“It is most reasonable Colonel, and a car and driver you shall have.” The colonel motioned to a soldier standing by, uttered something in Korean, and then turned to Matthews. “If you will accompany this soldier, he will see that you are immediately assigned a car and driver.”
Matthews saluted, “I thank you, Colonel. I hope it will be of benefit.”
Matthews studied the hematoxylin stained tissues Major Bradley, U.S. Army Veterinary Corps, had submitted to the Koreans as well as those the Korean Department of Agriculture collected. The tissues revealed identical pathology in all cases. He observed the species related differences between human, porcine, bovine, and caprine tissues. It dawned upon him that veterinary medicine just might surpass human medicine in its breadth and depth of knowledge. In spite of the tissue differences, however, the reactions to the infection were essentially the same. After two hours of reviewing the tissues, he decided that the agent was a zoonoses, a disease agent common to both animals and man. He thanked his Korean hosts, bowed at the waist, and left. En route to the former American compound at Yong San Dong, Yong San Ku, Seoul, Matthews decided to discuss his observations with Timmons over supper.
Chapter 10
At 03:30 the next day, from bases all along southern North Korea, six squadrons of North Korean Mig 29s, a Soviet made first line aircraft very similar to the American F-16 Fighting Falcon, and equipped with look-down shoot-down radar and missile systems, rolled out of revetments along highways that doubled as runways and took off. They rendezvoused with six squadrons of Sukhoi Su-27s, the Soviet equivalent of the USAF F15 air superiority fighter, and three squadrons of Mig -31s. Their mission was to provide air cover for the squadrons of ground attack aircraft, the Mig -27 Flogger Ds, the FC-1Dragons and Sukhoi-24D Fencers, whose mission it was to destroy the South Korean Air Force on the ground. They flew at treetop level across the DMZ. Osan Air Base and Seoul International Airport were among the first targets destroyed. It was seven air seconds from North Korea to Seoul.
Some of the South Korean F-16s from the more northern bases made it into the air and made a worthy showing for themselves. In the end, however, they were overwhelmed by sheer numbers. They did buy time for their colleagues from more southern bases to get into the fight, though. The South Korean aviators accounted themselves well. They were better trained and far exceeded their northern brethren in aerial combat. The cost, however, was tremendous, as North Korea had amassed a larger air force than anyone realized. The look-down shoot-down radar systems and the newer Mig 31s were responsible for most of the South Korean losses. The Mig 31s were purchased from Russia in spite of denials by the Russians that they were selling modern weapons to countries such as North Korea. The North Koreans controlled their aircraft from the ground, vectoring them into the foray in the classic Soviet style. The South Koreans flew in sections of two aircraft, often attacking as many as six of their opponents at once.
At 03:35, a distant rumbling, like thunder, suddenly reverberated over the horizon. The ground along the DMZ seemed to be vibrating. Seismic sensors went off all along the DMZ. At 03:45, battalion after battalion of T-64, T-72 and T-80 Soviet model tanks poured out of the tunnels starting on the northern side of the DMZ. The T80s had British style Chobham armor which made them resistant to direct hits from most anti-tank weapons. A rolling artillery barrage from Soviet made 122 mm howitzers pounded the terrain 500 meters ahead of the tanks. Soviet style armored personnel carriers, BTRs and BTMs, were mixed among the tanks.
Satellite infra-red imagery at 05:00 showed a massive assault launched down the Imjin River valley. Smaller thrusts occurred farther to the east, all along the Korean peninsula. Light infantry in trucks moved south along the Pukhan River, and the road from Panmunjom was bumper to bumper with tanks, armored personnel carriers and supply trains. A major thrust from Kosong moved along the eastern coastline. The objective of this thrust was to occupy the road that led to Pusan and ultimately capture that port city. The South Koreans moved quickly. The roadblocks, consisting of massive stone carvings piled lengthwise along the shoulders of the highways in the northern part of the country, were dynamited, allowing the huge carved octagonal and squared cylinders four feet in diameter to roll onto the highways, blocking them for the onslaught of armored vehicles. All of the highways of Jinsang Ri, especially Route 324 paralleling the Imjin River, were bumper to bumper with North Korean combat vehicles. Hastily constructed bridges were thrown across the Imjin River near Yachon to tie into the South Korean road net at a loop of the river. Another Bailey type bridge was hastily constructed at Baembal Ri, and a third at the old Ferry site at Jingpa Ri. Armored vehicles spread out on both sides of the Imjin.
Route 3 is the major north-south hard surface highway, connecting Seoul with the DMZ. Highway 3 is west of Highway 325, running through Tongduchon. Highways 349 and 368 are parallel hard surfaced highways west of Highway 3. Farther east, Highway 43 divides at Unch-on, where a spur turns west to link with Highway 325. Highway 43 continues south where it intersects Highways 327 and 322. The North Korean 2nd Armored Division poured south out of Idong Myon. The Taebak Mountains caused the North Koreans to split their forces into two massive movements, similar to that of General McArthur in the summer of 1950 after the successful landing at Inchon.
The South Koreans blew the bridges on Highway 322 across the Imjin River just north of Mapo-ri and between Jensang-Ri on the east and Mudeung Ri on the west. Slightly to the east, an armored brigade poured down Highway 3 from Sinmang Ri. The city of Jeon-gog was overrun by the second hour, and the city of Tongduchon came under immediate attack while follow-on forces bypassed it en route to Seoul.
The telephone lines were overwhelmed as the call went out for all South Korean men and women in the reserves to report to their martialling areas. All South Korean women and girls were trained in first aid and nursing through high school to at least the level of the American licensed practical nurse. All able-bodied South Korean males studied Tae Kwon Do and military tactics while within the educational system. Any Korean male who could not achieve at least the brown belt level was considered a disgrace. All received basic training in infantry tactics and weapons as part of their normal high school curriculum. The biggest difference between the South Korean soldier and the North Korean soldier was one of hate. The North Korean was raised on a diet of hatred for Americans and for their South Korean brothers. “South Koreans are the running dogs of the Americans” was the slogan they had known from cradle to grave. Their cruelty and disregard for human life was unmatched since the Japanese cruelty of World War II. Much of that Japanese cruelty was inflicted upon Koreans. It was kept alive by tales from the grandparents of what they had suffered and observed as children. They had not forgotten.
Many of the civilians not involved in the defense immediately took to the roads, evacuating the northern cities and towns. Within hours, the highways out of Seoul became utterly clogged with civilian traffic. Those who did not have vehicles moved on foot, carrying what luggage they could. Tremendous traffic jams occurred, hampering South Korean units attempting to move north along the same highways. Traffic slowed to a snail’s pace, even those in vehicles couldn’t move faster because of the pedestrians. In frustration, one South Korean tank company commander even ordered his tanks forward to plow through the civilians blocking the road. Another company commander of mechanized infantry ordered his lead M-113 armored personnel carrier to clear the road by machine gun fire into the civilians. Under such circumstances, people fled to the surrounding fields or to the shoulder of the road as quickly as they realized they were being fired upon.
South Korean artillery from the former American bases such as Camp Casey and Red Cloud opened up with pre-registered fires. Air-fuel bomblets from tube artillery rained on the North Korean armored columns. Within minutes, the lead elements of the North Korean columns were in flames. Highly flammable fuels from the bomblets were immediately vaporized and then ignited. The result was a flashing explosion and searing heat, reaching 5000 degrees Fahrenheit. The ammunition and fuel within vehicles were immediately ignited and the crews incinerated. They never felt a thing. North Koreans responded with counter battery fire, and Soviet made Sukhoi-25 ground attack aircraft, NATO code named Frogfoot, zeroed in to destroy the firing batteries. South Korean soldiers with Stinger missiles guarded the artillery batteries and took their toll of the Sukhoi 25s. Many of the Sukhoi 25s took a missile hit in one of their external engines and went limping back to North Korea in flames. Others went down in flames.
Mobile surface to air missiles hidden in camouflaged revetments targeted the Migs as they flew across the DMZ, and everywhere there were no friendly aircraft in the skies north of Seoul.
North Korean armored columns poured down Highway 3 and into Tonguchon along the Imjin Gong (river), the classic invasion route to Seoul. Other columns poured down parallel Highways 325 out of Ch-orwon, down Highway 43 out of Kalmal, down Highways 374 and 368, and down through Idong Myon. Bridges were hastily thrown over the Injin Gong near Yach On to tie into South Korea’s road net at a loop in the Imjin north of Tongduchong. Follow-on forces poured across the bridges thrown across at Baembal Ri, and at the ferry at Jingpa Ri. Columns moved south on both sides of the Imjin. On each serviceable road, North Korean tanks, armored personnel carriers and self-propelled artillery moved, stopping only when under intense fire. Sights fell off of some of the North Korean artillery pieces when they fired. Others failed to register accurate fires. Still others simply broke down. These were pushed off the road and abandoned.
North Korean battalions linked up across east to west Highways 322, 349 and 37. Thus, they isolated whole sections of northern South Korea. In these sections, small South Korean units, platoons and companies, and even as individual soldiers, fought and fought well. Many died, but they bled the enemy with small arms and man portable weapons. They put mortar fire and Light Anti-tank Weapons (LAW) against the infantry fighting vehicles, and rifle fire with their excellent Dae Woo rifles against individual enemy soldiers. They knew history well. In the Korean War of the 1950s, North Koreans slaughtered entire villages of men, women and children, whom they suspected of being sympathetic with South Korean government. Many died of excruciating torture. The South Koreans knew it would be the same this time. Only this time, they were better prepared. They were armed, trained, and ready, knowing that it would be weeks, if ever, before American or United Nations’ help could arrive. They knew they had to hold, as there was no other option. To other South Koreans, the attack was a horrifying shock. Many felt that there was no necessity for a treaty with the United States to return in case of an attack. In disbelief, they cringed with the realization that their northern relatives were attacking and would destroy much of their country in an effort to unite the peninsula under a totalitarian government.
For the last several years, Kim, Jong-un now in his 50’s, had played a dangerous game of political advance and retreat, each time seemingly becoming a little less belligerent and a little more reasonable. At each conference, with each proclamation, Kim, Jong-un seemed to offer opening the door of North Korea a millimeter wider to the outside world. Yet real improvements in transparency and relationships never materialized. Weapons systems such as aircraft, tanks, armored personnel carriers, and artillery, and Russian 122 mm howitzers were purchased from Russian enterprises, owned by organized crime, and shipped disassembled as machinery parts for assembly in underground factories inside North Korea. It was a tremendous source of exports for Russia.
Physicians Matthews and Timmons heard distant explosions but didn’t realize their nature. When a two-hundred-kilogram bomb landed on the building that housed the former United Nations command on the Yongsang Dong compound, they were shaken out of their beds. They dressed as hurriedly as they could. Matthews, being short sighted, had brought only Class A and Class B uniforms, which were the formal and daily office dress uniforms. He packed no battle dress uniforms. Timmons was exclusively a civilian. A product of suburban Maryland, Timmons was a member of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party. The thought of developing any type of outdoor survival skills was anathema to him. He particularly loathed firearms and the right for civilians to own them.
“It seems your veterinarian was right, Mark,” remarked Matthews as he pulled on his pants. “I hope to hell he isn’t up there on the DMZ.”
“Well, if he is, he is probably toast by now, literally,” responded Timmons. Neither said anything more as they moved out the door. At that moment, cannon fire from a Frogfoot raked their building.
At the same moment, Major Robert Bradley was in a Korean inn in the town of Hwach’on, on the road north of Ch’unch’on. He and his Korean guards were pulling on their camouflage Battle Dress Uniforms, known colloquially as BDUs, as fast as they could. “We have to get the hell out of here,” yelled Bradley, over the noise of the North Korean aircraft. “I think we should head south toward Ch’unch’on. What do you gentlemen think?”
The Korean captain shouted, “I think you are right on both counts, Major. We need to get the hell out of here, and we need to head south. This road was extended into North Korea in the 1990s under the sunshine program. North Korean armor is probably already moving south on it. We couldn’t be more than a few kilometers ahead of it.” The Korean sergeant vigorously shook his head yes. With that, they all dashed out to their camouflaged painted Chevy Blazer. The sergeant drove, the Captain rode shotgun, and Bradley sat in the back seat. He reached behind him and pulled three MREs from the open case. One was beef ravioli, one was chicken tetrazzini and the third vegetarian bean and burrito. He kept the beef ravioli and handed the other two to the captain. The captain looked at the labels and put the vegetarian bean and burrito between the sergeant’s legs as he drove. The sergeant glanced down just long enough to read the label. “Thank you, Sir,” was the sergeant’s response. Civilian traffic was already moving south along the road.
At 04:00, a phone call went to the White House. “Mr. President, Mr. President!” The aide’s hand shook the President from a fitful slumber. He opened his eyes to the dim light, looking into the face of his aide. “Mr. President, North Korea has attacked South Korea. They are attacking in force at several points across the DMZ.”
“Oh God!” was the only comment heard from the First Lady at the President’s side.
“Put all American forces on full alert. Alert all reserve and guard units as well as active forces. I want breakfast in twenty minutes, a meeting with the National Command Authority in one hour, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to join us in two hours.” The President liked breakfast. He felt that he could function better on a full stomach and a clear mind. He showered quickly, dressed in slacks and dress shirt, put on a necktie, and sat down in his private quarters to a breakfast of bacon and eggs, toast, jam, orange juice, milk and coffee.
At 60, Jason Thornton was still slim and trim. He worked out in the White House gym and swimming pool on a daily basis, even taking Tong Soo Do lessons twice a week, sometimes more. He was the first Republican president after eight years of Democratic Party administration, during which the Democrats controlled both the houses of Congress. One of the planks in his platforms was to restore some military capability. While never having served in the armed forces, not even in the reserves, he read history as a hobby. One of three children, he had an older brother and a younger sister. He was raised in the Presbyterian Church and on the two hundred acre family farm where they grew corn, sorghum, alfalfa for hay, raised hogs and fed out about thirty head of steers each year. His older brother was the real farmer in the family. His parents wanted him to be a veterinarian, but his sister turned out to pursue that profession. In fact, after graduating with her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State University, she did an internship followed by a residency in equine medicine. She made quite a name for herself as an equine practitioner.
Jason had earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science at Iowa University and an L.L.B. at the same institution. After graduation, he served as a junior partner in a law firm in Davenport, Iowa for four years. After not being offered a full partnership, he moved to a small town in Iowa and started his own general practice. After two years, he was elected county attorney. After four years of county attorney, he was elected circuit court judge. Following this, he was appointed as a federal district judge. Being dismayed with the irresponsible legislation which he was bound to follow, he decided to do something to change it. Then he was elected to the House of Representatives. After four terms, he ran for the U.S. Senate. He was elected for two terms, which was his springboard for the presidency.
Now, in his first six months of office, his worst fear had come true. He was being put to the most severe test of all - whether or not to commit U.S. forces to battle on the Asian mainland and lead the country into war. From reading history, he saw parallels between the United States and the Roman Empire in the first century, in Great Britain after World War I, and the failure of the United States to prepare for world leadership after World War II. He recognized the consequences of these failures of World War II by the British failure to assume leadership, the United States failing between World War II and the Korean War, and the failure to maintain that leadership after the demise of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.
The South Korean reserve battalions were tertiary targets for the Sukhoi 25s. Their higher priorities went to air bases, anti-aircraft and artillery assets, radar sites, communications nodes, and the headquarters units of active forces of regiments and divisions. Those reserve units which had so far escaped targeting were essentially formed by 08:00 and had drawn their weapons. By this time, the second wave of North Korean aircraft were making themselves felt. They attacked the South Korean convoys headed north as targets of opportunity.
Inchon was taken within the first 96 hours after heavy house to house fighting. North Korea mounted a division-sized amphibious operation, landing north of Inchon and cutting off that approach to the city. On the second day, a second division was landed as reinforcements, and on the fifth day, a third division to begin encirclement of the city. North Korea was not about to let a repeat of McArthur’s famous landing in 1950, notwithstanding that the United States had neither the forces nor the will to do so. Rocket propelled grenades, RPGs, of the North Koreans, and Light Anti-Tank, or LAW, handheld missiles of the South Koreans took a terrible toll on their respective enemies. The South Koreans used their LAWs on the North Korean vehicles, especially the armored personnel carriers, like snipers. They fired from buildings, from behind bushes and trees and walls, any place there was cover. When the North Korean infantry dismounted from their vehicles, they were met with a fusillade of semi-automatic rifle fire from the South Koreans Dae-Woo rifles and grenade launchers. Neither side held their fire when civilians were caught in the crossfires.
The roads leading from Uijongbu and Kaesong into Seoul became so clogged with burning North Korean vehicles that they became a formidable roadblock themselves. Pushing them off the road slowed the North Korean advance. North Korean commanders from the company level up, frustrated by the fierceness of the resistance and the resultant slow progress towards Seoul, berated their troops to move even faster. The North Korean soldiers who reached the edge of Seoul after forty-eight hours of heavy fighting, were awed by how modern the city was, by the shops, the material goods, and the apparent health and wealth of the civilian population. While as soldiers, they were well-fed, they knew full well that their own civilian population was again on the brink of mass starvation. The more intelligent and educated among them were troubled by their observations. This was particularly true of the company grade officers. They said nothing, however, of their observations to their enlisted personnel. Some of the enlisted men began to loot. The more fanatical of their officers shot those they caught looting. Other officers beat, slapped, whipped and kicked their troops back into the battle.
Chapter 11
The Secretaries of State, Defense (SECDEF), and Homeland Security, the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI), the Director of the FBI, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the National Security Advisor, the President and the Vice President compose the National Command Authority. Except for the Secretary of Defense, who was fishing in Wyoming and the Secretary for Homeland Security, they were all waiting as the President walked in. The Assistant Secretary of Defense represented him.
“Ladies and gentlemen, who has not had breakfast?” Somewhat surprised by what they viewed as slightly irreverent by the President at the moment, they all raised their hands. The President turned to his aide, “Johnny, call the kitchen, have them send up some bacon and eggs and ham, pancakes, toast, juice, coffee and milk and all the fixings for our guests, ASAP.” John Withers nodded and walked to a phone in the next room to place the order.
“Folks, if you are not aware of it, North Korea attacked South Korea at 03:30 this morning. I’ve ordered a helicopter to pick up the SECDEF in Wyoming. He’ll fly by jet out of Casper. He should be here by this afternoon. In the meantime, we will proceed without him. Ed, can you give us a brief update of what happened and current status?”
Ed McCluskey, the Director of Central Intelligence, said, “We have limited information at this point. We know that the North led the attack with several massive waves of aircraft, while armored units attacked along several axes. Intermediate objectives have been identified as Inchon, Seoul, and Pusan as a final one. Our satellites picked up these waves as they took off and headed south. Intense fighting is going on all along the peninsula. The South Koreans have initially given a good account of themselves. The question remains: is this an all-out push or an attack of limited objectives? None of our intelligence indicates that this is anything but an all-out attack to unite the peninsula under domination by the north.
