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Joint Security Area
Panmunjom, Korean Demilitarized Zone

The Joint Security Area at Panmunjom is a green island in a raw brown swatch of land called the Demilitarized Zone that gouges across the width of the Korean peninsula. This neatly landscaped, oval-shaped area is where North and South Korea meet to try to maintain peace through day-today discussions. This is where the famous table sits that separates the forces that are often more angry than ready to talk. United States Army soldiers from nearby Camp Bonifas provide protection for the area and the more than 100,000 visitors who come there every year.

The DMZ itself is 151 miles long and two and a half miles wide. It's a buffer zone created by the July 27, 1953, armistice that ended the Korean fighting.

Don Stroh took an observer's position at the back of the South Korean contingent inside the big room where the peace table sat. The South Koreans and their American guests were already in place at the table. The North Korean delegation was not there. It was an old tactic, making one side sit and wait for the other side to arrive.

Ten minutes later, the far doors opened and a short, thickset man with his North Korean military uniform pressed and spotless, with all the brass shined and all the combat ribbons and medals firmly in place, walked quickly down the aisle and took the center spot in the chairs. Four gleaming stars perched on his shoulders.

When he was seated, the rest of the delegation, most in uniform, marched in and sat on both sides of their leader.

Usually the wrangling at this table was reserved for low-ranking officers of both sides.

Perhaps someone had fired across the line. Some soldier had encroached into the North's territory. Civilians had been caught rushing across the cleared and mostly sterile zone.

The sight of high-ranking military men as well as the second-most-important man in America brought the tension to a new high.

A minor North Korean civilian spoke first. His words were at once translated into English.

"The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is pleased to be at the table today and to welcome the Vice President of the United States. We hope that this will mean the intransigent Americans have at last realized that our people can never be defeated and that we will continue our programs and operations.

"Since the United States has come with its second-ranking man, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has also brought to this table the second ranking official in our government and our army. It is my great pleasure today to introduce to you General Soo Chung Chi. General Soo."

One North Korean civilian began to clap, but was quickly hushed by a soldier sitting beside him. The general rose and stared across the table at Vice President Wilson Chambers. The Veep was an imposing figure — six-two, broad shoulders, forty-eight years old, a head of jet-black hair, and cleanshaven. He was in better physical shape now than he had been when he was in college.

Chambers stared back just as hard at the stocky North Korean general. For a moment the Vice President almost winced at the anger he saw in the general's face. Then he built a small frown and his eyes turned icy as he sent his own anger back, until the shorter man looked down at his notes.

An interpreter translated each word into English as the general spoke.

"I am disgusted and angered at this meeting. There is no true purpose here, and no possibility of any agreements. No chance that one of our sides might make concessions to the other. I have watched the United States imperialists function for many years. It is always the same. They attack and subdue an enemy so they can make a profit from that nation and hold power over them.

It's an old, old way of life for the Western powers.

"The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has never done any of these things. We have never subjugated another people. We have never made war on anyone for profit or power. We are a small country hounded and threatened by a huge nation with unlimited resources, hundred of warships, thousands of warplanes, and millions of men bearing modern arms.

"'We are half of a poor country. A poor nation that could be great if it were unified under one government. We are one people. We should be one country with one government. We must strive for this, to bring eighty million Koreans into the twenty-first century as a new people with tremendous promise and power in the great family of nations around the Pacific Rim."

General Soo looked hard again at the Vice President.

"The United States of America has for almost fifty years shattered the peace and freedom of all Koreans with the presence of her armed forces on our soil. This is nothing but a naked power plot to take over all of Korea and incorporate it into the American union of states, making Korea simply another small part of that union.

"This type of thin king, this type of furious action is nothing short of international criminal aggression, and should be dealt with by the United Nations and other law-abiding security groups.

"The intransient position of the United States leaves the Democratic People's Republic of Korea with only one alter native. That course of action is neither pleasing nor easy for the people of Korea. But at this point it is the only way that Korea can survive. We are one people. We must have one government."

The stocky man sat down. There was no cheering by the North Koreans. Instead they all looked with distaste at the Vice President.

Don Stroh had watched and listened to the North Korean with surprise and anger. The man was coming as close as anyone could to suggesting that an all-out war between North and South Korea could be the only solution to the current situation.

Stroh was surprised. War talk from a nation nearing the end of its economic rope? The North had a 1.2-million-man army, but much of the equipment it used had come from the Soviets and the Chinese many years ago and was now rusting and running out of spare parts and fuel. A MiG pilot who flew his jet to the South and surrendered had said that many of the North's fighter pilots had only five hours of flight time a year, due to a severe shortage of jet fuel. How could they stage an attack? No, the general was bluffing, and he was good at it.

Vice President Wilson Chambers stood and looked at the North Koreans. He spoke without notes. A translator on the North side translated his words.

"This is the start of an interesting exchange. I come directly from the President of the United States, and he has made several tremendously generous offers to the North Korean people.

"The United States does not want to annex Korea. It would be unheard of. We don't conquer independent countries to take them into our nation. Rather we help smaller countries and then free them to be independent, the way we did the Philippines.

"Today I bring to the North Korean people an offer of more than a billion tons of foodstuffs, everything from corn and wheat and rice to powdered milk, baby formula, cornmeal, oats, barley, soy, and a hundred other nonperishable foods that can help out a starving people.

"Our only restriction is that these millions of tons of food be used for the civilian population of North Korea. We know that food is in tremendously short supply, and we are not trying to embarrass our guests here today. It is simply a fact that North Korea needs to eat more food than it can produce. We want to help the North Korean people in this matter."

The Vice President paused and took a drink from a glass of water. He looked directly at the Korean general, who had his arms folded in front of him and a look of fury dominating his features. The Vice President hurried on.

"We know that medical supplies and treatment are also lacking in the northern half of the Korean peninsula. To help with this problem, the United States government has made plans to ship twenty fully equipped mobile hospitals to North Korea. They will come with supplies, instruments, machines, drugs, and enough goods to last for a year. A volunteer medical staff can also come along, and will stay and work in the hospitals with Korean medical people for a full year. There is no cost or obligation."

Genera] Soo slammed both hands down on the polished table, creating a loud slap. He stood at the same time. The rest of the North Korean delegation rose as well. The general turned and scowled at the Vice President. He said something in a low voice, then marched stiffly out of the meeting and through the doors he had came in by. The entire North Korean party followed him.

Vice President Chambers stood watching them. Surprise, then a touch of anger, followed by resignation inched across his face.

"What did the general say as he left?" the Vice President asked the interpreter.

For a moment the man frowned, then shook his head. "I must have heard him wrong, Mr. Vice President. To the best of my hearing he said: 'Your fancy giveaway plans will kill you yet.'"

Vice President Chambers asked the interpreter to tell him again, then turned to the rest of his delegation and the South Koreans.

He shook his head sadly. "I just can't understand a man with a mind like that. We offer him a generous solution to two of his country's largest and most serious problems, and he threatens that our good plans will kill us? Does anyone understand what he meant?"

The Vice President looked around, but no one could answer. He lifted his brows. "Well, It seems like my big presentation is over. I didn't get started on it. Now, so we don't have a completely lost day, I want the ten-dollar tour of the DMZ, our troops at Camp Bonifas, the tunnels, the lookout towers, everything I can see, even the tank battalion."

The Vice President looked at his military guide, Major Prokoff.

"Sir, not a good idea. From time to time there are shots across the DMZ. It's always a danger up there."

"Nonsense. I've been in combat before. I have my CIB, and I've even taken a few shots in anger. Arrange it, Major. I want to take the whole delegation along, my staff and the Congressmen. Make them do some work on this pleasure trip."

"Yes, sir. I'll see you back to your quarters, then make the arrangements. You said all of your people?"

"Right, Major. There are twelve of us, my staff and seven Congressmen. Leave the newsmen in the rear this time. Like to get on that today. Might even decide to stay overnight on the line. Bring back some memories for me."

"That would have to be cleared by the commanding general, Mr. Vice President."

"Fine, get it cleared. You tell him that I've already cleared it. I outrank him all to pieces. Now get cracking, Major."

"Yes, sir."

Vice President Chambers smiled as the major hurried off. He enjoyed ordering these officers around. He had barely made buck sergeant during his two years in the Army. Yes, he enjoyed giving the brass orders for a change. He remembered his time in the Army Signal Corps. Lately he'd been fascinated with the military SATCOM radio. He carried one with him everywhere.

He could get in instant satellite communication with the White House or his office anytime he wanted to. He was amazed how well it worked. It transmitted to a satellite and then to the States and into the White House, where the message that had been encrypted was decrypted and came through in voice transmission. The unit was fifteen inches high, about six inches square, and weighed a little over ten pounds. The Vice President remembered the old SCR-300 Army radio he used to carry. It weighed thirty pounds, could transmit no more than five miles, and often didn't work at all.

Two hours later, just inside the gates of Camp Bonifas, the Vice President had the caravan pull to the side. He told his aide, Lukas Young, to bring up the SATCOM radio and get in touch with the White House. Young set up the antenna, turned it to face the satellite, and got the set working.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Vice President, the President isn't here," came over the radio.

"Well, this is Chambers. Tell him it didn't go well today at Panmunjom. Old General Soo went into a tirade about one people and one government. I just got started with our food and medical programs when he snorted, got up, and walked out. Tell the President for me. I'm off on a tour of the DMZ." Inside the camp, Lieutenant Colonel James F. Lauderdale became the Vice President's official guide.

"Mr. Vice President, it's good to meet you. I command the last American unit stationed inside the DMZ. I advised against this tour for you, but I was overruled. There is a danger here. We've had over seven hundred instances of North Korean commandos penetrating the DMZ and working into South Korea. These units have to be found and eliminated.

"From time to time there is sniper fire across the line. I'll be sure to keep you and your party as safe as possible. I understand you did some Army time."

"Yes, Colonel, I was in the Signal Corps." "Good. You remember when to keep your head down."

The tour began at the camp, with the colonel's briefing: "Camp Bonifas is a quarter of a mile from the DMZ. This is the most northern base in Korea that's manned by Americans. This is the focal point of the whole defense system. Our troops here are the sharp blade of the spear aimed at North Korea.

"If anything happens, we'll be the first to know, and then I grab the phone and call General Richard Reynolds, the commanding general of the U.S. Eighth Army. Let's get in the Humvees for a short demo drive into the DMZ. Right here the zone is two and a half miles wide. Down the center are yellow markers. Troops from each side are supposed to stay on their side of those yellow center markers. There have been a lot of incursions by North Korean commandos lately. We'll continue on and see one of our observation points."

It took them five minutes of driving down Military Route 1, through minefields, next to boulder-piled tank traps, and over culverts the colonel said were stuffed with high explosives that could be set off in case of a tank attack.

Colonel Lauderdale explained that he commanded a light infantry regiment of 250 Americans and three hundred South Korean troops. "This is the last of the one hundred and fourteen posts along the DMZ manned by American troops," he said. "Of course we have our backup tank battalion just to our rear."

Observation Post Oullette stood thirty yards from the yellow and rusting centerline markers in the DMZ. It looked like a training tower or hose-drying building for a neighborhood fire station. The group trudged up wooden stairs to the third floor, which was open on all four sides. On a clear day observers there could see sixteen miles into North Korea. A number of swivel-mounted high-powered binoculars rested on a shelf around the OP.

They went down the stairs and then down some ladders into the underground complex. There were concrete walls and openings. Each opening was a bunker that looked out on North Korea.

"If things get dicey, this is where we'll fire the first shots from if the NKs invade us," Colonel Lauderdale said. "We fight from here and if it's a huge invasion, most of the men here will either die in these bunkers or be captured."

Vice President Chambers looked out one port and noticed a series of switches on the side. "These for lights?" he asked.

A sergeant shook his head. "Triggers for Claymore mines, sir," he said. The Vice President knew what Claymores were. A chunk of C-4 plastic explosive packed with three hundred ball bearings. The mine could be angled so it fired the balls out one direction and at tremendous speed. One Claymore could kill half a platoon of infantry.

He saw a map on the wall with concentrations of machine gun killing zones. Then the tour was over and they headed back.

"I'd like to see the tanks," The Vice President said. Colonel Lauderdale hesitated only a moment, but it was enough to stir the Vice President's curiosity.

''Are they off-limits, Colonel?"

"No, sir, Mr. Vice President. Theirs is a special unit, highly trained and on a nervous edge most of the time. But for you we can disturb them for a few minutes."

Ten minutes later, they had left the front part of the DMZ and moved to the rear of the American sector. The Humvee drove up to a heavy concentration of barbed-wire fences. There were three parallel ones. The outside fence had steel posts set in concrete, with barbed wire stretched at six-inch intervals up to eight feet. On top of that hung razor wire in circular coils. The next fence was ten feet tall, with concertina on both sides and razor wire stretched on the steel posts.

The last fence was chain link, six feet high and full of caution signs that said in three languages that the fence was highly charged with electricity.

Steel gates stopped them at the guard post. A lieutenant heading the guards insisted on seeing the colonel's ID and that of each of the men in the three vehicles. Then he opened the gate. It slid back on well-oiled rollers operated by electric motor.

"The gate here weighs a little over two tons,"' the colonel said. "It would take a tank to break through it."

Just inside, Major Donovan Kitts met them. He commanded the 91st Armored Battalion. Kitts was slight, five eight, and looked like a marathon runner. His keen blue eyes missed nothing. He saluted his colonel, said hello, then turned to Chambers.

"Mr. Vice President. It's an honor to have you visit our unit. Is there anything in particular you'd like to see?"

"Just your normal routine. I understand you do some training, maneuvers, preparations for defensive combat, that sort of thing."

"Yes, sir. I could move some tanks around and show you some of your tax dollars at work."

"Thank you, Major Kitts. I'd appreciate that."

They drove a mile away to where six tanks worked back and forth in a barren section of plowed-up dirt just behind the DMZ. The tanks wheeled and charged forward toward the line, then turned, set up a line of defense, pulled out, and each tank drove into a bunker so only the muzzle of the big cannon and the top of the turret showed.

Major Kitts was in the lead tank. When the maneuvering was over, the major climbed out of his tank and came back to where the Vice President and his group stood.

"Major, could I see your outfit's living quarters?" the Vice President asked. "I understand a certain number of you are on alert twenty-four hours a day, and some are sleeping and eating. Where do your men do this?"

Five minutes later they went into a concealed underground complex that looked like a military office, barracks, and kitchen, only it was under the Korean soil. It was a self contained unit that fed, housed, and supplied the tankers.

Vice President Chambers looked at the facility and smiled. "Major, how would you like to have twelve guests tonight? I want to stay this close to the DMZ and get a notion of what it feels like. We won't be any trouble to you, and we don't eat much. I'm sure the colonel and the general will have no objections."

Colonel Lauderdale built some frown lines on his forehead. "Sir, this is in an extreme danger zone, twice the target that the observation tower is. We usually allow no civilians to be in this area, let alone overnight. Your visit here is most unusual. I don't see how your being here would make that much difference." The Vice President held up his hand. "Colonel, we appreciate your concern. All but one of this group has been under enemy fire during wartime. You don't need to worry about our safety. We won't need any baggage. We can live in these clothes until we get back to your camp tomorrow morning. It's settled. We'll all stay here tonight." He turned to the other eleven civilians.

"Unless any of you want to chicken out on me and run for the camp."

There was some nervous laughter, but nobody held up a hand.

"Good, it's settled. I'd guess that some of this underground facility leads to the bunkers with weapons pointed toward the DMZ. I'd like to see those areas as well."

Major Kitts looked at his commanding officer, who gave the barest of nods, and the tanker led the way to the rest of the underground complex that held the fire-forward areas.

Vice President Chambers settled into position behind a .50-caliber machine gun and grinned. A belt of ammo hung off the gun with one round in the chamber ready to fire. He looked out at the DMZ.

"Damn, but this is tight. Weapons, tanks, and infantry all over the place. I don't see how the NKs could possibly get through the DMZ and even this far into South Korea."

Then the Vice President remembered the angry words of the NK general and the expression on his face as he stood to walk out. For a moment Chambers decided that he would put nothing past this number-two man in the North Korean Army. Absolutely nothing.

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