| Subject: Re: ...For Meritorious Service, Chapter 27, continued |
Author:
TxJAG_b
|
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: 18:17:42 03/31/10 Wed
In reply to:
TxJAG_b
's message, "...For Meritorious Service, Chapter 25d, part two - continued" on 16:25:09 01/08/09 Thu
…For Meritorious Service, Chapter 27
A/N 1: Thanks to my trio of editors [Mary Ann, Janlaw and Karen] for their usual fine job. Kudos also to AeroGirl, Mkim, Soleil, TZ, Janlaw for providing their help and technical expertise. Also thanks to Lisa Griffon [Yahoo Shipper Group] for her continuing support.
A/N2: Notice there isn't an 'd' after 27? That's because this is the last chapter. And, rather than confusing people with more parts - I'm just going to say 'continued' until I get all of this posted.
A/N3: One of my editors pointed out that people might be confused by all the call signs flying about – here’s short rundown on who’s who:
Bullgator – Colonel Briggs
Gatorforce Leader – Colonel Baxter
Gatorforce One – Lieutenant Hawkins
Gatorforce Two – Major Kelly
Hawk One – Sergeant DeWald, MEU FiST [air and artillery] coordinator
Javelin – Marine Air Wing ‘Aviation Combat Element’ [ACE] for MEU [AV-8Bs]
Eagle – Harm and VF-218 squadron [F-14s]
Hunter – Patrick Henry Marine squadron [F-18s]
Shark Two – Mac’s Unit
Rat Patrol – Commander Brad May and his SEAL unit – The good guys
Shark One, Shark Three – The bad guys
From Friday:
The tank which had been moving slowly past the personnel carrier suddenly lurched.
“She’s just aborted!” the driver announced.
Hank Borden shook off his grogginess and climbed back up and opened the turret hatch. Despite the bullets angrily whining over his head, he immediately saw the trouble; black smoke was beginning to pour from the right engine grill of the Abrams tank.
Energized by the sight, Hank grabbed a fire extinguisher as he yelled down into the turret interior. “Abandon tank! Dismount and set up a defensive perimeter!!”
Like animals flushed from their nest, the crew of Slugger Four climbed out of their disabled tank carrying rifles, pistols and fire extinguishers.
As Lieutenant Borden and his driver fought the stubborn fire, his loader and gunner traded shots with the insurgents who seemed to be all around them.
Colonel Briggs’ Command Post
Sergeant Dewert ran over to Faith, Andrew Baxter and Ashton Briggs. “Sirs! The insurgents have turned their vehicles into mobile improvised explosive devices; Slugger Four is disabled and requesting assistance!”
“Slugger Four disabled?” Briggs said in a bewildered voice. The JAG Commander wanted to shake Ashton Briggs but she knew it wouldn’t do any good.
“What about Major Kelly and Gatorforce Two?” Baxter asked.
Sergeant took a breath. “Holding their position for the moment, but they can’t reach Slugger Four, sir.”
Baxter turned to the MEU CO. “Sir, we have to do something!”
“I don’t know—I don’t know what to do…” Ashton Briggs sounded lost. “Where’s Sergeant Jenkins?”
Andrew grabbed the MEU CO by his shoulders. “He’s on his way to Baghdad, sir. Colonel, sir, we need more air support-- we need our helos…”
Briggs looked at Baxter’s mouth like he was trying to understand a foreign language. “The Helos? Where are they? Why aren’t they here?”
“You grounded them, Colonel,” Faith Coleman replied, “because of Lieutenant Luken’s actions….”
Ashton Briggs turned to her. “I grounded them? Why would I do that?” She could see by the look on his face that he didn’t know who she was.
Faith Coleman and Andrew Baxter exchanged grim looks. “Sergeant Dewert, go get the Captain.” Andrew ordered.
The unnerved Sergeant nodded. “Aye sir.” And headed over to the HMMWV ambulance.
Baxter took the MEU CO’s hand like he was guiding an elderly gentleman to his seat. “Colonel Briggs, why don’t you come and sit over here, sir?” Faith followed them.
Briggs’ confusion only seemed to grow. “Baxter, what’s going on?”
“It will be all right, sir.” Andrew Baxter said gently.
The naval doctor and Bud Roberts, led by Sergeant Dewert, made their way over to where Ashton Briggs was sitting.
“Has the Colonel been injured?” asked the Captain looking for signs of obvious injury on the MEU CO.
The assistant CO knew of no other way he could broach this. “Captain, the Colonel appears to have suffered a mental breakdown. He thinks we’re back in March….”
The Captain looked briefly at Andrew Baxter and then at the MEU CO.
“Colonel?”
“Yes Captain?” It was obvious that something was wrong. Briggs and the doctor had talked on several occasions since he transferred in just days ago. Now it was as if the Colonel didn’t recognize him.
“Sir, do you know who I am?” He took out a penlight and checked his eyes for any evidence of drugs in his system or some type of hidden injury. Nothing.
Briggs looked from the doctor to Andrew Baxter, confusion and frustration filling his features. “Baxter, what is going on? Who is this Navy doctor and where is ours?”
Andrew Baxter exchanged a quick look with the doctor. “He’s in Baghdad, awaiting transfer to back to the States, sir.” Baxter didn’t have the heart to tell him he was facing criminal charges for his collusion with Darcy Livingston and Captain Lewis.
He had been one of Ashton Briggs’ best friends.
The JAG Corps Commander spoke up. “Captain, the Colonel has had a nervous breakdown; he thinks it’s March 2003.”
The Captain wasn’t a fan of this JAG Corps officer, given their earlier confrontation, but it was obvious that there was something seriously wrong with Ashton Briggs.
“Colonel what day is this?”
“What do you mean?”
“What is today’s date, sir?”
Briggs looked momentarily irritated. “Captain, did you just crawl out from under a rock? It’s the 25th of March, 2003. We’re getting ready to assault this Iraqi village and you’re asking me what date it is? I don’t have time for this--”
Colonel, please sit, sir.” Andrew Baxter said in a gentle voice. Ashton Briggs looked up at him for a moment and started to say something but then seemed to think better of it and sat back down as asked.
The Captain looked to the Assistant MEU CO for an answer.
“We assaulted the town of Mirbullah on 25 March 2003,” Baxter explained.
Bud Roberts could only stare at the Colonel. Briggs saw the blood on his uniform.
“Lieutenant? How did your uniform get bloody? Are you injured?” It was obvious he didn’t even recognize the young JAG Corps officer.
Andrew Baxter took Faith Coleman and the doctor to one side.
“Captain I need you to pronounce Colonel Briggs medically unfit to lead this command. Commander, I want you to be my witness to this.”
Faith nodded silently. Normally she might have a sarcastic self-satisfied smile at having won another battle. But this wasn’t just another battle. Ashton Briggs had been a capable commander in his time, but now he had a debilitating disease that was affecting his ability to lead. But that didn’t mean he should be accorded any lack of respect due to what had happened to him.
Sahood’s safe area
Somewhere North of Mirbullah
Mac , Victor and Kayce joined the other members of her recon team who were sitting outside next to their vehicles. Doc Yader stood up first. “What do we do now, ma’am?”
“We wait, Corpsman,” Mac couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something was off about Doc Yader. Most Corpsmen she had known weren’t eager for combat. Mac looked over at the children who were hanging off the insurgent BMP yelling and playing. The crew, a mix of former Republican Guard and some of al-Sahood’s men, smiled and laughed as they loaded ammunition into the venerable but still dangerous vehicle.
“How long, Colonel?” Vicky Logan asked.
“Till Colonel Livingston makes her appearance, Logan.” Mark Dallas said quietly trying not to draw undue attention to their group.
Mac nodded, keeping her eye on the insurgents milling around them. “Burges, Williams; make it look like you need to do maintenance on these trucks. The rest of us will mingle and see if we can learn where Sahood is hiding the missile trucks….”
“Aye, aye, Colonel.” Sal Williams looked at Don Burges. “Let’s get to work, Don.”
They immediately walked over, opened the doors of their trucks and popped their hoods. In minutes both men were busy puttering around their engines. The group of children chattering incessantly moved over to them and hung around the vehicles. A couple of guards pointed and smiled at the children.
“Okay, now we mingle,” said Mac to the others.
Victor grabbed Sergeant Witt as he started to separate from the rest of the group, “You stick close to me Witt-- in case we have to call for an emergency evac outta here.”
Frank Witt, gave the Master Guns a nervous smile. “Sure Master Guns, whatever you say…”
“Lieutenant Flemming you stay with us too,” Mac added.
Oscar Flemming nodded. “Aye ma’am.”
“Everyone keep alert and watch your chemical detection kits; if you get any signal, shake the thing like its malfunctioning – my guess is Darcy meant for us to disable this equipment before we got here….”
Staff Sergeant Dallas and the others nodded.
“Now we just walk around, casual like. Remember, we’re all allies here. Don’t give Sahood guards any reason to get suspicious…”
The members of Mac’s recon team walked around nonchalantly as Don and Sal continued to work on their trucks.
Holding Area Montana
“Eagle 21 this is Pie Tin, acknowledge.”
Harm smiled at the code name for Patrick Henry. They had chosen ‘Pie Tin’ because although ‘Meat Loaf Pan’ would have been more appropriate, the intel guys didn’t like that code name, so they went with ‘Pie Tin’.
“This is Eagle 21. Go ahead Pie Tin…”
“Gatorforce Leader has requested air support. Eagle squadron has been tasked to cover Hunter squadron as it assists Gatorforce. Acknowledge.”
Harm looked around at his squadron. They were itching to get into the action, but if they wasted all their ordnance to help Gatorforce, they would have to go back to the Henry and re-arm. Harm knew if they did that, they would be out of the operation.
But the aviator/lawyer knew that if Gatorforce, that is, Colonel Briggs was requesting air support, they must really be in a bind. Harm knew they had to do this, but he couldn’t just present this action, fait acompli, to the men and women of Eagle squadron. He knew that even if he had to, he could split the squadron in half with one part attacking Objective India, and the other half helping Gatorforce. He hoped he didn’t have to do that because regardless of what it cost him, he had to help Gatorforce; Bud and Sturgis were there.
Harm could see that Pete Gibbons was watching him. “Wait one, Pie Tin, over.”
“Roger, Eagle 21; standing by…” Harm switched his radio to the squadron net.
“Eagle squadron, this is Hammer. Gatorforce, a Marine Expeditionary Unit, has requested our support. Be advised if you agree to help this unit, be stingy with your ordnance. Because if we spend it all helping Gatorforce we’ll have to head back the Henry and be out of the game.”
No one voiced an objection. Even Pete nodded his approval. “After we make our pass to support Gatorforce, we are to rendezvous back here at Holding Area Montana for refueling before going on to our primary objective, India. Anyone damaged while supporting Gatorforce is to head back to the Henry or nearest air base, acknowledge.”
It only took the men and women of Eagle squadron seconds to absorb this new mission and respond to Harm. Nicole answered first.
“Eagle 22, acknowledged.”
“Eagle 23, acknowledged.”
“Eagle 24, acknowledged.”
And so it went, until all members of VF-218 replied to Harm’s orders. They were all on board. No dissent.
The Eagle squadron Commander reported back the Patrick Henry. “Pie Tin, Eagle squadron acknowledges.”
Sahood’s safe area
Somewhere North of Mirbullah
It was the longest thirty minutes of Mac’s life. If she had not known better, thanks to her internal clock, she would have sworn it had been at least an hour, maybe two, since they first entered al-Sahood’s compound.
No one in her group had found any evidence of where the missing SCUD TELs were located as they walked around the safe area.
Quick surreptitious shakes of the head by Victor, Kayce, Staff Sergeant Dallas, Sergeant Szymas, and Lance Corporal Bledsoe indicated they couldn’t find any trace of the chemicals that Sahood was supposed to be using against the MEU. Maybe the al Qaeda leader had decided not the use the chemical cocktail his cohorts had created. (Or maybe Webb’s intel was faulty…but the report had been verified by Scimitar and Meg Austin….)
As the Light Colonel struggled with these thoughts, three more Dodge pickup trucks entered the compound. With dust clouds still swirling around the three new arrivals a woman, covered appropriately, got out of the lead truck. Mac knew the moment she saw her that it was Darcy.
Iraqi Battalion Defensive Position [IBDP]
Somewhere North of Mirbullah
Mulazim [1st Lieutenant] Faruk Ahmed watched as his huge 8x8 truck rolled out of the underground shelter. The pale sand colored ZIL-135L4 cross-country launch vehicle was followed by another ZIL with crane assembly and three missiles followed by another ZIL truck carrying the dangerous looking Luna-M or R-75 Free Rocket Over Ground-7 [FROG-7]. The three vehicles growled and snorted like subterranean beasts rudely awakened from a peaceful slumber.
As the three all-terrain trucks rattled past him, he was somewhat ashamed that they had not freshened the paint jobs on these vehicles or at least their faded red Republican Guard triangles. But then, he reminded himself that was a symbol of an old deposed regime. The great Saddam was now cowering in hole somewhere near his native Tikrit like some common farm pest. No, these Afghanis, had the right idea. Strike back, hard.
Faruk smiled as three more vehicles, these were the massive MAZ-543P 9M117M1 TELs [Transporter Erector Launchers], rumbled out into the bright daylight. Each vehicle sported the same faded colors and each carried an ominous looking SS-1C R-17E tactical missile. (Yes,) he thought with a grim smile. (The Americans may have decimated the 223rd Operational Tactical Missile Brigade but [with al-Sahood’s help] they would have the last word. And this time, the Americans would be the ones to suffer!) The al Qaeda leader’s technicians had promised him he would have operational vehicles and they were true to their word.
As Faruk moved to join his missile crew, some of al-Sahood technicians had come out to watch the procession. Mulazim Ahmed and his unit of nonoperational missiles would be making a sacrifice worthy of the greatest Shahids, or Martyrs. They hoped that Allah would grant him a great reward, even if he did not know he was basically committing suicide to further a larger cause.
Deep in the underground garage, Ra’id [Captain] al Bazz prayed to Allah that Faruk be granted a quick painless death. With his prayers completed, the Republican Guard officer stood up and walked over to his awaiting vehicle crews to make sure his unit was ready for its strike against the Americans.
Forward Edge of the Battle Area (FEBA)
Northeast of Mirbullah
Acting CO Andrew Baxter didn’t waste any time alerting everyone to the change in command. He turned to his AMTRAC commander and acting aide.
“Sergeant Dewert!”
“Aye Sir!”
“Relay the following to Gatorforces’ One and Two; any remaining Hum-vees or Amtracs that haven’t joined the fighting yet are to move to flank positions!”
Sergeant Dewert smiled for the first time since this action started. “Aye, Colonel, flank positions!”
As he began relaying the new orders to Gatorforce, Colonel Baxter turned to Faith and Bud. “Where is Special Agent Gibbs?” he asked. With all that had happened Baxter had forgotten where the Senior NCIS Agent had gone.
“He went after Corporal Raden,” Faith replied.
Baxter wanted to say, ‘In an Amtrac?!’ but he knew better than that. Damato was probably pushing that P7 to its limit trying to catch Raden. (Damn! Raden, Lewis, Wilbane, Richards, Secord -- just how many in Gatorforce were working for Livingston?)
“Colonel!” Dewert was holding up his radio phone for Baxter. “There’s another Polish officer on the line asking for permission to help out Gatorforces One and Two!”
(Luisa, you wily fox,) Andrew thought as he took the phone. “This is Colonel Baxter,”
“Colonel, I am 1st Lieutenant Korczak of the 12th Motorized Rifle Division, mine clearing tank platoon. I was told by my commanding officer, Colonel Baranova, that you might need some support in routing a Fedayeen road block.”
Andrew Baxter shook his head and smiled. Such diplomatic way for him to say; ‘Luisa Baranova knew you would need our help.’ He cleared his throat. “Gatorforce would gladly appreciate any support our Coalition partner can offer us in this clearing operation, Porucznik.” He said glibly.
Baxter could hear the grin in the Polish Officer’s voice. “Excellent Colonel; my Reconnaissance Section and our Motorized Rifle Company, lead by Captain Chidorz, will join your Marines shortly.”
Sahood’s safe area
Somewhere North of Mirbullah
“Colonel MacKenzie!” If Darcy was surprised to see Mac and her team was still alive, she didn’t show it.
Mac nodded to her senior officer. “Ma’am….”
Kayce stood over by the Don, Sal and the two pickups and watched this interplay carefully. Kayce’s sniper instinct also told her they were being watched – not only by Samir’s men, but by Darcy’s as well. Her counterpart, Sergeant Enrico Gonsalves, sat beside one of their pickup trucks, working on his Barrett sniper rifle. He looked up every once in a while and gave Kayce an evil smile.
“Did you have any problems getting here?” Darcy asked nonchalantly.
(Only if take into account Staff Sergeant Reynolds and Corporal Bullard tried to kill us) Mac thought grimly. “None Colonel,” she answered.
“You mean Corporal Bullard didn’t kill Sergeant Szymas and destroy one of your trucks?” It was a comment designed to startle – to show just how much Darcy was in charge of things.
Mac didn’t let that rattle her. “The Corporal did manage to destroy one of our trucks, but instead of killing his intended target, he killed Sergeant Armstrong instead.” Mac said coolly, trying to sound miffed about Bullard ‘messing up’.
Her news didn’t faze Darcy one iota. “So where is Bullard now?”
“He and Staff Sergeant Reynolds took off when they realized they had killed the wrong man, ma’am.”
Darcy shook her head then looked at the Light Colonel with a cold smile. “They made a mistake but they got one of their targets, Colonel. You see, cher, Bullard was supposed to kill Sergeant Szymas and Corporal Willet as well as Sergeant Armstrong.”
“Yes ma’am, I know,” Mac replied a blasé tone in her voice. But inside she was horrified at what Colonel Livingston had just told her. “So, do you want us to go after them?”
“No, cher, that won’t be necessary,” A satanic look that Mac had never seen before took over Darcy’s features. “Samir’s men and the Fedayeen will make short work of them. I can’t have sloppy operatives in my operations.”
“Understood ma’am” Mac said nodding. In the back of her mind she wondered if she would get out of this whole mess alive.
Forward Edge of the Battle Area (FEBA)
Northeast of Mirbullah
“Sir, Commander Rabb wants to speak with you,” Sergeant Dewert handed the phone to Colonel Baxter. “His call sign is Eagle 21, Colonel.”
Andrew Baxter gave the Sergeant a puzzled look. He had wondered where the Navy had dragged Commander Rabb off to - now he was going to find out. “Eagle 21 this is Gatorforce Leader, go ahead…”
“Gatorforce Leader, Eagle squadron is about 20 miles out…we can make one pass before we head to our primary target.” The JAG Corps aviator/lawyer replied as he and the rest of Eagle Squadron left Holding Area Montana, headed for Mirbullah.
(We?) Up till now Andrew Baxter had only thought of Harmon Rabb, jr. as a Navy JAG Corps lawyer. He’d never thought of him as an aviator. “Commander, are you leading Eagle Squadron?”
There was a momentary pause.
In the Tomcat, RIO Pete Gibbons smiled at the question. Harm looked back at his smiling RIO and looking somewhat uncomfortable with what had just taken place, gave his answer.
“Affirmative Gatorforce Leader.”
While Baxter digested this, Sergeant Dewert gave him an update on the battle. “Colonel, Major Kelly reports Chisel Two has just been disabled while trying to reach Slugger Four.”
“Wait one, Commander…”
“Standing by, Colonel…”
Baxter turned to Dewert. “Tell Kelly to get both crews out of there – Commander Rabb’s squadron is getting ready to strike the insurgent positions. I’ll tell Rabb to combat loss the vehicles.”
But that option was quickly snuffed by Dewert’s update to the situation. “Both vehicle crews are pinned down, Colonel, and Major Kelly says they can’t reach them in time,”
“Dammit!” Andrew Baxter swore. He didn’t like his next option, but that this point they didn’t have much choice.
“Be advised, Eagle 21 that your targets are danger close. I say again, your targets are danger close, acknowledge.”
Harm Rabb paused. Baxter wondered if Rabb was going to abort the mission. Then he got his answer. “Roger Gatorforce Leader, We’ll do our best, Eagle 21, out.”
Forward Edge of the Battle Area (FEBA)
Gatorforce Two Sector
Sturgis Turner stood in the hatch of the command HMMWV for the 2nd Tank Battalion’s Scout TOW group that was part of the 36th MEU’s Rapid Response Team. In the adjoining hatch next to him stood Staff Sergeant Lawrence [Tin Man] Timmerman.
The Bubblehead watched as the remaining AMTRACS of Gatorforce Two joined them and then they both proceeded to the flanks of Gatorforce’s assault line.
Sturgis could have remained at Camp Chesty Puller filling out legal briefs or helping with Captain Johnson’s legal backlog, but he didn’t want to get left out of the action. It was similar to the way he’d felt when Harm and Mac were chasing down that dirty nuke last spring in the wilds of Afghanistan. He had really enjoyed getting on a sub again and while riding a HMMWV wasn’t the same, at least he wasn’t going to be left out of the action.
In a way, though, Commander Turner felt like he was on a boat - just one that navigated the land rather than the water. He looked over at Staff Sergeant Timmerman. He could see the NCO wanted to ask him a question. “What’s your question, Staff Sergeant?”
“If you don’t mind me asking, what did you do before you became a lawyer, Commander?”
Sturgis put his head down and shook his head. He never really knew what to say when people asked him that but the truth. He looked back at the Staff Sergeant. “I was in the Submarine Service.”
“That makes sense,” Timmerman said more to himself than to Sturgis. The Bubblehead grinned until they bounced over an unusually high furrow.
“Kinda different from riding in submarine, isn’t it, sir?” Timmerman said as their Hum-vee bounded over the furrows in the field.
The up and down motion reminded Sturgis of a rough sea, for which, of course, he was more than adequately prepared. “In some ways, Staff Sergeant,” Sturgis said evenly.
The ebony Staff Sergeant had a wry look on his face as he noticed the JAG Corps officer’s steadiness. “But similar in others, right sir?”
Sturgis gave him a smile in return. “Exactly, Staff Sergeant…”
Then he heard from the cab of the truck the unit CO, 1st Lieutenant Mark Shigeta, responding to a radio call. “Roger wilco, Gatorforce Leader Two, Waco Leader out.”
Lieutenant Shigeta looked up at Sturgis and Timmerman. “Major Kelly says the insurgents are pushing more armored vehicles forward.”
“More personnel carriers?” Timmerman asked with some disdain in his voice. Truthfully everyone was getting annoyed with the insurgent’s mobile IEDs. And as far as the Tin Man was concerned unless you were careless, they were more of a nuisance than a real hazard.
“No, Staff Sergeant,” Shigeta answered, shattering his bravado. “Chisel Two reports two T-55 tanks are headed our way…”
Sturgis noticed that Lawrence Timmerman immediately sobered and started to switch his radio from the vehicle intercom to the unit net. “Understood sir; Waco Two, Waco Four, get set; there are two tanks headed your way….Repeat, two tanks are headed your way, over.”
Sergeant Frankel Paul riding in Waco Four asked what other members of the Scout TOW team were thinking. “Waco Leader, did you say two tanks? Confirm, over”
Timmerman understood his disbelief “Affirmative, Waco Four, two tanks; you are cleared to engage.”
Sturgis imagined that Sergeant Paul was pleased to hear that last part. “Waco Four, roger, cleared to engage…”
As Waco Leader’s HMMWV slowed in anticipation of the coming battle, Timmerman groused. “Tanks! Man, where the hell did they get tanks?”
Sturgis with a half smile, looked over at the Staff Sergeant. “You’ve heard the saying; ‘Their’s not to reason why’, Staff Sergeant…?”
Tin Man grunted; he knew the Bubblehead was quoting the original poem, not the more common paraphrasing of it. “‘Their’s but to do and die’, Commander? Like Captain Miller’s squad in Saving Private Ryan? I was kinda looking forward to seeing my wife and kid after this dust-up, sir….”
The Bubblehead shook his head. “Actually I was referring to Tennyson’s ‘Charge of the Light Brigade.’”
Now it was Timmerman’s turn to shake his head. “Same results, sir. Still, I’d like to alter that ending if we can.” Sturgis smiled at the Staff Sergeant – it wasn’t often he found someone that knew Tennyson.
Sturgis and Timmerman waited to hear the whoosh of the launching TOW missiles shortly followed by the boom of the missiles making contact with their targets. Moments turning into minutes…still nothing. The two men exchanged puzzled looks. Then came the explanation for the ‘quiet’. “Waco Two to Waco Leader! Where are the tanks? Over.”
The throaty growl of at least two V-55V 580bph liquid-cooled V-12 diesel engines directly to their front indicated to Sturgis that the insurgent’s tanks had somehow bypassed Waco Two and Waco Four’s positions and were headed directly toward them.
Sturgis wasn’t sure what Staff Sergeant Timmerman and Lieutenant Shigeta planned on doing next, but he hoped it was effective.
Shigeta spoke first. “Tin Man! Alert Two and Four we have two T-55’s bearing down on us!!”
“Aye sir!” The Staff Sergeant replied, then turned to Sturgis. “Time to alter that ending that we talked about, sir.”
Sturgis nodded. “Then let’s do it Staff Sergeant! Now like we say in the Silent Service; ‘March Bearings and Shoot!’”
Lawrence Timmerman already had his radio mike open. “You guys heard the Commander; we got two tanks bearing down on us, make your shots count! All TOW Gunners! Open fire!!”
---To Be Continued…later next week….
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
| |
