grachev. ,c,,oeWe'll need to talk with the commanders of the Moscow, Leningrad, Beylorussian, and Kiev Military Districts. Not to mention the candidate members of the Politburo who have been urging a settlement for some time: that's Minister Sergetov, as well as Comrades Bromkovsky, Gorbachev and Yeltsin.,c,, He returned to Kosov. ,c,,oeWho's that deputy foreign minister, the one who has those useless trips to Geneva to explain things at the UN?,c,,

,c,,oeThat would be Bessmertnykh: his English is impeccable, and he has had back-channel discussions with the Americans in the past-though not since the Battle of Wichita.,c,, Kosov said.

,c,,oeI suggest you get him.,c,, Ahkromayev said. ,c,,oeNow, where to meet?,c,,

General Grachev spoke up. ,c,,oeMay I suggest a location that is secure, well guarded, and is the last place anyone would suspect where such a meeting is taking place?,c,,

,c,,oeAnd that is?,c,, Kosov asked.

,c,,oeWhy, the headquarters of the First Shock Army, of course.,c,, Grachev said. ,c,,oeThe Moscow Military District headquarters, not to mention either of your dachas, is far too obvious. A meeting can be camouflaged as an inspection of the troops under the Army's command, and there are secured facilities to be used in the event of nuclear war. Those facilities haven't been used since the last nuclear event, back in 1986, but can be activated on very short notice to house such a meeting.,c,,

Both Ahkromayev and Kosov nodded. ,c,,oeExcellent, General,,c,, Ahkromayev said. ,c,,oeHow long?,c,,

,c,,oeThe arrangements can be made with full discretion. Two days, three at the most.,c,, Grachev said.

,c,,oeSee to it. And have those couriers who've made it out of the pocket there as well,,c,, Ahkromayev ordered. ,c,,oeAnd order some maneuvers as well, to maintain cover.,c,, He turned to Kosov. ,c,,oeWe do not seek to overturn the State. We seek to save it.,c,,

**Matt Wiser** · 04-08-2015, 07:20 PM

It's over in the pocket, but not over elsewhere....

2225 Hours: K-236, The Gulf of Mexico.

Captain Padorin came into the CCP, intending on a status update before getting some sleep. He saw Strenlikov, the officer of the watch, and nodded. ,c,,oeAny contacts, Strenlikov?,c,,

,c,,oeNo contacts, Comrade Captain.,c,,

,c,,oeVery good. Our course and speed?,c,,

,c,,oeWe're maintaining three-five zero, at twenty knots. Depth is two hundred meters.,c,, the young Lieutenant replied.

,c,,oeGood. Let me know at once if anything develops. I'll be in my cabin.,c,, Padorin said.

,c,,oeYes, Comrade Captain.,c,, Strenlikov said.

Then the communications man came in. ,c,,oeComrade Captain, there's an ELF message for us. We need to go to antenna depth to get the full message.,c,,

Padorin nodded. ,c,,oeI have the deck and the con.,c,, He turned to the diving officer. ,c,,oeMake your depth thirty meters, and slow to five knots.,c,,

,c,,oeThirty meters, and slow to five knots, aye, Captain.,c,, the officer replied.

K-236 rose through the depths, and was soon at her new depth. ,c,,oeRaise the ESM antenna first.,c,, Padorin ordered.

The ESM was raised. ,c,,oeNo contacts, Comrade Captain,,c,, the operator reported.

,c,,oeVery well. Raise the antenna.,c,, Padorin said, and the antenna was quickly raised.

,c,,oeWe've got the message, Comrade Captain,,c,, the communications man replied. ,c,,oeThey're repeating it.,c,,

Padorin looked at his officer of the watch. The Starpom and the Security officer were both in their cabins, asleep. ,c,,oeWhy would they do that? Normal procedure is to wait twelve hours before repeats.,c,,

,c,,oeI have no idea, Comrade Captain,,c,, Strenlikov replied.

,c,,oeI don't like it,,c,, Padorin said, just as the communications man came in. ,c,,oeWell?,c,,

,c,,oeComrade Captain....,c,, the man said.

,c,,oeWhat?,c,,

,c,,oeIt's over in Texas, Comrade Captain. They've surrendered in the pocket.,c,, the communications officer said.

Padorin looked at the man. His expression was one of shock. And Padorin knew it was more than that: he had a younger brother who was serving in an airborne unit in the pocket, and he had had no word of his brother since before they'd sailed from Cienfeugos. And there were other officers and crew who either had relatives serving there, or knew of friends who were also there. Now, they were either dead or prisoners. ,c,,oeVery well.... Up periscope.,c,,

The periscope came up from its well, and Padorin swung it in a 360-degree arc. ,c,,oeNo contacts. Down scope, and lower antenna.,c,, As the periscope and antenna went down, he came to his decision. ,c,,oeBack to two hundred meters. Maintain speed.,c,,

Strenlikov nodded, and relayed the orders. The young officer was actually relieved. Maybe, just maybe, he'd find out just how his two brothers had died, now that things were winding down.

Padorin looked at him, and nodded sympathetically. Though he had not lost any relatives, he knew many Academy friends who were either dead or listed as ,c,,oeoverdue, presumed lost.,c,, About fucking time, he thought. This has gone on long enough. Then he decided to announce it to the crew. He picked up a microphone connected to the boat's PA system. ,c,,oeComrades, this is the Captain. We have received a message from headquarters in Cuba. The battle for the Brownsville Pocket has ended. Our forces there have been forced to lay down their arms. Our orders remain unchanged. We'll carry on as best we can. That is all.,c,,

2310 Hours: Cuban 2nd Army Headquarters, Rangerville, Texas.

General Perez received the order from two of Malinsky's staff officers. The cease-fire goes into effect at one minute past midnight. And U.S. Forces would move in to take their surrender in the morning. He'd acknowledged the order, and relayed it to his commanders. Only when all of them had acknowledged the order, and confirmed that they'd carry it out, did he relax. About time, he knew. How many good Cuban fathers and sons had died in this war, and for what? He did know that the cease-fire only applied here in the pocket, and not to either Mexico or Cuba, and Perez feared that the Americans, having reclaimed their own land, would move to settle scores with either country-maybe even both in due course. If he was in their place, he'd invade Cuba first, dealing with the island in only a couple of weeks-knowing full well the Americans had the combat power to do just that, and then deal decisively with the Mexicans. His acting chief of staff-the regular chief had left for the border, carrying a copy of the Army's War Diary with him, and taking the Army's chief political officer with him as well: and there'd been no word since. ,c,,oeYes, Jose?,c,,

,c,,oeComrade General, there are a few officers who wish to go south. They'd rather take their chances attempting to reach the border instead of taking their chances with the Americans.,c,,

Perez knew there would be some who wanted to continue, and deep down, he felt that way himself. But he also had a duty to his men, and he intended to do whatever it took to ensure their welfare. ,c,,oeHow many?,c,, he asked.

,c,,oeA couple dozen in all, Comrade General. Mostly younger officers, though a couple of the remaining political officers wish to leave as well.,c,, the chief replied.

Perez nodded and went to the staff. Everyone came to attention. ,c,,oeComrades, I realize that a number of you wish to continue the fight, by going to Mexico. If you can get through American lines-for the Americans are fully established on our left-you may do so. However, I will remain with the men, and will share their fate. How many of you wish to continue the fight?,c,,

As the chief said, two dozen officers raised their hands. ,c,,oeI see. Very well, I release you from your duties. Good luck, all of you. And should any of you manage to make it to Mexico, and then get to Cuba, give my greetings to the homeland.,c,, Perez then saluted his staff, and those who wanted to leave got up and did so. But the majority of his staff remained.

,c,,oeComrade General, your orders?,c,, the chief asked.

,c,,oeWe are in communications with all units?,c,, Perez said.

,c,,oeYes, but some links are more reliable than others, as you know,,c,, the chief replied.

,c,,oeSend reliable staff officers to all units, and make sure that they know that fighting ceases at one minute past midnight. And do it fast.,c,, Perez ordered.

2335 Hours: 315th Independent Helicopter Transport Regiment, near Villa Hermosa, Mexico.

Major Sabin got out of his Mi-26 heavy-lift helicopter, and walked over to the hangar that served as his regiment's headquarters. It had been a very long day, and he wasn't looking forward to tomorrow. He was down to two flyable Mi-8s, and two flyable Mi-26s, though he had a third Mi-26 that would be back on the flight schedule in a day or so, and two more Mi-8s were undergoing battle-damage repair. Still, he knew that if things had been that bad today, tomorrow would be worse. And there were still hundreds of men who were awaiting evacuation who had not gotten seats on the airlift, and who needed to get out. Shaking his head, he went to the status board, where he found Captain Kovpak sitting at a desk, with a bottle of vodka waiting to be opened. ,c,,oeIvan, you have the shakes or something? We'll be flying again in the morning.,c,,

,c,,oeNot into Brownsville.,c,, Kovpak replied.

,c,,oeWhat do you mean? We've been going in and out there all day. And there's still those who need to get out.,c,, Sabin replied.

Kovpak showed him a message form. It was from General Petrov himself, ordering a halt to all flights into the pocket as of 2300 Hours. And they would not resume at first light.

Sabin read it. ,c,,oeWhat's this about? There are people in there depending on us.,c,,

,c,,oeIt's over on that side of the Rio Grande. General Petrov called to confirm that. The cease-fire goes into effect at one minute past midnight. No more flights in, and anyone stuck there overnight isn't leaving-except as a prisoner.,c,, Kovpak said, a bitter tone creeping into his voice.

,c,,oeSo no flying tomorrow.,c,, Sabin decided.

,c,,oeYes. All I can say, is that I'm glad it's over. I've never been shot at by so many weapons since we got here.,c,, Kovpak said. He reached for the bottle. ,c,,oeA toast?,c,,

,c,,oeTo what?,c,, Sabin replied. This is hardly the time for something like that, he thought.

,c,,oeWe've lost too many friends to this war, and I've lost a brother, up in Alaska. Roman was a Naval Infantry officer-he was killed on the first day.,c,, Kovpak said.

Nodding, Sabin reached for a glass. Kovpak opened the bottle and poured for the both of them. ,c,,oeSo, to absent friends?,c,,

,c,,oeTo absent friends,,c,, Sabin agreed. And both men took a drink.

2355 Hours: Soviet Headquarters, Brownsville.

Marshal Alekseyev went up to the roof of his headquarters, with Colonel Sergetov and his senior Spetsnatz officer. Colonel Arkady Demichenko had assumed command of the various Spetsnatz units in the pocket, many of whom were shadows of their former selves, and he'd organized them into a provisional regiment. Now, his Spetsnatz men were busy cleaning up rogue KGB and DGI elements, as well as the PSD. Some had gone quietly into custody, while lethal force had been used on others. And the Colonel-a two-tour Afghan vet, as well as a veteran of that horrid war that had been fought in the Louisiana bayou, was among those who were glad that it was over. He'd lost way, way, too many of his men, not to mention classmates from the Air Assault Academy at Ryazan, and if he could have, he would've just walked away from the whole mess. ,c,,oeComrade Marshal, we've made good progress in cleaning things up. We won't be done by the time of the cease-fire, but not that long afterwards.,c,,

,c,,oeNot to worry, Colonel.,c,, Alekseyev said. ,c,,oeThe Americans know we've got some....housecleaning, for want of a better term, to take care of. Just have everything finished by 0800.,c,,

,c,,oeCertainly, Comrade Marshal. Though some of my men aren't too thrilled about being here when the Americans arrive.,c,, Demichenko said. ,c,,oeSome of them participated in counter-guerrilla operations, and some of the reprisals that followed.....,c,,

,c,,oeColonel, I understand, but no one leaves after midnight. General Powell has privately assured me that those accused of ....war crimes (he used the American term), will be given the full protections of international law, and will be given a fair trial, should things proceed that far.,c,, Alekseyev said. ,c,,oeYou do understand that?,c,,

,c,,oeI do, Comrade Marshal.,c,, Demichenko said.

Chibisov looked at the luminous dials on his watch. ,c,,oeComrades, one minute.,c,,

Everyone was filled with anticipation, and then Chibisov said, ,c,,oeI make it 0001, Comrade Marshal. The cease-fire is now in effect.,c,,

And those on the rooftop listened. The dull rumble of artillery fire, which had been growing louder in the past couple of days, had stopped. Nor were there the flashes of gunfire on the horizon. The only sound was that of American aircraft overhead, making sure no Soviet aircraft or helicopters tried to get out of the pocket once the cease-fire was official. ,c,,oeSo that's what it sounds like,,c,, Colonel Sergetov said.

,c,,oeWhat do you mean, Comrade Colonel?,c,, Alekseyev asked.

,c,,oeThe sound of peace, at least in this corner of the war, Comrade Marshal.,c,, Sergetov replied.

Chibisov nodded, then reached into a bag, then pulled out a bottle of vodka and four glasses. ,c,,oeComrades, I had been saving this for a more.....appropriate occasion. However, I feel that this is such a moment.,c,, He passed out the glasses and poured. ,c,,oeI would like to propose a toast: To absent friends, and an honorable peace.,c,,

,c,,oeHear, hear, General,,c,, Alekseyev said. After they drank the toast, he went on, ,c,,oeNow,Comrades, we still have a good deal of work to do.,c,, He turned to Colonel Demichenko, ,c,,oeColonel, finish cleaning up those scum-especially the PSD. I'll explain to the Americans that they gave us trouble, and had to be eliminated. Just make sure that their documents, files, and so on, are saved, if at all possible. I want to show just what kind of....animals these slime were, and how ashamed we all should be in having had anything to do with them.,c,,

,c,,oeCertainly, Comrade Marshal,,c,, Demichenko replied.

,c,,oeNow, Chibisov, we still have to ensure that things proceed smoothly tomorrow. No incidents of any sort, is that clear?,c,,

,c,,oeIt is, Comrade Marshal,,c,, Chibisov replied.

,c,,oeGood. Now, if we can, some rest is in order. The first good night's sleep in days, and then we greet the Americans,,c,, Alekseyev said. ,c,,oeRemember, you are still Soviet officers, and conduct yourselves accordingly.,c,,

**Matt Wiser** · 04-08-2015, 07:22 PM

And it winds on and down...

0020 Hours, 5 October, 1989: 175th Naval Infantry Brigade, South Padre Island, Texas.

Major Lazarev sat with his staff in his headquarters, in the cellar of the condominium. A couple of bottles of vodka were opened, and several toasts to lost comrades had been drunk, and so far, no one was actually drunk, but that wasn't beyond the realm of possibility. Then his chief of staff came in. ,c,,oeComrade Major, Admiral Gordikov is here.,c,,

,c,,oeWhat? The Admiral?,c,, Lazarev said, clearly surprised.

,c,,oeYes, Comrade Major.,c,,

,c,,oeBy all means, bring him in,,c,, Lazarev said, putting the bottles away as he did so. He and his staff came to attention as Admiral Gordikov came into the headquarters. ,c,,oeComrade Admiral,,c,, Lazarev said with a slight bow.

,c,,oeMajor. I trust things here have gone without any incidents?,c,, Gordikov asked.

,c,,oeThings have gone well, Comrade Admiral. Though the PSD office and the KGB were hit an hour ago, by Spetsnatz, apparently.,c,, Lazarev said.

,c,,oeThat's good,,c,, Gordikov replied. He went from staffer to staffer, shaking their hands. ,c,,oeIs there anyone from the Boiky still here? I would like to thank them for their efforts.,c,,

,c,,oeYes, Comrade Admiral. We have most of the survivors organized into a provisional company, and the former executive officer had an observation post on the fifth floor.,c,, Lazarev told the Admiral.

,c,,oeShow me the observation post, Major.,c,,

,c,,oeOf course, Comrade Admiral,,c,, Lazarev said. ,c,,oeIf you will accompany me...,c,, The two officers walked up the stairs, until they came to the fifth floor. Lazarev then walked to the rooms-the destroyer men had knocked out most of the wall between the two rooms-and opened the door. Kamarov was still at his spotting glasses, peering out to sea. ,c,,oeIn here, Comrade Admiral.,c,,

Upon hearing those words, Kamarov got up and stood to attention, ,c,,oeComrade Admiral?,c,,

,c,,oeYou must be Kamarov, I gather?,c,, Gordikov asked.

,c,,oeYes, Comrade Admiral.,c,,

,c,,oeA pity about the loss of your ship and those of your shipmates who were still aboard. You did the best job you could getting here. It's....unfortunate that things have gone the way they have, but that's war.,c,, Gordikov said.

,c,,oeAt least most of the crew will get home, Comrade Admiral. It may be some months, but.... that's what we're all hoping, anyway,,c,, Kamarov said.

,c,,oeI'm not going to argue with that sentiment, and I imagine everyone here shares it. Just remember that you are still a Soviet officer, and your responsibility is now to your men. No suicides: that's an order. You, too, Major.,c,, Gordikov reminded the two officers.

Both nodded. ,c,,oeNow, there still are civilians here?,c,, Gordikov asked as they did so.

,c,,oeYes, Comrade Admiral.,c,, Lazarev said.

,c,,oeUntil the Americans arrive, we are still responsible for civil law and order. Fortunately, they'll be here in the morning. We hand over our weapons, turn in our vehicles, and leave this island.,c,, Gordikov said.

,c,,oeUnderstood, Comrade Admiral.,c,, said Lazarev.

,c,,oeGood. Just be glad it's over, Major. And also be glad you didn't have to fire a shot. Enough good Russians have died here, and I'm glad you won't be among them.,c,,

0600 Hours: Camp 24, near Laguna Vista, Texas.

Major Tsernik sat in his office, an open bottle of vodka on his desk. He'd been drinking most of the night, ever since he'd gotten word of the cease-fire. A staff officer from Front Headquarters had come to him, with a written order signed by General Malinsky, reminding him of the directive from Marshal Alekseyev about turning prisoners over to the Americans. He had no orders to eliminate the prisoners, prior to that directive, and would not have done so without such an order.

Now, as the first light of dawn began to break, he knew the Americans would be there in a few hours, and Tsernik knew that he'd have a lot of explaining to do. Though he was not the original camp commander, the camp had had such a reputation for brutality and back-breaking forced labor, that even a number of Soviet senior officers were appalled. The previous commander-a sadistic psychopath by anyone's standards-had been ,c,,oeretired,c,, and Tsernik appointed to replace him. And conditions had improved considerably, but even so, the camp was nowhere near what the Geneva Convention required, even if the Soviets had been inclined to follow it. He'd also put an end to most of the brutality, as well as the worst of the ,c,,oeentertainment,c,, that the inhabitants of the North Compound were forced to provide guards and visiting VIPs.

Tsernik stood up, and went to his adjutant's office. Captain Yegor Dimitriev had been an artillery officer, until he'd been wounded in 1987 during the American Summer Offensive-the one that followed Wichita-having been burned on his arms and legs when his 2S3 SP gun had been hit by an A-10. Though unfit for front-line service, his knowledge of English landed him in this assignment. ,c,,oeComrade Captain,,c,,

Dimitriev stood up. He'd been sleeping on a cot in his office, ,c,,oeComrade Major,,c,, he nodded.

,c,,oeGet the two senior officers-from South Compound and North Compound-and bring them here. Right now,,c,, Tsernik said.

,c,,oeImmediately, Comrade Major,,c,, the adjutant replied, and he went out to get the two officers. A few minutes later, he was back with two very shabby and disheveled American officers, U.S. Army Major Richard Caldwell and U.S. Air Force Captain Rachel Pearson. Both had been captured in the war's early days, had endured the brutality, forced labor, and poor diet, and they both showed it. The two Americans looked at each other, then at the commander. ,c,,oeComrade Major, the two senior officers,,c,,

,c,,oeWell, Major, Captain, today's the day for you.,c,, Tsernik said.

Both looked at the other again. Then Caldwell said, ,c,,oeWhat do you mean by that?,c,,

,c,,oeSimple: a cease-fire is in effect since midnight. Your forces will be here this morning. Despite everything the Socialist World could throw at you, you've won.,c,, Tsernik said.

,c,,oeIt's over?,c,, Pearson, a former C-130 pilot, asked.

,c,,oeYes, it is. At least here,,c,, replied the commander.

,c,,oeYou do know what we'll report, when our troops arrive?,c,, Caldwell, who had been captured at First Houston, asked.

,c,,oeI know,,c,, Tsernik said. ,c,,oeI do hope you'll point out that I did improve conditions here, and put an end to the worst.....of things.,c,,

,c,,oeNot enough, Major,,c,, Caldwell said. ,c,,oeYou didn't do enough. All you did was improve things enough to keep us fit for labor, or,,c,, he said, looking at Pearson, ,c,,oeother....activities.,c,,

,c,,oeI did not participate in that, and you, Captain, know it.,c,, Tsernik replied.

,c,,oeThe hell you did! You may not have dropped your pants, but you either looked the other way, or worse, watched. We call that command responsibility, Major.,c,, Pearson shot back.

Their conversation was interrupted by a low-flying aircraft. Everyone went to a window and saw a C-130 banking around after it had apparently flown over the camp. Then came the sound of jets, and two F-16s came over, obviously escort for the C-130. The C-130 came around for another pass, and first leaflets, then parachutes came from the rear door. Underneath the parachutes were pallets with boxes, obviously supplies. The two Americans turned to the commander. ,c,,oeWell, Major?,c,, Pearson asked.

The adjutant turned to the commander. Tsernik knew not to interfere. He turned to Dimtriev, ,c,,oeOrder the guards not to get involved, immediately. And morning roll call will not be held.,c,, Then Tsernik turned to the two Americans. ,c,,oeI suggest you get what's obviously yours, both of you.,c,,

The two nodded, then turned as Dimitriev came back. ,c,,oeThe guards have been informed, Comrade Major,,c,,

,c,,oeGood. Now, please assist the two senior officers in helping to distribute the supplies. I have...something to attend to.,c,, Tsernik said.

Dimitriev nodded. ,c,,oeFollow me, please,,c,, he said, and the two American officers followed him. As they left the camp office, they heard a shot. The trio went back into Tsernik's office, and found him slumped over his desk, a Makarov pistol still in his right hand, and a hole in his temple. ,c,,oeNot the way I wanted another command,,c,, was Dimitriev's response.

The two Americans went over to the body. They simply glared at the now-deceased commander, and Captain Pearson kicked the body, then they turned to Dimitirev. ,c,,oeCaptain, you were different. You actually tried to help whenever you could, and we'll remember that. And you never laid a hand on anyone that we know of.,c,, Caldwell said.

,c,,oeThank you, Major. Let's get these gifts from heaven passed out to the prisoners. I will have the guards leave the watch towers, and they will go to their barracks, with weapons stacked in front. There will be no trouble.,c,, Dimitriev said. ,c,,oeThings will be orderly when your forces arrive.,c,,

0630 Hours: 76th Guards Air Assault Division/47th Tank Brigade, Highway 4, east of Brownsville, Texas.

General Andreyev got up off of his cot. He'd been sleeping in a tent next to his command BMD, and for the first time since 1985, he knew that no one would be dying today. After shaving, he put on his best uniform-the only good dress uniform he had left, and then went into the command post. His staff was still at work, even though things would be wrapping up in under a couple of hours. His chief of staff came to him, ,c,,oeComrade General,,c,,

,c,,oeAnatoly,,c,, Andreyev said, ,c,,oeWere there any....incidents?,c,, That was something that he knew Marshal Alekseyev would be very concerned about as the day went on.

,c,,oeNo, Comrade General, nothing of the sort. Some soldiers decided to take the chance and head to Mexico, but most have remained.,c,, the chief said.

,c,,oeTo be expected: either they genuinely wish to continue the fight, or have...other worries.,c,, Andreyev said, and everyone knew what the phrase 'other worries' meant: a potential trial as a war criminal. He did know that some of his men had come from Spetsnatz into the airborne forces, and had participated in some very nasty counterinsurgency operations, usually leaving a very bloody path in their wake.

,c,,oeThat is so, Comrade General,,c,, the chief replied. Actually, the chief was glad to see them go, though no one doubted their fighting spirit and tenacity, the fact that some of the men in the division were associated with such.....events made him uneasy.

,c,,oeAnd the Americans?,c,, Andreyev asked.

,c,,oeOnce midnight came, there wasn't any shooting into the air, much to our surprise. But they did shoot off a lot of flares, there were horns sounding from the ships, and all manner of lights came on from the beach and the ships offshore.,c,,

,c,,oeIf I had been commanding those Marines, I'd be doing the same thing. Would you want any of your men wounded by falling bullets?,c,, Andreyev asked dryly.

A thin smile came to the chief's lips. ,c,,oeNo, Comrade General,,c,,

,c,,oeI gather all sensitive materials have been destroyed?,c,, Andreyev asked.

,c,,oeYes, Comrade General,,c,, the chief said. ,c,,oeAll codes and communications materials have been destroyed, along with the most sensitive intelligence materials.,c,,

Andreyev nodded. ,c,,oeVery good, Anatoly. Let's get the men a good breakfast, the best we can provide, before the Americans arrive.,c,,

0710 Hours: Soviet Headquarters, Brownsville.

Marshal Alekseyev came into the Operations Room once again, only this time, he knew, it would be for the last time. He glanced at the map, which had last been updated prior to his leaving for the meeting with General Powell, and knew just by looking at it, that he'd made the right decision. Lack of ammunition, fuel, medical supplies, and above all, food, meant that continuing the fight was senseless. And if his actions here started the process by which the war ended? So be it, he felt. It has to start somewhere.

He had risen early, taken one final bath, and wanted to be properly groomed. After all General Powell would be here in a while, and he wanted to be properly dressed to receive the American commander. Then he'd breakfasted with Colonel Sergetov, before coming down. He then found General Chibisov. ,c,,oeGood morning, Pavel Pavlovitch,,c,,

,c,,oeGood morning, Marshal,,c,, Chibisov replied. ,c,,oeSo far, no....regrettable incidents to report, and Colonel Demichenko reports that the matter of cleaning up those elements who may try to disrupt things has been....dealt with. In most cases, things were settled with a minimum amount of force, but in some....,c,,

,c,,oeIn some, those scum-and I believe I'm referring mostly to the PSD, correct?,c,, Alekseyev asked. Seeing Chibisov nod, he finished, ,c,,oeDemichenko's men had to kill them all.,c,,

,c,,oeThat is so, Comrade Marshal. And as per your orders, files, documents, etc., have been secured. And all POW and labor camps, as per your orders, remain intact. There were some....incidents prior to the time of our meeting, but those were mainly due to the KGB and PSD taking action before the cease-fire.,c,, Chibisov reported.

,c,,oeLet me guess: they decided to kill those who might be able to testify against them later on, in any future legal proceedings?,c,, Alekseyev asked. ,c,,oeHow many?,c,,

,c,,oeAbout a couple hundred or so, Comrade Marshal. However, Demichenko says that those responsible have already paid-the Chekists when the headquarters guard attacked their headquarters, and the PSD when the police headquarters was stormed. The bodies were found in the basements, I'm afraid.,c,, Chibisov said.

,c,,oeSomething we'll have to mention to Powell, when the time comes,,c,, Alekseyev noted. ,c,,oeAnd things at the front?,c,,

,c,,oeAll quiet. Though the Americans, once midnight came and went, did celebrate. Not that much in the way of shooting into the air, but a generous amount of flares-in many different colors, lights being shone into the sky, and the ships offshore sounded their horns.,c,, Chibisov reported. ,c,,oeThere's a couple of other matters....,c,,

,c,,oeYes?,c,, Alekseyev asked.

,c,,oeMalinsky's chief of medical services went forward, and has returned. The Americans have all the information they need to assist us in treating, then evacuating, the wounded,,c,, Chibisov said.

,c,,oeIt will probably be too late for some,,c,, Alekseyev said, remembering a visit he'd made to a hospital in late September. And the filth had disgusted him. The shortages of even clean linen, let alone things like bandages, antibiotics, antiseptic, and other medical supplies made a bad situation a great deal worse. And one medical officer had said to him that he expected the Americans' sense of cleanliness to be shot away, and that once the wounded had been moved, they'd probably burn the place down and simply rebuild. That doctor was probably right, Alekseyev thought. Another thing that he'd wished those Party bosses in Moscow could've seen, because if they had, they would have at least tried to terminate the war. ,c,,oeAnd the other?,c,,

,c,,oeHe also brought a message from General McCaffery: since the cease-fire took effect, some of the American reporters may decide to go forward, ahead of their troops. He calls it 'getting the exclusive.' In other words........,,c,,

Alekseyev was incredulous. ,c,,oeIn other words, those journalists are competing to be the first into Brownsville, even ahead of their own army?,c,,

,c,,oeThat is correct, Comrade Marshal.,c,, Chibisov said. ,c,,oeIf Dudorov was still here, he'd be able to explain it much more than I could. But that is basically it.,c,,

Alekseyev shook his head. ,c,,oeAll right, inform Malinsky of that, and inform him that any such reporters are not to be interfered with.,c,,

,c,,oeYes, Comrade General.,c,,

**pmulcahy11b** · 04-08-2015, 09:55 PM

I recently learned that TOPGUN was operating F-86Hs as late as 1982. How would they figure in all this?

**Matt Wiser** · 04-08-2015, 10:29 PM

Keep them in the training role.

**Matt Wiser** · 04-09-2015, 08:58 PM

And it won't be long now until Powell arrives to take the surrender...

0745 Hours: Along U.S. 281, near La Paloma, Texas.

For Captain Nancy Kozak and her Company Team, it had been an eventful evening. After they'd secured the convoy full of Soviet servicewomen and sent them on their way to the rear, they had pushed on south, until they had reached the site of what had been a Soviet ribbon bridge across the Rio Grande, near what had been the town of La Paloma, but was now more a collection of ruins than a town. And the Team had found some KGB troops stationed there for traffic control, and wiped them out in the process. Then Kozak had received an order to halt for the night, and when she protested that she ,c,,oecould be in Brownsville by midnight,,c,, her battalion commander sympathized, but the orders came down not from division or corps, but higher. A cease-fire was a distinct possibility, and so the order had gone out to hold fast on current positions. Sure enough, at 2100, word came down of a cease-fire effective at midnight, with the advance to be resumed at 0800, with orders not to fire unless fired upon.

At midnight, celebrations broke out all over the line, with some shooting into the air, but mostly colored flares, while an artillery unit to their rear fired off a bunch of star shells. Then the platoon leaders and the sergeants calmed everyone down, and a normal night routine set in. Everyone was awakened at 0530, with the usual stand-to an hour later. And everyone was glancing at his or her watch every two minutes, or so it seemed, waiting until 0800, when they could head on to Brownsville, and be the first to reach the old International Bridges over the Rio Grande. And, in the words of the battalion commander, ,c,,oebeat the airborne mafia there,,c,, for he'd heard that the 82nd Airborne was going in along Highway 77-83 to secure Soviet headquarters and be General Powell's honor guard. The 49th Armored had been chewed up badly during the initial invasion, and had earned the right to be the first into Brownsville at the end, the divisional commander was heard to say over the radio.

Now, Kozak was in the commander's seat of her Bradley, counting down to 0800, and when her unit could lead the battalion's advance. Her gunner, busy peering through his sight, said, ,c,,oeMa'am, it's weird. We're still at war, but not here. And if somebody shoots at us from across the river?,c,,

,c,,oeIf somebody's that stupid, he gets shot in return. Simple as that,,c,, Kozak said.

Then the First Sergeant came in over the Company net. ,c,,oeSix, there's a Humvee coming up behind us. Wait, there's two of them.,c,,

,c,,oeFind out who they are, and let me know.,c,, Kozak replied.

The First Sergeant went over to the Humvees in his M-113 and spoke to the occupants. Then he got back onto the net. ,c,,oeMa'am, they're reporters. One Humvee's got a guy from UPI, another from the Chicago Tribune, along with a fella from some paper in England, and the other has a CNN crew.,c,,

,c,,oeWho's the CNN crew?,c,, Kozak asked.

,c,,oeJan Fields' bunch, Ma'am.,c,,

Kozak smiled. She'd seen Fields' reports when she had been on R&R, and often that reporter had been there at the front, and had even reported live from the front lines at Wichita-the battle that turned the tide of the war: that had earned Fields an Emmy award, as well as the gratitude of the 3rd Armored Division-she had brought a lot of publicity to that division.. ,c,,oeAll right, just tell 'em to follow behind us, and they'll be first into Brownsville.,c,,

,c,,oeYes, Ma'am.,c,,

The clock ticked by slowly, but surely. With five minutes to go, Kozak stood in the seat of her Bradley and gave the ,c,,oestart engines,c,, signal that any pilot would recognize. The tanks and Bradleys cranked their engines, and all were up and running. She looked at her watch one final time. 0800 and ten seconds. ,c,,oeAll Bravo Three-Six units, this is Bravo Six. Let's go.,c,, And Kozak's Team rolled forward, heading south to Brownsville.

0805 Hours: 105th Guards Air Assault Division/41st Tank Regiment, Harlingen, Texas.

Captain Gaipov walked out of his regiment's command post for the last time. His regiment was such in name only, for he only had two hundred or so effectives, and some of those were walking wounded. As he did so, he saw the Americans whom they'd fought with for control of the intersection come forward. Gaipov had inherited the regiment simply because he was the highest ranking officer not killed or wounded, given that the regimental commander and his deputy had both been killed by a sniper, and the chief of staff had been severely wounded by American artillery fire. Now, it was over.

Lieutenant Moore and her company came forward on foot, since the flyover ramps at the intersection had been blown down into rubble, and that would have to be cleared before the highway junction could be used by heavy vehicular traffic. Her company now numbered 65, having had 225 when it had started, and like the Soviets, a few of those still fighting were walking wounded, but their wounds were not serious enough to require hospitalization. And everyone was dressed for the occasion, though the troops wore their field caps instead of their Kevlar helmets. She led the company to where the Soviets had come from when they came forward to surrender the day before. And the first Russian she found was an airborne captain, who spotted her and came forward.

,c,,oeCaptain Gaipov, 351st Guards Air Assault Regiment,,c,, he said, saluting.

,c,,oeLieutenant Moore, 116th Infantry, 29th Division,,c,, she said, returning the salute. ,c,,oeHow many do you have here?,c,,

,c,,oeTwo hundred and five left in the regiment, Lieutenant,,c,, the Russian replied.

,c,,oeAll right, call your men out. Have them lay down their weapons in front of the building, then form up outside. No funny business.,c,,

,c,,oeIt will be as you say,,c,, the Russian said. He turned and shouted orders in Russian. And the Soviet paratroopers, who were just as dirty, ragged, and tired as her people were, came out, and laid down their weapons, as they were told. When they were finished, the captain asked, ,c,,oeYour orders?,c,,

,c,,oeStart walking north on 77. There's a unit coming behind us that will process you and your men, and start you on the way to wherever they'll send you.,c,,

The Russian saluted again, and she returned it. And even though they were disarmed and now POWs, the Soviet paratroopers marched north, still as a unit. Moore remarked to her first sergeant, ,c,,oeNow that's the strangest thing I've seen.,c,,

,c,,oeMa'am?,c,,

,c,,oeThey may be POWs now, but they still have their unit pride. And they're not letting anyone forget it,,c,, she said. ,c,,oeNow, get these buildings secured. Get all the heavy weapons and get them out here as well. Machine guns, RPGs, AGS-17s, any antitank missiles or SAMs, get it all. I'll notify battalion to get people down here to pick this stuff up-and get rid of it. Hopefully, in a nice bang.,c,,

,c,,oeRight, Ma'am,,c,, the first sergeant said, barking out orders.

Her RTO came over, ,c,,oeMa'am, there's some more Russians coming, and they've got a white flag.,c,,

,c,,oeNow who are these guys?,c,, Moore asked. She didn't have long to wait. This time, it was an armor officer, leading what appeared to be tank and other vehicle crews, all on foot. And it was clear from his appearance that he was looking for an officer. He spotted her and came over. Just like the airborne officer, he saluted her first. ,c,,oeColonel Chesnikov, 41st Independent Tank Regiment. I present my men to you,,c,,

,c,,oeLieutenant Moore, 116th Infantry, 29th Division,,c,, She replied, returning the salute. ,c,,oeHow many do you have, Colonel?,c,,

,c,,oeAbout eleven hundred or so,,c,, Chesnikov answered. ,c,,oeWe have left all of our weapons next to our vehicles. They are about a kilometer south of here, along the freeway.,c,,

,c,,oeAll right, Colonel. Like I told that airborne officer who was just here, start walking north along Highway 77. There's people following us who will process you and your men, and send you off to wherever.,c,,

Chesnikov nodded, saluted again, and returned to his men. He barked out an order, and what was left of his regiment, some 1100 men, marched north along the highway. As they did so, Moore turned to the First Sergeant, who'd watched the whole thing. ,c,,oeTwo in fifteen minutes.,c,,

,c,,oeMa'am?,c,,

She laughed. ,c,,oeThat's twice in fifteen minutes I've taken the surrender of a regiment.,c,,

0820 Hours: 76th Guards Air Assault Division/47th Tank Brigade, along Highway 4, east of Brownsville, Texas.

General Andreyev came out of his command post to watch, first with his binoculars, then with the naked eye, as the U.S. Marines came forward. And they did so under the watchful eye of Cobra helicopters and Harrier attack aircraft. The Marines clearly weren't taking any chances, and if he was in their place, neither would he. Nodding, he turned to his chief of staff and the political officer-who had stayed, much to his surprise. He'd half expected the Zampolit to either take off for Mexico, or shoot himself, but instead, the man had stayed. While the Americans were not as harsh with Political Officers as, say, the Germans had been, the fact that many Zampolits had played a part in suppressing guerrillas and in taking measures against civilians, up to and including reprisal executions. As a result, the Americans considered Political Officers as potential war criminals, and treated them as such, unless there was proof the man in question had not participated in any such activity. And Andreyev knew this, and fully intended to vouch for his political officer, since the man had not participated in any such actions during his tenure with the division.

Now, as the Marines advanced, Andreyev and his staff watched as a Marine UH-1N helicopter landed nearby, and several armed Marines came out, securing the area around the helicopter. Then an officer came out, and began walking towards Andreyev, who began walking towards the Marine. Then both saluted.

,c,,oeMajor General Charles Lowe, United States Marine Corps, 4th Marine Division.,c,, the Marine said.

,c,,oeI am Lieutenant General Andreyev, 76th Guards Air Assault Division. I surrender the division, and the attached 47th Tank Brigade, to you.,c,,

The Marine general nodded. A radioman came up to him, holding out a radio receiver. Lowe spoke into it, and then waved the Marines forward. As they did so, Andreyev's paratroopers came out of their holes and laid down their weapons.

,c,,oeGeneral,,c,, Lowe was saying. ,c,,oeCongratulations on your promotion. Last my Intelligence Officer told me, you were a Major General.,c,,

Andreyev nodded. ,c,,oeA lot of us got such promotions in the last days, General. Just as the failed art student did with his generals at Stalingrad.,c,,

The Marine general nodded, watching as a steady stream of Soviet paratroopers and tankers came forward, laying down their weapons. ,c,,oeI hope you don't get seasick, General.,c,,

,c,,oeOh?,c,, Andreyev asked.

,c,,oeMy intelligence people want to have a talk with you and your staff. They're still aboard one of the ships offshore, so you'll get a nice helicopter ride out to one of the amphibious carriers.,c,, Lowe said as a CH-53E Super Stallion came in and landed nearby. ,c,,oeThat helo will take you to the ship. The admiral who commands the amphibious force is aboard that carrier, Saipan, and he'll receive you. One thing: you'll be wearing ear protection: it gets pretty loud in those things.,c,,

Two squads of armed Marines came out of the helicopter, and a Marine Captain came to General Lowe with a bag of ,c,,oeMickey Mouse,c,, ear protectors. Nodding, Lowe turned again to Andreyev, ,c,,oeGeneral, you and your staff put these on, and follow the captain. Like I said: hope you don't get seasick.,c,,

0830 Hours: 4th Guards Tank Army Headquarters, Harlingen, Texas.

General Suraykin and his staff walked out of the warehouse that had served as the Army headquarters during the final battle. He had half expected to get killed somehow, but instead, he was going to live, and fully intended to set a good example to his men in captivity. Suraykin and his staff were in their best uniforms, and waited for the Americans to arrive. They didn't have long to wait, for a column of M-60A4-120 tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles came down from the northeast, and reached the freeway, and the headquarters. One of the tanks pulled up to where Suraykin and his staff were waiting, and the tank commander climbed down and took off his helmet. General Suraykin noticed he was a Captain, and satisfied about that, walked up to him and saluted. ,c,,oeGeneral Piotyr Suraykin, 4th Guards Tank Army,,c,,

,c,,oeCaptain Jeff Ritter, 5-37 Armor, 2nd Brigade, 7th Armored Division.,c,,

Nodding, Suraykin said, ,c,,oeWe've been expecting you, or shall we say, someone from your division. I do have a question: were you at the airport?,c,,

,c,,oeIn fact, General, I was. Those were your guys at the airport, I take it?,c,,

,c,,oeThey were. First 20th, then 38th Tank Divisions.,c,,

,c,,oeDon't know if anyone's told you this, but General, your men fought hard. We took our share of lumps driving your men out of that airport.,c,, Ritter said.

Suraykin and Isakov smiled. They weren't sure how many casualties they'd inflicted in the final battle at the airport, but at least they'd made the Americans pay a price-even if it wasn't as much as they'd hoped, for the airport. ,c,,oeAt least we know that much. Captain, your instructions?,c,,

,c,,oeGather your people up here, and get ready to walk north. I'll notify my superiors, and they'll probably send a vehicle or maybe a helicopter for you and any other general officers.,c,, Ritter said. ,c,,oeHave you and your staff had anything to eat since last night?,c,,

,c,,oeNo, Captain, other than some weak tea and some bread,,c,, Suraykin replied.

,c,,oeWe'll get you some MREs-better than nothing, I suppose, but still, they're edible, mostly. First Sergeant!,c,,

,c,,oeYes, Cap'n?,c,, the company first sergeant asked.

Get some MREs and bottled water for the general and his men,,c,, Ritter said, and the first sergeant nodded and went off to fulfill the order. ,c,,oeBest we can do, General, for right now.,c,,

Suryakin had heard from prisoners what the Americans thought of their MRE rations. Some were good, some were despised. Well, he'd find out for himself. Soon, the first sergeant pulled up in a Humvee and brought some MRE boxes. ,c,,oeSir, this should keep you for a while,,c,, he said, saluting. Suraykin nodded and took the boxes, and Isakov passed out the rations. He looked at his: Beef Stew.

**Matt Wiser** · 04-09-2015, 09:08 PM

And more U.S. Forces arrive:

0850 Hours: Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport.

Colonel Alexandrov was amazed at the controlled chaos that had been unfolding at the airport since 0800. Right on the dot, several C-130s had appeared-how he wished his side had such capable aircraft-other than the two or three Libyan examples-and began dropping paratroopers. The Americans formed up after landing, and their ranking officer-who identified himself as the Assistant Division Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, came to him. Apart from a company of paratroop infantry, some of the Americans were airborne pathfinders, sent to mark drop zones, while others were U.S. Air Force Combat Controllers, sent to find out runway conditions, and get ready to support incoming and outgoing aircraft. Within minutes, the single operable runway was declared open, and C-130s and C-141s began coming in a steady stream. And just like his own An-12s and Il-76s, they didn't bother shutting down: troops and vehicles came out of the aircraft, formed up into units, and then moved out of the airport into Brownsville.

Alexandrov was pleased to see that some of the Americans' initial arrivals were medical personnel. One of their medical officers had come over to him and asked where the Soviets had kept the wounded earmarked for evacuation, and where the nearest field hospital was. Happy to be of service, the Colonel showed the American Captain where his people could best be of help. And the American had replied, ,c,,oeColonel, it's over now. Those wounded may be POWs now, but they're still people who need decent medical care and food. We'll do what we can to help them.,c,,

While that was going on, the American paratroopers were busy disarming soldiers, collecting heavy weapons, and assembling prisoners so that they could be easily guarded, then sent north. And one thing surprised the Colonel: though the Americans were in full combat gear, they were wearing their airborne berets as they went about their business. Clearly, they wanted to send a message that the 82nd had arrived, and there had better be no trouble from anyone.

Now, he was sitting under guard, in the shadow of a hangar, with other Soviet officers-a mix of air force, Army, and Voyska PVO. The Americans had told him that it would be a while before everyone could go north, but they had provided the prisoners with MREs and bottled water, and since many of the Soviets hadn't had much to eat the past few days, the food and water was gratefully accepted. He'd actually enjoyed his MRE, which had said ,c,,oeHam and Cheese omelet,c,, and had even liked the fruit punch and coffee that came with it. Then he noticed an American officer coming towards him. A nearby guard saluted, then the officer spoke, ,c,,oeI'm looking for Colonel Alexandrov.,c,,

Alexandrov stood up, ,c,,oeYou have found him.,c,,

,c,,oeGood, please come with me.,c,, the American said. Confused, Alexandrov followed the American officer to a Humvee, where several American officers-male and female, were standing, looking over a map-and that map was of the airport. The American saluted another officer-who was clearly in command of the group. ,c,,oeSir, I have Colonel Alexandrov.,c,,

,c,,oeSir, I'm Lieutenant Colonel Joel Wainwright, XVIII Airborne Corps engineers. We need to know where any and all unexploded ordnance is. It's just as much a danger to your men still here as it is to us.,c,,

Alexandrov nodded. Though some might call it collaboration with the enemy, others would say that the safety of his men came first. ,c,,oeI can show you, Colonel. But I have to warn you: I don't know where all of it is, only what was reported.,c,,

Colonel Wainwright nodded. ,c,,oeFair enough, Colonel. Why don't you show us?,c,, As Alexandrov began to do so, Wainwright added, ,c,,oeChances are, we're not going to find all of it, either. Some of it's going to get someone killed, fifteen, maybe twenty years from now.,c,,

0900 Hours: Gulf Front Headquarters, Rancho Viejo, Texas.

General Malinsky stood outside his office, watching as UH-60 and CH-47 helicopters flew overhead, heading south. Obviously, this was the 101st Airborne Division making its presence felt, and he wondered why that division had not been committed-unless the division was being held in reserve for this particular eventuality. Well, maybe he'd ask an American officer when the Americans arrived. And he didn't have long to wait, for a group of helicopters flew in and landed on what had been the high school's sports fields. Heavily armed paratroopers came out and secured the landing area, then a senior officer came forward. Malinsky and Isakov went to meet him. ,c,,oeGeneral Malinsky, commanding the Gulf Front,,c,, he said with a slight bow.

,c,,oeLieutenant Colonel Pete Fanning, 2-506 Airborne Infantry, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne,,c,, the American replied, saluting.

Malinsky nodded, returning the salute, ,c,,oeColonel, you will find everything here in order.,c,,

,c,,oeThat's good, General. Please wait,,c,, Fanning said as he summoned his RTO. Another Blackhawk, which had been orbiting nearby, came in and landed. Another officer, along with several staff officers, came out. Colonel Fanning walked over to him, obviously reporting to him. Then the officer came over, wearing three stars on his fatigue cap. ,c,,oeGeneral Malinsky?,c,, the American said, ,c,,oeLieutenant General Gary Luck, XVIII Airborne Corps.,c,,

,c,,oeGeneral,,c,, Malinsky said, nodding. ,c,,oePlease, this way to the operations room. Everything you need is there.,c,,

,c,,oeAll right, let's go.,c,, Luck said.

Malinsky and Isakov led the Americans into the operations room, where the staff had still been at work, making sure things went smoothly. Out of habit, the staff came to attention. Malinsky nodded, as did General Luck. ,c,,oeGeneral, we need to know if you have any minefields laid-if you were trying to block any kind of helicopter assault. And we need to know about your ammunition dumps: we've got them located, but which ones have any kind of chemical munitions.,c,, Luck said.

Isakov spoke up, ,c,,oeI have that information, General,,c,, and he went over to a desk and picked up two maps. One had the Front's ammunition storage points marked, while another had several minefields. ,c,,oeThe first map has the ammunition storage, though all of them have chemical munitions of one sort or another. And the second shows the minefields-at least those that the various armies had reported before things started to come apart.,c,,

Luck picked up the maps and handed them to his intelligence officer. ,c,,oePass the information on minefields to the 101st and to 18th Aviation Brigade. Send the material on the ammo dumps to the 101st and to II MAF: there's a couple in their AOR.,c,,

,c,,oeRight away, General,,c,, the intelligence officer said, going back to the landing zone to get the material flown out.

,c,,oeGeneral,,c,, Malinsky said, ,c,,oeI thank you for what you've been able to do already for the wounded. Though I fear that your efforts, along with ours, will be too late for many.,c,,

Luck nodded. He'd had that information from his own intelligence sources come in a few days earlier: those who were not in shape to be returned to duty were on the airlift, while those who could be patched up and sent back to the front got priority. Those whose wounds were much more serious, were left undertreated, or in some cases, untreated and allowed to die. ,c,,oeWon't be the first time: but the last time something like this happened was probably in Germany in '45.,c,,

,c,,oeYes, I imagine so,,c,, Malinsky said.

,c,,oeGeneral...,c,, Luck said, ,c,,oeI'm curious: where's your political officer and his people?,c,,

,c,,oeBefore the cease-fire took effect, many of those fled. Others shot themselves,,c,, Malinsky said.

,c,,oeGiven as to what many-though not all of them-did, it's not a surprise.,c,, Luck said. ,c,,oeAnd we got word that you were evacuating your intelligence people.,c,,

,c,,oeThat's correct,,c,, Malinsky said.

,c,,oeWell....we can't get them all, because a lot of them do have innocent blood on their hands, General.,c,,

,c,,oeI understand, General Luck. It is...unfortunate that the war turned those who should have simply done their duty, into beasts.,c,, Malinsky said. ,c,,oeStill....General, before I and my staff go north, I would like to offer a toast. Isakov,,c,, Malinsky nodded to the chief of staff, who produced a bottle of vodka and several glasses.

,c,,oeA toast, General?,c,, Luck asked, incredulous.

,c,,oeYes. A toast to peace. At least in this corner of the war. And I imagine that men like you and me have seen and done enough in the last four years.,c,,

,c,,oeYou're right about that. Vietnam, now this.....I've seen enough. I'll tell you one thing, General. As soon as they work out an Armistice, I'm going to retire,,c,, Luck said.

,c,,oeThen shall we drink to an early retirement?,c,, Malinsky asked.

,c,,oeYes. Let's,,c,, Luck said.

0920 Hours: Camp 24, near Laguna Vista, Texas.

Captain Dimitriev watched with the two American senior officers as the helicopters flew overhead, and the prisoners waved to the troops in the helicopters, who waved back. He had made sure that the guards remained in their barracks, with their weapons stacked outside, and the guard towers were unmanned. And the Soviet and ALA flags had been hauled down as well. Not to mention the supplies that had been air-dropped earlier had been distributed: food, medicine, and bottled water. And Dimitriev had one other little bit of cleaning house to tend to after Tsernik's suicide: he'd gone looking for the political officer, only to find that the man had gone. When he'd told this to the senior officers, Captain Pearson had simply scowled, saying, ,c,,oeSo the worm took off for Mexico? Good luck getting there,,c,, while Major Caldwell had said nothing.

Then a flight of UH-60s orbited the camp, as if looking for a place to land. After finding a suitable landing site, the Blackhawks landed, and out came heavily armed soldiers, who surrounded the guard barracks and waited in front of the main gate. Dimitriev glanced at the two American officers, and said as he nodded towards the gate, ,c,,oeShall we?,c,,

The trio went to the main gate, and found American troops there in full battle gear, though wearing their caps instead of helmets. And the Captain who was waiting at the main gate was obviously female. But the M-16 rifle she bore in her hand-and the way she wielded it-indicated that this woman was a combat veteran. ,c,,oeI am Captain Dimitriev, the acting camp commander,,c,, Dimitirev said. ,c,,oeAnd I have the two senior American POW officers with me.,c,,

The female officer nodded, and gestured to a sergeant next to her. He took out a large set of bolt cutters and cut the chain on the gate, which swung open. ,c,,oeCaptain Regan Nyberg, 3-187, 101st Airborne. Order your men to come out of their barracks, hands on their heads, and no funny business,,c,, she said, with an angry tone of voice.

Dimitriev nodded, and walked over to the barracks, covered by the paratroopers. He yelled in Russian, and as Nyberg had ordered, the guards came out of the barracks, hands on their heads. Then Dimitriev handed his pistol to the captain. ,c,,oeYour prisoner, Captain.,c,,

,c,,oeGo over with your men,,c,, Nyberg said. ,c,,oeFirst Sergeant, tag all of 'em as POW camp guards, and keep them separate from other EPWs. Let battalion know the guards were still here, and request instructions.,c,,

,c,,oeYes, Ma'am.,c,, the first sergeant replied, and the guards were marched off. As they were marched off, a steady stream of now former POWs came out of the camp, hugging the paratroopers who were coming in.

The two senior officers identified themselves, and Nyberg saluted them, and then ordered her troops into the compound. The two gave her a tour, showing her the commandant's office (with the deceased Major Tsernik now attracting flies), the interrogation rooms in the HQ building, with dried bloodstains, the posts in the compound where prisoners were tied and beaten, the isolation area, with sweat boxes, ramshackle POW barracks, the inadequate bathing and sanitary facilities, and the building in the North Compound where female POWs were taken to ,c,,oeentertain,c,, guards and visiting VIPs. Throughout the tour, Nyberg stayed calm, and both Caldwell and Pearson looked at her. ,c,,oeCaptain,,c,, Caldwell said, ,c,,oeYou don't seem surprised.,c,,

,c,,oeI'm not. Sad to say, this isn't my first time. I liberated a couple of POW camps last year, west of Houston. They were just like this.,c,, she said.

,c,,oeNobody should have to see this more than once,,c,, Pearson said. She'd been in two other camps before being sent to 24.

Captain Nyberg nodded. Then she looked around. ,c,,oeWhere's the supply area?,c,,

,c,,oeBehind the guards' barracks. Why?,c,, Caldwell asked.

,c,,oeOK, do they have any gas?,c,,

,c,,oeYeah, for their generator. Why do you ask?,c,,

,c,,oeI think I know what she's got in mind,,c,, Pearson said.

,c,,oeHere's what we'll do: I'll have my first sergeant get the gas and he'll get it spread around these buildings. Before you leave-and I'll either get trucks or see if a helicopter lift can be organized-we'll put this place to the torch.,c,, Nyberg said.

The two senior officers looked at each other, then at her. Both grinned from ear to ear. ,c,,oeI take it that means yes?,c,, Nyberg asked.

They nodded, and then she said. ,c,,oeGood. Let's get it over and done.,c,,

0940 Hours: U.S. 281, Brownsville City Limits:

It had been a long time coming, but now, Kozak's Team was at the Brownsville city limits. The point element, a tank and a Bradley, had stopped at the sign, and to no one' s surprise, the crews got out and took pictures of each other. After a blast on the radio from Kozak, the chagrined soldiers got back into their vehicles and continued south. The reporters, though, did stop. And everyone noticed the CNN crew filming the team's vehicles as they crossed into the city, the first American troops, or so they hoped, in the city in four years.

As her Bradley entered the city, Kozak got on the radio to the battalion commander, reporting entry into the city. And his response pleased her. ,c,,oeGet to the University of South Texas-Brownsville and secure it. That's Soviet Headquarters, Division says. Get there as quick as you can.,c,,

Pleased at the thought of taking the surrender of the Soviet commander and his staff, Kozak acknowledged the order, and told the Team to push on. As the Team, with the rest of the division following along and behind, moved deeper into outskirts of Brownsville, a stream of civilians came out, waving and cheering, while some broke out long-hidden American flags and were waving them at the tanks and Bradleys as they rumbled past. Many of them showed the signs of people who'd been living on an inadequate for a long time, and soldiers threw MREs and water to the people they'd fought so hard to liberate. As they pushed on, one thing did occur to Kozak: none of her troops were original members of the 49th, and no one was familiar with the area. When her Bradley came to an intersection, she told her driver to stop. A crowd of civilians came up, clapping and cheering, and Kozak waved and smiled. After she got up and off the Bradley, she felt like her grandfather had in Paris, 1944. And soon, she was surrounded by cheering civilians, not noticing Jan Fields' crew filming the scene. Then she asked, ,c,,oeAnyone here know the way to UT South Texas?,c,,

Several people indicated they did, and one offered his services as a guide: before the war, he'd been a graduate student in biology, and not only knew the way there, but also knew the campus backwards and forwards. ,c,,oeAll right, hop on,,c,, she said, climbing back onto the Bradley. The young man, to the cheers from the crowd, climbed onto Kozak's Bradley and simply rode on top. While that was going on, her Third Platoon leader came up on the net. ,c,,oeSix, we got something here.,c,,

,c,,oeWhat is it, Three-one?,c,,

,c,,oeSix, it's an ALA or PSD office; can't tell which. But somebody beat us to 'em. The place is a mess, but the files are all out here, neatly arranged, and in front....,c,,

,c,,oeWhat's in front?,c,, Kozak asked.

,c,,oeBodies. All wearing ALA or PSD uniforms. Some of 'em are burned or shot up pretty bad, but half of 'em....all shot in the back of the head.,c,, Third Platoon's leader said.

Somebody's just saved JAG a ton of work, was her first thought. Then she asked her guide. ,c,,oeKnow anything about that?,c,,

,c,,oeNo, nobody could go out because of the curfew, but we heard a lot of shooting.,c,, the civilian said.

An interesting question: who'd done away with the local ALA or PSD? And that kind of precision ruled out guerrillas. Kozak got on the radio and informed the battalion commander, who immediately ordered Alpha Company to send a platoon to secure the site. Kozak was to continue her advance. As the Team rolled on, she asked the guide, ,c,,oeHow far to the campus?,c,,

,c,,oeTwo miles, give or take,,c,, he replied.

This is going to be the longest two miles of my life, she thought. But it'll be worth it, to see the faces of not only the Soviet brass, but the airborne mafia when they see we beat 'em to the Soviet HQ.

**Matt Wiser** · 04-10-2015, 09:59 PM

The endgame approaches:

1000 Hours: Soviet Headquarters, Brownsville.

Marshal Alekseyev looked out the window of his office, and and the sky was full of American aircraft and helicopters. A steady stream of aircraft flew in and out of the Airport, while helicopters came in and landed at various locations, unloading troops and supplies, then heading off. Apache and Cobra gunships flitted overhead, providing cover, while American fighters and attack aircraft circled overhead. It was clear the Americans were not taking any chances.

He also took a look at the city, and from this vantage point, he could see some American columns pushing in, with crows of civilians lining the streets. To the Marshal, it reminded him of films of cities liberated from the Hitlerites during the Great Patriotic War, and he realized all to well that to the Americans, this was their equivalent. Shrugging his shoulders, he went back to the Operations Room, where most of the staff was there, waiting, along with Chibisov and Sergetov. Alekseyev motioned to the two to follow him, and the trio went down to the foyer, and out the front door. ,c,,oeThis reminds me of something, Comrades, from reading about the campaign in the west, in 1944.,c,, Alekseyev said.

,c,,oeWhat is that, Comrade Marshal?,c,, Sergetov asked.

,c,,oeParis, 1944. I am in the position similar to that of General Dietrich von Choltitz, who was the commandant of the city when the French and Americans arrived. All we can do is wait for the Americans to arrive and formally take possession of the city,,c,, Alekseyev said.

Both Chibisov and Sergetov nodded, as an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior and a pair of AH-64A Apaches flew overhead, scouting along the river. So far, there had hardly been any shooting from across the river, which Alekseyev was glad to hear, and hopefully, cooler heads on that side of the river will prevail. Given how determined the Mexicans were in the final days, he frankly didn't expect that to happen, and that when he arrived at whatever senior officer POW camp the Americans sent him to, he'd find out that the Americans had invaded Mexico. And given what the Mexicans had done since 1984, he honestly didn't blame the Americans one bit for wanting to settle those scores in a very serious and direct manner. His thoughts were interrupted by a pair of Humvees coming up to the perimeter. Fine vehicles, those Humvees, he thought, and captured examples had served the Soviets well, and some examples had even been sent to the USSR to help with the design of Soviet light transport vehicles. The occupants of the Humvees got out and began to set up a satellite antenna, and a tripod with what looked like a camera. Curious, Alekseyev sent Sergetov over to see who these Americans were. Clearly, they didn't appear to be military. Sergetov went over, spoke to the Americans, and then came back, with a confused look on his face. ,c,,oeWell, Comrade Colonel?,c,,

,c,,oeComrade Marshal, you're not going to believe this..,c,, Sergetov said.

,c,,oeWhat?,c,, Alekseyev responded.

,c,,oeThey're not military, but are reporters. One group is a TV news crew for one of the American networks-CBS, he said, while others are from either news services or newspapers.,c,, Sergetov said.

,c,,oeHow did they get here ahead of the U.S. Army?,c,, Chibisov asked.

,c,,oeThe correspondent for the CBS crew, Bob McKewon, said they asked local civilians which way to get here, and they simply drove onto side streets and not the 77-83 freeway, or any other main road. Those are crowded with military traffic as well as crowds of civilians.,c,, said Sergetov. ,c,,oeHe said it's the worst traffic jam he's ever seen.,c,,

And General McCaffery's words about the military and the news media came back to Alekseyev. ,c,,oeWell, Comrades, they're here, and there's not much we can do about it,,c,, he observed, noticing the camera being trained in their direction. Then a shout came from the east side of the perimeter. ,c,,oeThey're here!,c,,

A column of Humvees, a platoon of LAV-25s, and a platoon of what looked to be Cadillac-Gage Stingrays began to appear at the East Gate. The Americans slowly advanced, turrets swinging back and forth, clearly showing that they were not taking any chances. As they did so, another shout came from the West Gate. M-60A4-105 tanks and Bradley IFVs were approaching. These, too, were moving their turrets, not taking any chances. Both columns met in front of the Soviet Headquarters, and the respective commanders got out. The two talked for a few minutes, shook hands for the TV cameras, then both came to Alekseyev, saluting, a male captain in an airborne beret and a female mechanized infantry captain, still wearing her combat vehicle helmet.

,c,,oeCaptain Mark Hanson, 2-325 Airborne Infantry, 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division,,c,,

,c,,oeCaptain Nancy Kozak, 3-144 Infantry, 3rd Brigade, 49th Armored Division,,c,,

Alekseyev returned the salutes, as did Chibisov and Sergetov. ,c,,oeI am Marshal Alekseyev. We have been waiting for you.,c,,

,c,,oeThank you, Marshal,,c,, Hanson replied. ,c,,oeI have orders to secure the area for General Powell's arrival. He will be here shortly, once the area is declared secured. Though we're in different corps, Captain Kozak apparently has similar orders.,c,,

,c,,oeThat I do,,c,, Kozak said. She turned to Hanson. ,c,,oeWhy don't your men take the east side, and we'll take the west? Marshal, are there any minefields or booby traps we need to know about?,c,,

,c,,oeYes, we have some antipersonnel mines out, as an anti-guerrilla measure.,c,, Alekseyev turned to Sergetov. ,c,,oeGo and bring those maps here, Colonel.,c,,

,c,,oeRight away, Comrade Marshal,,c,, Sergetov said, and he went back in to get the maps.

Alekseyev noticed the news crews coming in closer and setting up their cameras. Before long, the network crews were on the air, live. He grimaced, but tried not to show it. Then Sergetov came with the maps. ,c,,oeHere are the maps, Comrade Marshal, Captains,,c,,

,c,,oeThank you, Colonel,,c,, Hanson said. ,c,,oeI've got an engineer platoon with me, they can get started. Fortunately, there's no mines that may be an immediate danger, but when civilians start to return...,c,,

,c,,oeJust like in Stalingrad,,c,, Chibisov said. The two American officers looked at him. ,c,,oeIt took months of work before many areas of the city were declared safe for people to return. I believe you've got similar issues in San Antonio and Houston, among others.,c,,

,c,,oeUnfortunately, that's true, General,,c,, Kozak said.

Hanson and Kozak then studied the map further. ,c,,oeLike we said, I'll take the west side, you take the east side. Let's get these guys disarmed and ready to go north.,c,, Kozak said, seeing Hanson nod. ,c,,oeHow long until General Powell arrives?,c,,

,c,,oeWhen I tell battalion the area's secured,,c,, Hanson said, ,c,,oeWhich won't be too long.,c,,

1015 Hours: 175th Naval Infantry Brigade, South Padre Island, Texas.

Major Lazarev watched as a C-130 transport flew over the island, dropping leaflets to the civilians still living there. Just a day before, anyone possessing such a leaflet could expect to be shot, but now, the Americans were getting ready to arrive on the island. He noticed that civilians were coming out of their storm shelters and homes, and many were shaking hands with each other, glad to have made it through the invasion and occupation, and now, he also noticed, some were coming out with long-hidden American flags-possession of which could have gotten the owner sent to a labor camp at the very least-if not summarily shot. Now, the Americans were coming back, and the local population was in a mood to celebrate.

He watched as several CH-46 helicopters came over and began to orbit, obviously searching for places to land. So, he would be surrendering to the U.S. Marines, it appeared. His chief of staff, and Captain Lieutenant Kamarov came to him. ,c,,oeWell, Comrades, it's just about time.,c,,

,c,,oeWould you rather have fought a useless battle, Major?,c,, Kamarov asked. ,c,,oeI'm just glad that most of my crew has made it, and as far as I'm concerned, that's all I care about right now.,c,,

,c,,oeUnderstandable,,c,, Lazarev said, watching as the first helicopters began to touch down, near the Queen Isabella Causeway. They soon lifted off, having deposited their Marines, and soon, more helicopters began to come in. A few minutes later, U.S. Marines began coming up Park Road 100, South Padre Island's main street, and civilians were coming out to welcome their liberators. The Marine point element came up to the 175th's headquarters, and Lazarev and the other two officers went to meet the Marines. ,c,,oeMajor Lazarev, 175th Naval Infantry Brigade, Red Banner Northern Fleet,,c,, he said, saluting the Marine Lieutenant who was leading his platoon.

,c,,oeMajor. Lieutenant Robert Greer, 2/23 Marines, 4th Marine Division,,c,, the Marine said, returning the salute. ,c,,oeHow many do you have here?,c,,

,c,,oeI have about 3,000 Naval Infantry, about five hundred sailors from various commands, and several hundred others-air defense, coastal defense, and rear services.,c,, Lazarev said.

The Marine nodded, waving up his RTO. ,c,,oeHow many civilians are here?,c,,

,c,,oeAbout 2,000, Lieutenant. Some were....relocated, but others were allowed to remain.,c,, Lazarev said.

The Marine officer then spoke into his radio. And a few minutes later, a senior Marine officer came forward. By the eagle insignia, he was a Colonel. Lazarev saluted, and the Marine returned it, saying, ,c,,oeColonel Sean Bradford, 23rd Marines.,c,,

,c,,oeMajor Lazarev. We have all of our weapons assembled in one location, and have kept the heavy weapons separate.,c,, Lazarev said.

,c,,oeThat's good, Major. Now, do you have any minefields? The beach, especially?,c,, Bradford wanted to know.

,c,,oeMines were one thing my brigade was short of. But I can give you a map of my defenses: all of the minefields, such as they were, are marked.,c,, said Lazarev.

,c,,oeShow me,,c,, the Marine Colonel said, and Lazarev and the other officers brought the Marine Colonel and several other Marine officers into the headquarters. And Lazarev's chief of staff pointed out the mine locations on the map-mostly around the buildings where the Naval Infantry had dug into. One of Bradford's officers took the map and headed out to inform the Marines now moving to take their Soviet opposite numbers into custody. ,c,,oeMajor, you're probably wondering if you sat here, twiddling your thumbs, while the real action took place down at Boca Chica.,c,,

,c,,oeColonel, the thought had occurred to me.,c,, Lazarev said.

,c,,oeWell...I guess I can tell you now. We thought a great deal about coming ashore here, and had a plan to do it. But the recon pictures showed your defenses, and so....Boca Chica it was. There was only a single battalion on the beach, and that was a penal unit.,c,, Bradford said.

,c,,oeA penal unit?,c,, Lazarev was astonished.

,c,,oeThat's right. Now, if they'd been KGB, or maybe your airborne, it would've been a real brawl. Instead, most of them simply raised their hands, while the rest took to their heels,,c,, replied the Marine Colonel.

,c,,oeI can assure you, Colonel, that no such behavior would have happened here,,c,, Lazarev said. ,c,,oeMy orders were clear: defend this island at all costs.,c,,

,c,,oeAnd that's one reason we didn't land here. The other one is the demolitions: the Causeway and the Port Isabel oil refinery.,c,, Bradford said.

Lazarev nodded. ,c,,oeI know the causeway was set with demolitions, but I know nothing about the oil refinery.,c,,

,c,,oeI doubt you did. Anyway,,c,, Bradford said, ,c,,oeBe glad you and your men are alive.,c,,

Major Lazerev simply nodded, and the party went back outside, as Soviet Naval Infantrymen, sailors, and others came out of their positions to be searched, and formed up to be taken off the island. He watched as a Marine officer came up to Colonel Bradford. ,c,,oeSir, the causeway's secured. But getting all the demo charges off, it's going to be an all-day job.,c,,

Bradford turned to Lazarev, then back to the officer. ,c,,oeAll right, get some MREs and water for these men, they'll be here until the causeway's declared safe.,c,, The officer nodded and went off to relay the order.

,c,,oeMajor, sorry about that. But no one's using that causeway until it's declared safe to do so. Don't worry: you and your men will be fed, and anyone who needs medical attention will get it.,c,, Bradford said.

1050 Hours: K-236, The Gulf of Mexico:

,c,,oeCaptain to CCP!,c,, the boat's PA system barked.

Captain Padorin got up from his chair in the wardroom. He'd been going over his patrol report so far, and wondered if the kills he'd made would balance out the fact that they had been in vain. That's for Caribbean Squadron to decide, he rationalized, but we did everything possible, and it wasn't enough. If Zirinsky was still with them, he might have caused trouble, but that was no longer any concern to Padorin. His only regret was that Zirinsky had not delayed his mutiny solicitation until after the pocket's liquidation: then it would be clear that the man had tried to mutiny in favor of a lost cause. But the Zampolit was not missed aboard the boat, and it was obvious that K-236 was a happy boat at the moment.

Padorin went into the CCP, where Shelpin was standing watch. ,c,,oeWhat do we have, Shelpin?,c,,

,c,,oeWe have an ELF message for us, Comrade Captain,,c,, Shelpin replied. ,c,,oeAs per the order book, I have ordered the boat to antenna depth, and slowed to five knots.,c,,

,c,,oeVery good. I have the deck and the con,,c,, the Captain replied. ,c,,oePresent depth?,c,,

,c,,oeSixty meters, Comrade Captain,,c,, the helm replied.

,c,,oeVery well, Helm.,c,, Padorin said.

The boat was soon at antenna depth,and after the ESM mast was raised and showed all clear, the radio antenna was raised. The message came in, and again, it was repeated. ,c,,oeWhat now?,c,, Padorin asked. ,c,,oeThat's the second time in a row they've repeated messages.,c,,

The Starpom came into the CCP-he'd been off watch in his cabin. ,c,,oeAnother message?,c,, he asked.

,c,,oeRight. Now we wait until decoding. Lower antenna, and up periscope.,c,, Padorin ordered.

The periscope came up, and Padorin did a full sweep. ,c,,oeNo contacts, down scope,,c,, and the periscope went back down. Then the communications officer came in. ,c,,oeYes?,c,, Padorin asked.

,c,,oeComrade Captain, message from Caribbean Squadron,,c,, the man responded.

Padorin took the message form, and this time, a smile came to his face. ,c,,oeOur search and rescue mission is canceled, Comrades.,c,,

Everyone in the CCP, the Starpom and Security Officer especially, let out a sigh of relief. ,c,,oeWhat are our new orders?,c,, asked the Starpom.

,c,,oeReturn to previous station in Yucatan Channel, and await further orders,,c,, Padorin said. He turned to the helm officer. ,c,,oeCome left to one-four-zero.,c,,

,c,,oeComing left to one-four-zero, Comrade Captain.,c,, the officer replied.

,c,,oeMake your depth two hundred and fifty meters, and make turns for ten knots.,c,,

,c,,oeTwo hundred and fifty meters, make turns for ten knots, Aye, Comrade Captain.,c,, the man said.

Once the boat was on its new course and at that depth, Padorin turned to Shelpin. ,c,,oeYou have the deck and the con. I'll be in my quarters.,c,,

1100 Hours: Soviet Headquarters, Brownsville

Marshal Alekseyev and his staff watched as the Americans went about the business of securing the perimeter, checking for mines, and closing up on the Mexican border. He was very impressed with how through and serious the Americans took their tasks, recalling the difference between that and prewar propaganda, which depicted American soldiers as pampered, spoiled, pushovers who were likely to surrender or run away. Now, that may have happened at times in the early days, but whoever wrote those words back then was dead wrong, by and large. Not to mention the fact that there were so many women serving-and in combat units. A female company commander? He'd encountered two in the last twenty-four hours, and he had noticed female soldiers in that infantry company positioned where he'd gone through American lines to meet with Powell. And there were more here: female tankers and mechanized infantry on the west side, and female paratroopers on the east side, and they were just as serious as their male counterparts. For his part, Chibisov commented on how the paratroopers appeared: in full combat gear, but wearing their maroon berets instead of their helmets. It was plain that the Americans wanted not just the Soviets, but any potential troublemakers, as well as the civilian population, to see that the 82nd had arrived, and that the airborne meant business. There had been some scattered shooting, but things went smoothly for the most part, much to everyone's relief. Then the airborne company commander came up.

,c,,oeMarshal, This area is secured. I've notified General Powell, and his helicopter will be here in a few minutes.,c,,

Alekseyev nodded. ,c,,oeThank you, Captain. Were the minefield maps useful?,c,,

,c,,oeYes, sir. The engineer platoon's pleased, and their company commander is as well. Fortunately, they're pretty easy to clear: either the MON series of Claymore copies, or some POM-Z stake mines. Finding and clearing any antitank mines, though...that's going to be tougher, he said.,c,, Hansen responded.

Then four Humvees, two from the east-the 82nd's area, and two from the west-the 49th Armored's area, arrived. Alekseyev noticed the female mechanized company commander going to the ones from her division, and Captain Hansen going to those from the 82nd. He noticed that the lead Humvee in each had a placard with two stars on it: those had to be divisional commanders. And sure enough, two general officers, one in an airborne beret, and the other in a field cap came together, shook hands, and came up to Alekseyev and his staff.

,c,,oeMarshal, Major General Robert Gregory, 82nd Airborne Division,,c,, the airborne general said, saluting.

,c,,oeMajor General Wesley Clark, 49th Armored Division.,c,, said the armor officer.

,c,,oeGentlemen,,c,, Alekseyev said, returning their salutes. ,c,,oeTwo divisions here?,c,,

,c,,oeWell, Marshal, both of our units were in kind of a race to be the first here, and for all intents and purposes, the first to the International Bridges. Just as your army in 1945 had a race to Berlin and the Reichstag, I believe.,c,, Clark said. ,c,,oeThen there's the traditional rivalry between the airborne and everyone else in the Army,,c,, he said, glancing at General Gregory, who nodded.

,c,,oeI see.. and General Powell?,c,, Alekseyev asked.

,c,,oeHe's on his way by helicopter,,c,, Gregory said. ,c,,oeHe ought to be here anytime, Marshal.,c,, Then came the sound of helicopters. ,c,,oeThat should be him,,c,, he said, pointing to four UH-60s coming in close. The four helicopters made a circle, then flared and landed. After the helicopters shut down and the rotors stopped spinning, the occupants came out. General Powell and his staff came out of the first two helicopters, a number of MPs came out of the third, and a group of reporters came out of the fourth. The two American generals saw the reporters and shook their heads. ,c,,oeThere's enough of them here already,,c,, Gregory muttered.

,c,,oeTell me about it,,c,, Clark replied. ,c,,oeBut at least I've got Jan Fields over there,,c,, he said, pointing to the CNN crew with Kozak's company.

,c,,oeAnd the General brought Christiane Armanpour and her bunch with him,,c,, Gregrory said. ,c,,oeOh, well. Let's get on with it.,c,,

Alekseyev watched as the two generals went to greet Powell, and some words were exchanged. Then both generals assembled their respective divisions' honor guards, while the reporters were shown where they could set up. Only then did General Powell come to meet Alekseyev. ,c,,oeMarshal,,c,,

,c,,oeGeneral Powell,,c,, Alekseyev said. ,c,,oeSo it is time.,c,,

,c,,oeYes, it is. Again, I'll say it for the record. Your forces put up the best fight they could. Even though the outcome was inevitable, your men fought hard.,c,, Powell said.

,c,,oeThank you, General. If your Navy and Air Forces hadn't been as successful in cutting our supply lines, we'd likely still be in our positions that we had at the beginning of the month.,c,, Alekseyev said.

,c,,oeProbably so, Marshal. So far, things have gone smoothly. Some rough spots-like some guerrillas coming out and trying to take revenge, but those have been taken care of. And I'm curious: who did away with the ALA and PSD here? Some of my commanders have said that those offices-along with some KGB and DGI, were eliminated with precision.,c,, Powell said.

,c,,oeLet's just say, General, that some of my airmobile troops handled that bit of...housecleaning, for want of a better term,,c,, Alekseyev said.

Powell took the hint. Obviously Alekseyev was referring to Spetsnatz, but still couldn't openly say it. ,c,,oeWell, whoever it was did a very good job.,c,, Seeing Alekesyev nod, Powell said, ,c,,oeAll right, let's get on with it.,c,, He turned to the two generals and issued orders.

Two soldiers from the 82nd came forward and lowered the Soviet flag. None of the Americans saluted, though of course, the Soviets did. The flag was folded and presented to General Powell, who then gave it to General Clark, as a present to the 49th Armored Division. Then two soldiers from the 82nd, and two from the 49th, came forward. The pair from the 82nd had the American Flag, while the pair from the 49th had the flag of the State of Texas-recognizing the fact that the 49th had been a Texas National Guard Division before the war. A bugler sounded, and as he did so, the Stars and Stripes were raised, with everyone saluting. After that, the state flag was run up the other flagpole. Then Alekseyev walked over to Powell, removed his service pistol from his holster, unloaded it, cleared the chamber, and presented it to the General, and then saluted. Powell returned it, and only then did he shake Alekseyev's hand.

After he did so, and accepted Alekseyev's invitation to tour the headquarters, Powell went to address the media, and the soldiers from both divisions present. ,c,,oeLadies and Gentlemen, it has been a long road from that dark day in September, 1985, when we all awoke to the news that not only had we been subjected to nuclear attack, but that the unbelievable had happened: Soviet and Soviet-bloc forces were on American soil. Despite the shock and panic of those early days, the wheels were set in motion so that we would not only resist, but would repel the invading forces. After the Battle of Wichita, the outcome was never in doubt, and two years ago, we started on the long road south, the road to victory. So many good men and women have given so much, and some have given everything they had: not just those in uniform, but those who fought a different kind of war, behind the lines, in the tradition of Frances Marion or Roger Mosby, a guerrilla war the likes of which has not been seen before on American soil. Despite the trials and tribulations, successes and setbacks, the goal has remained the same: the defeat of Soviet and Soviet-bloc forces in America. Now, four years after the outbreak of war, and two years after embarking on the long and bloody road south, that goal-at least in the lower 48, has been achieved. There are no more Soviet or Soviet-bloc forces fighting anywhere on the soil of the Continental United States. While much remains to be done, both here and in the Northern Theater, where we fight alongside our Canadian and British allies, but soon, all of the territories remaining under enemy occupation will be free. Again, it has been a long and bloody road, but this is the payoff. Thank you, and as General Douglas MacArthur said on the deck of the Missouri after a similar ceremony forty-four years ago, 'these proceedings are closed.',c,,

**Matt Wiser** · 04-10-2015, 10:04 PM

The epilogue will follow tomorrow.

**Matt Wiser** · 04-11-2015, 07:08 PM

Here it is:

Epilogue:

7 October, 1989, 1400 Hours Moscow Time, Headquarters, 1st Shock Army, outside Moscow, RSFSR:

Marshal Akhromayev went down into the bunker on the base complex. The bunker had been built in the 1970s to enable military units to function in the event of a nuclear attack on the Moscow area, and the facility had seen service during the early days of the war, when the Americans had conducted two limited nuclear strikes in the Moscow area, and in 1986, when the Americans took nuclear revenge for a failed attempt to destroy the American President's bunker on the Pennsylvania-Maryland border. Now, the bunker's facilities were serving a much different purpose, as those in the Army, Party, and the KGB who were determined to end the war and in so doing, save the USSR, were meeting for the first time.

One thing still bothered the Marshal: so far, there had been no announcement on State Radio or Television about the surrender in Texas. The usual military communique simply stated that fighting continued, and that Soviet forces were ,c,,oeresisting gallantly.,c,, What nonsense! General Vitaly Berkenev, the GRU director (who was attending the meeting) had reported that news of the surrender had traveled fast: the Voice of America, the BBC, Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Europe were spreading the news, along with stations in Poland, Turkey, Iran, South Korea, and Japan, and their broadcasts could easily be picked up. Not to mention the fact that in the Baltic Republics, some were able to pick up Finnish or Swedish TV, and those stations had the surrender as their lead stories. He'd spoken about this with Chairman Kosov, who verified Berkenev's reports. And still, that Chekist bastard who's General Secretary won't tell the people! There will come a time, Comrade Chebrikov, mark my words, Akhromayev thought.

Now, as the Marshal entered the bunker's conference room, he saw the Chief of the General Staff, General Pavel Grachev, and the Commander of the Moscow MD, General Mikhail Moisyev, engaged in a serious conversation. General Berkenev, for his part, was talking with General Ivan Morozov, the Commander of the Beylorussian MD, and two of the couriers who'd escaped from the pocket, General Lukin and Major Sorokin, along with General Vitaly Glavchenko, who commanded the Leningrad Military District. Chairman Kosov, for his part, was talking with Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin, two of the candidate Politburo members, and two of the others-Ministers Sergetov and Bromkovsky, were talking with Aleksandr Bessmertnykh, the deputy Foreign Minister whose thankless job of attending UN meetings had proven to be quite a futile effort: no one believed or trusted the USSR, except for its allies, any more. Even the client states in Africa, along with the Syrians, Iraqis, and South Yemenis, were keeping the USSR at arm's length these days.

Then, Chairman Kosov noticed the Marshal. ,c,,oeComrades, Marshal Ahkromayev is here. Perhaps we can begin?,c,,

Heads nodded and the conspirators, for want of a better word, took their seats. Grachev had chosen a perfect location, and no one would suspect this location, of all places, for such a meeting. The Marshal nodded to two officers at the door, and the entrance to the room was sealed and guarded. ,c,,oeComrades, I am glad you all could attend. I would like to thank all of you, and not only General Grachev for arranging things here, but General Lukin and Major Sorokin, our two couriers who managed to escape the pocket,,c,, the Marshal said, nodding to those two officers, who acknowledged the Marshal. ,c,,oeI believe all of you have been briefed, either individually or in small groups, by these two, and I trust their information was of considerable value?,c,, Heads nodded around the table, and the Marshal continued. ,c,,oeFirst of all, our objectives here are twofold. First: we seek to save the state. It is not only Chebrikov, but virtually the entire Politburo, who has driven this country to disaster. So, whoever replaces Chebrikov (the Marshal avoided the term ,c,,oecomrade,c,,) must be willing to not only bring the country back from the brink of civil war-and some areas of Central Asia and the Caucasus are approaching that brink as we speak. Second, he must also bring an end to the war. This war has gone on long enough. It is time that we came to a peace with America and her allies. We have paid a high price in blood and treasure for a lost war, and there is no point in continuing the fight any longer.,c,,

,c,,oeI agree, Comrade Marshal,,c,, Kosov said. ,c,,oeIn order to do so, we must remove the current General Secretary and the Politburo-except, of course, for Comrade Bromkovsky. And we must do so quietly, if at all possible. Just as it was done in 1964.,c,,

,c,,oeAgreed,,c,, both Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin said at once. Then Yeltsin-the Party Boss of Moscow-spoke up, ,c,,oeI have seen for myself the effects of this war on our people: the endless shortages, the young men who answer their draft call-and many of whom have never returned, or those who have returned, do so maimed or crippled for life, and the widows and parents of those killed or missing. You all know the parade of widows and mothers that takes place every Friday, from Moscow Party to Red Square?,c,, When several of those present nodded-including Chairman Kosov-he continued. ,c,,oeAll of whom are angry bitter, and feel a sense of betrayal. All these people have left of their loved ones is photographs, memories, and a telegram from the Defense Ministry, informing them of the death of their husband or son-in some cases, sons. And this is not just in Moscow: it's spread to Leningrad, Minsk, Kiev, Kazan, Tiblisi, and several other cities, no?,c,,

,c,,oeYes, it has,,c,, Kosov said. ,c,,oeAnd none have been arrested: because if we do that, who knows what's going to happen next? There have already been strikes and protests-largely in Central Asia, but some in the Ukraine and the Caucasus, but they could spread easily-and out of control.,c,,

Heads nodded around the table. The Ahkromayev said, ,c,,oeComrades, to end the war, and save the Rodina, we must take decisive action. However, I have no ambitions to become General Secretary. I am a soldier.,c,, He looked at Chairman Kosov; ,c,,oeAnd I assume Chairman Kosov also has no such ambitions, given that we've had two General Secretaries come out of the KGB, both of whom had roles to play in starting this misadventure?,c,,

Kosov nodded. ,c,,oeThat is correct, Marshal. Now, whoever becomes General Secretary is in this room. He is not a soldier or KGB. Before we decide on who, let us hear from those who have escaped from the pocket, General Berkenev for the overall military situation, along with Comrade Bessmertnykh, who can fill us in on the international aspects, then we can come to an agreement on how to proceed.,c,,

Sergetov stood up. ,c,,oeI never thought I'd hear this from the KGB, but I am in agreement with him and the Marshal. Let us have an open and free discussion, and then come to a consensus on how best to carry this out.,c,,

,c,,oeI agree also,,c,, Gorbachev said. ,c,,oeThis war has gone on long enough, and threatens to bring down the Rodina around our ears. To save Russia, we must act.,c,, The discussion that followed was spirited-and honest.

Two hours later, everyone was in agreement: a quiet coup, if at all possible, or failing that, one carried out with a minimum of force. Any of the Politburo members who resisted would be killed, but hopefully all would be taken into custody. The nuclear codes would be safe, with both Ahkromayev and Kosov quietly gaining control of the ,c,,oefootball,c,, beforehand. Then a troika of Gorbachev, Sergetov, and Yeltsin would be formed, to gain control of the Party and State apparatus, while the military and KGB supported their move. And if the VV (Interior Ministry) troops tried to intervene, they would have to be dealt with-hopefully with a minimum amount of force needed. Once the troika was in control, their first act would be to arrange a cease-fire with the Americans and their allies, prior to peace talks beginning in Geneva or Stockholm. And some unilateral actions would be taken to show the new government's sincerity, such as releasing all prisoners of war, accounting for those the Allies listed as Missing in Action, and commencing withdrawal from remaining occupied territories.

Just before the meeting adjourned, with an agreement to meet again at the same headquarters, one of General Berkenev's aides came into the meeting room, and passed a note to the General. ,c,,oeComrades, if I may, but there is a new development. State Radio and Television will be making an announcement momentarily,,c,, He nodded to the aide, who turned on a TV in the meeting room. The familiar scene of Red Square came onto the screen, then came the announcer. ,c,,oeWe interrupt our regular programming on television and radio to make an important announcement: 'The High Command of the Armed Forces announces that the Soviet and Socialist Forces in Texas, under the leadership of Marshal Alekseyev, have been overcome by superior enemy forces, due to unfavorable tactical situations, and severe conditions affecting our forces. A decree from Comrade General Secretary Chebrikov declares three days of national mourning, with all public entertainment closed, and flags flown at half-staff in honor of the brave soldiers who have fallen.',c,, Then the camera shifted to an orchestra, and somber music began to play.

Several of the conspirators shook their heads, and Akhromayev spat. ,c,,oeSo it took the bastard two days to decide what to tell the people? We must act, Comrades. Two weeks, three at the most. Before the Northern Theater collapses-and it will do so before winter sets in. And we can save what's left of our nation's self-respect and honor in so doing.,c,,

1200 Hours Central Time, 7 October, K-236, the Gulf of Mexico.

,c,,oeComrade Captain, a word?,c,,

Captain Padorin looked up from the plot table and turned to see the boat's medical officer. ,c,,oeCertainly, Doctor.,c,,

,c,,oeIn private, please.,c,,

Both officers left the CCP and went into the wardroom, locking the door behind them. ,c,,oeYes, Doctor?,c,, Padorin asked.

,c,,oeComrade Captain, I have four cases of food poisoning in sick bay right now, and two more suspected.,c,, the doctor reported.

,c,,oeAre you sure?,c,, Padorin asked. Such cases were rare, but not unheard of, aboard a submarine.

,c,,oeI'm quite sure. Those complaining of the symptoms ate the same food: canned fruit from Cuba.,c,, the doctor said.

,c,,oeAnd right now, most of our food stores are canned.,c,, Padorin said. Wonderful, he thought, seeing the doctor nod. ,c,,oeAnd your suggestion?,c,,

,c,,oeComrade Captain, if a good portion of our food supply is contaminated-,c,,

,c,,oeLet me guess: the patrol should be terminated.,c,, Padorin finished for his medical officer.

,c,,oeI'm afraid so, Comrade Captain.,c,, the doctor replied. ,c,,oeWho knows what may be in some of the food stocks?,c,,

And Padorin knew it. ,c,,oeVery well, Doctor. You acted correctly in bringing this to my attention. Let me know how the sick men are doing, when you can.,c,,

,c,,oeThank you, Comrade Captain.,c,, And the doctor left to return to his patients. Shaking his head, Padorin went back into the CCP, where the Starpom had the watch. ,c,,oeThe Captain has the deck and the con. Bring us to antenna depth.,c,,

The Starpom nodded and relayed the necessary orders. Soon, the boat was at antenna depth. ,c,,oeAt antenna depth, Comrade Captain.,c,,

Padorin nodded. ,c,,oeRaise the ESM mast.,c,,

The ESM mast was raised, and ,c,,oesniffed,c,, the air for radar and radio signals. ,c,,oeNothing, Comrade Captain. Screen clear.,c,, the operator said.

,c,,oeSonar?,c,,

,c,,oeSonar clear, Comrade Captain.,c,, the sonar officer reported.

,c,,oeVery well.,c,, Padorin turned to the communications officer. ,c,,oeSend this to Caribbean Squadron: 'Several crewmen suffering from food poisoning. Portion of food supply contaminated. Patrol being terminated and K-236 returning to base.' Add my name and get that off at once.,c,,

,c,,oeImmediately, Comrade Captain.,c,, the communications man replied. In a few minutes, the message was coded and ready. ,c,,oeComrade Captain?,c,,

,c,,oeRaise the antenna.,c,, And the radio antenna shot up to poke just above the water. The communications officer sent the message. ,c,,oeAny reply?,c,,

,c,,oeNo, Comrade Captain.,c,, the man responded.

,c,,oeVery well. Lower the mast, and up periscope.,c,, Padorin ordered. The Starpom went and looked through the scope after it was raised. ,c,,oeNo contacts, down scope.,c,,

,c,,oeMake your depth two hundred and fifty meters. New course: zero-nine-five, and make turns for fifteen knots.,c,,

,c,,oeTwo hundred and fifty meters, course zero-nine-five, and make turns for fifteen knots, aye, Comrade Captain.,c,, said the Starpom.

When K-236 was at her assigned depth, Padorin turned to the Starpom. ,c,,oeMaintain course and speed. Navigator: as soon as possible, plot a course for Cienfeugos, once we're clear of the channel.,c,,

The navigator nodded. ,c,,oeAye, Comrade Captain.,c,,

1400 Hours Local Time: Camp 32, near Holguin, Cuba.

A tropical depression was going over the eastern third of Cuba, and for the American POWs held at camps in this part of Cuba, it meant no work details, either in camp or outside. And that meant that the prisoners had a rest day or two. At Camp 32, which had been built in 1986, the inmate population was a mixed bag: a number of U.S. Navy and Marine personnel from Guantanamo Bay, sailors from a submarine tender that had been at the base when it had been attacked, prisoners captured on the mainland in Texas or Louisiana, and shipped by freighter to the island, and aircrew members shot down in strikes flown against Cuban targets. And depending on where one was captured, and what one had been doing when captured, the regime could vary: those captured at Guantanamo, and also those captured and brought to Cuba, were often used as forced labor, but lived in bays similar to what POWs in Hanoi had called ,c,,oeCamp Unity,c,, at the Hanoi Hilton: bays that held up to 50 prisoners. Downed aircrew, and both officers and enlisted who were considered ,c,,oebad attitude,c,, cases, were held in cells-the more troublesome were, of course, in solitary confinement, but most prisoners in that part of the camp were in cells that had two to four prisoners per cell. And the camp actually had two wings built with both sections: one area for men, the other for women.

In the women's section, specifically the cellblock areas, most, but not all, were aircrews. In one cell, Air Force 1st Lieutenant Kelly Ann Ray sat on her bunk, glad to be not outside in the rain. She shared the cell with Marine 1st Lieutenant Blanchard Ryan, who had been an A-6 Bombardier-Navigator, and two Navy officers from Guantanamo, Lieutenant (j.g.) Kellie Greer, who had been a deck officer on the submarine tender Prairie, and Ensign Stacy Davis, who also been on the Prairie. Lieutenant Ray had been shot down in an F-4D in May, 1986, while on a strike near Mariel, while Ryan had been shot down in August, 1987, in a strike on the port of Banes. All had suffered brutal interrogations, time in solitary confinement, and had been on their share of work details, and they all showed it. They were filthy, wearing dirty prison pajamas, and were either barefoot or wore thin sandals. None had been allowed to write home, or to receive mail-none of the POWs in Cuba had, and neither had there been visits from the Red Cross. And they had been subjected to lectures (harangues would have been a more apt description) from American leftists who made no secret of their sympathy to the Soviet and Cuban cause, and the penalty for dozing off, or showing any disinterest, could mean time in the hole, or a very nasty ,c,,oequiz session,c,, with the interrogators. Other than new prisoners, there was no reliable news of the war, and Cuban propaganda was still emphasizing that, despite setbacks, ,c,,oeFinal Victory and a Socialist America,,c,, were still within reach of ,c,,oethe Socialist Forces in America.,c,,

Lieutenant Ryan was looking out the barred cell window as the rain continued to pour down. ,c,,oeToo bad this won't last long. The guards hate being out in the rain just as bad as we do.,c,,

,c,,oeYeah,,c,, Greer said. ,c,,oeThere's one other good thing.,c,,

,c,,oeWhat's that?,c,, asked Ray.

,c,,oeThose cisterns they made us dig? At least they'll get some water.,c,, Greer said. She and Davis had been there the longest, ever since the camp opened.

,c,,oeTo be hoped for,,c,, Davis chimed in. ,c,,oeToo bad they won't let us outside for a few minutes.,c,,

Her three cellmates looked at Davis as if she'd suddenly grown an extra head. ,c,,oeWhat?,c,, Ryan asked.

,c,,oeShowers: all we have to do is strip down and stand in the rain. We'd be decently clean for the first time in who knows how long?,c,, Davis quipped, and after a minute, her cellmates broke out laughing. A natural shower beat what the guards allowed: only ten minutes, just enough time to get wet, lather up, then rinse, all under a tepid shower head in a bath stall that was filthy to say the least.

,c,,oeQuiet! No unnecessary talking!,c,, a voice came from the hallway. The guards were clearly upset about something, as even the few decent guards had suddenly developed a mean streak. And it had showed last night, when the occupants of the cell across from their own had laughed at something someone said, and the guards fell upon them with rubber hoses, beating all four prisoners, then putting them in rear handcuffs and leg irons overnight, and they were still in those today. Ray remembered all too well when they had angered the guards one time-what they'd done to piss them off, she still wasn't sure, but they, too, had been stripped, beaten, and then locked into cuffs and irons-for two weeks, not allowed to bathe, and only being released twice a day-morning and evening-to eat and use their waste bucket.

Outside, the camp PA System was going on as usual, with propaganda broadcasts from Radio Havana and Radio Moscow, intermixed in with anti-war appeals from prisoners who'd been tortured-the slurred speech, mispronounced words, halting phrases, all gave that away. No one blamed them for having to make the statements, for all of the officer prisoners-some more than once-had been forced to make such statements. Sometimes, there would be diatribes from those leftists who supported the Soviet and Cuban cause, or seemingly endless martial music as well. For the aircrews, it was just like SERE training, where POWs from Hanoi lectured about the North Vietnamese doing the same thing in their POW prisons.

Suddenly, things changed on the PA. Solemn music began to play. And all over the camp, prisoners were wondering what had happened. In Ray's cell, the four occupants were whispering to themselves.

,c,,oeMaybe Fidel's dead?,c,, Ryan asked.

,c,,oeMaybe....,c,, Ray said. ,c,,oeOr maybe that SOB Chebrikov kicked.,c,,

Greer and Davis looked at each other. ,c,,oeWho knows?,c,, Davis said, and Greer just nodded.

Then an announcer began to speak. ,c,,oeThe Supreme Headquarters of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba announces: The battle for the Brownsville Pocket has ended. True to their oaths, the Soviet and Cuban forces in Brownsville, under the leadership of Marshal Alekseyev, have fought heroically and with determination, before being overwhelmed by superior numbers, and a general unfavorable situation confronting them. In no way does this setback weaken our cause, and in a joint statement, Comrade General Secretary Viktor Chebrikov and Comrade President Fidel Castro reemphasize their determination to fight on, and achieve final victory.

,c,,oePresident Fidel Castro, in the Palace of the Revolution, has issued a decree declaring five days' national mourning, with all public entertainment, such as movie theaters, restaurants, and amusement places, closed, in honor of the memory of the heroes, especially the brave soldiers of the Cuban Armed Forces, who have given their lives in the struggle. Long Live the Revolution! Long Live Cuba!,c,, After the statement, the somber music began to play again.

In the cells and bays, prisoners smiled at each other, shook hands, and even embraced. No one, though went further-not wanting to anger the guards any more than they were already. And who knew how they'd react? In Ray's cell, the four occupants looked at each other and grinned. Maybe, just maybe, there was light at the end of the damned tunnel, and soon, they'd be going home. At the very least, treatment would improve, and there'd be an end to the work details. Maybe.

1500 Hours: Headquarters, Soviet Caribbean Squadron, Cienfeugos, Cuba.

Rear Admiral Valery Denisov looked at the message form, with K-236's message, and he shook his head. Food poisoning? That hadn't happened in a while, but anything was possible these days. He got up from his desk and went to his situation map. Apart from K-236, he had exactly two nuclear submarines at sea, and a third in port here in Cienfeugos, provisioning and taking on weapons, prior to another patrol. And he had exactly four diesel boats, but two of them were suspected of having run afoul of American ASW forces, and hadn't been heard from in several days. His surface ship strength was down to exactly three effective combatants, coastal forces excepted. And if the Mexicans came to a separate peace with the Americans, as rumors first spread, then his intelligence officer had informed him that those rumors were very likely to become fact, then Cuba-and his forces-would be next on the Americans' revenge list.

His Chief of Staff, Captain First Rank Oleg Savin, came in to give the Admiral his afternoon situation update, and he had a message from Moscow. ,c,,oeFor you, Comrade Admiral.,c,,

Denisov took the message form and scanned it. ,c,,oeThat, I can do without. A promotion to Vice Admiral looks good in Red Star, but it doesn't give me much to stop the U.S. Navy when they come in to put Marines on the beaches.,c,,

,c,,oeJust like in Brownsville, they say. Some of those who've escaped say that there was a rash of promotions before the end.,c,, Savin commented.

,c,,oeAgain, something I can do without, Oleg Petrovich. Now, what do you have for me this afternoon? I'm aware of K-236's situation, so what else is there?,c,, Denisov asked.

Savin went to the map. ,c,,oeK-236 is roughly here, in the Yucatan Channel, and he should be here sometime tomorrow. In the Windward Passage, between Cuba and Haiti, is K-69, a 671 (Victor I) class boat, and south of Puerto Rico is K-60, a 627 (November) type boat. K-69 has had no contact so far, but K-60 has had repeated encounters with American ASW forces, and barely escaped when they found him and the K-131 (Echo II), and the latter was sunk.

,c,,oeAs for diesel boats,,c,, Savin continued, ,c,,oeK-156 (Juliett) was last reported in the Old Bahama Channel, but one of our ELINT aircraft reports intense American and British ASW activity in -156's general location.,c,,

,c,,oeBritish?,c,, Denisov asked. That was something new.

,c,,oeYes, Comrade Admiral. A call sign was intercepted, and it matches one used by an RAF Nimrod squadron. The Bahamas are a member of the Commonwealth, and Nassau International Airport could easily house both British and American ASW aircraft.,c,, Savin reported.

,c,,oeAnd someone claimed a kill?,c,,

,c,,oeI'm afraid so, Comrade Admiral.,c,, the Chief of Staff said.

The Admiral grunted and motioned for Savin to continue.

,c,,oeIn the Mona Passage-between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, B-28 (Foxtrot) is on station, while B-319 (Tango) was last reported in the Florida Straits. However, he, too, apparently fell victim to American ASW forces out of Key West,,c,, reported the Chief of Staff.

,c,,oeAnd here in port?,c,, Denisov asked.

,c,,oeK-508 (Charlie II) is replenishing his food stores and reloading weapons, and should be ready to sail in two days, and B-397 (Foxtrot) has just arrived; he'll need to be refueled and replenish food stores before going back out.,c,,

,c,,oeSurface forces?,c,, asked the Admiral.

,c,,oeWe've only one effective modern unit: the destroyer Stoyky (Sovermenny-class), along with the destroyer Dzerky (Kanin-class) and the frigate Gromky (Krivak-class). Several other ships, including the cruiser Vitse-Admiral Drozd (Kresta I) are tied up in various ports here in Cuba, with..,c,,

,c,,oeI know, unrepairable battle damage. And Moscow wanted us to send a final convoy to Texas, with only those three ships to escort the merchant vessels? Someone there is living in a dream world,,c,, Denisov said. ,c,,oeAll right: Naval Aviation?,c,,

,c,,oeWe've two regiments, though both are down to roughly two squadron equivalents due to losses. The 37th Naval Strike Regiment with Su-24Ms, and the 697th Fighter Regiment with MiG-29s. We also have individually assigned Tu-95s, both missile carriers and RT reconnaissance aircraft, and a couple of Il-20s. A very depleted squadron of Mi-14s handles shore-based ASW, while several Ka-25s and -27s from sunken or damaged ships supplement them.,c,,

,c,,oeIn short, Savin, when the Americans come, we'll be overwhelmed,,c,, said Denisov. It was not a question.

,c,,oeYes, Comrade Admiral.,c,, replied Savin. ,c,,oeBoth carrier-based aircraft, and aircraft flying from bases in Florida, would suffice. The Cuban air defenses will be completely overwhelmed, and as soon as possible, the Marines come ashore,,c,,he said, seeing the Admrial nod.

,c,,oeWhen?,c,,

,c,,oeIf the Mexicans quit the war, as is very likely, in theory, it could be a couple of weeks. If I was CINCLANT, however, I'd wait until the end of Hurricane season: that's 30 November. Anytime after that, but the aerial preparations can start as soon as the assets have redeployed and are in place.,c,, Savin reported.

,c,,oeThank you, Savin. Send this to Moscow: acknowledge my promotion, and request information on when the Americans can be expected to invade Cuba. Perhaps the Naval branch of the GRU has some idea....The generals at Group of Soviet Forces Cuba certainly don't.,c,,

,c,,oeRight away, Comrade Admiral.,c,,

**Matt Wiser** · 04-11-2015, 07:11 PM

The finale of this particular story, but there are more to follow:

1600 Hours Eastern War Time: U.S. Military Academy Annex, Garrison Lake, New York.

Several buses and a staff car, under Military Police escort rolled up to the gate of the Annex, which had been acquired by the U.S. Army after the war began. Though originally intended to train officer candidates coming from universities and Colleges in New York and Connecticut, the Army had wound up putting the facility to use for a much different purpose, for despite its failure in Operation ADVENT CROWN, several Soviet Generals had been captured during that ill-fated offensive, and the Army needed a place to hold high-ranking Soviet, and later, Cuban, Nicaraguan, and East German officers, in a location that where they could be held with accommodations equal to their rank. And so the Army had built numerous cottages for the high-ranking prisoners, with barracks for enlisted prisoners to serve as orderlies, along with appropriate dining, recreation, and other facilities. The camp also housed high-value prisoners of company and field grade-those who had relatives in the Soviet system-including several sons of Central Committee members or sons of high-ranking officers still serving in the USSR. Despite the amenities, it was still a POW camp first and foremost, with fencing, watch towers, and armed guards.

The staff car pulled up to the camp headquarters. The driver of the car got out,opened the door for its two occupants, and saluted. Marshal Alekseyev and Colonel Sergetov returned the salute as they exited the car, and the camp commander came to meet them. Both noticed that the American officer, a brigadier general, walked with a serious limp, using a cane with his left hand, and had several scars on his face and neck from burns. Clearly, this was an officer whose injuries prevented a return to front-line service, just like a number of camp commanders on his side. The American officer saluted. ,c,,oeMarshal, I am Brigadier General Martin Fleming, the camp commander.,c,,

,c,,oeGeneral,,c,, Alsekseyev said, returning the salute.

,c,,oeMarshal, this is a bit awkward, as we've never had so many senior officers fall into our hands at once, so please understand if the other generals had to ride in the buses. It's not exactly Geneva, but it's the best we could manage on short notice.,c,,

,c,,oeI understand, General,,c,, replied the Marshal.

,c,,oeGood, Marshal. Please follow me. Your baggage will be taken to your quarters. It's not exactly a resort, but we've had no complaints from the Red Cross-or from any of the others held here.,c,, Fleming said.

Alekseyev nodded as he and Sergetov followed the commander into the headquarters, and to his first-floor office. The two Soviets noticed the usual activity one found in any military office, only this office had a number of people who were clearly too old for front-line duty. Sergetov whispered to Alekseyev, ,c,,oeComrade Marshal, I'd swear that a couple of the NCOs at those desks could have fought in the Second World War.,c,,

,c,,oeI see you noticed, Colonel.,c,, Alekseyev replied as Fleming's secretary opened the door for the trio.

General Fleming limped over to his desk. ,c,,oeMarshal, Colonel, please, have a seat,,c,, he said, and the two Russians sat down in the chairs in front of the desk. ,c,,oeI trust the trip from Texas was satisfactory?,c,,

,c,,oeApart from a noisy C-130 cargo plane and a box lunch, yes, it was,,c,, Alekseyev said.

,c,,oeAgain, Marshal, we're not used to hauling high-ranking officers in such quantities,,c,, Fleming said. ,c,,oeNow, this is still a POW camp, but things here are relaxed. Everyone's locked in their cottage or barracks at 2100, and let out again at 0700. The mess hall is open for meals at 0800, 1200, and 1800. Other than that, there's no set routine. No roll calls, nothing of that sort. Those held here are simply allowed to sit out the war as comfortably as possible, and whatever activities take place are often those begun by the prisoners themselves.,c,,

,c,,oeI see, General,,c,, Alekseyev said. ,c,,oeSuch as?,c,,

,c,,oeThere is a library, gymnasium, recreation hall, all for your use. There's also a walking trail, and just as long as you don't cross the warning stakes, you're fine,,c,, Fleming said, ,c,,oeFor the younger officers, there's opportunities for sports, and some also take correspondence courses-which have been arranged with a couple of civilian colleges in this part of New York-courses such as English literature, law, history, and so forth. Anything to keep the mind busy, even if it's a gilded cage....,c,,

Both Russians nodded.

,c,,oeAnd Colonel Sergetov, you're probably wondering why you're here?,c,, Fleming asked. Seeing him nod, Fleming went on. ,c,,oeYou're not the first son of a high official-whether in the Party or the military-to fall into American hands. There's quite a few generals' or Admirals' sons here, along with sons of several Central Committee members, or regional Party officials as well.,c,,

That many? Sergetov thought to himself. ,c,,oeI'm surprised.,c,,

,c,,oeDon't be, Colonel. Though most of those we have want to sit out the war here, some have not. They're in a place where conditions are more strict, but still in line with International Law. You'll share a bungalow with an officer of equal rank, and each general officer has one to himself, and also,,c,, Fleming said, nodding to the Marshal, ,c,,oeis allowed an enlisted prisoner to serve as an orderly. Since you are clearly the senior ranking officer here, Marshal Alekseyev, you may have two, if that is your decision.,c,,

,c,,oeIf the other generals are allowed one, then I shall have one as well. No exceptions for me, General. You do understand?,c,,

,c,,oeCompletely, Marshal. If you have any complaints, speak to one of the officers, and I will be informed.,c,, Fleming said, reaching for his speaker phone. ,c,,oeMajor Lewis, please come in.,c,,

The office door opened and a blond female Major came in. She saluted General Fleming, and the two Soviets. ,c,,oeThis is Major Lewis. She'll escort you to your quarters. Her Russian is impeccable: she was a Professor of Russian Literature at Syracuse University, and as a young girl, was in Moscow with her father, who was a Foreign Service Officer at the Embassy, back in the early 1960s.,c,,

Alekseyev and Sergetov nodded. ,c,,oeThank you, General.,c,,

,c,,oeAny final questions?,c,, Fleming asked.

,c,,oeYes, if you don't mind my asking,,c,, Alekseyev said. ,c,,oeI take it you were wounded? Our side, sad to say, had a number of prison commanders who were wounded at the front and were no longer fit for front-line service-and sometimes, took that out on the prisoners in their charge.,c,,

,c,,oeYes, I was, Marshal. I was Assistant Division Commander of the rebuilt 2nd Armored Division. Wichita: I was in an M-113, going from one unit to another, when an Mi-24 found us. A salvo of rockets, and the APC caught fire, then exploded. Two crewmen dragged me to safety, only they were wearing Nomex fire-retardant tankers' suits and gloves. I was merely in BDUs, and received burns over thirty percent of my body, and shrapnel in my left knee. Ever since, I can't get into or out of an armored vehicle quickly enough, and so the Army sent me here.,c,,

,c,,oeI see...well, as one combat soldier to another: you did your duty, just as we did ours,,c,, Alekesyev said, putting out his hand.

Fleming shook hands with the Marshal, and said, ,c,,oeAgain, Marshal, if you have any issues, please, don't hesitate to ask to see me. Though that's been few and far between in the past.,c,,

,c,,oeOf course, General,,c,, Alekseyev said, saluting.

1540 Hours Central War Time: 324th Soviet Field Hospital, Brownsville, Texas.

Lieutenant Colonel Dherkov was amazed: despite the Americans being busy with their own casualties, not to mention tending to the needs of the civilian population, they had enough resources-and people-to tend to the Soviet wounded. That contrasted very much with his side since 1985, where Soviet and Soviet-allied wounded had been given priority, and the civilians-not to mention prisoners-got short shrift. Now, a company from the 101st Airborne Division guarded the hospital, and American medical personnel, and some from America's allies, were treating Soviet wounded.

Conditions had improved, but were still poor by American standards. The first American medical personnel-a battalion surgeon and his medics-to arrive had been genuinely appalled at the conditions-the filthy latrines, squalid wards, dirty linens, and the shortages of just about everything. It was so bad that the Americans had brought in one of their own field hospitals-what they called a MSH, or Mobile Surgical Hospital, and set up shop across the road from the Soviet facility. Those Soviet wounded who could be moved were transferred over to the MSH, and then evacuated when able, just as if they had been Americans. Those who couldn't be moved were taken in to some of the school buildings that either hadn't been used, or were still relatively clean, and given the best care that the Americans could provide. And it wasn't just Americans: some doctors from the Irish Brigade, which had not been in at the finish, but had been ready to go if needed, had come down to help, along with some South Korean and Taiwanese medical staff.

Then an American officer came over to Colonel Dherkov. ,c,,oeColonel, would you please come with me?,c,, the American said. Puzzled, Dherkov followed the American captain to a Humvee, where another American officer, this one a Brigadier General, was standing, ,c,,oeGeneral? I have Colonel Dherkov.,c,,

,c,,oeColonel, I'm Brigadier General Richard Collett, XVIII Airborne Corps' chief surgeon.,c,, the general said, putting out his hand.

Dherkov nodded and shook hands with the general. ,c,,oeGeneral, I must say, I am pleased at how your people are taking care of the wounded. A far cry from our own practice with enemy wounded, I greatly regret to say.,c,,

Collett nodded. He knew that the Soviet practice with American wounded had been to leave them to their own devices. Few seriously wounded Americans had made it to POW camps, and fewer still survived captivity. ,c,,oeThe difference between our two systems, Colonel,,c,, said the General. ,c,,oeNow, this used to be an elementary school, right?,c,,

,c,,oeThat is so, General,,c,, Dherkov said. ,c,,oeI imagine the schools will want their property back as soon as possible.,c,,

,c,,oeNot this one: this place is such a hazard to local health. I doubt any school district is going to want to reopen a place like this,,c,, Collett said, turning to his aide. ,c,,oeTell the civil affairs people that this particular school is not a candidate to reopen. When they rebuild, use the property across the street; there's plenty of room for a new campus.,c,,

,c,,oeYes, sir.,c,, the aide replied.

,c,,oeColonel, there's how many unburied bodies here?,c,, Collett asked.

,c,,oeAbout two hundred. Plus those in the....terminal ward-another three hundred or so.,c,, Dherkov replied.

,c,,oeAll right.,c,, Collett said. He turned to another officer. ,c,,oeGet Colonel Tucker, the 101st's officer in charge of EPW handling. I need five hundred EPWs here, ASAP.,c,,

,c,,oeFor what purpose, General?,c,, the staffer replied.

,c,,oeGrave digging. Tell the prisoners they'll get double-no, make that triple rations if they'll dig graves for their countrymen-full biohazard protection, the works.. And get the wounded out of here as soon as we can.,c,,

,c,,oeYes, sir.,c,, the major replied.

,c,,oeOnce we've cleared out the wounded, and taken care of the dead, Colonel, you'll probably go to an EPW camp to work in the camp infirmary, along with the other medical staff. But this place...,c,, Collett said. ,c,,oeAfter it's cleared, burn it to the ground. Raze it completely.,c,,

Dherkov nodded, while Collett's aide said, ,c,,oeYes, Sir.,c,,

Collett looked at Dherkov, ,c,,oeColonel, there's one other thing: why did your people expend a lot of effort-and scarce supplies, on one officer? I've seen a chart your people had on a tank officer: burned over sixty percent of his body. The only way he'll live out the week is if he gets to a burn center-and the nearest one taking patients is in either Phoenix, Tuscon, or New Orleans.,c,,

,c,,oeI know the officer you're referring to, General.,c,, Dherkov said. ,c,,oeWe had no choice: he is the son of a Central Committee Member. The KGB told us to do whatever it took to get him in condition to fly out, but we never did have the chance to get him out of here.,c,,

,c,,oeLet me guess: they said 'if he dies, you die'?,c,, Collett asked.

Dherkov shook his head. ,c,,oeNot quite that, but, General, shall we say.....serious consequences could result if he died in our care.,c,,

Of all the.....Collett thought. Now I've heard everything. It's bad enough the KGB did that to civilian doctors, but their own people? He shook his head. ,c,,oeHe's at the MSH, and he'll get what care they can give him. I'm afraid he likely won't make it to a burn center, but they'll try anyway.,c,,

,c,,oeThank you, General.,c,, said Dherkov. ,c,,oeMay I ask about the female staff who were evacuated from here? I have no idea if they got to Mexico or fell into your hands.,c,,

Collett nodded. ,c,,oeI personally don't know, Colonel. But I will find out. Rest assured, if they did get captured, they're safe, and on their way to a prison camp. They'll be treated well.,c,,

1100 Hours Local Time, 8 October 1989, Soviet Naval Base, Cienfeugos, Cuba:

Admiral Denisov watched as K-236 sailed into the harbor. Though the arrival was subdued, he saw that the boat was flying four victory pennants, signaling ships sunk, from her radio mast. Since the boat had ill crewmen aboard, ambulances were waiting to whisk the sick men to the base hospital, while Denisov and his staff were waiting to talk to the Captain and his senior officers. Soon, the boat tied up at the pier, and the gangway was put up. And quickly, the forward hatch opened, and sailors began gingerly lifting stretchers up, as eight crewmen were sick enough to warrant hospitalization ashore. Also leaving the boat was a single Air Force officer, who Denisov assumed had been shot down near the boat's patrol area, and picked up. Lucky man, Denisov thought, because as far as he knew, that was the only known survivor picked up by a Soviet vessel.

After the ambulances had left, Denisov went up the gangway, saluted the colors, and asked, ,c,,oePermission to come aboard?,c,,

Captain Padorin returned the salute, ,c,,oePermission granted, Comrade Admiral.,c,,

Padorin received the Admiral, and took him and his operations officer below, into the wardroom. After he locked the door, only then did Padorin feel he could speak honestly. ,c,,oePermission to speak freely, Comrade Admiral?,c,,

,c,,oeBy all means, Padorin,,c,, Denisov said. ,c,,oeIt's your boat.,c,,

,c,,oeThank you, Comrade Admiral. First of all, I'd like to know whose idea was it to have us that close to the coast?,c,,

,c,,oeI have no idea, Padorin,,c,, Denisov said. He'd been just as exasperated about that as Padorin had been. ,c,,oeAll I know is that the orders came from Moscow.,c,,

,c,,oeThank you, Comrade Admiral. Despite the successes we had on the patrol, making that rendezvous
was highly unlikely, at best. The ASW activity we encountered was the worst I've ever seen.,c,, Padorin said.

,c,,oeSo I gather. And you encountered the battleships. That's something you'll tell your grandchildren about.,c,, Denisov said.

,c,,oeYes, Comrade Admiral. There's one other thing.....,c,,

Denisov noted the shift in Padorin's tone of voice, and the way he trailed off. ,c,,oeWhat is it, Captain?,c,,

,c,,oeComrade Admiral,,c,, Padorin said, coming to attention. ,c,,oeI have to report that Comrade Zampolit Zirinsky attempted to solicit a mutiny, after our encounter with the battleships.,c,,

Denisov and his operations officer exchanged glances. A political officer attempting a mutiny? Nothing of the sort had happened since the mutiny on Storozhovoy in 1975....,c,,You're sure, Comrade Captain?,c,, the operations officer asked.

,c,,oeAbsolutely, Comrade Admiral. My Starpom, Security Officer, and all of my department heads are willing to so testify, if necessary.,c,, Padorin said.

,c,,oeAnd where is Comrade Zirinsky now?,c,, Denisov asked.

,c,,oeHe was court-martialed at sea, convicted, and set out a torpedo tube, Comrade Admiral,,c,, Padorin reported. ,c,,oeHowever, the log entry says that the Political Officer suffered a fatal accident while in the engineering spaces, and was buried at sea.,c,,

The Admiral and the operations officer exchanged glances. ,c,,oeI see...,c,, Denisov said. ,c,,oeWell, Captain, you did act correctly in this matter, though I would have preferred that Zirinsky answer the charges in a more formal setting. But, as I said, you did act correctly,,c,, said the Admiral. He went on to add, ,c,,oeUnfortunately, we don't have any spare Zampolits available, so you'll be responsible for the political education and stability of your crew.,c,,

,c,,oeI understand, Comrade Admiral,,c,, Padorin replied.

Denisov nodded. ,c,,oeGood. Now, your weapons stores will be replenished, though the Klub missiles are in short supply: we've only eight left. The torpedo supply is adequate, and I assume that's all you require?,c,,

,c,,oeThat is so, Comrade Admiral. More missiles would be...good to have, while we're out of Type-65s,,c,, Padorin said.

,c,,oeYou can have four missiles, and the Type-65s you need. To make up for the missiles, you'll get four TEST-96 torpedoes. That'll have to do, I'm afraid.,c,, Denisov told the captain.

,c,,oeUnderstood, Comrade Admiral. How long do I have to complete the turn-around?,c,, Padorin asked.

,c,,oeYou can have four days. I'm sure your sick men will have recovered by then, and you can give your crew some time ashore,,c,, Denisov said. ,c,,oeBe ready to sail anytime after the 12th.,c,,

,c,,oeThank you, Comrade Admiral.,c,,

After they left the boat, and began walking towards their staff car, Denisov turned to his operations officer. ,c,,oeAndrei, the boats still in port?,c,,

,c,,oeYes,Comrade Admiral?,c,,

,c,,oeHold them. No sailings until the 12th. I need to talk with General Morozov in Santa Clara. There's rumors of an armistice going around, and we need to determine contingencies in the event something happens.,c,,

The operations officer was surprised. ,c,,oeComrade Admiral?,c,,

,c,,oeWhat if there's an Armistice and Castro refuses to sign? He's been raging for days on Cuban State TV that no matter what, he won't agree to an Armistice under any circumstances. If that's the case, and the Americans do come, we're caught between the Cubans and the Americans,,c,, Denisov said. ,c,,oeThat's not a pleasant thought.,c,,

,c,,oeUnderstood, Comrade Admiral.,c,,

0800 Hours Local Time, Headquarters, Group of Soviet Forces Cuba, Santa Clara, Cuba.

Colonel General Sergei Morozov was not a happy man, though he tried not to show it in the main conference room at his headquarters. He was the commanding general of the Group of Soviet Forces Cuba, and he knew full well that his situation had the potential to become another Brownsville. Morozov normally ran the Group as an oversized advisory and training command, assisting the Cubans with forming new units, and helping them to achieve the Soviet training norms the Cubans had adopted. Now, though, since 1987, he'd been devoting more and more attention to the possibility of an American invasion of Cuba, more so since the Americans' offensives in 1988 and 1989. Some on the General Staff had felt that the Americans would not finish off the Soviet forces in Texas without clearing their flank first, and that meant invasion of Cuba, even if it was a limited one, to ensure a secure Straits of Florida. Instead, the U.S. Navy had simply bullied its way through, and when the Soviet and Cuban navies and air forces had tried to stop them, the damage inflicted had been minimal, while the cost in lost ships, submarines, and aircraft to the Soviets and Cubans had been frightful. And now, with the fall of Brownsville, a U.S. invasion was now certainly within the realm of possibility, though it was expected that it would not occur until after the end of the hurricane season, which was 30 November.

It also struck Morozov as ironic that, with the cream of the Cuban Army either having been destroyed in America, or stuck in Mexico, unable to get home due to the Americans' control of the sea, he now possessed under his command the most effective heavy combat force on the island. Though there were some Cuban units that were well-trained and well-equipped, due to the fact that they had not deployed to America, such as the 101st Armored Division, they were deployed in the Havana area, as well as near key cities such as Mariel, Matanzas, Banes, and so forth. Most of the remaining Cuban regular forces were mainly training and support commands, while infantry were largely reservists and militia.

His own forces, though, were a mixed bag. Morozov looked at Lieutenant General Vladimir Khrenov, who commanded the Eleventh Guards Army. The Army Headquarters, as well as its army-level artillery, air defense, engineers, and other support units, had been intended for Texas, but due to the shipping shortage-and the depredations of the U.S. Navy-they had only gotten as far as Cuba. And he didn't envy Khrenov one bit. Two of his divisions had come with him from their home station in the Kallningrad region: the 1st Tank Division and the 1st Guards Motor-Rifle Division. Both were well equipped with T-72 tanks, BMP-2 infantry vehicles, and their men were well trained by Soviet standards. Another division, the 41st Guards Tank Division from Uman in the Ukraine, was also well equipped, with T-72s and BMP-2s, and Khrenov also had a well-equipped independent motor-rifle regiment, the 501st, with the only T-80s on the island, as well as his own air assault battalion, the 139th. Also available to him was the prewar Brigade Cuba, though it was currently engaged in its advisory and training role. However, three other divisions were not so well off as the rest of the Army.

One division, the 16th Guards Motor-Rifle Division, was from Vilnius, and was woefully underequipped, with only a single MR battalion with BMP-1s, while the rest were in BTR-60Ps with open tops, their tanks were T-55s, and all of the artillery was towed. Not to mention that most of the division's rank and file were Lithuanian. The 83rd Guards MRD from Rovno in the Ukraine was also in bad shape, with its tanks being forty-year old IS-3Ms, towed artillery, and old BTR-152 APCs. After he'd inspected the division, Khrenov had asked General Morozov why a division in this poor material condition had been chosen for this deployment, and Morozov had no answer. The last division, the 49th MRD from Saatl in Azerbaijan, was in the same shape material wise as the 83rd, but had a worse problem: most of the division's manpower was from Azerbaijan, and was considered to be potentially unreliable. If it came down to it, a serious fight might result in the division disintegrating. Once more, Morozov cursed whoever in the General Staff had sent this division over, not that it would do him that much good.

Now, Morozov was meeting with his senior commanders. General Khrenov was there, as commander of the 11th Guards Army, of course, while Admiral Denisov represented the Navy. The Air Force was represented by Major General Ilya Mikhailov, with Major General Boris Osipov from the Voyska PVO mission there as well. There were two other participants: Major General Grigor Goncharov, who was the Soviet Military Attache from the Soviet Embassy, and via conference call, there was Marshal Ahkormayev, the Defense Minister himself. Though Morozov initially resented the intrusion of the Marshal, the Defense Minister indicated to him that the fate of the Soviet forces in Cuba was of paramount importance to him, saying ,c,,oeWe cannot afford a second Brownsville.,c,, The Marshal had also indicated that he merely wished to listen in, but would, if asked, speak as well. Morozov felt that the Marshal had something in mind, but couldn't pin it down. But at least someone in Moscow would be paying attention-something he had heard had definitely not happened in Texas.

,c,,oeComrades, are we ready?,c,, Morozov asked, ,c,,oeAnd Comrade Marshal, can you hear me?,c,,

Heads nodded around the table, while Ahkromayev said, ,c,,oePerfectly, General. You may begin.,c,,

,c,,oeThank you, Comrade Marshal,,c,, Morozov said. ,c,,oeComrades, our position here in Cuba is....tenuous at best. With the surrender of Alekseyev's forces in Texas, the Americans have options that they are now free to pursue. Option one: invasion of Cuba; Option two: invasion of Mexico, or Option three: a combination of naval blockade and an air campaign to force both to sign a separate peace-and on American terms. Now, Comrades, what can we do in the event of Option one?,c,,

General Khrenov spoke first. ,c,,oeGiven how much preinvasion air and naval bombardment is likely to be coming, there's not that much we can do. Though our forces are employing the usual maskrikova techniques, once we begin our movements to counter the invasion itself, we'll be exposed. Not to mention having two divisions whose manpower is....questionable, at best.,c,,

Morozov nodded. ,c,,oeThank you, General. Air Force?,c,,

,c,,oeRight now, both my aircraft and the Cubans are able to mount defensive combat air patrols, and scramble to defend Cuban airspace proper,,c,, Mikhailov said. ,c,,oeWhen the Americans get serious about preinvasion preparations, we'll contest the sky as best we can, but the odds are not very good. We'll be out of aircraft by the third or fourth day. And what we have left for offensive operations? Not that much: a few Su-24s, some Su-25s, and MiG-27s. That's it. And they're needed to mount attacks on any invasion shipping-assuming they're not caught on the ground.,c,,

,c,,oeOssipov? Air Defense, if you would,,c,, Morozov asked.

,c,,oeBoth the Army-level air defense units and those missile batteries that my troops man are the best remaining on the island. We've had to move some of them about-to cover gaps in the existing Cuban network. A determined campaign to eliminate the air defenses, however......,c,, The Voyska PVO man shook his head.

,c,,oeI see...,c,, Morovov noted. ,c,,oeAnd last, but not least, Admiral Denisov?,c,,

,c,,oeI have three nuclear boats and two diesel boats left. And exactly three surface ships: one modern missile destroyer, one old gun-armed destroyer, and a single modern frigate,,c,, Denisov reported. ,c,,oeNot including coastal forces. And none of the surface ships would last very long-all we'd do is have a death-and-glory ride out of harbor to face the U.S. Navy, and good ships and men would be lost for no reason.,c,,

,c,,oeComrade General, that's our forces,,c,, Goncherov, the military attache, said. ,c,,oeThe Cubans are a decidedly a mixed bag: several good divisions and brigades that didn't deploy to America, a few reserve divisions-largely equipped with 1960s leftovers-or worse: T-34s and IS-2 or IS-3 tanks, and the balance are militia.,c,,

,c,,oeHow long, Morozov, could your forces-and the Cubans-hold out?,c,, Ahkromayev asked.

,c,,oeComrade Marshal, do you want it good or bad?,c,, Morozov replied.

,c,,oeHow long, General?,c,,

,c,,oeBest case would be about three weeks. A worst case scenario would be ten days for all organized resistance to end. Not just ours, but the Cubans, too.,c,, Morozov answered, and heads around the table nodded in agreement.

,c,,oeAll right,,c,, Ahkromayev said. ,c,,oeNow, there's some efforts underway to bring about an Armistice. Mainly through back-channel dialogue. If the Cubans agree, it's not a problem: we simply gather your men and their equipment, load them on the ships and aircraft, and return home,,c,,

,c,,oeYes, Comrade Marshal,,c,, Goncharov said. ,c,,oeThat would be the best case. If, however, Fidel keeps his word, and refuses to sign any armistice agreement unless the Americans agree to his demands?,c,,

Morozov nodded. He'd been thinking about that himself. ,c,,oeThat's going to be a problem, Comrades. I believe that in 1962, when Castro was refusing to initially go along with the agreement that withdrew the missiles, he was told that our forces in Cuba would stand aside.,c,,

,c,,oeAre you suggesting, General Morozov, that a similar note be sent to both Castro brothers?,c,, Ahkromayev asked.

,c,,oeComrade Marshal, it may be necessary to do just that. Even if the Cuban generals want an end to the war, Fidel may not. He wants the Americans to come to Cuba, I think, and he gets what he's wanted all along: a final confrontation with the Americans.,c,, said Morozov.

,c,,oeI agree with General Morozov,,c,, Goncharov said. ,c,,oeHe's wanted that for a long time, and now....,c,,

,c,,oeVery well,,c,, Ahkromayev said. ,c,,oeMorozov, make preparations for several contingencies: invasion, an air-naval campaign without invasion, an armistice agreed by all, and a Soviet-American-Allied one only. Make sure that any equipment you have to leave behind is not...sensitive or classified. One thing you'll probably have to do, if the Americans don't do it for you, is to ensure that the Lourdes intelligence facility is inoperative. I know the Americans have bombed it several times, but we've repaired it, and they come back again. Make sure the facilities are wrecked, and all secret equipment and documents are destroyed.,c,,

,c,,oeYes, Comrade Marshal,,c,, Morozov said. ,c,,oeI've already had some discrete preparations made in that regard.,c,,

,c,,oeGood. Now, Comrades,,c,, Ahkromayev said. ,c,,oeIf the Americans attack prior to an Armistice, you will give the best account of yourselves possible,,c,, and Morozov noted the heads nodding in agreement. The Defense Minister went on, though. ,c,,oeIf, however, there is an Armistice, it's highly likely there will be terms that are going to be very bitter for us. However, given the general situation, we are in no position to argue. If, however, there is a Soviet-American Armistice only, make sure the Cubans don't get their hands on the ships, the attack aircraft, and the more...sensitive Army equipment. Is that understood?,c,,

,c,,oeIt is, Comrade Marshal,,c,, Morozov said.

,c,,oeGood. I'll get out of your hair, and let you get on with your jobs. And rest assured, I am working to see to it that you and your men do return home to the Rodina. One way or another.,c,, And with that, Ahkromayev signed off.

Morozov and his generals talked for most of the morning. Finally, several contingency plans were agreed to, and sealed orders prepared for them. One thing they did agree on also: whatever did happen, they would leave Cuba and return home with their heads held high. They had come to do their duty, and would continue to do it until ordered home, or other circumstances dictated.

In Ahkromayev's office, the Defense Minister was talking with General Grachev, the Chief of the General Staff, and General Brekenev, the GRU Director. ,c,,oeComrades, that was...interesting. Now, Grachev, how long do you expect Cuba to hold out-with or without our forces?,c,,

,c,,oeWith our forces? Two to three weeks, Comrade Marshal. Without? The size of the island does facilitate a guerrilla war, and it has in the past, as we do know. But given the shortages of equipment and trained troops? Two to four weeks to terminate organized resistance.,c,,

Akhromayev nodded at that. The Cuban Military Attache had told him the same thing-with the required bombast cut out. ,c,,oeWhen, Berkenev?,c,,

,c,,oeThe Americans can redeploy air and naval assets relatively quickly, and they do have the forces available to maintain the blockade of Mexico at the same time. Moving ground forces, and assembling the amphibious shipping will take longer, though,,c,, Berkenev said. ,c,,oeHowever, they can begin the preparatory air campaign sooner rather than later.,c,,

,c,,oeHow soon for the actual invasion?,c,, Akhromayev asked.

,c,,oeNo sooner than 30 November. That's the end of Hurricane season.,c,,

Akhromayev nodded, and settled back in his chair. ,c,,oeComrades, this only reinforces my belief that this war must end as soon as possible. I have no desire to see any more good Russian boys die in far-off lands for no real purpose. We've lost: there's no way that can be hidden much longer.,c,,

Both generals nodded. ,c,,oeAnd those in Mexico?,c,, Grachev asked.

,c,,oeHopefully, when we do conclude an Armistice, arrangements can be made for them to return home. Though their equipment....the Mexicans are welcome to it to use in their civil war.,c,, Ahkromayev decided. ,c,,oeNow, status of military preparations?,c,,

,c,,oeGeneral Moisyev reports that the 1st Shock Army is ready to use its contingency plans to move into Moscow, should those be necessary. And the 16th Spetsnatz Brigade is ready as well...their targets have been identified, and preparations on that score are underway.,c,, Grachev said.

,c,,oeAnd the military prison on Gogol Boulevard is ready to handle those taken into custody,,c,, Berkenev reported. ,c,,oeThough given the age of the targets, the cellars will likely remain unused.,c,,

,c,,oeNever assume anything, Comrades,,c,, Ahkromayev reminded the two generals. ,c,,oeThat's partially what got us into this mess in the first place. Though I do hope that things can be handled without resorting to those who work in the cellars.,c,,

Both generals nodded.

,c,,oeVery well, Comrades. Continue with your preparations, and a target date will be coming very soon.,c,, Ahkromayev said.

**Matt Wiser** · 04-14-2015, 07:25 PM

Any comments, questions, etc. before I put the next one up?

**Matt Wiser** · 04-21-2015, 08:03 PM

There'll be some new work up in a day or two. Just letting folks know.

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Semi-OT: Red Dawn fan fic

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