by Jack Terral
"A blessing of the araingel," Castillo remarked. "Now listen to me all of you. We are going to be attacked, and I intend to stay here and fight to the death. Anything you do is your own choice. If you seek to escape through the Gran Chaco or the Selva Verde Mountains, I will not censure you. The battle here will be the batalla altima--a last stand for fascism. I am going to the command bunkers."
The generalisimo walked toward the fortifications. There was no hesitation among the others. They all followed him.
.
PETROLEO COLMO FIELD OFFICE
23 JANUARY
1045 HOURS LOCAL
THE building had been cleaned up as well as possible since the massacre, but faded splotches of blood still showed on the floor slats. All the furniture had been removed, and the SEALs were seated on the floor with their backs resting against the walls.
At the front of the room, far from their regular haunts at the Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado, California, Commander Thomas Carey, N3, and Lieutenant Commander Ernest Berringer, N2, stood ready to deliver an almost impromptu OPORD. The asset for this latest operation was waiting by the door to be called. Some satellite photographs had been mounted on the wall to the briefing team's rear. These images showed a fortified area identified as Fort Franco. These confirmed the sketches made by the convict chief Gordo Pullini.
Carey stepped forward to begin his presentation. "You may consider what I am about to tell you as a modified operation order. The attack phase of this mission will be planned by Lieutenant Brannigan. Now! You are tasked with attacking the ten fanatical Falangists who are making a last stand in this area they call Fort Franco. They have gotten on the radio and sent out calls that they will fight to the death."
Bruno Puglisi raised his hand. "Why don't you just send some aircraft over there and bomb the shit out of 'em, sir?"
"We need prisoners, Petty Officer," Carey replied. "These are the guys who know the true extent of the Falangist organization in France, Germany, Portugal and Spain. They'll have to be taken by basic fire and maneuver. Without being able to interrogate them, the sleeper cells in the capital cities of those countries will remain unknown. That means the fascist movement will continue."
"Sir, I ain't trying to get out of anything," Senior Chief Buford Dawkins said, "but why ain't the Argentines and all them making the attack? They know the bad guys in their own armed forces now, right?"
"Wrong, Senior Chief," Carey said. "They're still in the process of weeding them out. It is hoped the amnesty will bring more in. But it has been decided that since you guys are already here and primed to go, that the honors will be yours."
"Let's do it!" Paulo Cinzento blurted out. "We got some KIAs to get even for."
"There's something to keep in mind," Carey turned to the map, indicating an area of Fort Franco with his laser pointer. "Those three bunkers arranged in a triangular shape is the location you'll attack. They are connected by short tunnels, so the defenders will be able to easily shift from one to the other. Lieutenant Brannigan has already been apprised of the site's defensive capabilities. You will go by chopper from this location to Fort Franco to execute the OPORD. Any questions? In that case, Commander Berringer will carry on the intelligence portion of this briefing."
Berringer came to the front. "I won't be saying anything today. I brought an asset who is intimately familiar with the men you'll be fighting as well as the physical aspects of the bunkers they occupy." He looked at the man standing by the door, gesturing to him to join him.
Diego Tippelskirch walked up, speaking in excellent English. "I am a former intelligence officer of the Falangists. The three bunkers you will attack consist of the Command Bunker that the leader of the Falangist Army used as his headquarters. There is also an Administration Bunker, and lastly an Intelligence Bunker. All these were in effect offices and storage areas, but they are still bunkers with firing slits. They were designed for defense, thus you must keep in mind you will be under their weapons' sights as you advance toward them."
Joe Miskoski spoke up. "What about support weapons? Do them guys have any machine guns or mortars?"
"They have only submachine guns and assault rifles that can be fired in both semi-and automatic modes," Tippelskirch replied. "There is one special thing I must tell you. Four of those men are what you would describe as real badasses. They formed a commando team that carried on independently within the combat operations of the Falangists. Those men are responsible for the deaths of your comrades who gave their lives in battle."
There were no questions for the defector, and Carey took the floor once again. "There you have it. Because you will have no air or heavy weapons support, your job will be dangerous. It's going to be like the gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. You guys have one hell of a bloody row to hoe. Be careful! Be skillful! Be ready!"
The briefing ended on that note.
Chapter 20
FORT FRANCO
24 JANUARY
0600 HOURS LOCAL
THE two Argentine Army SA-330s set down out of rifle range of the three-bunker command complex. Noise discipline wasn't a factor at this time of the assault since the noise of the choppers announced the arrival of the attackers.
Brannigan's Brigands unassed the aircraft, moving away from the LZ to form up within the abandoned bunkers on the outskirts of the fortress. Brannigan, as usual, kept Frank Gomez and James Bradley with him. Both would act as riflemen, but if James had to go into his hospital corpsman role, Frank would cover him and give a hand moving the wounded to a safe location.
Chief Matt Gunnarson's First Assault Section had Bruno Puglisi as its SAW gunner. He stuck close to Matt to add firepower where and when necessary. The riflemen were Mike Assad, Dave Leibowitz, Garth Redhawk and Paul Cinzento. Now they moved to the right, spreading out in a skirmish formation.
Over on the left Senior Chief Dawkins honchoed his Second Assault Section into position. Joe Miskoski stuck close to the section commander, as per detachment SOP. The rest of the section, Andy Malachenko, Guy Devereaux and Chad Murchison, were in their usual roles toting their CAR-15s.
Brannigan knew that potential casualties could cause impromptu changes of personnel assignments, but he figured he could keep that to a minimum by concentrating the attacks on one bunker at a time. The battlefield was so limited in scope and size that to attempt a complete envelopment would result in casualties from friendly fire.
The detachment moved closer to the objective, keeping low and using the other bunkers for cover. When they reached a point where the target bunkers were within range, the SEALs settled down to launch the assault. Brannigan had already chosen the Command Bunker as the initial target of the attack.
But first things first as demanded by protocol and special orders.
Frank Gomez, with a bullhorn hanging on his belt, picked up the sound device and pressed the SPEAK button. "Attention inside the bunkers," he said in Spanish. "Your situation is hopeless. Save your lives and avoid bloodshed. Come out now with your hands up. You will be treated as EPWs under the provisions of the Geneva convention."
.
THE COMMAND BUNKER
JOSE Maria de Castillo y Plato laughed as soon as the bullhorn address came to an end. "Those Yanquis must think this is going to be easy for them."
"Con su permiso, mi generalisimo," said Coronel Jeronimo Busch. "I speak excellent English. I have even attended several courses at the United States Army's Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. I request the pleasure of replying to our visitors."
"Please do the honors, Coronel," Castillo said.
Busch moved up close to the firing slit and took a deep breath, then shouted, "Go fuck yourselves!"
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SEAL DETACHMENT
"I'M going to take that as a no," Brannigan said. He spoke into the LASH. "Second Section move forward. First Section lay down covering fire. Now!"
Joe Miskoski immediately put out heavy fire bursts from the S
AW, sweeping the muzzle to spray the firing slit from one side to the other. Andy, Guy and Chad crawled forward as that salvo was joined by fusillades from Chief Gunnarson's men.
Dirt and splinters flew off the bunker, but the Falangists returned a heavy staccato of fire bursts that clipped the dirt between the individual SEALs while whipping the air just above their heads. Brannigan ordered the advance stopped. "Keep the fire on the objective! Make 'em duck their heads! First section move left and hit the next bunker!"
.
THE FIRST ASSAULT SECTION
CHIEF Matt Gunnarson pulled his men around toward the Intelligence Bunker. When they got into position, Bruno Puglisi's SAW spat rounds at the target while the riflemen scampered forward, then threw themselves down in the grass. The section continued to spray heavy volleys, all directed at the viewing slit. The Falangists inside replied with regulated salvos of automatic bursts, trying to get sight pictures of the flitting images of advancing attackers.
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INTELLIGENCE BUNKER
COMANDANTE Gustavo Cappucco, along with Capitanes Francisco Silber and Tomas Platas, had done their best to return the incoming, but the Americans maintained uncoordinated but steady volleys. The Falangists were driven to the floor as more slugs cracked through the firing slit. The incoming intensified quickly, then Coronel Busch came into the bunker through the tunnel. He went straight to the slit, shoving his submachine gun through and sending long streams of slugs outward.
Cappucco, Silber and Platas got back to their feet to join him. Now all four men had gained the advantage as their combined return fire slowed the attackers down. Platas's skull suddenly exploded out the back in an eruption of bone splinters, blood and brains. He was knocked against the rear wall, sliding down to the floor to an undignified sitting position. Busch turned away, yelling down the tunnel for Capitan Roberto Argento to join them in the bunker.
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THE SEALS
"FIRST section!" Brannigan ordered into the LASH. "Renew your assault on the Command Bunker."
Matt Gunnarson and his guys began advancing on their bellies, pausing to lay down their own covering fire in the slow but steady assault. It was an orchestrated operation in spite of the noisy, blasting chaos over the scene as the men alternated their advances and salvos. Suddenly Paulo Cinzento's head rocked back violently, and he collapsed to his belly. Dave Leibowitz crawled over to check him out. He'd taken a hit just above the left eye, leaving a gaping exit wound. "Paulo is KIA," Dave said over the LASH.
The belly-crawling, shoot-and-rush assault continued.
Meanwhile Brannigan made his way around to the other side of the fight, joining the Second Assault Section to check out things at the Intelligence Bunker. He threw himself down beside Senior Chief Dawkins, who kept working the trigger as he spoke. "Sir, they're firing out of there like there's no tomorrow," the senior chief said.
"We need those mortars those headquarters pukes didn't want to give us," Brannigan said angrily.
"It's the same old shit, sir," Dawkins said. "Orders is orders."
Over on the far right of the line, Garth Redhawk was making a rapid belly crawl through some higher grass, moving at an oblique direction from the bunker. After going ten meters, he moved back in the opposite way, continuing on until he reached a corner of the firing slit. The Native American rolled over on his back and pulled a grenade off his combat vest. After a yank on the pin, he went back on his belly and tossed the M-67 through the firing slit. He scurried backward just as the detonation went off, sending a cloud of dust outward.
The section took advantage of this unexpected turn of events, jumping to their feet to charge forward with all weapons aimed at the slit. As soon as they reached the bunker, three more grenades were tossed in. The trio of explosives heralded the end of the defensive emplacement as Cappucco, Silber and Argento died together, their bodies shredded by steel fragments.
.
THE BUNKERS
THE explosions from the grenades sent a deafening concussion and flying metal splinters through the entire bunker complex. Over in the Administrative Bunker, Comandante Javier Toledo was ripped to pieces along with Suboficial Adolfo Punzarron. The only casualty in the Command Bunker was the Frenchman Arnaud Chaubere.
Castillo, Busch and Muller, though knocked down, were able to struggle back to their feet. Choking clouds of dust swirled around the trio of survivors, and blood flowed from their concussion-battered ears.
Castillo wept bitterly and heavily, having drawn into himself. He ignored his two companions as he staggered over to his splintered desk. He kicked a bottom drawer out, then reached in to pull out the special presentation pistol given him by the officers of his old Foreign Legion regiment. It had been given him in recognition of his promotion from teniente-coronel to coronel.
He took the prized Campo-Giro Model 1913 automatic pistol and without hesitation stuck the muzzle in his mouth and pulled the trigger. He fell backward, bouncing off the earthen wall to fall face-first over what was left of the office furniture.
Busch turned to Muller. "You and I have served for years together as paratroopers. Although in other units we would be separated by rank, as airborne soldiers we are brothers. You must trust what I am going to do. I have a serious purpose, and it will benefit us and the cause we have embraced with all our souls."
Muller snapped to the position of attention. "Seguro, mi coronel! I obey without question."
Busch limped over to the firing slit. He yelled loudly, "There are only two of us left. We wish to surrender."
.
OUTSIDE THE BUNKER
THE SEALs watched dispassionately as the two Falangists crawled through the firing slit, then slowly got to their feet with their hands over their heads. Both were covered in dust and the blood of their dead comrades.
The Odd Couple hurried forward and roughly searched them, then pulled their hands down and behind their backs.
Plastic constraints were quickly placed around their wrists. Mike and Dave then each grabbed one by the collar and hauled him over to Brannigan.
The Skipper made no comments as he reached for the handset of the AN/PRC-126 radio to call in the choppers. A few meters away, Bruno Puglisi and Garth Redhawk stood beside Paulo's body as James Bradley checked him over. MA.
The war in the Gran Chaco was over.
Chapter 21
NORTH ISLAND NAVAL AIR STATION
CORONADO, CALIFORNIA
31 JANUARY
1400 HOURS
THE arrival of the C-130 Hercules caused no ripple of interest as it touched down and began its taxi run to an isolated area of the base. A pair of M1078A1 2.5-ton cargo trucks were waiting as the big transport approached the end of the runway. The aircraft turned, then the pilot shut down its inboard port engine as the passenger door opened. Thirteen men in extremely filthy BDUs disembarked, stepping unsteadily down to the concrete after the long air trip. All carried rucksacks and weapons. They seemed extremely tired and downcast, but the appearance of one individual from behind the truck brought smiles to their faces when he stepped out and hollered at them.
"What the hell took you so long?"
Lieutenant (J. G.) Jim Cruiser, using a cane but moving along confidently and steadily, walked over to them. He shook hands with Lieutenant Wild Bill Brannigan, then turned to endure the poundings and rough greetings of the others.
"I'm doing fine," Cruiser said, answering all the inquiries. "I'll be back to duty within a couple of months." His mood sobered a bit. "The other aircraft got in a couple of days ago bringing in the wounded and KIAs. I knew Ferguson and Taylor, but I'd never met Cinzento. Milly and Gutsy were in great shape, and are due to be released from Balboa tomorrow. But Pecheur and Connie are going to be gone for awhile. Both had pretty serious injuries. They might even be facing disability separations from the Navy."
"Shit happens," Brannigan said. He turned to the detachment. "Get on the trucks, guys. You've still got a debriefing before you're turne
d loose."
"Well, anyway, welcome home," Cruiser said. He walked over to join Brannigan in the truck's cab.
.
CIA SAFE HOUSE
GEORGETOWN, VIRGINIA
A Spanish citizen by the name of Ignacio Perez had gotten into the habit of selecting Big Macs, extra large fries and chocolate milkshakes when it was time for his mentors to go out for his sustenance. He was consuming the menu three times a day and loving it. The thinness he had developed on French rations down in the Gran Chaco was rounding out to a quite noticeable plumpness.
Ignacio had been through the grilling mill since his arrival back in the-States. Agents from the CIA and FBI had combed through his papers as the little man explained the setup of the Falangists. Other agencies as well as intelligence officials from South America and Europe still waited to have their turn at him. While he waited for their arrival, he spent his time studying English and watching TV programs to pick up a bit more of the idiom. His favorite shows were reruns of Cheers after he figured out the character Norm was an accountant.
A place in the Federal Witness Protection Program had been arranged for Ignacio, and he would eventually be given a complete new identity and sent to an area where he could begin that new life he wanted so badly.
.
THE REPUBLICS OF ARGENTINA, BOLIVIA AND CHlLE
THE newspapers and magazines of all three countries ran a special feature that had two photos of a dead Falangist fighter. He was identified both as Adolfo Punzarron, a deserter from the Spanish Foreign Legion, and Adolfo Punzarrao, a fugitive murderer from Portugal.
One of the photographs had been published in the Chilean newspaper El Conquistador when, under the alias of Mauricio Castanho, he testified he was a Brazilian squatter who had lost his family during a massacre he claimed was done by American Green Berets. The other picture showed his shrapnel-torn corpse that had been pulled out of a bunker at a Falangist stronghold. This was all offered as proof that the outrage committed against the Brazilian squatters was done by the fascists, and Punzarrao aka Punzarron had been one of the killers.