Chapter One

Invasion Across The DMZ, D 18

Lieutenant David Jenson felt the M1025 bump as it drove over a large bump in the road ahead. He looked up from his map, which was spread out over his lap while he sat in the passenger seat. David looked around the convoy that was now driving towards the DMZ (demilitarized zone). The sky was scorched with the trails of dozens of fires now burning throughout the countryside.

David looked back at the other two M1025's taking up the rear of the four-vehicle convoy. The green camouflaged vehicles behind his bumped as they too went over the bump in the road. Each vehicle had a gunner on the roof that didn't let go of his M2 .50 caliber browning machine gun as they bumped upward. The blue helmets of the gunners let everyone who saw them know they were part of the Allied Coalition Forces who were trying to kill General Choi Song.

"Sir, we should be at the DMZ in less then five minutes. You shouldn't need that," said the corporal driving his M1025 pointing towards the map on David's lap. "All we have to do is drive down this road straight until we reach the Colonels headquarters."

David looked at the corporal then smiled and slowly began to fold up the large map. He finished folding it up and placed it in one of the many pockets on his green bulletproof vest. He looked out the bulletproof window of the vehicle at the trees and bushes they were driving past. The convoy was passing through a small valley of sorts and the road was flanked on both sides by a large hill covered in trees.

"Them boys got it hard," said the corporal pointing to what remained of a burning vehicle. David could see the distinct outlines that would identify the vehicle as another M1025 that hadn't been very lucky. The corporal turned the wheel to follow the other hummer in front of them as it passed around the burning hulk.

David felt a lump form in his throat as he watched the charred insides of the vehicle pass by. David was fresh in from the states and hadn't seen any combat before he got here. It gave him a slight rush of adrenaline to see the vehicle so badly damaged while still on the road. He had just arrived today on a C-5 Galaxy, and this was his first time crossing the DMZ.

David looked over at the corporal and into the backseat of the M1025 at the two privates who sat in the seats quietly. "So, how's the fighting over here?"

The corporal chuckled and shook his head, "you're a fresh one, aren't yea' sir."

David frowned slightly at the corporal's laugh; "I just got here this morning. I've been held up back home and I finally got the orders to come on over here."

The corporal's face was unshaven slightly and his green fatigues were stained brown with mud that had dried days ago. David examined the veteran soldier from the corner of his eye as he looked out of the vehicle at the forest on both sides leading up into the hills. He looked to be in his late twenties and his face had what looked like an inch of dirt on it. He must have been with the first wave of troops to cross the DMZ just over two weeks ago.

"Sir, the fighting is something new. It's not like back in Iraq," he looked over at David and smiled. "I doubt you were even there too, sir. Well it's a different kind of fighting; these boys are soldiers and are fanatical for following orders. Hell," he said shaking his head. "Just yesterday, I saw this little gook fire his damn RPG at a hummer that was right next to him. Like it was just a clean two feet at the most. He took the whole damn vehicle and the boys in it with him," he said smacking his hand against the wheel for effect.

"So the fighting is…fierce to say the least," said David hesitantly. He looked out the window of the hummer as he spoke again. "So has there been any-," David was cut off mid sentence by the M1025 in front of them exploding in a massive blast that engulfed the entire vehicle. The mid section of the M1025 seemed to rip apart and blow away completely as fire roared across the wreckage.

One of the quiet privates in the back suddenly spoke up in a yell, "Jesus Christ!"

The hummer they were riding in slammed into the wreckage with a loud crunch sending David flying forward only to be stopped suddenly by his seat belt. He looked over at the corporal who swore under his breath before speaking, "everyone out."

David opened his door and stepped out, he took cover behind his door as he unslung his M-4 carbine from over his shoulder. He leaned out from the door and looked into the forest, David felt the searing heat from the burning vehicle in front of them. The wreckage popped and gunfire tore from the flaming hulk, the fire was now cooking off the unspent rounds.

"Where the hell did that come from?"

David looked behind him at the private doing the same as him and taking cover behind his door. He was scanning the tree line as well. The sounds of trees breaking and snapping echoed from nearby and David's heart skipped a beat. The sounds of treads could be heard over the snapping as well as the loud whine of a diesel engine.

"Left flank! Left flank! Left-," yelled a man over David's headset. He instinctively started getting up to look through the front windshield at what was on the left flank.

A yell echoed over the sounds of the vehicle in the trees. "Don't do that, sir!"

David looked back at the private behind him; he was shaking his head and still pointing his weapon at the tree line on the right side of the vehicle. The sounds of shouting echoed from the right and gunfire ripped out. Bullets peppered the left side of the vehicle causing David to duck at the sounds of metal on metal.

David shook his head and left his cover from behind the door, he ran to the front of the vehicle and took cover on the right side behind the front of the vehicle. Bullets peppered the vehicle at random spots and angles. He looked up for a second to see what was happening on the left side of the M1025.

A large brown colored BMP knocked down a small tree and its treads ground it into the Earth as it continued to press for the Allied troops. Its main gun rotated and fired on the vehicle in the rear of the convoy, sending fire and metal cascading into the air. A large piece of metal landed on the hood of the M1025 with a loud thunk. The BMP continued forward clearing a path for the group of soldiers behind it.

"This is Whisky Three Foxtrot to any allied aircraft or units. We are under heavy fire and require assistance, Repeat this is-," the man on the radio was cut off as the troops behind the BMP opened up with their AK-47s sending hot metal bullets to their targets taking cover behind there damaged and destroyed vehicles.

David felt his adrenaline run through his veins and he felt the urge to run and fight them up close. He knew better then to do something stupid like that though. David breathed out loudly and tried to calm himself despite his heart beating violently in his chest. He got to his feet and aimed his Carbine with ease at one of the North Korean troops advancing on his position. He looked through the small scope mounted on his rifle and lined the black cross up with the targets chest. He pulled the trigger and the gun shook and flew back into his body-armored shoulder. The Korean soldier took the bullet in the chest and fell with a loud cry of pain. He thrashed around looking for help but none of his comrades moved back to help him.

The first shot from David was enough to give the other allied troops taking cover the urge to fire back. The sounds of Carbine fire ripped through the air followed by the loud thumping of the .50 caliber machine guns mounted on the two surviving M1025's. The bullets tore all across the area the large group of Korean soldiers was advancing from causing dirt to shoot up and tree fragments to fly out from the trees that were hit. Several more enemy soldiers took hits and blood spattered into the air and pieces of red flesh flew wildly into the air.

The Korean officer leading the troops shouted orders to his men as the steady rate of fire slowed as men reloaded at the convoy. The enemy soldiers all moved in a single motion and returned fire with a deadly hail of bullets. David ducked and took cover as the bullets raked across the armored body of the M1025. A scream of pain echoed through the air and David fought the urge to look for who had been hit. The bullets continued hit the vehicle for what seemed like forever until they had to reload their assault rifles.

David stood and looked for the officer to line up; he was taking cover now behind the BMP as it advanced toward them. The other troops continued to run for the allied vehicles with what looked like a blood lust. They could feel they were close to beating the allied troops and they wanted to move in for the kill.

A grunt came from David's left but he didn't look, he just lined up the closest man in the lead of the pack and fired a single shot towards his head. The bullet impacted him in the head and blood spattered out of the back and onto the next man behind him. His body tumbled to the muddy ground and the group of men continued running towards them. David fired again and it hit another soldier sending him falling.

He took cover as more bullets began to hit against the armor. He looked over at the grunts and saw it was the corporal who had been driving the M1025 and he was dragging the wounded body of the private who had been sitting behind him. The corporal had just rounded the rear of the vehicle and the other unwounded private began to help the corporal. Blood was covering the privates throat and green body armor, David felt a wave of nausea fill his throat as he saw the bullet hole in his Jugular. Blood was pumping out of it and it made him feel sick.

The unwounded private looked up at David and yelled, "sir, what do we do?"

"We." trailed off David as he was at a complete absence of words. He couldn't think of anyway to get out of this situation without getting completely killed by the Koreans coming for them. The gunner on the M1025 continued to fire his .50 cal without any hesitation. The constant thumping caused David to focus on that sound rather then think about what to do.

"They're gonna kill us," came a call on the radio from the vehicle behind them who was just as bad, if not worse off then David's vehicle.

"This is unit Delta Mike Four to the allied unit taking fire to the north of our position. We're advancing from the south and request you do not fire in that direction, Copy?"

David looked off to the south and couldn't see anything; he didn't hesitate in his reply. "Affirmative, move your ass. I've got at least eight KIA here and several critically wounded."

"We're moving," said the voice with a slight accent that he hadn't noticed the first time. David continued to watch to the south as bullets dug into the dirt and sprayed dirt up. He smiled as he saw the three vehicles approaching from down the road, they looked like M1025's but were painted a light blue color with white randomly thrown in spots. On top of the vehicles, two had the traditional .50 caliber machine guns while the third had a large long tube with sights on it.

The vehicles sped towards them at what David thought must be at least eighty miles an hour. The first vehicle skidded off the side of the road and into the ditch that led into the forest the North Koreans were coming from. The blue M1025 continued to roar up out of the ditch and the gunner began to fire on the enemy soldiers who were charging for the allies still.

The second vehicle, which had the strange looking weapon mounted on it skidded to stop next to David's vehicle on the left side. Its gunner opened fire and the sound of rockets firing and a loud whine filled the air as the TOW was fired. The guided missile tracked the target and slammed into the BMP throwing its sides open and causing fire to lick its way out. The entire vehicle was lit ablaze and the crewmembers tried to escape but were lit on fire from the massive flames covering the vehicle. The vehicle was reduced to a flaming hulk in less then five seconds since the blue M1025 skidded to a stop.

The third vehicle growled past the burning allied convoy, and past the second blue hummer and its gunner sprayed bullets down off the road onto what remained of the enemy ambush. Several bodies tumbled to the mud under the combined firepower of the two blue M1025's. The third hummer fired and its missile slammed into a group of four enemy soldiers and they all disappeared in a massive blast. All that remained after the blast was a small crater in the mud and their weapons that had fallen from their hands.

The enemy officer shouted orders and the men began to retreat from the battle, only a quarter of what they had in the beginning of the fight was still alive. Bodies were scattered in the mud and blood was causing what dry dirt that remained to become blood mud. The enemy soldiers retreated and disappeared into the tree line as quickly as they had appeared.

David got to his feet and adjusted his blue helmet; he moved it from side to side until it was comfortable. He finished adjusted his helmet and walked over to the blue M1025 that had parked in front of his bullet filled hummer. He looked at the gunner who wore dark navy colored clothes and a blue helmet with a white line across it. The gunner looked at him and he was a man of Asian heritage.

He asked looking up at the gunner, "Whose in command here?"

The man shrugged and looked back into the forest, David frowned and shook his head. What the hell, how would you not know whose in charge? He looked back at his humvee to see the corporal walking towards him. He smiled and as he stopped beside him, "these boys are from the ROKA detachment in the area."

David shook his head as he spoke, "the what?"

The corporal frowned as he spoke. "Republic Of Korea Army, they're the South Koreans."