Tempered Steel

Chapter 17

The DMZ was just as Hufham and Ricks left it. Both men returned to the fighting two days before and were with the troops when they reached the Z near the east coast. Hufham was still a little sore and stiff, but it hadn’t slowed him down.

They had retaken the old motorpool the day before. It was a complete shambles due to their efforts. The buildings were burned and there were gaping holes in the ground where the fuel tanks had been. The North Koreans hadn’t tried to recover the bodies or bury the Americans who died there. Hufham called up a detail to collect the remains and ready them for their return home. He and Ricks took care of Old Charlie themselves. What pieces they found were carefully placed in a wooden foot locker Charlie used and buried beside his shack.

As they approached the Z, Hufham pulled the trusty Jeep into some brush just out of sight of the compound. “We walk from here,” he said grabbing his rifle.

Ricks nodded and jumped out as well. Small groups of soldiers were huddled across the area, staying out of the open areas of the compound. Occasionally the crack of rifle fire could be heard as someone on the other side decided to take a pot shot at some movement. Within a minute Hufham and Ricks stood beside the clearing looking in at the carnage. Two trucks were overturned and rusted. You could tell they had burned. Even the tires were missing. The tower was still bent over and resting on its top. Hufham could see the blasted area of concrete and rebar sticking out at the bend. The wooden door was open on what was the roof. The bullet-marked remains of the latrine were to the left. The small station house was still there, but the roof had collapsed where a grenade had gone off inside. There was evidence of looting. Boxes and cans from inside the station house littered the compound near the entrance. It appeared the soldiers had enjoyed the small cache of sodas the guard post maintained for their breaks. Even the small cook stove had been pulled into the yard.

Hufham turned to a sergeant standing next to them. “Did anybody get Corporal Masters out of there?” he asked.

The sergeant nodded. “Yesterday. We kept them busy while the team got him out.”

Hufham nodded. “Seems like a long time ago doesn’t it, Dale?”

“Speak for yourself, Paul. I still have nightmares about cowering behind that shithouse,” Ricks said.

Hufham grinned and looked at the sergeant. “He gets promoted and thinks he can just say anything. Where has the respect gone?” he moaned.

The sergeant chuckled and Ricks flipped Hufham off. Then he glanced at the new set of Staff Sergeant stripes Su Lynn had sewn onto his sleeve. “Yea, this arm does feel heavier,” he said.

Hufham chuckled and looked at his own new stripes as a Sergeant Major. “Me too,” he said as he turned back to the DMZ. “OK, back to business. You see any changes from before?” Hufham asked.

Ricks took some binoculars and scanned the line. “There’s a new emplacement over there,” he said. “They tried to cover it up, but I can see the slit and some activity inside. Let me get a better view,” he said. Ricks skirted through the trees and over near the old trash barrels that had been there seemingly forever. Cautiously, he peered over the top of the barrels.

The DMZ was like it always was. The North side had watchtowers and some emplacements along with the barbed wire fence that was standard issue with a border. But something was different. He motioned Hufham over. “Take a look along our side of the line,” he said.

Hufham eased up and looked down the South Korean side. The ground had been disturbed recently and in some places the recent rains caused the soil to compact where it had been dug up. Every few feet there was a sort of indentation in the ground. Even though there was some grass covering the place, it was not at the same height as the rest. Hufham scanned the far side. There were no such indentations. Looking further along the edge, it appeared some poles on the fence had grown. Closer inspection of the base of the poles gave another clue. A portion of the dirt was not quite the same color as the rest. There was also another pole leaning up against the fence pole from the back to give it support. Every fourth pole was the same.

“You looking at the new poles?” Ricks said interrupting his thoughts.

“Sneaky sumbitches. Looks like they turned the Z into a killing ground. They mined both sides and set in new pillboxes. Let’s take a trot down to the old road,” Hufham said. They gathered a squad of men and walked back to the trail in the woods behind the South side. Ten minutes later they came on the old crossing that had been there before the first conflict in the late Forties. The road had grown over except for two ruts that were too compacted for a plant to take root in. The old road ran through the woods and met up eventually with another road inside South Korea. The younger soldiers didn’t see anything worth noting, but Hufham and Ricks caught it immediately. They backed their men into the woods.

Hufham brought them together. “Okay, listen up. We have enemy troops around our side. That fence has been changed and the road was traveled very recently. Did you notice the grass is almost gone?” The guys shook their heads. “Well, we were here before. What else did you notice, Staff Sergeant Ricks?”

“The leaves have been disturbed along the line and head off into the trees. There are also two mounds of dirt that weren’t there before. They tried to cover it up with some grass and leaves, but the leaves don’t match the trees around them. I bet we either have a trap door or some sort of tunnel. I bet there are even some snipers in the trees. What kind of equipment are we carrying?” he asked.

“Just rifles mostly. I have some grenades that we carried along, but nothing heavy,” said the Sergeant.

“Anything with a silencer?”

“Nothing like that.”

“Okay, we fall back to the compound. When we get there get two guys to go back in the truck and bring up some explosives, a sniper, a large battery, and about twenty more guys. Tell the Colonel we have DPRs on our side all settled in. Tell him we’re going to try and clean them out,” Hufham said. “Now get your guys and head back.”

The men began walking casually but on alert through the woods. Ricks stayed behind just a minute then caught back up. He settled in beside Hufham. “Paul, I caught sight of two dense notches in some trees along the road. There are also some thick clumps of vegetation about twenty yards back. You know what I think?”

“That this is one of their supply lines. They didn’t open up on us because they want to keep it a secret. They probably open the fence at night and then close it during the day to keep it from being discovered,” Hufham said nonchalantly.

“Glad we think alike. You figure on sneaking up on them just after dusk and doing it really quietly?”

“As quiet as we can. I’d like to do it as the first trucks come across. If we can stop a bunch in the Z, it would make it tough to use that road again. If I know the colonel, he’ll rustle up some air cover and follow the line back.”

“Makes sense. What’s the battery for?”

Hufham stopped a second and took a draw from his canteen. “You remember our system of mines. They were controlled in the watchtower.”

“Yea, but we lost electicity.”

“Actually, there is a battery backup, which I’ll need to replace. All the wires and the control panel are on the undamaged side of the tower. If we can activate our side, when the trucks start spilling over…”

Ricks grinned as the idea struck him. “Those things will go off killing everything in sight. When will you turn it on?”

“I’ll have a guy here with his hand on the switch. When he hears the first explosion, he punches them all on.”

“Not bad at all, Sergeant Major, sir.”

They arrived at the clearing and Ricks grabbed a man and took off in the Jeep for the command post. Hufham stayed back and kept everyone hidden. He wanted everyone to think they left the area.

Late that evening, Sgt. Ben Miller inched forward wearing his night vision goggles. Ten pair were sent forward for the troops on this mission. As he slowly made his way up the road the outline of men hiding in the trees and in the surrounding area became clear. All of the American troops were behind him or holding a position to the left of the road. When the men came up from the command post, Ricks stopped them at the junction with the old road. The truck made its way to the compound. Only two had gotten off the truck. The second sniper was ten feet behind and to the left on the other side of the road. Using hand signals he indicated for the other man to take the second target in a tree just twenty yards further on. Both men got down on one knee and aimed. There was a soft “pap” as the muzzled rifles went off. It almost sounded like a tree limb falling somewhere. Miller knew the shots were good as both targets jerked from the impact and slumped in their perch.

The two men continued up the road. Forty yards farther they caught sight of two men preparing what looked like a machine gun behind a blind. The blind had cut off some of the body heat, but the gun and the movement in the open revealed them. Miller directed the other sniper around to the left and he moved to the right. Using techniques actually taught to him by the Cherokee Indians, he was able to silently walk through the leaves until he was in a good firing position. He waited until this partner was in position and raised his hand. Once again, he took aim and squeezed the trigger. One man went down slightly before the other and there was a low moan that came from the position. Luckily no one responded.

The third position was a problem. The men were walking just thirty feet away when suddenly a door flipped open on the ground and men began to come out. There was light in the bunker they were in and as a result, the exiting soldiers had no night vision. There were four men. They walked past the snipers and up to the fence. One began working with some sort of latch on one side and the barbed wires slid aside.

Scanning the area from side to side the snipers noticed there was some heat coming out of two openings at the base of the fence posts. Another door opened down the fence line and several more men came out stretching their legs and arms. Across the DMZ the sound of a truck starting alerted everyone.

Miller scanned the trees again and found them clear. He looked deeper in the woods on the left of the road and caught the outline of a number of men crouching and waiting. He raised his hand and waved for them to move forward.

Miller saw one of the men raise up, followed by the rest and begin moving up. Miller signaled the other sniper to back away and target the men standing closest to the now open fence.

Hufham led the squad to the left. He sent Ricks back to the old road to come up the road behind the snipers. The snipers wore a special patch that reflected into the night vision goggles so they could be identified. Ricks saw the snipers crouching on the left hand side of the road. One turned and saw them coming. Ricks raised a hand and waved. The figure waved back. He eased up to one of the men and crouched beside him. “When the truck comes through, take out the driver and any passenger.” Miller nodded and relayed it to his partner while Ricks fell back to his men.

The truck churned up the road and approached the open gate. One of the soldiers was caught in the glare of the shaded headlights. The soldier waved them on. The driver gave the truck some gas and pushed past the gate. He was a little surprised to see something black in the road. The last thing he saw was what looked like a small flash and a puff of smoke.

The lead truck swerved off the road and into the trees on the right hand side, striking a thick tree and coming to a halt. Its bed blocked the road for the others. Two of the soldiers ran up to the truck to see what was wrong and were dropped like stones from the silenced rifles. The lights from the second truck clearly illuminated their fall.

Another soldier cried out an alarm as Hufham and his men began throwing grenades along the trucks and fence line. The explosions filled the air with deadly shrapnel, further stopping the line of trucks. Some of the drivers saw what was going on and tried to get off the road and turn around.

At the sound of the explosion a private sitting in the old watchtower hit the switch activating the mines. Immediately mines started going off under trucks up and down the roadway. Those still on the road had no place to run. As several men jumped out of their cabs and began to run back to their line, the mines went off under their feet. Flashes of light were appearing all along the DMZ line where the trucks and men were. Each outlined something almost like a strobe light in a disco.

At the same time the call went out for air cover. A flight of ten Warthogs suddenly zoomed over the hills and began following the road back into North Korea. The line of trucks was over a mile long and many more were making their way to the same point. Within 30 minutes nearly 200 trucks were burning wrecks.

As the explosions began, Ricks and his men poured up the road into the small compound. The North Korean soldiers fought back as best they could, but there was no way for them to win. Several threw up their hands. Ricks detailed some men to guard the prisoners while he and a man with the flamethrower followed Miller to the doors they had seen. The first door was opened and Ricks jumped in with his 9mm pistol. The small cavelike enclosure had some bunks on one side and a few cases of food and water. Other tunnels led out of it. Ricks followed one to a room where a radio operator was telling his people what was happening. Ricks shot the transmitter and held the gun on the operator. The operator grabbed for a pistol on the table and Ricks shot him in the head. A shout came from another tunnel and Ricks waited until an officer walked into the main room. Ricks clubbed him over the head and watched him fall to the floor.

Fire erupted from the two enclosures below the fence posts. The men topside began to dive for cover as the bullets sprayed the area. Hufham grabbed a grenade and threw it, but there was no effect. He saw two of his men go down from one burst and tried to get the snipers to try and hit the slits. Nothing seemed to work and the machine guns continued to pepper the area. Hufham was about to rush the enclosures when first one and then the other stopped firing.

The area became very quiet. Then a door opened nearby and Ricks shouted, “Tunnels clear!”

Hufham let out a sigh. “Thank god,” he said. “I was about to frag your ass, Ricks.”

“Thanks for waiting on me. This place is honeycombed with these damn little tunnels. I suggest we finish cleaning them out and then blow them,” Ricks said.

Shouts came from the road and the men saw several truck drivers running up with their arms raised. A squad of soldiers began running along the road of trucks and Hufham and his men opened up on them, mowing them down as they reached the center. In one case, a soldier strayed off the road and tripped another mine. Machine guns had now opened up along the North Korean side spraying the general area.

Hufham made a second call for air support and within minutes napalm was spread along the fence on the north side. In a few minutes all shooting had ceased. Using their night vision glasses the snipers set up shop beside the first truck. As heat blooms appeared, the men took their shots. It didn’t take long before no one was appearing on the other side.

The men began clearing the area and setting up their own guard post. Another was set up at the old observation compound a few hundred meters away. The men found a third partially completed post 100 meters to the right of the road. This provided an excellent crossfire for that crossing. Ricks supervised the return of the prisoners. He gathered them on the road 50 meters away from the fence. A truck was sent up with some additional guards and the prisoners were loaded in. The officer began shouting something at the men, but Ricks’ pistol shoved under his chin silenced him. He was gagged and thrown in the truck tied hand and foot. The enlisted men seemed to enjoy it. When the truck left, Ricks returned to the compound.

Hufham handed him a cup of freshly made coffee. “Here you go, Dale. Have some of this MRE horse grunge they call coffee.”

Ricks took the mug and took a long sip. The warmth felt good. “Mmmmm. Just like Mom used to make,” he said. “The prisoners are on their way.”

“Give you any trouble?”

“Not really. The officer started saying something but I stopped him. We tied him up and gagged him for the trip south.”

“Serves him right. Colonel Peterson is on his way up. He’s going to chew you out.”

“What for?”

“Jumping down in that hole and playing mole. You’re going to get your ass shot, Dale. Then what will I tell Su Lynn?”

“I died with my boots on. Come on, Paul, we both know it had to be done. Otherwise you would still be pinned down by those two pillboxes.”

“I know, but he has to play papa. Just take it and let it go. I can’t stop you, so I know he can’t,” Hufham grinned. “Nice job by the way.”

“Humph,” Ricks grunted. “Did anyone think to bring up some MREs for dinner? I’m starved.”

“They’re coming with the Colonel,” Hufham said. He noticed one of the snipers walking past him. “Hey, Miller! Nice job man. You guys are slick as glass.”

Miller walked over and sat down next to the men. “Thanks, Sergeant Major. Glad we could help out.”

“Where you from, son? You shoot like nothing I’ve ever seen,” Ricks said.

“Raised in the woods near Franklin, North Carolina. Been shootin’ since I was three.”

“Man, I can tell. What kind of rifle is that?” Ricks asked.

“Miller pulled the rifle around. ‘It’s an M40A5, a Marine Corps weapon. Based on the Remington 700. I like it ‘cause I can put on this night vision scope. Feels real nice,” he said, not letting go of the weapon.

Ricks looked it over but didn’t take it. He heard snipers were particular about their weapons and he respected that. “I may just find me one of these when I get back. Thanks for the help.”

“You guys Army?” asked Hufham.

“No, sir, we’re with the First Marine Division. We joined up with your guys just a few hours ago and when they said they needed some sharpshooters, we volunteered to come up. It’s been a hell of a walk,” he said pleasantly.

“Well, welcome to the Army, Miller. You guys going to hang around?”

“For a bit. When we’re not really needed we’ll head back to the CP. Till then we might just watch the other side and see what pops up,” Miller said.

“Semper Fi!” said Hufham.

“Hoo rah!”

The men chuckled as Miller made his way back to the fence.

“The Marines have landed,” Ricks joked.

Hufham chuckled. “From what I heard there’s a shit load of different services starting to pile up behind us. Dale, I think the push is on.”

A Humvee made its way up the road and stopped below the crest of the hill. A figure got out of the passenger side and walked up to Hufham and Ricks.

“You two still lounging around?” Peterson growled.

The two men came to their feet and saluted. “Everything’s secure for now, Colonel. We captured six including an officer. They are on the way back. The snipers are on the line looking for bad guys and we have secured the area.”

“Good. We’re bringing some mortars up in case they try and retake this place. Just make sure everybody’s ready. Ricks, I want to talk to you a minute,” he said taking him by the arm and walking him out of earshot.

“Ricks, am I going to have to kick your ass? What the fuck are you thinking jumping into a set of tunnels?”

“Colonel, they were too spread out and separate for a flamethrower to work. Somebody had to get in there and take care of business. If we didn’t there were still guys in there shooting at us and might have killed a few of my guys. It just had to be done.”

“Yeah, but we have other guys who can do the hard jobs. I need your experience and your leadership to get this job done and I can’t use it if you’re dead. Sergeant, you have to delegate things like that out damnit. You know better!”

“Yes, sir,” Ricks said. There was no feeling in his voice.

“Look, Ricks, you’re one of the best non-commissioned officers I have. I need you. It’s going to take a long time to get this over with and without you it will make it tougher on me and everyone else. So be a little more careful will ya.”

Ricks smiled. “Okay, Boss. Paul already gave me the Su Lynn speech.”

“Just another reason I want you to be careful. The other one is me having to write your parents and tell them how you died an honorable death. Don’t make me do that,” he said pointing his finger in Ricks’ face.

Ricks threw up his hands. “I give up. I promise not to be a hero, Papa,” he said.

Peterson shook his head. “You jerk.”

The truck with the mortars and ammunition came up. Ricks took charge of unloading them and setting up the stations, three there and three at the other compound. Lt. Colonel Peterson assigned a young Captain to be in charge of the station along with some new men. At 3 am the position was shelled from across the line knocking out the mortars and killing half the new crew. More reinforcements were rushed in and a line of field artillery set up on the opposite hill. The artillery on the north side was located and bombed. There was something about that crossing that the North wanted.

USS Ronald Reagan was operating just thirty miles off the Korean coast. Her F-14s and Intruders were conducting nearly round the clock operations against the North. Today’s mission had taken off just one hour before. They were attacking an arms plant discovered deep in the mountains of North Korea. This was the first time a carrier operated this close to shore, but the close proximity to targets made for faster turnarounds. Two F-14s were providing air cover for the carrier and were stationed along the coast. Two escorts were with the carrier while the others were in port refueling. USS Iowa was assigned the same sector to patrol and was coming up on her port side.

Many of the sailors came up on deck to see the battleship as she approached. Few had ever seen one before. Signal lights were flashing and signals being exchanged. Nearly everyone was impressed by the sight.

The pilots of the F-14s were keeping up a steady stream of banter on the radio. On three occasions the ship came on to remind them to keep their radio traffic to a minimum. At several sites inland, operators plotted the bearing of the radio transmissions. The information was relayed via telephone to a central location. The lines were plotted, giving the exact position of the American carrier. The position was called into two Silkworm missile batteries within range. It took only two minutes to launch the missiles.

“Silkworm launch!” cried one of the F-14 pilots as he saw one of the last ones leave the launcher. In all, eight missiles were in the air and he and his wingman banked hard to follow the missiles in order to shoot one down. Unfortunately the missiles were already streaking along at over 600 miles an hour. Even with full afterburner it would be almost impossible to catch up in time.

On the carrier the combat information center was tracking the inbound targets and designating them to the escorts. Two more planes were on the catapult and being readied for launch. There was no time.

USS Haliburton was stationed forward of the carrier. A white SM-1 shot onto the rail and rotated outward. It was immediately launched into the beam of the SPG-51 radar. A second one quickly followed it. The missile tracked outbound and headed for the lead Silkworm. In seconds the missile turned downward and exploded just four feet from the side of the missile, peppering it and detonating the warhead. The second of Haliburton’s missiles tracked outbound, striking the third missile and causing it to fly into the sea.

USS Semmes was on planeguard duty behind the carrier. Her missiles were sent against the second and fourth Silkworms. The first self destructed when it lost the beam signal. The second reached its target and exploded 10 feet from the Silkworm, knocking it out of the sky. A second missile was fired, but not before it passed within the minimum firing distance. There was no time for the next five missiles.

When the pilot called out the warning, Hammond reacted. “This is the Captain. XO, put this ship right next to the carrier at a range of about 300 yards. And do it fast!” Hammond shouted into the bitch box from Strike.

On the bridge, the XO took charge. “This is the XO, I have the deck and the conn, right standard rudder, all engines ahead flank indicated 999 for maneuvering combinations,” he shouted.

USS Iowa sped up along its track and turned in toward the carrier. The men on the bridge could hear the turbines for the forced draft blowers suddenly speed up and a froth of white begin boiling up from the stern. The bow pointed toward the bow of the carrier and the ship seemed to lurch toward her. Striking one of the swells, a huge plume of spray shot over the bow and was flung upward as the ship muscled her way through the seas ever faster. At a range of 500 yards the XO had the rudder swung back hard left and the ship turned to match the course of the carrier.

By now the battleship’s 5-inch guns were blazing away. The ship’s ancient systems had never been designed to hit targets going that fast, but as the director’s radars kept locked on, the guns threw out the rounds. Inside, the mount captains took control by hand and tried to lead the missiles as they came in. They were rewarded when they began to see the puffs as the variable time fuses in the projectiles began to sense they were near the target and detonated. Suddenly the second Silkworm disappeared in flame from a direct hit. The XO kept up the speed until the Iowa was in the direct path of the incoming missiles.

The crew had already moved inside the skin of the ship. The entire bridge crew ducked into the thick armored citadel and closed the big 17-inch thick doors. The ship’s guns continued firing rapidly though the chances of actually hitting a target were practically nil. The variable timed fragmentation rounds continued to fill the air and several went off near the incoming missiles without having any real effect. The 20mm PHALANX close-in weapons systems trained out and began to fire, but they had each targeted the same missile. It exploded within 100 yards of the ship. There was no time to retarget the rest.

The first Silkworm struck turret one on the port side. It’s 800-pound warhead detonating with a tremendous bang. A bright yellow flame engulfed the side of the turret as the remainder of the rocket fuel ignited. The second missile struck turret three’s barbette, blasting upwards, shredding the weather seal, and flinging bits of the missile across the deck. A third struck near the black cap of the after funnel. All three sent missile fragments and flames streaking skyward. The force of the explosions shook the old battleship violently, rocking the ship to starboard, knocking men off their feet and rupturing the eardrums of the closest men.

Immediately Hammond left Strike and headed to the bridge. He arrived on the port bridge wing to see smoke and flames pouring from the forward turret. Looking aft, there was a similar black cloud. Amidships he watched as the wind blew the smoke away.

The top of the after stack was gone. Turning back forward Hammond watched as a damage control team turned water hoses on the side of the burning turret. As the water hit the turret it hissed from the heat, but slowly the smoke cleared and the fire died away.

Hammond almost couldn’t believe his eyes. Turret one was still intact. The missile hadn’t even dented it. The thick steel designed to withstand the pounding from another battleship completely absorbed the blow.

There was a commotion on the bridge as reports were coming in and orders were issued. “Sir, damage control reports turret one and three still operational. There is some damage to the weather guards, but the turrets and crews are intact. Blast damage is restricted to light structures. They also report the after stack cap is not aboard the ship. It must have been blown overboard,” the OOD reported.

Hammond punched the engineering button on the bitch box. “Main Control, bridge. What’s your status?”

“We lost fires in one boiler of the after group, Captain. The explosion simply blew them out. Fires have been relit and we are capable of 27 knots. I have told the damage control teams to stop pouring water on the remains of the stack. The smoke you are seeing is stack gas and nothing more. There’s no real damage, Captain,” reported the Chief Engineer.

Hammond then punched in Damage Control Central. “DC Central, bridge, any word on casualties?”

“Captain, this is Blackie, Doc is headed up to turret one. It looks like there was some bleeding from the ears from some of the guys, but there are no reports of any real casualties. Doc said he’d call in a report when he got things sorted out. We still have a couple of small fires on the main deck aft. But they are being addressed. The repair party says there are missile fragments imbedded in the wooden deck. We’ll have to be careful around where the missiles hit.”

“I’ll pass it along. Thanks, Blackie.” Another button pushed. “Plot, bridge. What’s the weapons status?”

“This is Weaps, Captain, all guns operational, fire control systems operational. We are shutting down the Harpoons until we can check out the damage and we are also shutting down the Tomahawks on the after deck. Once we do a visual inspection I can give you an up or down check.”

“Thanks, Weaps. Keep me posted.”

Hammond leaned on his chair. No serious damage, he thought. The XO and the rest of the watch had now joined him on the bridge. Hammond was smiling until the XO pointed out the window. The top of the stack was sitting on the flight deck of the Ronald Reagan.

“Now I’ve seen it all,” said Hammond. Then he turned to the XO. “Find out where those missile sites were,” he said. Then he grabbed the 1MC microphone. “This is the Captain. Before now, I thought it was a joke. Sweepers, sweepers man your brooms,” he said. “Good work people.”

Strike received the coordinates of the missile launchers from the F-14 pilot. USS Iowa turned sharply away from the carrier and began steaming at full speed toward the coast. The RPV was launched off the fantail.

Thirty minutes later turrets one and three turned outward and took out their revenge on those who tried to damage them. It took only ten minutes each to totally destroy both the sites and their magazines.

Senator Williamson was sipping a good single malt when his private telephone rang. “Williamson.”

“Senator, I thought you might like to know something I just heard from my guy in the Pentagon,” said former Admiral Granger.

“Admiral! Good to hear from you. What have you got for me,” Williamson asked. He grabbed a pencil and a pad of paper at his desk.

“This is just off the wire and I have a guy who tries to keep me up on things. He just told me the battleship Iowa was hit by three cruise missiles,” Granger said.

“Damn!”

“You remember I told you it was foolish to put those antiquated ships out there. She probably couldn’t defend herself. I don’t have any more information, but I bet she’s about to hit the bottom of the sea. Just one of the things can sink a ship,” Granger began to pontificate. “Those ships just don’t have the technology to take on modern cruise missiles. But more importantly, the CO is that guy Hammond, his hatchet man. The President used his influence to get him a command and he blew it.”

“Hammond is the CO? That’s interesting. So you think she’s sunk?”

“Either that or very heavily damaged. I would figure they have lots of casualties too. All my man said was she had been hit and there was some damage.”

“Okay, let me get on this. I appreciate this, Admiral. Please let me know if you hear anything else,” Williamson said hurriedly. He hung up and thought a moment. This was hot and he needed to get on it right then. They’ll tell me to wait as usual, he thought to himself. No, this was one he would handle personally. He started making phone calls. After burning up the telephone lines for an hour he closed down his office and made his way home. He didn’t notice the light telling him he had a message.

It was late evening and President Steve O’Bannon was deep into the paperwork of a spending bill when his secretary told him of an incoming call from the CNO. “Yes, Admiral, what can I do for you?” he asked after picking up the telephone.

“Mister President, we just got word Iowa was hit.”

The words stung O’Bannon when he heard them. Not only did it involve his sailors and Marines, but also a good friend. “How bad?”

“Actually sir, not bad at all. According to the operational report, she was hit by three Silkworm missiles. One struck turret one, the second turret three and the third blew a funnel off. But the good news is there were no casualties.”

“You’re kidding me!”

“No, sir. Hammond got his people behind all that armor and they came out pretty much unscathed. I got a follow up from the carrier commander. Iowa took the hits by placing herself between the missiles and the carrier.”

“Son of a bitch. That’s damn near epic!”

“Yes, sir. But there’s even more news. The carrier had a helo up with TV news guys on it. There’s video of the whole thing coming over the satellite now.”

O’Bannon came up out of his seat. “Perry, I’m on my way over. Let’s get the PAO types on this. I should be there in a few minutes.”

“I figured so. We’ll be ready, sir.”

“See you then,” O’Bannon said as he hung up. He pressed the intercom. “Bev, get the Chief of Staff and the Press Secretary in my office right now. Then get the detail set up for a run to the Pentagon. Set it up fast, Bev.”

It took just seconds before Butler came through the door. “What’s up, Boss?”

“Jim, Iowa took some hits while defending a carrier. Perry called and says there’s video coming over the satellite. Wanna go see it?”

“Damn straight. Anybody hurt?

“Not a soul. The on-scene guy said Hammond placed his ship in a direct line between the missiles and the flat top. This needs to get out fast.”

“I agree. Looks like our friend is the best pick for the job,” he said.

The Press Secretary entered the room with his notebook in hand. “Anything up?”

“A ton,” the President said. “Let’s have us a trip to the Pentagon.” The men exited the Oval Office and picked up the detail. By the time they reached the front door the car and escort were waiting. Motorcycle police were always waiting at the gates and led the way out of the compound and down 15th Street to Constitution. The motorcade made its way to the Lincoln Memorial and Memorial Bridge. Crossing the Potomac, they followed Jefferson Davis Highway to the Pentagon. The Presidential Limo pulled right up to the steps. The CNO and members of the Joint Chiefs were there to greet him. All of them followed Johnson and the President to the Pentagon briefing room where the digital images had been transferred to a videotape and set up for viewing.

The President walked in and sat at the head of the table. Admiral Johnson started. “More news has come in. Some of the sailors were injured. Evidently the missile explosions ruptured some eardrums of sailors in turret one and near the other blasts. One guy broke an arm when it knocked him off his feet. The doctor aboard is treating them and there should be no lasting damage. They basically have to have cotton in their ears a few days until the eardrums heal. Also, right after the ship was hit, she transited to the area where the missiles were launched and took out both launch sites.”

“Shit!” said the Press Secretary.

“I agree. We really need this out ASAP, sir,” said the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs. “This is hot as hell. I am already getting written stories, voice, and now this video,” he said.

“Let’s see it,” the President said.

The lights were dimmed and a crisp image of the Ronald Reagan came into view. It was obvious she was trying to launch airplanes. There were sounds on the tape of the helicopter and some talking in the background. Suddenly someone said “Look at that!” The camera panned to see the Iowa making a mad dash toward the carrier. A huge plume of water shot over the bow as she cut through the waves. In the background they could see the planeguard destroyer launch one missile and then another as the battleship heeled over, turning to go in the same direction as the giant carrier. The 5-inch guns on the Iowa were firing continuously at some target. The CIWS opened up and an explosion was seen in the distance. As the Iowa came up closely alongside the carrier, there was a streak and a flash as the first missile hit the turret. The turret actually jerked around just a bit and the ship heeled slightly when it happened. Flames seemed to spread across the side of the turret and deck while black smoke lifted high into the air. The second hit was slightly obscured, but the gout of flame and smoke was the same. The hit on the funnel occurred while the ship was still heeled over about 10 degrees. The missile struck the funnel just below the black funnel cap and the explosion occurred inside the funnel structure. The men watched as the funnel cap was wrenched from the funnel and thrown up and to the right. The camera operator zoomed out some to see it land upright on the side of the Ronald Reagan’s flight deck.

In just a minute, men could be seen from a damage control team in their gear exiting the side of the Iowa and attacking the flames with water. As they sprayed the turret and fires, a plume of white steam began to rise along with the smoke. Farther aft a second and third DC locker emptied onto the deck to fight the flames. Within just a few minutes, the fires were out and the smoke began to clear. It soon became evident that, aside from smoke and paint, no real damage had been done. That became even more evident as the massive turret began turning and its guns lifting. Pretty soon the hoses were stopped and the ship turned away from the carrier for some unknown destination. That was when the video ended.

Admiral Johnson stood. “Everything I have seen tells me that crew did it just right. Captain Hammond knew his ship and her capabilities and made a deliberate effort to protect that precious aircraft carrier and her 6,000 person crew. His actions saved lives and defeated the aims of the enemy. They are clearly above and beyond the call of duty,” he said using those magic words that rarely get uttered.

O’Bannon almost had tears in his eyes. “Does everyone agree this is a singular act of heroism?” They all nodded their heads. General Black looked like he would burst with pride.

O’Bannon nodded. “Then we are agreed. Admiral, write it up. Mister Secretary, I want this on every television station in the world by tomorrow. Everyone, and I mean everyone work together on this. Downplay the White House and the Defense Department and hit home this act of sheer bravery. Get word to the Reagan. I want that funnel cap. I want it saved and brought here to Washington to put on display. Next, I want a copy of that tape presented to the Mayor of Vallejo. Get whatever photos are out there on it and every story written. Make me up a nice little package we can have for the nation, the city, and the crew. Gentlemen, I know there are brave deeds done all over Korea, but this one was caught on tape and the evidence is clear. I know Hammond will probably hate this, but I want Iowa in the spotlight. The fact she is the music ship does not hurt. Put the video of that in the package too. As of now that ship has received the Presidential Unit Citation and anything else we can dream up. We’ll also need to make some briefings for the Hill. Let’s get the Iowa delegation in on it as well. Admiral Johnson, thank you for letting me see this first hand. Can we speak more in your office?”

Johnson nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Good. Then let’s turn and burn, people. We have some heroes to acknowledge,” O’Bannon said as he stood. The men all left the room to get things started. General Black took Johnson’s hand. “Damn, Perry, you squids do good work.”

“Why don’t you join us, General?” the President asked.

“Don’t mind if I do.”

The men walked to the CNO’s office and sat down. “Admiral, what do you recommend for the crew?”

“It’s a little early for that, sir. We’ll need the write ups from the ship and a few others. That will tell us who performed during this evolution. We’ll set them up for the appropriate medals. We might even give them spot promotions. I’ll need to send someone onboard to look into it. We normally send an investigating team aboard after an incident where damage occurs anyway,” he said.

“Right now they’re traveling around with just one stack. We’ll need to get that repaired. I’ll make arrangements for the plans to be sent over and a replacement piece to be manufactured and installed. I know we could do it in Japan, but I wonder if we might get a better deal in Korea? Why don’t I send Mike Shranski over there to do some negotiating? He and his team could pull some double duty and do the investigation. Shranski has his Surface Warfare pin and he’s the ultimate bean counter. He would probably do a nice job of it as long as I send a good deputy along. I’ll get on it,” Johnson said.

“Good. Now what about Roger?”

Johnson smiled and looked at his President. He didn’t bat an eye. “Sir, I didn’t use the words above and beyond the call of duty as a lark. He did the same kind of thing Evans did on USS Johnston off the Philippines in 1944. He placed his ship between the enemy and his charges. He took the beating without thought to his personal safety. In this case, he was able to save the crew and the ship in the process. Those sailors did everything right. They did as they were trained. This thing about the music. It tells me he has a happy, professional, and well motivated crew. That counts for everything in a war. I not only want the medal, but I want to convene a review board. I wish I had a few dozen more just like him. If we make the decision, will you sign it?”

“If I don’t I’ll lose my political career. You guys on the E-Ring might run me out of town on a rail. Damn right I’ll sign it,” O’Bannon exclaimed. “Look, I know he’s a friend and all, but he did this without my help or influence. I’m so happy right now I could kiss the man. How about you, General?”

Black leaned back and howled. “Hell, I already offered to let him be a Marine, what more would a guy want!” They all joined in the joke. “You remember what we talked about when all this started? About pointing us in the right direction? Well, you did. This is a direct result of it. Leave the professionals to do their job and things work out okay. A lot of people think technology is everything, but this shows that it’s the people who make the difference. Just give them some tools and they go to town. I’ll admit he’s done better than most, but this is what happens. You threw him into the fire and it just tempered the steel. I’d give him anything he wants.”

“Let’s not get too carried away,” Johnson said. “I definitely want to hear what the investigator says first. But I doubt it will be bad. Let me get Shranski going. If it looks good, we can have all this in place.”

O’Bannon stood to leave. “That’s all I needed to hear. Please keep me informed. I am taking a personal interest. Thanks again, Admiral,” he said.

“My pleasure, Mister President.

O’Bannon, Butler, and the detail left the office and made their way back to the car. The Press Secretary would be spending the night in town again and was coordinating with the ASD for Public Affairs. As they reached the car, the door was opened for them and both men got in.

“Jim, as this starts rolling, I want you to take all the packages and stuff and take a trip over to Korea. Stop off in Vallejo and gather a delegation from there so you can make a visit to the ship. You know we won’t talk about Roger and our plans for him, but you might fill him in on the medals for the crew and such. If this turns out like I hope, we might have to make an official visit. You can scope things out a little.”

“Steve, you know Congress won’t let you visit a war zone.”

“I might be able to visit Japan. Hell, even Roosevelt visited places in North Africa. If this happens, I want to be there,” he said.

“Let me talk to some of the leadership about that. Possibly as a state visit to Japan to discuss the war. Tomorrow I will visit the Iowa delegation and talk to them along with the Speaker and the Senate leadership. Although Williamson is still a pill, he won’t say anything against this. I’ll also have the Press Secretary give us a briefing over breakfast. That way we’ll know all the plans for the day. I’ll even get the speechwriter spun up so she can have a few things written down for you. I hope the PAO knows how to be humble.”

“He better. If he gets too bombastic he could blow this thing. I want this to be a recognition for bravery, not some political hayride.” The President glanced at his watch. “It’s already half past ten. I’m sorry I won’t have that spending bill ready when you wanted but I need the sack time.”

“Hell, you’re the President. That bill can wait a few days. This is more important for me anyway. Damn he did good.”

As the motorcade rolled up Constitution Avenue the two men sat back and watched the streetlights go by. Things at the White House had become hectic and more tedious as the technology came back on. Despite that, the two were now a well oiled team, thinking each other’s thoughts and anticipating changes. Both were thinking about the chance to see Hammond, and both were eager to see the look on his face when they did.

“Have you lost your mind?” demanded Frank Fallon standing in front of Senator Williamson’s desk.

“You can’t talk to me that way!” Williamson demanded.

Fallon nodded. “You’re right, Senator. I won’t talk to you that way. I’ll let your constituents say it. You were so bound and determined to get some dirt on the President that you jumped off without knowing what really happened. You made your calls and got a hearing set with your colleagues. Then when they hear what happened they call me in. The Party doesn’t need that kind of publicity, Dan. I have ten senators and seven congressmen left hanging because of your knee jerk reaction. Now they look like a bunch of chumps while the President is hailing what some call the greatest and most heroic naval action of the century!” he screamed. “Or haven’t you seen the papers this morning?”

“I was able to get your statement pulled, but it’s going to cost us big time with the media,” said Hank Yates. He had been called in at 3 am when reporters started screaming for information. Hank hadn’t even heard the news, but when he found out the Senator made the call himself he knew it couldn’t be good. The man was just not that smart. He glanced at his brother Torry.

Torry Yates was pale. His boss was committing political suicide right before his eyes and now Yates was seeing his own political life going the same way. “That makes no difference. The damage is done.” He turned to his boss. “You didn’t even check your messages. Admiral Granger called just a few minutes after you started all this to let you know there was more information and to call it off. But you were so busy shaking the tree you didn’t bother to check it. My god, how could you be so stupid!”

“Yates, watch yourself!” Williamson raged. He knew there were problems, but he was a senator and deserved more respect.

“Watch it yourself, Senator. I’m turning in my resignation. I am tired of mopping up the messes you leave. This one requires a mop I am not going to wield. When you run for reelection in two years I hope you are ready to lose.”

“What are you saying, Yates?”

“He’s saying he quits, Dan,” said Fallon. “I can’t say I blame him.” He turned to Hank. “We have more work to do.” Hank Yates nodded.

“How about both of you hang around for today and help me get through this?” Fallon said calmly to the Yates brothers. These guys were good and shouldn’t be blamed for what Williamson did. He saw both men nod.

“Okay, Dan, I’m going to get you through this. We’re going out with the story that you were fed false information from former Admiral Granger. It’s about time we got rid of that weasel anyway. You are going to say you are as appalled as everyone else that it happened. I’m going to call in some chips and get this put to bed. The Party leadership will back this up, but this is the last time. I agree with Torry. You better have some options open in a couple of years.”

“Now wait a minute, Frank…” He was stopped before he could utter another word.

“No, you wait a minute. You were so intent on getting something hot on the President you couldn’t follow good advice. We told you on more than one occasion to hold back. You chose last night to ignore that. So now you listen for a change. This is the last time the Party will back you. As far as we’re concerned you are a lame duck. Now you sit in your office and shut up. I will let you know what to say and when. Until then, you should busy yourself trying to find a new chief of staff,” he said as he turned and ushered the Yates brothers out of the office slamming the door. He would have a new job for Torry Yates by that afternoon.

Williamson sat in his chair and didn’t move. He hadn’t realized it until now — his role in the Party leadership had just ended.