101st Airborne Division
Phúc Yên Air Base, Vietnam
“Welcome to Vietnam, general.” General Tran smiled as he extended a hand.
“Thank you, sir.” General Greene returned the handshake and the smile. “This is Command Sergeant Major Juarez, he will be organizing our debarkation.”
“Pleased to meet you, Sergeant. My staff will assist you with logistics.”
Juarez saluted. “Thank you, sir. Excuse me while I get this rambling shit show rolling.”
Tran smiled again as orders and shouts rang out. There were five C-17’s on the field and more were inbound. “I did not think that the introduction of US troops into my homeland would be under such cordial circumstances.”
Greene took up a position next to Tran and observed the chaotic movement of the division. “I am glad it is. My people are still divided over the last time, I would not like to repeat it.”
“Nor I.” Tran considered the movement of the troops which was becoming noticeably more orderly as Juarez continued to bark orders liberally mixed with invective. “It is somehow reassuring to find that Sergeants are the same the world over.”
“Indeed. I have had the pleasure of working with several different armies over my career and they seem to be the one constant. Have you had time to review the operational plans?”
“Yes, thank you for sending them in advance. My staff have reviewed them. I think that we have some minor suggestions and changes based on local conditions.”
“Excellent, thank you.”
Tran looked down, unsure how to proceed. “If I may, you do realize that you cannot defeat China, yes?”
Greene laughed outright. “Yes, we certainly know that. Our goal is not to defeat them. Our goal is to convince them to stop, to come to the table, to talk to us openly. Something that they’ve been unwilling to do.”
Tran toyed with the buttons on his uniform coat. “This may be just as difficult. There must be great pressure to continue now that they have shown that you can be defeated on the field of battle.”
“Perhaps. At some point, their economy will simply seize up. We have interdicted their trade and cut them off from the internet. No oil, no exports and no way to strike back at our homeland. We have the strategic advantage.”
“Perhaps. If you remain resolute. This is not something Americans are known for.”
“We must convince them that we are and will remain resolute.”
“Indeed, sir. Indeed.”
Always look foward to new episodes, and you don’t disappoint. Thanks!
Great read. Thanks for the effort. The only critique i have is a lot of characters involved. This makes it hard to get a bond with the characters. This is from a reader and not a writer so take it with a block of salt lol.
Thank you for your feedback.
Yes, it’s a challenge. Naturally, a war like this involves thousands of people. To tell the story, you have to reduce the scope down to just a few. But you want to tell the story completely so when you shift from the sea to the land, you introduce new characters. Hopefully, the story is not too difficult to follow.
Having grown up during the later stages of the Vietnam War the conversation between Tran and Greene was especially poingnant.