by W. R. Benton
Chapter 21
Master Sergeant Vova and his troops were sitting on red troop seats as the aircraft they were on flew at 20,000 feet toward Dallas/Fort Worth, and all were antsy to get out the door and on the ground. They were all dressed for HALO, with oxygen masks on so they could breathe 100% oxygen before and during their jumps. All were experienced jumpers, but most got a little restless before any jump.
They had communications set up with each person, and that assisted them in landing and locating each other after they landed.
The load master neared and said, “I am going to lower the back ramp. When the pilot tells me, I will have you jump. When I say go, leave immediately because if you wait too long, you will miss the drop zone.”
“Understood. Monsoon to the pilot, how long before we drop?”
“You have about seven minutes. All of you move to the back ramp. When you hear the load master say go, glance at the now red light to see it if is green. If it is not green, do not jump.”
“I understand. Come on, let us all move to the ramp.” It was easier said than done, because each jumper carried about a hundred pounds of gear, counting their parachute.
They did not carry reserve chutes because if the thing didn't open at 152.4 meters, they'd be dead before they could deploy a reserve parachute. They would be falling at almost 54 kilometers an hour, or terminal velocity. As the Master Sergeant knew, by the time you realized your chute didn't open you'd already be 153 millimeters in the ground.
“Get ready, you are four minutes out.” the load master said.
The remaining minutes passed quickly now.
Then, “Go, go, go!” from the load master, and the light turned green.
Master Sergeant Vova was the last jumper off the aircraft ramp because he waited to make sure all his troops jumped. He stepped off the ramp and once clear of the aircraft, he went into a spread eagle position with his arms and legs extended to stabilize him as he fell. He kept his eyes on his altimeter, so he knew when to expect opening shock.
He was growing concerned when he passed through one thousand feet, and then was suddenly pulled up into the air and he heard a loud uuummmppp. He knew the noise came from him. He looked up and saw his parachute was in good condition with no blown panels. He grabbed a quick release on his right side, pulled it, and about 80 pounds of gear packed in a nylon bag dropped 5 meters below him.
Before he had time to assume a good landing position, he struck the ground hard, and quickly pulled his parachute releases. He unknowingly smiled that he was able to disconnect the chute from his harness, because he'd seen many paratroopers get dragged over rough ground, and it was hard on anybody. Some had even required a hospital trip, and a jumper had to be pretty hurt to agree to seeing a doctor.
Using the radio mic, he quickly made contact with his men and women.
“Private Leonid, do you read me, over?”
“Master Sergeant, one of our people did not get a chute and Selidov is the only one not answering. I am sure now it was him. Should we look for him?”
“Yes, but keep the noise down and don your NVGs.”
Ten minutes later, Mara Sabitova said, “I have found him. He is dead and hit a tree when he landed. He has been speared by a broken limb and is on the ground. I get no pulse and his eyes are fixated.”
“Everyone, form on me.” Vova said, and waited for his squad of nine.
Twenty minutes later, the chutes and jump gear buried by collapsing an overhang of dirt on the equipment, the Russians moved north by west, in the general direction of Dallas/Fort Worth.
It was near noon before Vova called for a break to eat and rest a little.
Green Frogs were opened and the meals eaten cold. The Sergeant found he had rice with chicken and vegetables, along with Goulash with potatoes. He also discovered canned bread, crackers, chocolates, and a wet wipe to clean up after the meal. There were matches, ketchup and other condiments, but he didn't eat them. He placed the chocolates, fruit energy bars, and candy in his shirt pocket to eat as he walked. He pulled out a small bottle of hot sauce and sprinkled some of it on his meal. Once his meal was complete, he took a long swig of vodka from his canteen and then wipe his face clean.
He glanced at his watch and said, “We leave in 8 minutes. If you need to relieve yourselves do it now or hold it until our next break in about three hours.” He saw two of his people heading to the woods.
They were soon walking again and Sergei was on point, and he was a good point man because he was fast and spotted all mines and booby-traps on the trail. Finally, after looking at a map and deciding they were within two miles of the base, Vova said, “Let us call it a day. We will sleep sitting up, our backs together. I want a 50% watch overnight. If I catch you sleeping as you guard, I will cut your throat. No more talking either. We are close to our objective.”
Moving slowly now, each moved to the trees and brush where they opened another ration and took their time eating. There was something about packing a pack that weighed between 27 and 31 Kilos that wore everyone out, completely. Once they spent time in the bush or in combat, the weight of their packs went down quickly. This time the Master Sergeant got canned portions of stewed beef, two meat-with-vegetables porridges, and a tin of canned fish. He had the usual dried tea, dried coffee, candy, fruit energy bars, and dehydrated soft drinks. He saved the soft drinks to have later in the mission. He ate all in his pouch but was still hungry. The entrees were small servings of about 250 grams and while the meals provided 3570 calories a day for all three meals combined, they never filled him. He started to open another meal but knew if they poisoned the water system or were seen, they might have need of the two extra meals then. He leaned back against a tree and relaxed.
“Olga, call this position in for the night. Also check and see if our orders have changed or not.”
“Okay, will do.”
A few short minutes later, she said, “Nothing has changed, and they now know where we will be sleeping too.”
“Good. Now we can rest easier. If you must use the bathroom, go now because when it becomes full dark, we will be back to back and will stay that way all night. Sergei, put out three of our command detonated mines, and sprinkle some butterfly mines around us.”
Ten minutes later Sergei said, “The mines are in place and here are the clackers.”
Vova took the two squeeze clackers and placed them on the ground beside him. Once squeezed, hundreds of ball bearings would leave the mine at the speed of a bullet, killing or maiming anyone they struck. The mines and guards would help make the evening safer for all of them.
Less than an hour later, Vova said, “Everyone get into your back to back positions and I want the folks not on guard duty to try and sleep. Remember, if you are a guard, I want no sleeping. A sleeping guard is useless, and dead if I catch you.”
It was near 0200 when the new Master Sergeant heard a noise and he gave it thought. It sounded like someone walking in the leaves, but no one sneaking up on them would make that much noise, or would they? He elbowed his people to wake all of them. Then he heard it once more. Finally, he spotted quick movement against the moon and knew they were in no danger.
Whispering he said, “Deer.”
“Good,” someone whispered in return.
“Hush, no noise.”
By 0500, he had his people up and eating a cold meal. Most hated the stuff without heating because cold, it gave many of them heartburn, only it was all they had and he'd not allow a fire. Most ate in complete silence.
Right at sunrise, the Sergeant said, “Mount up, we need to be moving. Petrovna, you are my point person and Sabitova, you are my drag. Everyone in position, and let us move.”
The morning passed quickly and uneventful. The noon break was relaxing; while they were close to the base now, they spotted fewer and fewer mines or booby-traps, which meant to Vova they were on trails used often by the Americans. He constantly warned his point people to move slowly and not to run into any A
mericans, because he felt they were near. It was near 1500 when Makarovich, who was on point, suddenly held a balled fist in the air and then motioned for everyone to hide beside the trail. Folks moved into the brush and a few squatted or like Sergeant Vova, they laid down completely. The brush along the trail was dense.
Five minutes later a point man walked by and he was camouflaged from head to toe. Many wondered how Makarovich had spotted the man, but the Sergeant knew the point man's movement was probably seen first, then his form was seen.
Then, after the point man moved by, the main body of Americans were seen. Joy counted over 100 of them and they scared her badly. She knew if they caught her, she'd be raped and beaten, or at least that is what the Russian army usually did to female captives. After the drag woman passed, the Master Sergeant ordered them back on the trail. Soon, about two hours before dark, they were near enough they could see the water tower on the base. The Sergeant had his people stop in a densely green spot that had a lot of dead trees on the ground and he knew they'd be hard to spot with their camouflage on so they would spend the day and part of the night there.
“Call in our sleeping spot.” he said, looking at Olga.
She was heard on the radio and when finished she said, “They know where we are and no changes on the mission. Everything according to Hotel is in the green.”
“Tonight, I will complete the mission and then we'll head back for a helicopter pickup. I will take Private Petrovna with me. The rest of you will remain here and cover us. I must drop something in their drinking water.”
“I hope you are safe.”
“I will be as safe as I can. I hope they do not see me, then all is well. My goal is to do what is ordered and then leave without being seen.”
“You will be fine, because you are good, Master Sergeant.”
“We shall soon see if I am good enough.”
She shrugged and knew he'd survive or he would not. It was all out of their hands, and God would decide if anyone died this night or not. That didn't mean she'd not worry about him, but dying was best ignored.
“Now, everyone back to back and let us rest this afternoon.”
The rest of the day was quiet with no one coming near them; Vova thought he heard people near the trail an hour before dusk, but if they were there they weren't looking for them.
At 2200 hours, the Sergeant and Private Petrovna were moving toward the water tower. He had the botulinum container ready, with the poison in a special plastic bag, and all he needed to do was drop it into the water. The skies were overcast and it looked like rain to the Sergeant, and that would make his task that much easier. They used bolt cutters to cut a hole in the fence, then they moved cautiously to the water tank. It was a round water storage container and he knew he had to climb to the very top to add the poison. He began to climb the ladder. He knew he'd be hard to see by anyone not wearing NVGs, so he climbed as quickly as he could. Suddenly there was a loud blaring siren, announcing the base was under attack. He wondered how that could be when a handful of bullets struck the tower about a foot above his head; they then ricocheted into the darkness. He ducked when he heard them strike and knew he was under fire now. Glancing up, he was about ten feet from the hatch to the water, when he felt a bullet take him low in the back. Using his upper arms, his legs suddenly useless, he pulled himself to the hatch and tossed the botulinum into the water.
Two more bullets struck him in the middle of his back and his world faded from view as he lost consciousness, and fell 61 meters to the ground. He was dead before he realized he'd been fatally injured.
By the time Master Sergeant Vova struck the ground, Private Petrovna was on his way to the hole in the fence. He quickly left the base and ran right to the group waiting for him.
“Where is Petr?” Olga asked.
He quickly explained what had happened.
“You didn't check his body for life?” Olga asked, her anger obvious.
“There was no time. If the bullets did not kill him, hitting the ground after falling from the tower surely killed him. He must have been 60 to 79 meters in the air when he fell. I am sorry, Olga, he was a good man.”
“Hand me the radio.” Olga said, and Leonid neared and handed the handset to her.
“Hotel, hotel, this Monsoon.”
“Uh, go Monsoon.”
“Monsoon One is KIA, I repeat, Monsoon One is Kilo, India, Alpha. Do you read, over? The package has been delivered. Do you read me Hotel?”
“Yes, I read you 5 by 5. Wait one.”
“Copy, will do.”
“Monsoon, you are to move to the pick up point, contact us, and we will send a helicopter after you, copy?”
“Roger, copy. We should be there by noon tomorrow, over.”
“Over and out, Monsoon.”
Handing the handset to the radio operator, Olga said, “I am going to confirm the death of Master Sergeant Vova and you, Private Petrovna, are going with me. You will show me his remains. If something happens to me, Private Ikovle, you are in charge until I get back and if I don't return, you get everyone to the pick up location. You can read a map as good as any of us.”
“I will do that, but you return, okay?”
“Are you crazy? There will be Americans all over that place. No, I will not go with you and you cannot order me, because you are a Private too.” Pvt. Petrovna protested.
“No, I cannot order you, but I can shoot your arse if you do not show me where his body is and right now. I will kill you. Let us move.”
At the fence they both stopped, saw no one on the tower or near it and there was something laying near the ladder. They both ran to the spot and in the faint moonlight, Olga saw her worst nightmare was true; Petr was dead and gone. His head and body were bloody and when she reached to find a pulse, she felt his cold skin. Beyond any doubt, Master Sergeant Petr Vova was dead; he was growing cold and had no pulse. She broke out crying and Private Petrovna said, “We have no time to cry over him now. The Americans will soon be here to see if they killed anyone when they fired. Come, and now! Please, we will die too if we do not leave right now.” Finally, seeing lights nearing, Private Petrovna fled to the fence.
Some short time later, Olga heard the Americans talking, so she slipped her Bison off safety and waited. Seeing a good half dozen forms moving in the darkness, she fired a long burst and heard three screams. She then moved to a steel leg supporting the water tower and let go another long burst. She was rewarded with more screams and then an American yelled “Grenade,” but she had no idea what the man was saying. When the grenade exploded, she took most of the blast in her head and chest. She felt the shrapnel burning many holes through her body and the pain was intense, so intense she fell to the ground and began screaming in pain. She was still screaming in pain minutes later when an American Captain neared her and fired two rounds into her head. Olga Makarovich was dead.
Private Petrovna showed up and told the others that Olga had died fighting the Americans and they all stood, and within a couple of minutes began moving to the spot on the map that Sergeant Vova had circled in red. It was near 1100 hours the next morning when they neared the pick up point, and they were tired.
Ikovle took the radio and said, “Hotel, this is Monsoon Three, over.”
“Go Monsoon Three.”
“We are at the pickup point and need to get a ride home.”
“Roger that Monsoon. I have sent a helicopter to pick all of you up and to retrieve your dead and wounded, over.”
“I have no casualties, Hotel. Both of my KIAs died in battle and bodies were not recovered. Our Master Sergeant and our radio operator, Private Olga Makarovich were killed, but the area was too hot to reach their bodies.”
“Copy Monsoon, the bodies could not be recovered. It has been noted. The Helicopter will be there in twenty minutes, copy?”
“Uh, yes. We will be here. Monsoon Three out.”
“You sound stupid on the radio.” Private Evelina said and then smirked.
>
“Think you can do any better?” he asked, because at least he was trying.
“No, Ikovle, you are doing fine. She is just mad because you know what to do to get us back home. I would not have any idea what to do. I trust you.” Private Georgievna said and meant it all because he'd only been in country 34 days.
Many long minutes later, “Monsoon Three, this is Save One, and I am a rescue helicopter here to pick you up, over.”
Ikovle said, “Our landing zone is cold and green, I repeat, our LZ is green.” Then he quickly remembered something, “Anifisa, toss a smoke grenade so the helicopter can see the wind direction, hurry.”
“Copy, Monsoon, I see bright green smoke.”
“That is us, Save One.”
“I will land in a minute and I want all of you run to my left door in single file. Climb in the helicopter and listen to what my men in the cargo area tell you to do. I expect you to mind them as you would me, copy?”
“Copy and out.”
Five minutes later they were all on the helicopter and as they relaxed, most had tears in their eyes, knowing they'd just left two good people behind —both dead. As the helicopter lifted from the ground, the pilot was heard saying, “Mad Dog, this is Save One and I am taking ground fire from the trees on my left.”
“Copy, Save, and I am lining up to take that problem out.”
“Roger that, and hit them running north to south, over and out.”
A minute later the entire tree line erupted in a hot rolling flame.
As the helicopter gained altitude, every one of Petr's troops changed into hard men and women. They'd been left on their own and survived, and combat no longer terrified them because they'd seen the elephant.
Ikovle said a prayer of thanks as he stared at the napalm flames burning below him.
Chapter 22
“Alright people, you heard our orders. Green, you are my point and Wilkins, you bring up the rear. Move fast, but no jogging or running. Point, keep your eyes out for booby-traps. Let's go, and now!” The group exited by the power plant main gate and were soon lost to sight. Joy was leading the group and John was sure they'd be fine. He hated giving the job of leading the group to Joy, but she was a Lieutenant Colonel and was qualified to do the job.