by James Rosone
Three hours after Air Force One landed, President Patrick Gates surveyed the group of world leaders who had traveled to meet him and smiled warmly at his guests. Looking down, he finished pouring the glasses of Merica Bourbon for each of his visitors and began to serve each of them individually. As the idle chitchat died down, he opened the informal meeting.
“My fellow leaders — first, I want to thank each of you for your willingness to meet with me during these trying times our world now faces. As leaders of our respective countries, our first and foremost charge is the protection and well-being of our people. I know many of you see me as a novice to the political scene, or someone who is in over my head. Perhaps you are right; I am a novice to politics. However, what I am not a novice to is understanding human nature and knowing how to solve problems. I also know that if we cannot correct the mistakes of the past, we are doomed to repeat them.”
He paused for a moment as the men and women at the table sipped their bourbons. “When World War I ended, the Treaty of Versailles was implemented, and it set into motion the course that would lead to the Second World War not more than thirty years later. That war then led to the Cold War, and the endless conflicts that have embroiled humanity ever since. We have to learn from those mistakes and commit ourselves to not making those same errors.”
Several leaders nodded in agreement. “Right now, we find ourselves in yet another major world war. Two days ago, I ordered the Central Intelligence Agency to share with each of you and three other individuals of your choosing in each of your governments what we had obtained from Deputy Director for State Security Wu Bangguo. What we now know is that the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China had planned this war out for many years. They colluded to cause a series of events that would ultimately lead to war. They built intricate social media plans and campaigns to stir up trouble in our home countries and did their best to sow as much chaos and discord as possible. For all intents and purposes, they have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams,” Gates said, observing their reactions to his words.
The leaders continued to sip their bourbon and listen intently.
“While none of our nations sought this war out, we now have to deal with it—”
Before the President could say another word, the Prime Minster of England chimed in. “With all due respect, Mr. President, what more would you have us do? I have already committed my nation’s military to this fight, and I have reluctantly agreed to the drafting of 600,000 young men and women to our armed forces. We have accepted £450 billion in loan guarantees from your treasury to give us the capital we need to rebuild our military. What more can we offer?” she asked in her clipped English accent.
The president of Brazil, Castelo Branco, added, “This war with both Russia and China does not concern my country. Brazil is a long way away from the fighting, and neither of these nations have expressed a desire to attack us or even threatened us. Why should I even consider getting Brazil involved in this fight?” he asked.
Gates smiled at the question; this was exactly what he had wanted someone to ask. Patrick stood from his chair but signaled for the others to remain seated. He walked over to a map on the wall that had been set up prior to everyone’s arrival. On the map were the current battle lines and the national flag of each nation that had provided troops to the war effort. “Ladies and gentlemen, I spoke of the Treaty of Versailles and how we should not repeat the mistakes of the past. You see”—he paused as he waved his hand over the map—“we are going to win this war.”
“We are going to defeat the Russians and the Chinese. What I want to discuss with you today is the creation of a new military and economic alliance that will shape the postwar future and the rest of the century. When we defeat Russia and China, we are not going to impose terms that leave them filled with nothing but hate and a desire to resume hostilities when the occasion presents itself. Rather, we are going to work with them and inspire them to be a part of our grand alliance once their new governments have stabilized.”
Continuing, he added, “We have to inspire not just our people, but also our defeated enemy, that there is something more to look forward to other than revenge, that there is a real future for our nations and the world if we can learn to work together, rather than against each other. I want to propose that at the end of the war, we collectively work towards a global project. For example, I believe that if all our scientists put their minds together and truly share their data, we could collaborate to find a cure for cancer within our lifetimes.”
A few of the leaders smiled, while others looked perplexed.
“In addition, I feel strongly that a clean energy solution is just around the corner. With a little engineering, we’re not that far from harvesting the energy of the Earth’s waves or space-based solar panels,” President Gates asserted.
Some of the other national leaders seemed to catch his point, nodding.
“As national leaders, we need to inspire our people to think beyond just themselves. We need to instill in them that there is more to life than just having a fancy car… and I believe that if we form a true partnership, the boundaries of the problems we can solve will dissolve,” Gates said passionately.
“I see a vision for a New World Alliance based on common interests, one that isn’t geographically specific. There are fundamental principles we all believe in: protecting those we love, creating a better future, and preserving our most precious resources. Let’s work together and ensure that those values continue.”
The conversation went on for hours. President Gates truly listened to the other world leaders’ goals, and at the end of the meeting, he had them all agreeing to be a part of this New World Alliance. Even the president of Brazil agreed to commit forces to fight in Europe and Asia. They had a lot of work ahead of them, but the foundation had been laid.
Shields Up
Seoul, Korea
Yongsan Garrison
“General Bennet, the PLA just broke through our defenses near Gulouzixiang and this entire stretch of the Yalu line!” a colonel from the operations center warned as soon as the general entered the room.
They had been monitoring the PLA assault for fifteen hours as both sides relentlessly launched attacks and counterattacks against each other. The Chinese had been hitting the Allied lines at eight different points now that the river had finally frozen over enough for them to move large numbers of soldiers across it. To make matters worse, a major snowstorm was blanketing most of northern Korea, dropping visibility down to practically nothing. With swirling snow and little visibility, they couldn’t make use of their helicopter gunships or close air support, which meant that they had to rely on artillery.
Bennet immediately walked towards the wall map. He saw multiple areas on the line that were blinking red, indicating they were under attack, and three spots that were now fully red, showing where the enemy had broken through.
“This blasted weather — if I could get my fighters airborne, we could stop this attack immediately,” he thought angrily.
“What units do we have that we can send to plug those holes immediately?” he barked at his operations officer.
Major General Tim York, the J3, responded, “We have the ROK 702nd Special Assault Regiment and the US 15th Infantry Division moving to plug the hole in the line here”—he pointed to one of the breaches—“and the ROK 27th Infantry Division, along with the entire 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, is heading to plug the line here, and then and the 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team is moving to stop the PLA advance through the line here, across from Gulouzixiang, China.”
Pointing to another area, he frowned. “That area there I think is of great concern. Prior to the heavy snowfall, satellite imagery showed a massive concentration of enemy artillery, troops, and armor units that was forming up there when the storm hit.”
Turning to his Air Force LNO, Colonel Sutherbee, Bennet pleaded, “I know we have a major snowstorm going on right now, but is there any possible air support
we can get?”
Colonel Sutherbee shook his head. “Not right now, General. I’m working to see if we can get support from our bases in Japan. They may be able to fly above the storm and drop some precision-guided bombs on a series of predetermined targets. I’ve also spoken with the group commander at the 2nd Bomb Wing out at Guam, and they’re going to get airborne and provide us with a series of arc light flights.” Sutherbee walked over to the map. “They’ll deliver one bombing run along this position here and then hit this hole in our lines here. They’re going to be flying high to get above the snowstorm and will be dropping 500 lbs. dumb bombs, so it’s going to be a straight carpet bombing run.”
General Bennet almost sighed in relief. If he couldn’t get tactical ground support for his forces on the ground, then getting the Air Force to bomb several miles of their lines that were captured was the next best thing.
Turning to one of his other officers, he asked, “Does anyone know how long this snowstorm is supposed to last?”
A naval weather officer assigned to the command spoke up. “At least two days. It’s a really heavy blizzard coming down from northern China. To make matters worse, Sir, it’s supposed to eventually envelop most of the peninsula as it moves towards northern Japan. It’s going to have a major impact not just on our air operations, but also on our naval operations in the Sea of Japan.”
The others in the room thought about that for a minute. If neither the Air Force nor the Navy could provide direct ground support to the Allies for a few days, they could be in serious trouble.
John realized the dire straits they were in. “We need to rush more troops to the front immediately,” he asserted. “If the PLA is able to break through our lines here, then we’re toast. It’ll roll up our entire defense.”
As General Bennet further reviewed the situation, another officer nearly jumped out of his seat. “Sir, you have to hear this!” he shouted. “I just received a radio message from Major General Pike, the 7th Infantry Division Commander. He said the PLA broke through the ROK forces and the 2nd Infantry Division all across the Yalu. He’s encountering the lead elements of the PLA advance party all the way south in Taechon, some forty kilometers south of the Yalu River,” he said to the disbelief of everyone present.
“Get me General Cutter on the phone immediately,” Bennet barked to one of his operations officers.
“Man, I hope his Marines can help bail us out of this, or we’re finished,” John thought as he waited for the Marine general to be tracked down.
A few minutes later, one of the officers signaled for him to come over to his desk and held out the phone for him. “Roy, this is John. Where are your Marines right now?” he said, urgency in his voice.
Cutter was taken aback. He had finally been able to extract most of his Marine force from the front lines and moved them down to Busan before loading them back up into the transports to start the next offensive. “My boys are in the south at Busan, resting up. What’s going on, John? Are you guys in some sort of trouble?” he asked. He knew John had stripped away a lot of his reserve forces to free up his Marines.
“It’s this blizzard, Roy. The Chinese used it masterfully. As you know, they’ve been hitting most of our lines for the past fifteen hours. While they’ve broken through in a few areas, we’ve largely been able to keep them contained — but Roy, I just received an urgent message. The 7th Infantry Division just reported running into some lead elements as far south as Taechon. I’m working to verify that, but if it’s true, we are in real trouble. They’ll be able to cut off nearly 40,000 of my soldiers and be within spitting distance of Pyongyang.”
He paused for a second to catch his breath and to let some of what he just said sink in for a moment. “I hate to do this to you, Roy, but do you think you can pull off a George Patton move and get your Marines on the road to Taechon? If the PLA has truly broken through and is driving that far south under the cover of this blizzard, we’re toast. I don’t have any more forces I can throw at them without sacrificing the rest of the Yalu line, stretching all the way to the Russian border.”
A pause in the conversation gave General Cutter a moment to soak it all in. He had been under orders to get his forces ready to secure Vladivostok, but if he didn’t come to the aid of the ROK and US forces now, they could end up losing control of most of North Korea. Taking a deep breath, he suddenly knew what he had to do.
A smile spread across his face as he responded, “Well, General, I guess it’s incumbent upon the United States Marine Corps to save the Army’s butt once again. I’ll get my Marines on the road immediately and keep you apprised of their progress. I’ve got to go — lots to get ready.” He concluded the call and then turned to face his officers, who were now eagerly looking at him, wondering what he had just signed them up for.
“Fear not, gentlemen,” he said jovially. “The Marines have been called up to save the Army… and save the Army we will.”
A few of his officers managed a chuckle before they turned serious again.
Cutter spent a few minutes bringing them up to speed before turning them loose to get the various units roused and on the road. Now it was a race to see if they could get north fast enough to prevent the Chinese from recapturing what they had fought so hard and long for these past few months.
Yalu River
Opposite Gulouzixiang, China
As the Allied forces fought a drawn-out retreat to the Yalu River, US and ROK engineers worked tirelessly to turn the Korean side of the river into a veritable fortress. They built a series of reinforced trenches, machine gun bunkers and other hardened facilities for the soldiers who would be manning the defenses to both ride out enemy bombardments and seek warmth from the cold. With temperatures routinely dropping below zero, frostbite was becoming a major concern.
* * *
Sergeant Slater was in an even more foul mood than usual as he walked among the trenches. “This cold is reaching all the way into my bones! Forget this — I’m going back in the bunker!” Sergeant Slater grumbled to himself.
He rushed past a few other guards on the trench line and made his way into the heated bunker. As he entered, the heat from inside welcomed him with its warm embrace. A couple of the other soldiers yelled at him for letting the heat escape, and Slater quickly closed the door. He snarled at them and they quieted right up. Ian wasn’t the most-liked sergeant in the company, but he was respected, which he supposed was just as good.
“Sergeant Slater,” one of the young privates called to him, “do you know if our unit is getting pulled from the line anytime soon?”
Snorting, Ian responded back, “You just got here three days ago, Private. Now you want to know when we’re getting pulled from the line? We’ll get pulled from the line when the higher-ups are good and ready. Until then, we’ll man our positions in the shift rotations we’ve been doing for the past three days.”
The soldiers went back to reading or doing whatever they had been doing prior to his return to the bunker. Most of them would be returning to the cold in the next hour, so they were enjoying the short respite from the freezing temperatures for the time being.
After the long retreat, Sergeant Slater’s battalion had been ordered to help hold this line of trenches with two other Stryker brigades that had just arrived from the US. The two new units were mostly green troops, draftees fresh from training. The only thing keeping those units alive right now was that most of their officers and sergeants were battle-hardened warriors who had been injured either in Europe or at the outset of the Korean War and now made up the nucleus of the new leadership.
While the soldiers of his platoon were kvetching and whining about the cold, more snow began to fall. It was under this cover of snow that the first barrages of the new Chinese offensive began. In an instant, the entire world these soldiers were living in was suddenly under attack. Hundreds upon hundreds of Chinese rocket artillery began to pound their positions and rock their bunker.
This lasted for nearly an
hour before the field phone in the bunker rang. Somehow, despite all the noise of the explosions going on, Slater heard it and immediately answered.
“Sergeant Slater, this is Captain Porter,” came the voice on the other end. “I need you to get your platoon on the line and ready to repel the enemy. This is it! We can see thousands of them moving towards the edge of the river bank. I’ve already requested the quick-reaction force to be sent forward to our positions, but I need your platoon to hold your two bunkers and that trench line. Do you understand?” he yelled to be heard over the thunderous booms of the rockets and artillery.
“Understood, Sir. We’ll hold the line. Out!” Slater shouted back.
He screamed at his men, “Get moving to the trench line! Man your fighting positions!”
The noise level assaulting their ears was horrendous. The continuous thudding of dozens of rockets against the ground above them was terrifying, and now he was ordering everyone out into it. When they opened the bunker door leading them into the trench network, not only were they slapped with subzero temperatures, they were smacked with the overwhelming rumble of explosions and the percussion of hundreds of rifles and machine guns firing at each other. Some of them froze up from the shock of it all.
Undeterred, Sergeant Slater screamed at his men, “Move! Get to your fighting positions quickly!”
The soldiers began to shove and push their way out of the bunker.
Ian immediately turned left when he came to the T-intersection of the trench and headed towards his heavy machine gun bunker, while his other soldiers filtered into the firing positions on the trench. When the engineers had built the trenches, they’d placed heavy 4x4 planks of wood over the top of each trench, both to keep out the snow and to provide overhead protection against flying shrapnel. Every meter, there was a short break to allow the soldiers to pop above the trench line and fire down into the enemy below. As Slater ran into the machine gun bunker, he saw his two M2 .50 machine gunners firing away at the enemy soldiers across the river. His other two M240 machine gunners had their weapons angled a little lower and were firing into the enemy soldiers that were currently racing across the frozen river to get at the concertina wire below.