Sky Masters

by Dale Brown

  plain huge." The other men nodded. It was a war machine with which they

  all had had very personal experiences. For all of them who flew it,

  they recalled times when the B-52, seemingly all at once, had tried to

  kill them and had saved them-such was the nature of that black monster.

  It was a killing machine that demanded one hundred percent from every

  man who touched it. Masters stared at the plane and commented on its

  size, but it had not taken any part of him yet-these two entities, the

  young scientist and the metallic black monster, were probably born about

  the same time. For the others, it had affected their lives forever. The

  group fell silent as Fusco turned around and headed back to the

  Sixty-fifth Strategic Squadron building. On the way back, Stone's aide,

  Krieg, turned to Elliott and asked, "Did you fly Arc Light, sir?"

  "Two years, " Elliott replied. "Sixty-one sorties. Took an 5A-2

  missile in the shorts and bailed out over the South China Sea in 1968. I

  might've even flown Old 100 a few times. But I wouldn't know. I never

  really saw the machines, you see. Instead, I saw the men-wondering

  whether the machine was going to let them live... or die. God, this

  brings back memories. None of them pleasant, Elliott added to himself.

  In his opinion, they had had the power to end the Vietnam War five years

  earlier. By conducting heavy bombing and harbor-mining missions in

  1972, they had forced an end to the war, but by then it was too late.

  The American people had had enough of it, and "Vietnamization" and

  "withdrawal with honor"and, ultimately, defeat-were preferable to

  nightly news reports of mounting casualties. There was something to be

  learned here, Elliott thought, and after a few sobering minutes thinking

  about the men he M knew that had died in the Vietnam War, he was glad

  Fusco had brought them to the Arc Light Memorial before this new

  Philippine operation started. America had devastating air power back

  then, Elliott thought-just as now. They controlled the skies over North

  Vietnam, they controlled the harbors, they neutralized the NVA Air Force

  and ultimately defeated the dense antiaircraft defenses-but they still

  lost the war. They lost the Vietnam War because the decision to employ

  America's massive air forces was delayed and canceled and "committeed"

  and "staffed" to death. Although he did not have a direct role in the

  Philippine operation, and was not in the operational chain of command,

  Elliott knew that it was his duty to see that those mistakes did not

  happen again. They had the power to control the escalation and force

  their will on the Chinese and anyone else involved in this crisis-they

  had to take the lead. They had to formulate a clearly defined,

  obtainable objective in this crisis and do everything in their power to

  achieve that objective. And it had to be done quickly. THE WHITE HOUSE

  OVAL OFFICE, WASHINGTON, D.C. 28 SEPTEMBER 1994, 0712 HOURS LOCAL (29

  SEPTEMBER, 2012 GUAM TIME) It was very early in the morning for a White

  House meeting, but President Lloyd Emerson Taylor had been up for two

  hours and had been fully briefed on the progress of the military

  operations in the Philippines. He was receiving his first official

  visitor of the day: Hao Sun Yougao, Chinese ambassador to the United

  States. This meeting had been called two days earlier, and there had

  been several meetings between Hao and Secretary of State Dennis

  Danahall, but this was Hao's first appearance with the President of the

  United States since the nuclear explosion. Almost everyone in Washington

  liked Hao Sun Yougao. He was young, energetic, and had an infectious

  smile that instantly put one at ease. But that smile was dim this day,

  and the tension was palpable as Paul Cesare showed Hao to a seat and the

  President took his. They were accompanied by Danahall, Secretary of

  Defense Thomas Preston, and Attorney General Richard Benson, the

  President's brother-in-law; Hao was accompanied by a young woman who was

  introduced as his secretary and interpreter, should he require one; he

  did not give her name. Tea was poured as the meeting began: "Ambassador

  Hao, the silence from Beijing has us all concerned, " the President

  said. "Premier Cheung has not contacted me directly, nor has he made

  any public appearances since the disaster. The nuclear explosion near

  the Philippines, your rapid mobilization of forces, and your actions in

  the Philippines are cause for great concern in our country. Do you have

  a message for this government or an explanation of your government's

  plans to deal with the natural disaster and the political upheaval in

  the Pacific?" Hao seemed to consider the question for a moment, although

  all of the Americans in the room knew that he was a professional and had

  probably rehearsed every conceivable question and every possible

  response a dozen times in the past few days, preparing for this meeting.

  With slow deliberateness, Hao replied, "Yes, Mr. President. Comrade

  Cheung wishes to extend his warmest greetings to you. He is saddened

  and distraught by the disaster that has occurred. He wishes to express

  his sincere wish that peace be preserved at all costs."

  "Very noble sentiments, Mr. Ambassador, " the President said

  noncommittally, "ones that we all share, of course. But... you have

  significant naval forces in the Philippines, you have mobilized

  strategic forces, including nuclear-capable forces, throughout Asia, and

  you seem to be on a wartime footing although the rest of the world is

  not. Forgive me for being so blunt but, Mr. Ambassador, but what the

  hell is going on?"

  "Mr. President, I'm sure you realize the complicated, confused situation

  we find ourselves in, " Ambassador Hao said. "The government of China

  found itself torn between a monstrous event and the resultant threat to

  our security, and the request for assistance that came because of the

  incident. Our government had no choice but to act, in the hope that our

  presence could help restore stability to the area and help calm a

  destructive political situation."

  "So you're saying that you have no desire to occupy portions of the

  Philippines?" Thomas Preston asked the Chinese diplomat. "You will

  remove your military forces from the Philippines once calm is restored?"

  "I cannot say how our military forces will be deployed, Mr. Secretary,

  now or in the future, " Hao replied sincerely, "simply because 1 do not

  know this information. Mr. Ambassador, in my opinion the Chinese

  military presence in the Philippines is destabilizing and unwarranted, "

  the President said. "Trade, immigration, free passage, communications,

  and political stability were all assured before your country's

  intervention. Why does your government now feel it so necessary to

  occupy parts of the Philippines?"

  "I assure you, Mr. President, China occupies no part of the

  Philippines..."

  "I have information that states Chinese troops have occupied several

  military bases in and around Manila and on the islands of Palawan and

  Cebu. Is my information inaccurate?"

 
; "Mr. President, the Philippine government requested our assistance in

  controlling an uprising by well-armed fanatical rebel troops, " Hao

  replied. "Any action we took was at the specific request of the

  Philippine government, in complete cooperation with that government-"

  "With President Mikaso's permission?" the President interrupted. Hao

  paused for a moment; the question obviously took him by surprise. "I

  have received word, Mr. President, that President Mikaso is no longer in

  power. I do not know any details of this. I am sorry, but I assumed

  you had that information as well..."

  "I have information that Mikaso is dead." Hao's Adam's apple bobbed

  conspicuously, and his eyes grew wider as he said, "I do not know this,

  Mr. President. Is it true?"

  "My sources inform me that Mikaso was killed by Chinese soldiers, Mr.

  Ambassador. Do you deny this?' Hao's face registered true surprise,

  although it was uncharacteristically understated for the usually

  animated Chinese liaison. "I cannot confirm nor deny this, Mr.

  President. I have no wish to doubt your word, but I must be certain of

  this."

  "I am certain as I need to be, Ambassador Hao, " the President said. "I

  have a great fear that your government, or your military, is ready to

  occupy the Philippines for good. Tell me I am mistaken, Mr.

  Ambassador."

  "I may only offer assurances, Mr. President, " Hao said immediately.

  "The Chinese are no threat to the United States, and we do not seek any

  sort of confrontation whatsoever with any power. We are in the

  Philippines at the request of the Philippine government, and we have the

  right to offer aid and assistance in any manner consistent with our own

  national interests. The Americans had troops in the Philippines for

  nearly a century, as you well know, and no one dared question your right

  to be there."

  "That's because no foreign power saw our presence there as a threat, "

  Thomas Preston said. "We were a force of regional stability-" "Against

  the aggression and dominance of the Soviet Union, yes, " Hao said. "But

  you opposed Chinese trade and national security interests as well,

  something that hurt our efforts to grow and become part of the global

  economy."

  "I will not debate the effect of history on the development of China,

  Mr. Ambassador, " the President said. "I will simply say the American

  people are very worried about the actions your government is taking in

  the Philippines, and they and the Congress want action." He paused to

  let the import of his words sink in a bit; then: "I believe I can wait

  no more than thirty days before taking direct action against China, Mr.

  Ambassador."

  "You already have two aircraft carrier battle groups in the Philippine

  Sea, " Hao said, "and another approaching the Celebes Sea. The

  Philippines are surrounded by American warships. Are you not already

  taking substantial action?"

  "The American people want to know when the Chinese will be leaving the

  Philippines, Mr. Ambassador, " the President emphasized. "I want to

  know the same thing. Do you have an answer?"

  "My government did not inquire of you when you would be leaving Grenada,

  or Panama, or Saudi Arabia. "Listen carefully, Mr. Ambassador . . ."

  the President said with growing impatience. "I want to know what your

  government's intentions are in the Philippines, and I haven't heard a

  straight answer from you yet. Your government's actions have been

  hostile and furtive, Ambassador, and I don't like it. For the past

  twenty years, we've had a policy of openness and trust between our

  countries. We consulted each other on important world matters. Ever

  since the Tian'anmen Square massacre, your government has cut off most

  communications with us. That breeds distrust and caution."

  "Mr. President, I assure you, my government does not seek to disrupt

  any ties with the Americans. "Don't tell me, show me. Nothing but your

  actions will prove to me what your country's intentions are. But let me

  tell you what I intend to do: "We will use all our available

  intelligence resources to discover how many troops you have in the

  Philippines, and we will begin a program to match, and then exceed, that

  number. We may not succeed, but with cooperation from the Association

  of South East Asian Nations and other countries we may come close. In

  addition we will seek to surpass the number of warships you have in the

  Philippines, and we'll sail those ships freely in international waters,

  as close to your vessels as international law allows. We expect no

  interference, but let m assure you that our warships will be authorized

  to defends themselves to the maximum extent should there be any

  threatening moves made against our forces. "I want the government of

  China to make a public announcement clearly outlining your objectives

  and plans for your actions in the Philippines; but in any case, I want

  China to reduce the number of troops it has in the Philippines by

  one-half within thirty days, unless a compelling reason is given why you

  should remain. I also want Arturo Mikaso to be released from custody or

  his body turned over to his family and let them as well as his close

  advisers be released; and if it is found that Mikaso was killed by

  Chinese soldiers, I want those responsible brought to trial. China does

  not operate in a vacuum, Mr. Ambassador-you are responsible for your

  actions. You cannot invent arguments for naked acts of aggression and

  expect the rest of the world to play along." The rapid-fire flurry of

  demands put Hao on the defensive. He glanced over at his aide to be

  sure she was taking notes, then said in a flat voice, "My government

  will make a full disclosure-"

  "I should also advise you that this government views the sharp

  escalation in offensive strategic forces in China a serious threat to

  world peace and security; we see it as an unwarranted and belligerent

  act that is clearly over and above any reasonable response to outside

  military pressure, " the President interrupted. "I want China to reduce

  the number of offensive strategic forces it has on alert and return to a

  less threatening, more defensive posture. Otherwise the United States

  and our allies will be forced to respond by increasing strategic force

  postures as well. China will then be responsible for a serious military

  escalation that will ultimately lead to disaster. "There should be no

  doubt in your minds that we consider this Chinese military buildup in

  the Philippines a threat to American national security interests, and we

  will respond accordingly. You may take that message to your government."

  The President sat back in his seat, paused for a few moments, then said,

  "Do you have anything further for me, Mr. Ambassador?" The Chinese

  ambassador to the United States remained impassive and stone-faced

  throughout the President's allocution. "I will take your message to my

  government immediately, " Hao Sun Yougao replied, "and convey your

  requests and concerns to Comrade Cheung. . . personally."

  "Personally?" Secretary of S
tate Dennis Danahall interjected,

  exchanging a quick glance with the President and his advisers. "You've

  been recalled?"

  "I regret to inform you that I have, Mr. Secretary, Hao said. "The

  situation obviously requires careful study and discussion, and it was

  felt that these discussions should take place directly, in Beijing. With

  your permission, my deputy charge will be available to serve you. The

  Americans looked at each other with some surprise; this move was

  completely unexpected. "Why is your government pulling you out?" the

  President asked. "I'm sure you understand how this will appear in the

  press, Mr. Ambassador, " Danahall said. "They'll jump all over this.

  They'll see it as a prelude to a major conflict, perhaps war. "No one

  wants war, Mr. Secretary, " Hao said. "We only seek peace, security,

  and stability for all nations. But China has also been asked for

  assistance, and in a region of the globe so important to us-and less

  important to you, I feel-it is vital that we respond. My government

  feels it is important that interference in our affairs be minimized

  until the extent of the disruption in the Philippines can be properly

  assessed." The President glared at Hao. "I hope your government

  understands our side of this matter and responds quickly to our

  requests, " he said to Hao. "In the meantime you know what we will be

  doing." The President rose to his feet and Hao followed suit. "Joyous

  wishes to you and to your family, Mr. President, " Hao said. The two

  men shook hands, Hao bowing deeply from the waist, and he exchanged

  greetings with the rest of the President's Cabinet members and departed,

  escorted out of the Oval Office by Paul Cesare. When Hao was gone, the

  Secretary of State turned to the President. "I can schedule

  teleconferences with the British Foreign Minister immediately, sir . .

  "Do it, " the President replied. "Get the 'leadership' together for a

  luncheon meeting if you can; if not, schedule a few hours this afternoon

  for briefings." Danahall departed, leaving the President with his