Chapter 2. The Unfortunated Bastards
"You surely can come back before the roll call time comes, Sarge?"
"It's only ten steps away. What, you think it's gonna be a big problem? "
Actually It was more than 10 steps, but it's not a big deal to them, because the store he was going could be seen right in front of the main gate of the Camp. Kim, who just gave a Playboy magazine to the Sentinel Guarding Private, starts to walk. In front of his destination, he could see a few small hiragana letters written under a large English alphabet that said 'Kamori Grocery'. He presumes it will be the same meaning, but only in Japanese. Actually, he did not give a shit about what it said because Kim could not read Japanese at all, also didn't think about the necessity of asking about it to the owner.
"Ah, Sarge Kim!"
"Akira, how have you been?"
Akira, the son of the shopkeeper, welcomed Kim. As the name suggests, it was a Japanese-run shop. The Kamori Grocery store is said to have been in business right here since 1976, when the 17th Fighter Battalion was stationed.
In fact, among the U.S. soldiers here in Vietnam, the perception of the Japanese was not that good. It was because most of the businessmen here were Japanese who were in charge of the most military supplies and accumulates wealth for that. From an economic point of view, it's more efficient to receive goods made in nearby countries rather than transporting goods from the US mainland, but it was well known in here, middle of the Vietnam War that they were Japanese who sold goods and accumulated wealth without entering the battlefield, and never need to worry about bleeds while other G.I.s suffered as hell.
Kim also doesn't have that much of good feelings for Japan, too. Not just a position as a soldier, many Koreans still have no good feelings for Japan, because only 30 years passed after Japan's colonial rule ended during the imperialism war between 1910s to 1940s.
However, Kim's relationship with the shop's owners had nothing to do with his beliefs. This was because Kim could not just let the store owner's son got beaten up by fellow U.S. soldiers because of the stereotypes that previously mentioned. The rank of sergeant was high enough to control the soldiers. Perhaps that's why the owner and his son Akira treated Kim more kindly.
"Where's your father?"
"He is rearranging the goods in the back. Do you want as what you usually buy, or are you looking for anything else new?"
"As usual, please. Plus, give me another pack of cigarettes. I have to stay out a little longer this time."
"Are you going out for a mission again?"
"You're saying, bro."
Kim leaned at an angle in front of the counter and put his chin on the hand. Akira looked at Kim while taking a cigarette out of the display case.
"I know for sure I'm not that meddlesome type person and have no plans to be like that, but where are you going? I've never seen your face so distraught like this."
"Just. Just have a few more things to thinking about seriously right now. Damn."
Akira tilted and turned his head again. just think about it, Kim had a very interesting memory with this fella.
Akira. Last name Kamori. Born in 1972, he was 14 years old this year and only 10 years younger than Kim. He said he came from Japan in 1984 to help his father, who was running a business here in Vietnam. He told that he have come from an area called "Kanezaka," but Kim did not know where the hell is that in Japan. Anyway, the relationship between the two began in 1984 when Kim saved him from being beaten up almost death by three U.S. soldiers for being Japanese and git guy. Although he had different nationalities and no other communicable language than English with Kim, he was able to get along with Kim well with the common point that both of they are were struggling with life in a country that far-from-home and unique philosophy. Although he was still small in physique, he never pushed back by his pride. The more Kim looked at him, the more he felt like Akira is just like a younger brother that he never had.
"Well, it isn't Sergeant Kim, it is."
"Mr. Kamori."
Mr. Kamori walked out from the back as he finished cleaning up the storage room. Kim have known him little by little since 1981, but the relationship began in earnest when he saved his son Akira in 1984.
"Seeing you buying those, you'll be gone for some days again."
"Yeah. Maybe it could be for a few weeks."
"I know it's your daily routine, but have a safe trip. Do you need anything else?"
"This is enough. Thank you."
"Hey, wait. You forgot the changes!"
"Give Akira another snack. Good night, Mr. Kamori."
"Huh, have a safe day, Kim!"
"Have a safe trip, Sergeant Kim!"
Leaving Akira and Mr. Kamori's voices behind, Kim came out of the store. Looking at the two packs of cigarettes, the pressure on the operation to be done from tomorrow has been more intense.
Captain Oxton was walking through the darkened base to get to his BOQ after his usual meeting with the aircraft mechanic. Today's routine would be over if he went back to his room, took a shower, and slept as usual. Until he saw someone sprinting around the training ground. It was Kim when he looked closely. If it wasn't him, anyone could tell that something was definitely wrong if someone was running the ground at this late time.
"Hey, Kim!"
Kim stopped sprinting after knowing that the voice calling him in the dark was Captain Oxton. Despite the hot Vietnamese climate, Captain Oxton could feel the heat came out from Kim as he approached.
"Captain Ox, sir."
"What's the problem? I know you like to run, but I've never seen you doing this at this late hour, and moreover, with tomorrow's operation."
Captain Oxton and Kim crawled up on the bonnet of the truck which belongs to transportation company that was parked right next to the training ground. It was the perfect place to talk.
"Captain Ox, sir, may I ask you about something, sir?"
"Bring it on."
"What do you usually do when you have a guilty conscience, sir?"
Kim cannot tell anything to even Captain Oxton about the operation, thinking about the security vow. However, he wanted to get rid of this discomfort somehow. Captain Oxton was stunned, of course. Kim was always more cautious than other NCO's about his every word choices that came out from his mouth, but he was overwhelmed this time because Kim came out so heavily.
"The bloody hell happened back there between the commander earlier? I've never seen you do this before."
"Uh, it's just about tomorrow's operation. There's nothing else, sir. However, there is a part that keeps bothering me and make me to feel pain in my conscience."
"So, you want to demonstrate to the Carlson by acting crazy late at night? Kim, I'm sorry mate, but I recommend you do that in a more visible place."
"No, Christ no. It's not like that, sir, but it's just very hard not to be able to talk freely and solve it with anyone."
"So, then, is that subject matters are waiting in that darkness to catch and whack you right now?"
"Well? Probably not, sir? At now, I mean."
"Then what is the certainty that you will die of it?"
"None, sir."
"Are you sure that thing is going to kill your platoon crews?"
"I'm sorry, sir?"
"If you say so, you don't fit into the post of platoon leader. But you wouldn't say that, would you?"
"Umm, maybe I guess so, sir."
"Then why are you worried so much and wet your pants?"
Captain Oxton struck Kim on the chest and said.
"You're Staff Sergeant Jinho Kim. You're Asian NCO that be approved well even in this filthy Base! More, you're a Sergeant! They say it's easy to be a sergeant if you just stay put and spend times in Korea, but is it that easy to kill time here? You know yourself well about how hard it was to crawl in Vietnam's swamp and jungle for six years? And, if you're not a wanker, how much time have you had to learn and accumulate over those six years? If you can't afford to get by like this, you'll be a deadpan. And most of all, I know you're not that cranky, doesn't I? Am I the only one? No. What about Major Dylan? What about your platoon? What about your platoon members? And the others and your mates?"
Kim was only looking into Captain Oxton's face. Come to think of it, he didn't think that he'd never seen that man's brown eyes are as confident as they are now.
"Forget what little blood heads like Carlson and Dannerson are saying. You'll do great. I'm sure you will be able to do the same. Just keep that in mind, Kim. When we get back safely, our squadron will give you guys a cool beer party."
Oxton looked at the back of Kim as he trudged away. Although he was not a member of the Sparrow 2, but he was a more special person to each Kim and between him. The U.S. soldiers, who had to fight with him in the early days of participating in the war, were not treated him well because he was a foreign officer. However, he was able to overcome it thanks to his lively personality. For him, he felt more sympathy for Kim because his appearance, which he met him for the first time in early 1981, was the same as his past appearance. As a result, he began to take care of Kim more than anyone else, with the goal of making him spend his difficult times a little shorter. Kim could have no problems with human relationship and communications, so the two could become good friends. Kim, whom he knew, seemed to be a teenage boy of infinite positivity that came back to life immediately after waiting a little, even if he had some difficult shits.
But since after the withdrawal of 3rd Airborne Brigade from Bai-Trang in 1982, he just got scared the shit out just even hear the name 'New Mexico', or just the local name. Oxton was at the other area at that time, so he did not know exactly what happened, but he was certain that it would not have been normal. Kim went beyond simply fearing the name of the area, and he even scared of a horror movie at occasional movie screenings in the base shows them. He was not gutless at all, that cannot even see a horror movie, but it certainly seemed that what happened in 1982 in New Mexico Point, had messed up him somewhere inside. Oxton just wanted Kim not get horrified as soon as he landed in the operation area tomorrow, and messed up the whole thing.
Kim pondered Captain Oxton's words while standing still under the pouring water from the open-air shower booth. There was never bullshit or hypocritical things exists in his words. It surely is that Captain Oxton's talking still is beyond average for sure. Kim's worries, however, are still lingering. If he conducts well, the Sparrow 2 will not suffer by any kind of problem. However, his biggest concern was whether he could control the chaos in that place where the curse was located with just a platoon. He was overwhelmed. The stars in the sky were indifferent and shining brilliantly, seemingly unaware of how Kim felt.
Helicopter's sound are constantly ringing. The sound of guns and empty shells hit the ground from all sides makes ears ache. The UH-1 Gunship, which was in stand by at the rear, flew directly over the head and bombarded over the jungle with missiles. The sounds just like a chainsaw seconds later along with the distinctive explosion prove the fact that the A-10 attacker is in action right now. Kim continued to pull the trigger. Brass casings continued to flying around with a bang. He shouted at the soldiers who were not far away, asking about how much of ammunition left, but the only thing he could see is that they know they are surely shouting at each other, but it's impossible to communicate properly.
He could see the silhouettes that kept moving under the tree line. They never stopped, no matter how much he shoots, smashed anything, whatever he did. If they seemed annihilated, they would pop out of nowhere like ghosts, chop up our soldiers, and if we think they were not shooting at us, they would run away leave behind that their booby traps that looked like taffies. Those cursed son of bitches.
Suddenly, the company commander Lieutenant next to him starts to freak out and started to run away, grabbing the back of the radio man private. What an idiot. He can't even handle the fear of the battlefield as a lieutenant. But when Kim looked around the other side, the others were running away the same way, too. As soon as Kim thought that everyone else was out of their mind together, he looked up as he felt something goes wrong. From the sky over there, he could see several Phantom fighter jets flying straight.
Oh, the Christ sweet lord of mercy.
Large tanks, attached to the bottom of the fighter jet, fell into the forest one after another. A massive cloud of fire, which seemed to have been flown by special transport from the bottom of the hell, quickly burned down the forest in front of Kim and was approaching towards him quickly. A moment's judgment passed through his head that there was no chance of living even if he turns around and run now.
So this is the end.
"Sarge?"
Kim woke up on the bunk bed with shock. As usual, while he holds his rifle in right arm.
"It's time to wake up, sarge. You used to wake up, but doesn't right now all of a sudden."
E-4 Corporal Turner Westwood was looking down at Kim from the side of the bed. Kim turned his head and looked out the window. he could see the skies are turning red as the sunset coming out. The bugler's reveille call was also sounds as if to prove that something will come has finally come here. Kim sighed once and raise up from the bed.
"Ah, this sucks."
Kim said himself quietly as he looked down at his meal. In fact, he was not that much of a big grumpy person for a food choice, but today he deserved it. A loaf of grilled spam, two loafs of field bread that the size of a fist, two spoons of grape jam and a plate of vegetable soup for Breakfast. Plus, a boiled egg.
Eggs were treated as a special treat here in Vietnam now, especially on the battlefield. Even for the South Vietnam farmers could not easily get eggs or meat, especially their economic systems are switched into a wartime distribution system now. As a result, boiled eggs were only served on special anniversary days or personnel who assigned for more serious tasks other than daily routines and operations at here Camp Geronimo. The fact that Sparrow 2 received boiled eggs, which also works as a reminder of what they had to do from today.
"Hey, Kim."
Kim looked up, and saw E-6 Staff Sergeant Chase of the Canadian Army Infantry Regiment, who was close with him. It was even more welcome because it had been about a month since he went on a regular furlough.
"Chase. Good morning. No, wait, more than that. It's been a long time since you gone. Did you have a good trip?"
"It was fantastic. By the way, it looks like you're going to have a hard time. Where are you going?"
"Can't talk. Carlson orders me to shut up."
"Oh, you're in a nutshell. Yeah. I can see."
"Are you just saying like that because it's none of your business, Chase? If it really is, I'll put a bunch of poops in your mouth."
"Bro, the humor you have, man. Even we're eating now."
"By the way, how was your furlough? Any interesting stories?"
"Will this explain it enough?"
Chase held out his right hand. He had a ring on his ring finger that he hadn't put before.
"Hey, you lucky ass! You did it after all! Congratulation!"
Kim stood up for a moment and slap high-fives with Chase.
"There was a proper reason that your mouth got stuck in your ear, and it didn't come down. Congratulation, man."
"Thank you. You take good care of yourself. Come back safely and I'll buy you a beer."
Chase laughed and moved away to their platoon seat. Marriage. He can't enjoy being a single anymore, but Kim was envious of him. It was because he had moments more than once thought that he wanted to find someone he could give love and start a family. The brief joy he had gained from his friend's happiness made him feel good, but when he looked down at the plate, his worries came back again. The pressure that the platoon's live or death would soon be divided gave him the illusion of chewing sand. Moreover, this stupid egg was so dry that it didn't go down without water or vegetable soup at once. Kim gulped down a cup of water. Specialists Vincent, who was sitting right in front of him, was looking somewhere while checking Kim's face. When Kim followed Vincent's gaze, there was a beer box.
"You do know what will gonna happens if you're drunk as shit during the operation, Vincent?"
"I know, Sarge. I was only looking at it."
No one in the Sparrow 2 has dared to drink alcohol during the daily routine since everyone saw Corporal Brian's sides were folded like a cardboard box due to Kim's turning kick, not dead by a landmine after he stumbled into the minefield while performing an operation as drunk as hell.
"Platoon, focus on me."
At the row table, the Sparrow 2 platoon members gathered their heads.
"Now, I hope you all did well with what I ordered yesterday. I'm sure you did a good job with your guns get cleaned. Berk and Joseph, you two will go with me to get ammunition after this. Don't forget to double-check for any problems in the equipment that must be taken. The departure is Zulu 2 helipad, our helicopter in 0930. Major Dylan and Captain Oxton will be on standby. Let's all do our best."
Kim looked at the remaining half of the egg and stuffed it into his mouth.
"1 box of 1400 rounds of normal .223, 20 Mk2 high-explosive grenades, 12 40mm high-explosive, 10 40mm buckshot. Could you please check again if there are any abnormalities?"
PFC of Ammunition Supply Company asked. Even though Kim requested it, he worried about the platoon of only nine members could be carrying all of these without any difficulties. To be honestly, he still believed that too much ammunition will not be a problem. No, in fact, he was worried that it would be insufficient. He didn't express anything in front of the platoon members, but it was such a terrible place that he wanted to petition the president directly to blow the entire thing out over there with an atomic bomb.
"Is there anything else, sarge?"
"Oh, one more thing, then. .38 Special, full metal jacket, a pack of fifty shots."
"Yes, sarge."
Kim put a pack of bullets in the cargo pocket in front of his pants. It was because it was his strict rule to prepare for any kind of situations that might arise.
[Camp Geronimo Zulu 2 Helipad. 09:30a.m. October 2nd, 1986.]
"Attention."
The platoon Sparrow 2 lined up in front of the Zulu 2nd Helipad. Major Dylan and Captain Oxton were busy to conduct a pre-flight check. Lieutenant Colonel Carlson, the battalion commander, was there too to see them take off in person, a break out ordinary from his regular behavior.
"Report of duty, sir. Staff Sergeant Jinho Kim of Sparrow 2 Platoon and eight crews, reporting on a Omnic takeback mission before the departure, sir."
"Come back alive. I'll give you no orders other than that."
Carlson replied, and followed with Kim's salute.
"Kim, have a short talk, just a second."
While Sparrow 2 platoon members loaded the helicopter with equipment, Carlson handed a small bag to Kim.
"Opening this bag, you'll find as intelligence organized documents that you can find out about this mission as possible. And there's also direct request points from the superior for this investigation. That's the crux and most important outcome of this operation. So that you must handle it exactly like your precious rifle. Don't forget about not showing this to anyone. No matter even they're your platoon boys. Get it?"
Instead of answering, Sergeant Kim replied with a silent salute.
"Don't forget. It's not just for patriotism or some limey petty purposes. The world's fate is at stake in the success of this operation."
The heavy steel rotor began to spin vigorously. The wind produced by the helicopter made the tents around the main helipads. There was one more person in the helipad that came for sendoff. E-7 Sergeant First Class West, the platoon leader of Bravo 5, right next to in the barracks of Sparrow 2, was waving at the edge of the pad.
"Kim! Be careful! See you in a week!"
Kim responded to West by waving his hand.
[Golf Tower, this is Sparrow 2. Request a permission to take off.]
[this is Golf Tower. Roger, Sparrow 2. What's the elevation and direction after take off?]
[Sparrow 2. After raising 500 feet, proceed in 34 directions, adjust it to 2,500 feet, over.]
[Golf Tower. Roger that, Sparrow 2. authorize to take off. Von Voyage. Hope you have a safe flight.]
[Sparrow 2, Roger that. Thank you, Golf Tower. Sparrow 2, out]
The Sparrow 2 helicopter flew up high into the sky. Camp Geronimo slowly became smaller. Strong winds made Sergeant Kim's collar flutters constantly.
He thought about whether everyone could be able to return here safely. Then he turned his head and looked at the platoon members. All familiar and friendly faces. He decided to put aside these thoughts for a while. It was because of some common rule that he has, about the worse the topic could be, the more likely the real result could be. The helicopter accelerated and begin heading to 속 north.
The helicopter flew high above the jungle, just like the yacht of the sea. It's a peaceful flight due to the lack of turbulence. what a peaceful atmosphere, except for the deafening sound of the helicopter rotor. Berk and Turner seemed to be having a conversation together while smoke a cigarette. Vincent and Joseph and Jordan were watching the endless jungle under their feet, while Jordan silently watching the distant stream of rivers. Brian was trying to sleep with his helmet's over his eyes, and Paul mumbled as if he was reciting a prayer with a small cross in his hand. Kim was sitting right behind the pilot seat and looking at them.
One by one, the Sparrow 2's good ol' boys. Kim remembered every first times that he met them one by one.
Berk Williams and Turner Westwood were both from Mobile, Alabama. They were close friends in their neighborhood since they were young, and they said there were few people who could catch up with them in their hometown, fishing and cooking fish. The first time they met was in November 1982. It was before Kim was recognized in the U.S. army crews and while he was still a corporal. However, the two were so playful and friendly that they continued to take care of Kim, who had no close friends, and Kim, who had no English communication problems, was able to open up the mind to them quickly. When He first took the charge of Sparrow 2 in 1984, they were the first guys that he bring along.
Vincent Fitzgerald was from Odessa, Texas. He was supposed to be a city sandal, as he has originally born in Houston. But both parents were busy, so he spent more time at his grandfather's house in Odessa than in the city. His grandfather was said to be a real cowboy, a fierce, sprawling western macho. Having become more like his grandfather, he is also boasting of his temperament, and serve as a machine-gun shooter with that talkative M60, seems like to prove his personality. Kim first met Vincent in late April 1983. Vincent didn't like the Kim just like the rest of the soldiers did at first, but when he was almost dying near the Ro-coi province, surrounded by the North Vietnamese with both legs stuck in the mud swamp during retreat, Kim came to his rescue only as a single army and put down all eight NVs, Vincent vowed to be his eternal best friend.
Albert Wayne was from Los Alamos, New Mexico, and was raised by parents who are both chemists. He said he wanted to major in Orientalism rather than chemistry, but his parents forced him to enter MIT's Department of Chemistry. Then, after the first semester of his second grade, he applied to the Army in a gesture of defiance after a big fight with his parents, and ended up stuck in this hellish jungle. No one understood him, who always said that Vietnam was more worth living here than MIT or his parents' house. Kim first met him in the early 84, and although he was somewhat of a veteran, there was no one more attractive than Kim to Albert, who was crazy about Orientalism.
Joseph Vance, came from Cutler, Maine, had the highest level of education within the Sparrow 2. he was able to speak French as natively, and some more several languages, including Russian and Chinese, little by little. In a neighborhood close to Canada, thanks to his family background, which even had a French grandmother, allowed him to analyze French as a scholar rather than just a mother language, and he graduated from the College of Education and said that a high school French teacher was in front of him. Originally, he had no intention of joining the army, but after the Christmas offensive in 1984, the army drafted him and sent here. Kim cannot even reach the university's threshold, but as a man who still have some basic and general knowledge, was able to get close to Joseph. He has a French-Canadian mixed-race girlfriend, and going to marry as soon as he returns to his home.
Brian Nichols was from Virginia, Minnesota, and said he was a master of bear hunting. Not only in his neighborhood, but also in neighboring villages, he said there were constant love calls about counter bear hunting in every year. As a proof, he was a clean and accurate shooter who preferred to shoot neatly at a single shot, no matter what the target was. He joined the Sparrow 2nd Platoon in the early 85. The M16A2 rifle's accuracy rate was enough for him to use, but at the same time, which was difficult to manipulate as a Designated Marksman. Kim discovered his ability and gave him a high-quality M14 rifle with good telescope (which was bought by Kim's own money), he has not only boasted his ability as a strong designated marksman, but also thinks that Kim, who recognized his talent, is the most reliable person in here.
Jordan Mayers is from San Jose, California, and his parents are researchers who work in the Silicon Valley complex. His grandfather was an original veteran of the Pacific War during World War II, who was armed with both Morse code radio and combat skills. It's almost dead now, but he is the only professional in the whole 3rd infantry brigade, as well as the platoon who can transmit Morse code perfectly. He met Kim in 1984. He seemed to have no particular good or bad feelings, but he asks commander for allow moving to the Sparrow 2, because he was got touched by Kim, jumped in the middle of the Napalm bombing and managed to save him, while Jordan himself got shot in the back in the middle of the jungle, almost dying alone.
Paul Jackson was from San Francisco, California, just like Jordan. He was the most devout Christian and young man in the platoon, and still was the youngest and the cutest boy who looks like never touched the gun before. He was a student at San Francisco State University and a guitarist and vocalist for the school band, "The Ol' Notes." He also did not intend to join the army, but got drafted here in early 1985. not enough for the youngest and the most innocent member who had just moved in, and was well-loved. The only characteristic was the excessive barrage of letters from his college friends. His charm must have touched the hearts of innocent Californian college girls, seeing that girl's fan letters come on a daily basis.
It was regrettable to leave out that two peoples who are grabbing the stick in front of them.
Major Dylan and Captain Oxton are both members of the British Royal Air Force(aka, RAF), and they have been veterans of the Vietnam War since 1978, when foreign military support has begun.
Major Dylan Coleman is from Colchester, England. He was a former Mods who applied to the Air Force because he was so infatuated with the Royal Air Force logo, which was his symbol, too. just like that hot tempers which had some hard fights with Rockers, he originally drove an AH-1 Apache attack helicopter, but after nearly being shot down, he briefly drove a UH-1 infantry transport helicopter. Friendship with Kim's was started by Captain Oxton.
Captain Oxton said he would never give a name other than his last name. He claimed that the only day he gave a first name to someone other than his family will be the day when he dies. He was truly the brightest sample of a native Londoner, could be explained an optimist as good, and a maniac as bad. But his omniscience was not negligible, as he was a polite gentleman in London, but also as a man who made people around him laugh with his classy and witty remarks like a comedian at a comedy club. He originally wanted to drive a fast aircraft like a jet, representing his personality. Kim didn't know how he became a helicopter co-pilot, but he's temper was still the same, and secretly boarded Major Bruce's A-10 attacker and enjoyed several deviations, and was caught by Colonel Morrison, the former battalion commander, and both almost got their asses fried.
Suddenly Kim was startled at the moment and got out of his mind. He insisted himself about taking the operation seriously, but he already thought as if he was going out for field trip with boys. Kim thought once again about the goal of the operation. He imprinted the fact in his head that it was not just going out to play, but that he was carrying out a mission that could lead to everyone's death.
He recalled the New Mexico Plateau in April 1982. It was a place like the Du-Lung Bridge that had to suffer a long, shitty time in 1984.
He remembered himself as just got promoted from Private First Class to Specialists. Those distinctive smells filled the noses upon arrival. The faces of soldiers who felt indistinguishable whether they were dead or alive. The walls and trenches that had been smashed by bombs, but neither not repaired nor being left as it breaks. Just three days was enough to understand all the things that he had to live out and fight for two months.
The New Mexico Plateau, known locally as the Bai-Trang, was not just an area where the few North Vietnam troops were hiding and doing stupid things, but a complete military base with a runway, elite fighter jet team, and a tight defense line managed to defend the area.
It was obvious that the goal of the 3rd airborne brigade was to penetrate there. Although our armed forces and supplies were never short, the NV military's strength could never be considered ridiculous. It was such a hell of life that everyone did have no idea how the command system was going due to the constant war of attrition. The land was not being taken or taken away, and soldiers guarding the position were consumed just like a replaceable part into countless numbers. There was no difference to the enemy side, too. It was literally the killing field itself, where everyone does a life risking struggle to everyone in person. When Kim was still a specialist, the days that he had to spent uncomfortable with the US soldiers. Exchanging bombs and bullets each side no matter of day and night, slept right next to the dead buddy's body. He still vividly remembers that lying in the trench at night and seeing the tracer lines created by bullets flying to both sides.
The superior command did something for the solution. Still he didn't even know what it was because he didn't have a clue or a chance to look at it what it was, except to see the personnel in protective gear take out something from a white container taken from behind the defense line. Two things were certain. First, that white container was protected under a very tight security posture. And Second, the front-line began to quiet down the second night after the troops returning from the enemy base while they were armed tightly with the protective suit and gas mask.
The first time everyone realized it was when they discovered that gunfire was only echoing inside the enemy camp, not from there to here. Everyone thought that friendly reconnaissance team was being airborne or deployed through a ground detour to annihilate the enemy. However, if there were allies beyond, the artillery firing would have had to be stopped, but they were eagerly pouring the shells out from the casemate.
From the next day, every frontline was going calm and silent. Almost all the remaining officers and soldiers fell asleep, even though some guys were unable to let go of their guard and kept their eyes on the enemy line. It was a moment that demonstrated in person how tired the combat stress was, not just a few days of accumulation. After waking up, everyone enjoyed some period of peace. The surviving commanders also welcomed the scene.
But no one dares to knew, how much more it is desperate and terrible to the peace would return.
A reconnaissance team was dispatched by the onsite command center because not any single bullets came from the enemy camp even after the third day. All of the reconnaissance personnel returned safely. There was no big problem, although there was a slight sound of gunfire, as if there had been some skirmish. However, Kim was able to feel that the reconnaissance team's expression was disturbed by an emotion they could not hide.
Kim remembered that he was sitting in the driver's seat of the M35 truck that he rented from the U.S. Army and fell asleep while looking up at the sky. No, actually, he was not sure. However, he surely remembers that he wake up in the fourth morning, surprised by someone's scream and a lot of gun fires. He rubbed his eyes, fixed glasses in position, and looked out the window, and it was, truly the scene where the Hell parts of Bosch's 'The Garden of Earthly Delights' was popped out of the canvas.
There was a devastation in which everyone was attacking and killing each other like crazy. The weapons they used varied from the common M16 rifle to machetes, bayonets, and all kinds of objects they could hold in their hands. Everyone looks like they are thoughtless, except that they were focused on killing each other. Terribly, everyone was spilling blood from their eyes, just like a tear, with their pupils red and bloodshot. Sergeant Kim couldn't figure out what was going on. Then someone jumped on the bonnet of the truck. He was a mechanic guy working with him. He wasn't such an ugly friend, but when Kim saw his face, the skin on his face was so much ripped and got loose that it could never be called normal. The blood pouring like a waterfall under the leather and the arteries spitting blood as same as heart rate were still visible.
He began to whack the windshield with a spanner that bloods on it. Kim realized that all the guy wanted to is killing Kim. Therefore, Kim took out his rifle in the passenger seat and fired it. The bullet that broke the windshield explodes that dude's head and scattered brain water, flesh, and miscellaneous components of the human head over the bonnet.
Kim started the engine and hit the accelerator all the way down because he thought he had to get out of this living hell first. The truck began to move forward with a powerful engine sound, and accordingly, the others who found out Kim was still alive began to rush into the truck. There seemed to be no other solution but to run over them one by one. And all of a sudden, someone jumped into the truck's cargo bed. Kim thoughts to aim the gun to behind and just pouring the bullets out, but didn't do that because he noticed that they were still fine when he saw them screaming to him, step the gas pedal all the way to the floor, instead of attacking Kim.
Kim was able to escape by the truck with four of his friends who were still intact in. Regardless of whether there was an obstacle in front of him or something that looked like a human, he didn't stop and ran towards the rear outpost base, risking breaking through at sometimes. The fellas in the back were not just there shaking. They could all live together because they never stopped pouring bullets into the crazy people running into the truck.
They were immediately put into quarantine after driving the truck to the rear outpost base, which was covered in blood and dented in everywhere. The investigation team from above did not stop examining their bodies and sampling blood, hair, and even human wastes. They also wrote down every detail, constantly asking questions about what they saw and heard. However, they kept silence about Kim's question that why they took that samples and what happened.
Kim wondered why all the people who had been fine except for being tired until the previous day had changed so rapidly. Moreover, he wondered what power made them to try to kill as everything as they saw it even though their body was seriously damaged. He thought about zombie movies that he often watched during the movie screening hours. Whether they are viruses or magic, dead bodies revived by some miscellaneous reason and only longing for flesh and brain of living humans. Each and every scene exactly matched the horrors Kim witnessed. That was the reason why Kim could not bear to look directly at zombie movies still nowadays.
But he couldn't say that they were just like zombies in the movie. Firstly, they weren't just trying to attack ignorantly. No, they were ignorant in everything except to attack every living and moving objects around, but the attack itself was not ignorant. Some of them were shooting with free wills. Even they were properly attached the rifles in shoulders. The one who used to kill with a bayonet attached to a rifle seems to do a bayonet skill accurately. Some of them pulled the pin out and blew grenades in a precise position. It was a behavior that a typical soldier could show, except that they were bleeding from their eyes and didn't care about their bodies being damaged. What was more incredible was the guy who chased after Kim's truck with a jeep even though he had a hole in his stomach and organs popped out one by one. If they became ignorant zombies in the movie, what they showed was difficult to understand.
However, no matter how much he asked, the Fuckers who came out from above beyond never gave any kinds of answer. Then, after a while, Kim was released from detaining facility, ordered him to return to his original position. He made a stern pledge that he would never disclose what he saw and heard, and what he did, unless he was summoned back to here for further investigation. As a result, the experience became Kim's biggest nightmare. It lets him understand what really is primary fear means.
He still didn't know the details. But he did know only one thing. That the damn white container was the cause of this incident.
[lads, look over there. 3 o'clock.]
Captain Oxton's voice came through the headset. Everyone looked out of the helicopter. Smoke was coming up with flames in the middle of the dense jungle.
[seems like it hasn't been long since the crash, sir.]
[can't see the parachute either. Is there will be any survivor?]
[there's no need for us to rescue them, if they really were, sir.]
[What do you mean, Kim?]
[500 yards towards 6 o'clock, you'll find a tail wing piece. That shape only uses An-2, but as far as I know, the only ones that use An-2 within a 300-mile radius around here are NV forces. That's an enemy plane.]
[Oh, no wonder why I can't see the other pieces. That fabric bodies must be already burnt out.]
[I heard M-16 is enough to shoot down it, but what did they use to catch that, sarge?]
[It looks like that dudes got hit by our A-10. That kind of body bone damage, I guess they poured GAU-8 instead of a missile.]
[Hmm, someone is going to take a bath with cold beer today.]
[Well, I don't think you'd better look down from here, Cap't Ox, sir.]
[What does that mean? Oh... I got it. Yeah, I got it.]
Like a hair loosed head, everywhere in the jungle was absence of green leaves. The wreckage of planes that had crashed and burned down long ago was there. Crews in the helicopter are facing the end of the lives during more than 20 years of war that had been crashed or shot down. There were the same UH-1H helicopters as the Sparrow 2 been riding, and the UH-1B, C, D, the former model helicopters, and as well as prop fighter just like A-1 Sky raider, and others that appeared to be F-4 Phantom, or F-5 jets. A huge piece of the B-52 bomber's body was stuck in the ground and covered in bushes. The remnants of the NV military's MiG and Ilyushin 28 bombers were visible, too.
In a way, it was a cemetery of aircraft. For a moment, everyone was speechless.
[May the Lord bless us all, overlook and lead their ways for the souls of those who had to end up down there. Amen.]
Paul, who was sitting quietly, held the cross in his hand and said. Everyone quietly drew a cross themselves. Kim is a Buddhist, so he quietly put his hands together.
Everyone knows how much hatred and killing each other is in the moment of battle, but when the mind and body slowly start to calm down after the battle is over, and the adrenaline is running out, all of us suddenly realize that they were also human being, too. They were also the country's courageous and imposing soldiers, and from their point of view they came out to fight for their families and friends to defend them from the invaders. Everyone who fought here has a worth and respectful lives. To those sitting in the command center armchair over there, the life of enlisted was just a number.
Kim shuddered. What is right or logic was I given to punish them? No, wait. Can I even allow to call that as a punishment? Did they have any reason to die by my finger? But he knew, too. If he hesitated to pull the trigger, they would pull the trigger. They would feel the same way, but nothing could have changed.
War was always like a bullshit. Just like politics.
The sea of the jungle was never-ending. Not only the wreckage of the crashed planes, but also the marks that scratched by the cursed agent oranges, could be visible. Everyone became quiet as they approached the goal area.
[Kim. 12 o'clock in front. Will it be right there?]
At Major Dylan's words, Kim moved to the cockpit and looked over the cockpit glass. A low but large mountain was visible, and underneath it was a slightly open field along the river. A flipped jeep was seen on the open field.
[the outpost New Mexico point, sir.]
Kim pointed his finger with a firm look on his face. Captain Oxton, Major Dylan, and the rest of the platoon looked at the abandoned outpost with a raised face. Kim came back. After three years. To that nightmare spot.