I Won't Hurry You

I was pissed; we checked into the Visitor's Quarters. I told Elke we were staying for a few days—I didn't know how many.

We had a light dinner at the Officer's Club, and went to sleep.

The next morning we were sitting around. Actually, Elke and Sophie were playing and I was still sulking about the delay.

I heard Sophie giggle and then Elke whispered loudly, "Go, go."

A moment later I felt a tug on my leg and looked down at Sophie. She had a serious look on her face and said, "Daddy, please take Mommy and me on a pic..." She lost her concentration and looked back at Elke who mouthed the word.

"Picnic, Daddy?"

She was beaming at me; she had just said her first words of English, and had called me "Daddy!"

I picked her up and hugged her as she giggled. I looked at Elke; she grinned at me—proud of her daughter and my reaction to her words.

I bought some sandwiches at the PX, got directions to the parade field, and the three of us walked out to enjoy our day—my depression had completely disappeared as I realized the delay just gave me more time with my family.

We were finished playing and were sitting on the blanket starting to eat our sandwiches when Elke pointed at the road—two MP jeeps led a staff car. They stopped close to us and the Major got out of the staff car and walked up to me.

I wasn't in uniform, so no salute was required, but I stood as he approached.

"Can I talk to you for a moment, Captain?"

"Yes, Sir."

We walked a few feet away and he turned to me. "Captain, if you make the military your career, there is a lesson you need to learn—when you're right, your superiors are around you with congratulations. If you are a messenger of bad news, your superiors smell it early and ghost."

"I take it that the messenger wasn't appreciated, Sir?"

With a wry grin he said, "My ass hurts so much I won't sit for a month, and the scars from the ass chewing that Washington gave me will last forever.

"The MP's will watch over you. The staff car will pick you up at 1400 and take you to your quarters. At 1500 the staff car will drive you to the airport, and I will be there to make sure the three of you are the first passengers on the plane.

"Any questions?"

"No, Sir."

The staff car drove on the tarmac up to our plane. Elke and Sophie walked up the stairs to pick out our seats. I was in uniform and saluted the Major.

"Thank you, Sir."

"Captain, you're probably not a bad guy, and your wife and child are beautiful, but I hope I never see you again."

I nodded and walked up the stairs of the plane.

-------

I knocked on the door and the sergeant told me that the Colonel was waiting, and to report. I spotted a sergeant major and a full colonel sitting at the conference table. Standing at attention in front of the table, I gave my best salute and stated, "Captain Wheeler, reporting for duty, Sir."

The Colonel returned my salute and pointed to a chair. "At ease, Captain, and take a seat."

He paused and then continued, "Normally you would report in to your immediate superior, but we have unusual circumstances here, so the Sergeant Major and I wanted to meet you first.

"I've read your efficiency report. It's quite an unusual document. Rarely have I read such superlatives about a young lieutenant, and then to have it endorsed by the battalion commander with some additional comments to kick it up a notch. But what makes it extraordinary is that I don't have 'the need to know,' whatever wonderful thing you accomplished, nor which medals you earned—that part of your record is sealed for five years."

He paused as if he expected me to answer.

"Yes, Sir," I replied.

He continued, "Just as a coincidence, Captain, when I was at the Point my roommate for the last two years was a fast mover—we all knew he would be first up the promotion ladder. I'm on the list for my first star and will get it in a year or two. He received his first star two months ago.

"He called me the other day for an informal chat and mentioned how a lowly company-grade officer made him look smarter than he really was. Of course, he didn't tell me anything I shouldn't know."

I remained silent.

"I assume your wife and child arrived safely?"

"Yes sir. They're at the visitor's quarters for now."

"I'm told she is going to have another child?"

I grinned briefly—it had to be the second night at the safe house— "Children, Sir. They told us to expect twins."

"Congratulations, Captain."

He paused and changed subjects, "We are the largest military base in South Korea and are roughly 40 miles south of Seoul. It's considered a hardship tour and it's an absolute rule that enlisted personnel and company-grade officers are not allowed to have their family with them for this duty.

"But then, you're not a normal case. Housing for you and your family might be a problem..."

"Begging the Colonel's pardon?" interrupted the Sergeant Major. His voice was gravelly, but reeked of self-confidence.

Not offended at all the Colonel turned and said, "Of course, please jump in, Sergeant Major."

The Colonel stared at the Sergeant Major, ignoring me as if I weren't in the room.

"Colonel, I received an informal phone call from a first sergeant that I know very well—we were grunts together. Of course he told me nothing that I shouldn't know.

"He seems to know the Captain and said that the Captain could watch out for himself, but called in a favor and asked me as a personal favor to make sure the Captain's wife and child were comfortable."

The Sergeant Major paused, and the Colonel said, "Please go on Sergeant Major.

"Sir, at the end of the field-grade officer's housing street there was the skeleton of a house. It's not on our inventory and the only designation is that the land is part of your command. I asked for volunteers to see if we could fix it up and was absolutely amazed that I had more volunteers than I needed. We've managed to make it a presentable place for the Captain and his family."

"And the materials and furniture for this volunteer effort?" asked the Colonel.

"You don't want to go down that road, Colonel."

The colonel grunted and continued, "We still have the problem of a company-grade officer living in a designated field-grade housing area."

"No, Sir. Yesterday the Colonel signed papers taking the new house into our inventory and stating that the house was the beginning of company-grade housing."

Not at all upset, the Colonel asked, "Didn't we have a talk a month ago that you had to stop forging my name, Sergeant Major?"

"I believe the words you used, Sir, were 'Don't go overboard on forging your name.' "

A sliver of a grin appeared and quickly disappeared on the Colonel's face. "And am I to assume that the Captain's house is nicer than mine?"

The Sergeant Major deadpanned, "Of course not, Sir...not quite."

The Colonel continued, "I suppose that someone should take the Captain's wife to their house."

The Sergeant Major replied, "The Captain's wife and daughter were taken to the hospital where she met the medical staff that will assist her during her pregnancy. A senior nurse 'volunteered' to take them to their house—they are there now.

"The Captain has an appointment at the hospital at 1300 so they can check out the bullet wound that, of course, we don't know anything about."

The one-act play appeared to be over. The Colonel and Sergeant Major had told me everything and "nothing" about the favors that had been done for Elke and me. I was overwhelmed with gratitude.

The Colonel turned to me as if I had just come into the room.

"Captain, Korea is a tough posting. The action is in Europe against the Russians, and that's where the promotions are, but we received our orders, and we'll carry them out. You may...no, probably will be...bored over the next two years, but you have your family, and the people serving with you here are your extended family. The Army is your family too, Captain. If you make the Army your career, you will learn how true that is. In either case, if you make the effort, with the right attitude, you will never forget this assignment."

------

The Colonel was wrong about the assignment being boring—Elke and I loved our new assignment, but for different reasons. Field-grade officers were allowed to have their families with them. Most of them chose not to because of their children's education and lack of conveniences in South Korea. A few of the older field-grade officers' wives did stay with their husbands. A new, very young wife of a company-grade officer who was shy, cute, and lost was an emotional appeal that these wives couldn't resist—they adopted Elke. They were determined to teach Elke what the role of an officer's wife should be.

Then we had Sophie—the only three-year-old on the base. Everyone fell in love with her; she could do no wrong whether it was the MP guards, or the wives of the field-grade officers. She would have been spoiled rotten if Elke hadn't played the "tough guy" when Sophie pushed the limit.

I loved my job. The Korean language came back to me quickly and I was fluent in reading and writing it within weeks. My new boss, Major Depner, was the perfect boss. He was a career officer and knew that, at the very most, he would make Lieutenant Colonel before his retirement. He was an academic, and intelligence is an exercise in logic and persistence.

He was very Socratic—any argument that I made, whether he agreed with it or not, was countered by his questions that challenged my assumptions. He constantly pushed me.

"Dave," he would say, "Most Army officers are action people. They don't want reason or logic; they want to blow the bugle and charge. Our job is to make sure that when they charge, there is a good reason for it.

"If we don't do our job, our people will die."

As opposed to Germany, we were overwhelmed with Signet intelligence—signal intercepts—and it was our job to interpret what they meant.

During my first month on the job I would go to Major Depner with an interpretation of an intercepted signal message. He would chuckle and say, "You interpret it as an American; pretend you're a Korean."

The job was fascinating and between my time with Elke and Sophie and my work, I couldn't wish for anything more.

Elke and I were in heaven. Sophie was an angel and Elke's pregnancy was an easy one so far. Our love was so strong we would have been happy if we were stationed on the moon.

During my second month on the job, I went to Major Depner several times and told him that the signals we were intercepting didn't make sense.

"When it makes sense, Captain, let me know."

At the end of the second month in Korea I went to Major Depner and said, "My intercepts tell me that there is only one conclusion that is logical."

We argued for hours and finally he picked up the phone and called the Colonel's aide.

"We want to brief the Colonel on what we think is happening."

The meeting was scheduled for Friday afternoon. Major Depner told me that I would give the briefing.

I was nervous that morning. "Elke, I'm talking to the Colonel and many senior officers—what if I'm wrong?"

"Dave," she said, "Your duty is to your country. You must say what you think. I don't care if they believe you or make fun of you; you must do your duty."

"And if I'm wrong."

"You are my world, Dave, wrong or right we are next to you."

That simple statement of faith gave me courage. I stood before twenty senior officers including the Colonel.

"Gentlemen," I began, "Signal intelligence tells us that the maintenance companies of two different armored brigades are within ten miles of the South Korean border. That only makes sense if their armor is there with them."

Lieutenant Colonel Wesley, who I had disagreed with in the past, immediately said, "Oh bullshit, Captain. They move their units around all the time. If you don't have anything else, we're wasting our time."

He really pissed me off. "Colonel Wesley, if that were the only thing to worry about, we wouldn't be here. The problem is that the actual armored brigades have stopped all communications. They could be anywhere. We have never lost signal communication with the armored brigades. It's different and worrisome."

He countered sarcastically, "Captain, you're a little young. I don't know where you were stationed before this, but you've been here less than two months. Korea is very different than other parts of the world, and you're telling us that everyone is wrong and you're right. Is this an ego problem?"

I tried to hold back, but the North Korean armor was supplied by the Russians and therefore I was completely comfortable talking about it. So not necessarily using a great deal of common sense I answered the Colonel.

"No, Sir. It's not an ego problem. The problem is that the North Koreans have between 150 and 200 Russian T34/85 tanks. These tanks were designed and built in the Kharkiv Tractor Factory in the Ukraine early in 1939. This model is almost obsolete compared to the newer models, but it is a superior tank—much better than the German Panzers and superior to anything the South Koreans have.

"Our current artillery ordnance is not powerful enough the stop these tanks, nor will our 75-mm recoilless rifle fired at 700 yards according to our tests in Germany. Bazookas fired at 15 yards into the rear of the tank, where we assume it is most vulnerable, does nothing. The few 105-mm howitzers that we have using HEAT ordnance is effective against the T34, but HE ordnance, which is our prevailing ordnance, bounces off the tank at 150 yards.

"Tank mines are effective against the T34, but there are none in country.

"A lucky strike might disable a single tank, but when attacking in force, 20 or 30 T34 tanks will walk through us all the way to Pusan.

"That's why we have to find out where they are."

We argued for two hours; a majority, but not all, of the officers in the room sided with Colonel Wesley that we were getting too excited over nothing. Finally, the Colonel called for the meeting to end.

"Captain, take your last shot."

I said, "Sir, something isn't right. Their armor should be close to their maintenance companies, but if they are, we can't locate them. They ceased signal communication, which leads to the conclusion that they don't want to be found. The situation is abnormal and we should aggressively investigate."

"Colonel Wesley?"

"The Captain has some interesting fantasies, but no evidence. It's bullshit."

The room was quiet. The Colonel asked, "Any other comments?"

Major Depner said, "Colonel, I wouldn't have asked for this meeting if I didn't agree with Captain Wheeler. The mission of intelligence is to investigate anomalies. We have one here."

"Anyone else?" the Colonel asked.

The Sergeant Major, who had remained silent through the entire meeting, said, "Sir, I respectfully suggest that we urgently forward a request to Headquarters that we find out where the fuck their armor is."

The Colonel looked sharply at the Sergeant Major and he glared back at him.

The room turned quiet. Finally, the Colonel turned to Major Depner and said, "On Monday morning I want a specific request in writing to the Command asking for resources to locate the North Korean armored brigades."

"Yes, Sir," replied the Major.

We walked out of the building together. Depner said, "Dave, you really stuck it to them, but I have to admit that they argued more out of ego than logic. We're probably both in the shits, but what the hell".

--------------------

Two days after the meeting with the Colonel, very early on Sunday morning, the 25th of June, the North Korean People's Army of 90,000 men and 150 T-34 tanks attacked a South Korean Army of 38,000 men.

Epilogue

There is a knock on my office door.

"Come in."

She enters the room quickly, stands at attention with her eyes looking six inches over my head, and salutes with her chest jutting out. I can see her nipples pointing through her light sweater—the little minx has obviously taken off her bra.

"Wife reporting to give family status report...SIR!"

"At ease, wife."

She gives me an impish grin as she quickly sits on my lap wiggling her taut, little butt into me that causes an instant erection.

She teasingly says with light sarcasm, "Thank you Brigadier General, Sir, for putting me at ease. Would you like the family report now?"

She is really teasing me now, since I only received my first star a month earlier.

"Yes, Elke."

"Sophie called. He's going to propose to her this weekend. She will accept, and they will have a big June wedding when he graduates from the Point."

"She's too young," I grunt.

"The same age when you married me, my General."

"Military life is tough on a family."

She teases, "I think we have a very nice life, my General."

I know I can't win, so I change the subject. "And the twins?"

"The General knows that Friday is date night. They are double dating tonight and are going to a movie with two very pretty girls. They will be home by midnight."

"Have you warned them to keep it in their pants?"

She leans into me so that her breasts are only inches from my mouth as she lightly kisses my forehead. I smell the special perfume that she knows drives me wild.

"A very smart general told me to never give an order that will be almost impossible to enforce. Rather he suggested heavy counseling."

"And?" I ask.

"They will do nothing stupid."

I am rapidly losing this little game as my tongue licks her nipples through her sweater.

"Is our tomboy home tonight?"

"No, General. She's at a slumber party with her three girlfriends.

"However, she did report a small skirmish today."

"Skirmish?"

"A junior teased her. He asked her name and when she said 'Virginia,' he said 'Virgin for short, but not for long.' "

"Did he touch her?"

"Actually, she told me that she executed a perfect side kick to the stomach and followed with a chop to the neck, but pulled it so that she wouldn't break his collarbone.

"She said that her execution was flawless, and that you would be proud that she followed her lessons exactly."

"Will she get in trouble with her school?"

"No, the high school boy is a junior and is too embarrassed to pursue anything; he has denied she took him down—he merely 'slipped' is his story."

"Should I talk to her?"

Elke answers by rubbing her breasts back and forth across my face, and then kisses me with her mouth open.

Finally the kiss is over and she stands up and pulls my hand to follow her.

"What now?"

She has a big grin on her face and lewdly winks as she says, "I think the general should take me to our bedroom and I really promise..."

"Promise? Promise what, Elke?"

"I won't hurry you."