After greeting the general and his staff, Carter invited General McPherson to review his troops. I loved watching this – there is something very comforting about watching the timeless traditions of the military. I know that George Washington probably used the same ceremonies to review his troops as we were seeing today and, God willing, a hundred years from now, American troops would still be reviewed the same way. With everything in the world so unstable right now, the continuity of the familiar routines helped us feel a sense of safety and security.
After reviewing the troops, the general addressed the men and women standing before him.
“Soldiers...oh, and Marines,” he began, with a grin to the platoon of Marines standing separately from everyone else.
“Ooorah,” the Marines shouted in response, bringing a smile to everyone’s face.
“At ease, everyone. My name is General Wayne McPherson, and by order of the Joint Chiefs, I am now the commander of all Patriot troops in the Southeastern United States. I answer directly to the Joint Chiefs and to the lawful President of this country. I am here today for several reasons. The most important reason is to share information with you. I am not sure how much access you all have had to information on what is going on in the country, so let me try to explain what has been happening. As many of you know, our economy was sliding downward in spite of the efforts of some, including the President, to improve jobs, increase the spending power of the dollar, and reduce taxes. Unfortunately, a small, highly partisan group of politicians did everything they could to disrupt and sabotage those efforts. I have it on good authority that not only did those radical partisans cause the downturn of the economy, they also arranged the acts of terrorism that became the final straw to totally collapse the economy and the country. At this time, about 95 per cent of the military remains under the control of the Joint Chiefs. The five percent that chose not to align themselves with the Joint Chiefs, and by extension the Constitution, instead are now part of Homeland Security and they are actively fighting against our troops. The United Nations was invited by the partisans to provide troops to act as supposed peacekeepers. They are in most of the big cities in the Northeastern states and in California. As of now, they have not been involved in any combat operations, and we do not know if that will change or not.
“After the economy collapsed, the President enacted the Continuity of Government plan which called for all members of the congress, the cabinet, and others to move to select safe locations so that the work of the government could continue uninterrupted. Unfortunately, members of the radical partisans infiltrated these locations, and as the designated people arrived at each location, they were taken prisoner and held hostage. We have been able to free some of these people, but in the process, there was significant fighting. I am sorry to say that some of these people were injured or killed in the process. As of right now, as best as we can tell the President is alive but is still being held hostage.
“As most of you know, sometime last night, Fort Bragg was bombed and an EMP was set off. We suspect this was done to try to beat us all down to make it easier for these radicals to take over. I think, though, that as we get the word out to the American public and do our best to help each other, the opposite will happen and we – both military and citizens – will become stronger together.
“We have all been through a difficult time, and I am sorry to say it is going to get harder before it gets better. The America we all know and love, the country all of us serve and that many of us have fought and bled for, that country is in danger of being lost. The traitors at the top of our government who are attempting to overthrow the legitimate government of the United States of America want to implement their radical vision of America. Their vision is not the vision of our founding fathers, and it does not include the Constitution we hold dear. They have a vision of a Socialist state, where there is no reward for hard work and no room for personal initiative. They do not respect all of our rights under the Constitution – in fact, they do not believe in the Constitution. Their heroes are not our heroes. While most of us respect and admire people who worked hard to protect the rights and freedoms of all people, their heroes are people who I consider to have oppressed people for political or personal gain.
“I’ve heard a lot of talk and arguing among troops over the last few months blaming all of this on the Democrats and all of the liberals. That is not exactly true. There are many people who are Democrats or who have a liberal point of view who do not support or condone the actions of these radical traitors. We must not paint all Democrats or liberals with the same brush. We need to keep in mind that our country is based on the concept of respectful discourse. We need to have people with contrasting opinions; after all, that is what free speech is all about. The enemy is trying to divide us, and we cannot let that happen. Our strength is in all of us standing together.
“We are now beginning a new phase of the effort to take our country back. We need to engage all citizens, not just the conservative right. We need to remember people are (or at least should be) Americans first and partisans second. Over the next few weeks, we will have multiple missions. Yes, we will be fighting the illegal and radical forces of Homeland, but we will also be working to restore towns across the country, to help our citizens regain their freedoms and a safe and satisfying way of life. That means all citizens, not just the ones with whom you may share ideologies. Some of you will be tasked with helping to rebuild homes and businesses. Others will be helping citizens learn to survive and regain a productive living. Some of you will be tasked with fighting Homeland forces and with helping train local militias to be able to fight alongside of you. Regardless of your assignments, all of you will be vital members of our battle to take back America.
“The United States has always been a shining beacon to the rest of the world. Our goal is simple. Keep that light of liberty burning. Abraham Lincoln once said, ‘America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.’ Our mission is to be sure we do not allow people within our country to destroy our freedoms or our nation. I guarantee this will not be easy. Some of us may get hurt, and some of us may die. All of us will need to make sacrifices. I pray none makes the ultimate sacrifice, but we must acknowledge that is a possibility. We are not being paid to serve, and none of us will become materially wealthy as a result of this conflict. However, we will regain our country. We will regain our freedom, our heritage, and our rights as citizens of the greatest nation on the face of the planet Earth, and that is wealth beyond measure.
“If you do not share the goal of restoring America to be the nation it was intended to be or if you are not willing to participate in this historic battle, now would be a good time for you to leave. I will remind you, though, of something Samuel Adams once said. ‘If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.” I ask you now, will you be licking your masters’ hands, or will you fight for America and your fellow citizens? Are you ready to take America back?” The men and women standing in formation gave a mighty roar, cheering the general, and chanting “USA, USA”.
Once the troops settled down, the general continued. “We are reorganizing the military to be able to cope with the challenges being thrust upon us. One thing we had to do was suspend the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 to give controlling authority to the Joint Chiefs. With troops scattered around the world, we have had to re-arrange command structure. As a result, I am promoting several people and giving them additional responsibilities. COL Carter Murphy, you are being promoted to Brigadier General, and you will have responsibility for all special forces troops in the southeastern United States. Captain Mark Schmidt, you are being promoted to Major, and you will have the responsibility o
f this garrison and specific civilian components. COL Samuel Iverson, I am promoting you to Brigadier General, and you will be responsible for the garrison in Riverdale.”
The three men stepped forward, and the general called all soldiers to attention. He stepped in front of Carter, and said, “Attention to orders. The President of the United States and the Joint Chiefs of Staff have reposed special trust and confidence in your patriotism, valor, fidelity and abilities. In view of these qualities and your demonstrated potential for increased responsibility, you are, therefore, promoted in the United States Army to the grade of Brigadier General.” He then reached over and removed the colonel insignia from Carter’s collar and replaced it with a single star. After exchanging salutes, the ceremony was repeated for both COL Iverson and Mark. The general then presented the three newly promoted officers to the troops.
After a few minutes of enthusiastic cheering, Carter called his troops to attention and dismissed them. He and Mark then escorted General McPherson and BG Iverson over to where we were standing and introduced us to the two men. I complimented the general on his rousing call to arms and told him I thought he greatly inspired not only the troops, but Tom and me as well.
“Thank you, Denise. I want to keep our troops energized and engaged in this battle. It is going to be hard, and their only rewards will be to regain their country. I also feel really strongly that it is going to take everyone, not just the right wing, to regain our country and put it back together the way it was intended to be. I want them to start thinking of all of us as a team, not as members of one political party or the other. Heaven knows, when this is all over, I hope we can develop new parties that are not as adversarial as Republicans and Democrats. That is why we never seemed to get anything done in the past – everyone was too busy sniping at the other side. Now, we need to only snipe at the group of traitors who are holding this country hostage.”
Tom and I nodded our agreement with the general. He made a good point about working together. We chatted for a few more minutes, and then took our guests on a tour of the farm. General McPherson was impressed with our double berms, especially that the inner berm was completely made of conexes used for storage. We took him by each of the foxholes and introduced him to our people who were on duty. Then, as we headed towards the house, we made a stop at the Observation Post (OP). Chris and Jon were in the OP, and, of course, the general had to climb up and check out the view. I was proud of my sons, because when one was talking to the general, the other was maintaining his watch for drones or other aircraft. After the OP, we stopped at the barn and introduced Clark, Maureen, and the girls. Then, a quick stop to the infirmary so the general could meet James, Lionel, Samantha, and Amy, and then we went over to the dining hall. Janet, Maria, and Gabby outdid themselves. Not only was there a large commercial pot of coffee ready, there was also a platter of breakfast burritos and pastries. On the far wall, Carter had mounted a large map of the area, and a table was set up in front of the map.
We invited our guests to fix themselves plates, and we did the same. As we sat down at the table, I found myself sitting next to General McPherson, with Carter on his other side. Tom, Mark, and BG Iverson sat on the other side of the table. We continued with polite cultural chit-chat over breakfast. After the general finished eating and poured himself another cup of coffee, he stood and walked over to the map.
“I must say, I am quite impressed with the way you all have organized this farm. Your security looks to be quite good, and you seem to have the resources needed for survival. I want to reassure you that I am not planning anything that would impact your safety or ability to survive. Let me explain to you what my plan is and how I hope you all will be able to help.
“First of all, let me give you some history. Before all of this started, I was the commanding officer for the United States Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg. My responsibilities included oversight of the Special Forces Command; the 75th Ranger Regiment; the Special Warfare School; Civil Affairs, Sustainment, and Military Information Brigades; and the Special Operations Aviation Command. About three months before the coup took place, we started hearing rumors of impending action. At the time, we did not know exactly what was being planned, but several of us in Command roles at Bragg got together to do some ‘just in case’ planning. We felt pretty sure that the extremists on the left were going to try something to overthrow the lawful government. We did not know what they would do, but the signs all pointed to an attempt at a coup coming soon. We hoped we were wrong, but all of us knew deep down we were right. We decided to try to exfiltrate troops and a lot of supplies and equipment to surrounding areas with support from the Joint Chiefs. One of my officers grew up in this general area and was forever talking about the caverns around his home. We decided the caverns would be a great place to temporarily hide a lot of supplies and equipment. We set up some supposed training missions for some of our special forces troops as a cover to get the equipment out of Bragg and hidden from sight.
“When the actual take-over in Washington happened, we knew we would have to get out of Bragg sooner rather than later. We found many reasons to move troops from both Bragg and Pope Air Field. We also moved many of the military families to other bases where we felt they would be safer. When I found out who the general was who was calling the shots for Homeland forces on the east coast, I knew we were in trouble. I’ve known him for a long time, and he hates me – mostly for personal reasons. That made my gut scream that Bragg would be targeted. By the time we heard rumors of impending action, we actually did not have that many troops or that much equipment left. We had already sent out a lot of the 18th Airborne Corps and the 82nd Infantry Division via planes. The 82nd for now is at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and the 18th Airborne Corps went to Fort Bliss, Texas. At the same time, we put out word to the civilian population of the surrounding towns to evacuate.
“I have a number of special forces troops out working with local militias all across the mid-Atlantic states, as far north as Pennsylvania, and down to South Carolina. As the different militias become trained and ready, the troops move on to train the next group in an expanding circle. Eventually, we hope there will be enough trained militias to fight side by side with our soldiers and Marines and to hold the lines.
“I’ve decided to establish a base of operations in Riverdale. It makes sense to me for many reasons, too many to go into right now. My men are clearing the airport and the college campus next door to the airport, and that is where we are going to set up. I also want to establish a secure location for the citizens of Riverdale. There does not seem to be too many people left, but many may be in hiding. Carter, I believe you’ve had your men out looking at various places where we can create a secure community. Have they found anything yet?”
“Yes, actually we found a neighborhood close to the college campus that will need some work but is defensible and can accommodate quite a few families. There is a small school and strip mall in this neighborhood. Although all of the stores have been trashed, I believe we could repair them enough to use them to eventually get some degree of trade going.” Carter walked over to the map and began pointing. “I circled the neighborhood on the map so you can see where it is in relation to the farm and to the airport and college.”
“Excellent. Mark, I am putting you in charge of refurbishing this community. Let Carter know what you will need, and he will arrange it. The sooner we have the citizens taken care of, the sooner we can start putting things back together. Mark, your troops will continue to stay in their barracks at the farm and will have several responsibilities. Security of the farm is paramount. I expect some will also help with the community restoration project. Carter, you can headquarter at the farm or at the Riverdale complex, which ever works for you. Your troops are spread out across the map, but you will need to have a safe place for them when they come back from missions. I suspect you would be better off at the Riverdale complex where there is a lot more room.” Carter nodded his acknowledgm
ent.
The general then turned to BG Iverson. “Sammy, I want you to get with the troops we brought. I want a couple of companies assigned to security for our new base. I also want you to put together a team to go after the sleeper cell that tried to destroy the rail lines and any other sleepers around. You will need to handle the logistics for the Riverdale garrison. We have most of our sustainment brigade with us, I believe, and so they will need to set up warehouses for supplies, a medical area, food service, housing, motor pool, armory, communications, and all the other things we need to keep our work going. I will be getting our aviation folks squared away and working with the Air Force to get their people out here too.”
I cleared my throat. “What about us, General? How can we help?”
“I was hoping you would ask that. I would like your people to help get our citizens settled, and to help train them. I’m sure Mark will need the help of all of your carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and such to get the new community refurbished. We want the citizens of Riverdale to see not just military, but citizens as well helping to rebuild. My goal is that as soon as the community is finished and people have moved in, we will start fixing up the next community, and so on. We may eventually bring some of the military families here that we moved to other bases. I know that will help our troops’ morale immensely.”
Tom jumped in and said, “Mark, you know as a contractor, I’ve got a great crew already at the farm. We will be more than happy to help with the actual construction. We still have a lot of the heavy equipment for dozing and well-drilling, and we can probably find a lot more solar equipment so that the new community can also have power and running water.”
Mark nodded thoughtfully. “I can have my group of Marines do more scavenging for those kinds of supplies. If you can make a list of the supplies you think you may need for water, septic, and power, we can get them out looking right away.” Tom pulled a pen and notepad from his pocket and began making a list.
Premonitions: Book 2: War Page 3