SOLDIERS AND MARINES: Military Fiction: Action packed first novel of a five-book saga about warfare and combat in the Korean War and then Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq, Afghanistan and wars yet to come by Archer Martin

Author:Archer, Martin [Archer, Martin]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2014-11-14T08:00:00+00:00

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I’ve been coming the ten miles or so through the mountains to the roadblock a couple of times a day for almost a week. This time I’ll stay until the Chinese arrive. Then we’ll begin a fighting retreat back down the road to 817 and the crossroads on either side of the Han River bridge. As I pull in to the roadblock I can see a line of trucks and vehicles and walking men and refugees on the road to the north as far as the eye can see. What a fuck up.

Distraught Korean refugees with blank faces are pouring into the roadblock carrying, pushing, and pulling what few possession they can. The few Korean vehicles that come in are crammed full with people and belongings stacked to the breaking point on their roofs and hoods. They get gas too. The refugees get a paper cup of hot tea, a paper bag full of rice balls that Captain Kim’s men prepared, and a ride to the triage camp on the other side of the Han.

Our roadblock consists of a couple of Shermans on each side of the road where the retreating troops can see them and know they’ve reached safety. Relatively speaking of course. Each of the Shermans has at least one Pork positioned behind it to keep the enemy infantry from getting too close with their bazookas or whatever they call them.

The Porks are jerry-rigged quad 50s mounted on the backs of our deuce and a halfs and three quarter ton trucks. Tanks are surprisingly vulnerable to infantry with handheld anti-tank weapons – but not when the tanks and the areas around them are periodically hosed off by the 50s on the Porks. At least that’s the plan.

There is also a new sign I haven’t seen before - “Welcome to Checkpoint Roberts – gas, hot food, and post cards courtesy of Task Force 817.”

Christ, Talley and Evans will be pissed if they hear about that. But it gives me a pleasant buzz when I see it. I’m obviously not thinking straight.

The disorganized arriving troops who walk in are inevitably cold and absolutely exhausted. They are routed straight into warm mess tents set up right next to the road - and instantly given a cup of hot coffee, a couple of hot egg sandwiches, and a big handful of Tootsie Rolls to stuff in their pockets.

As they are being handed their food and coffee each guy is asked about his unit and qualifications. The healthy sounding walkers who are Marines and army heavy weapons guys are told to go out the back of the tent and board the waiting trucks which will take them to a hot meal and a warm place to get a good night’s sleep, long johns, and clean socks. Everyone else is told to walk over to the adjacent gas stop and get on one of the trucks that will take him on to the crossroads and over the river to Spelling’s triage camp.

Arriving trucks and

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