“…but, Mom, if we go to war…”
Photo: NSArchives
Guess who is upset with the US for dropping a Very Large Bomb on the Afghan-Paki border in a spot where ISIS is known to hold its confabs? Why, none other than the former president of Afghanistan, Karzai himself. http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/17/former-afghan-president-massive-us-bomb-was-an-atrocity.html
He says the GBU-43 (Giant Bomb Until-exploded #43) MOAB is an atrocity. I think that’s really rich coming from him, don’t you? Isn’t he the whiner who talked the US into prying the Taliban out of Afghanistan when he couldn’t get it done? And didn’t he tolerate their bad behavior and their atrocities until they sent that country into the toilet? Or is my memory fading? Is Karzai bored since he left office? He seems to want attention rather badly. So is Karzai longing for a war now?
It’s been a while since the feeling that something big was going to happen hit me like a brick, but last Friday night, after running errands all afternoon so that I wouldn’t have to do it on Saturday, I went over to the restaurant on the highway to get some supper instead of cooking. There was a lot of stuff on the TVs hung over the food area, the usual chatter and some sports stuff and I paid no attention, because whatever is going to happen, is going to happen. Right?
Must have been liberty weekend or something. Some E-2 sailor wearing crackerjacks was sitting in a booth with his girlfriend, talking on the phone with his mother. Or talking to the phone, because you could hear Mom, too. I had eyes and ears on the news. The chatter from the sailor’s phone con, while distracting from the news, wasn’t enough to grab my attention until that noise changed to “but, Mom, if we go to war….”
Oh, shit.
For those of you too young to remember, the USS Pueblo was off the coast of North Korea, supposed to be in international waters, when she was hijacked by the Norks under Kim Il-Sung (Grandpa Kim) on January 23, 1968. I was sorting prints in the print finishing room at NAVPHOTOCEN, Anacostia, which has been replaced by some other building. A PH1 came out of the Chief’s office to let us know what had happened. He said it was ‘an act of war’, which meant we’d be in it for the duration. Yes, there was that sinking feeling that came and went. What did it really mean? LBJ did consider using nukes over that.
A bare seven days later in the wee hours of the morning on January 30, 1968, Uncle Ho launched his attack on every ville, city, and military base in South Vietnam. The Tet Offensive lasted until September that year. I didn’t have a TV or radio at my apartment, and a lot of other things were going on stateside that accompanied the uptick in warfare in Vietnam, and all the discord that went with it. I tried to keep up with it all, based on the chatter at work.
The Norks still have the Pueblo, as a museum. We need to bomb that sucker into oblivion, first thing. Take away their ‘glory’. Coordinate something with the Chinese, because this isn’t Norkiland’s 1952 when the Chinese were supporting them. The Chinese want foreign trade. We’re one of their biggest customers.
You could put a real conspiracy theory novel together over collusion between Kim Il-Sung and Ho Chi Minh, if you took the time to do it. It would probably be more accurate and more entertaining that Ollie Stone’s conspiracy theory twaddle. Was the hijacking of the Pueblo an attempt to start World War III or maybe revive the Korean War? And let’s not forget the (not Norks’ – my bad!) Soviets’ shooting down Korean Airlines Flight 007 in September 1983, because the pilots strayed slightly off course.
So, Mom, Dad, I don’t think we will go to war. Trump is not Lyndon Johnson, not by a long shot.
But if we do go to war, I hope it’s quickly over. I hope our losses are minimal. And I hope your kids come home intact.
Category: North Korea, War Stories
Its all quiet here on the 38th currently. For those of you wondering.
And we pray it stays so. But keep your gun clean.
I’m the Troop Armorer, so if mine isn’t ready to go, I can’t really expect my guys to have theirs ready.
Plus my assigned weapon is a damned gorgeous 1969 M1200 Winchester Trench Gun. We aren’t even supposed to have them anymore, which is why it’s mine lol.
LOL!
you lucky dog! keep your head down, prayers to all of you over there!
M1200 Winchester trench gun
Freedom boner!
I google the M1200 Winchester trench gun. Never seen one. It looks like a shotgun. What’s the range on it? 25m, if that?
I don’t see any tactical value in it, compared to an M4. Short range, limited ammo hold, and no precision for shooting in close quarters.
Not trying to be asshole or anything, but how come you are the armorer if you are a 19D? Are you on profile or something? What are your PULHES?
It is a shotgun. Specifically one that can mount a bayonet and was designed for trench warfare and CQB.
I am the Armorer because A) I’m very good at it, B) I have 5 herniated disks and my left leg is more titanium than bone at this point, C) Combat Arms units almost always have one of our own as an Armorer, D) I am very very good at my job.
PULHES 112111
Damn. I love straight answers.
I hope you get better and eventually return to duty. I would go crazy doing armorer work. And then, if the bullets start flying, the armorer never gets to go out chasing bad guys.
I missed a few firefights my old unit was in while I was on R&R leave, and it stills bother me a decade later.
Stay cool and sharp, and don’t let your injuries lower your morale.
Well, I wish your “B)” were not true.
I’m glad the boys have a good Armorer, though.
AMEN! On both counts.
Absolutely hope it stays quiet, Smitty!
Thanks for all the prayers, but you should probably direct them towards the NorK Soldiers across the way. With the Quarter Cav sitting here backed by a Fires Brigade, they might as well turn the Vinson and her escorts around.
HOOORAH!
Smitty, the lefty media tries to make it sound like the Norks have an overwhelming advantage in artillery and armor that will simply overwhelm any initial resistance south of the DMZ.
What say you to that?
BTW, Drudge is reporting two more carrier groups are headed your way, the Ronald Reagan and the Nimitz. Looks like some real Shock and Awe may be in store for the Norks.
They do technically have us far outgunned. However, most of it is outdated and if their shelling of the ROK island a few years back is any indication, a good chunk of their rounds are duds.
That being said, while they have more, we have Paladins and MLRS batteries at our disposal. IE, level a grid square, displace, level another grid square, repeat, ad nauseum.
Assuming we survive their first barrage, we can make them hurt much worse than they can hurt us.
Unless they decide to make us glow in the dark.
And I’m hoping our missile defense system can keep you all clean and clear on that count.
All I can say is well said. My son is a Reserve 8404 Corpsman…I told him a few weeks ago to get a fresh haircut, and make sure he has a full Seabag.
I’m honestly not thinking that my NG Airborne son will not be deploying any time soon.
Things will need to get a little ‘warmer’ before then, I’m guessing.
I have been wrong before, though. Once, I think.
As much as I hate to say it, LBJ(D) did not have the spine I expect every real Texan to have.
The Pueblo incident should never have happened, and the norks should never have been allowed to get away with it.
Roger Frickin’ THAT!!!
No doubt! one of those B-52’s out of Guam, on the way to Vietnam should have taken a slight detour that day..
Amen.
If memory serves it ties in with the spying Johnnie “red” Walker was doing for the Soviets at the time. He gave them the tech manuals on the crypto gear and the master code list for the month. The Sov’s wanted one in hand to start spying on all Naval traffic so got Uncle Kim to take the USS Pueblo in international waters and gave them coal, ammo and some other red goodies as an atta boy.
Okay, so the plot of the story is this:
Kruschchev and Grandpa Kim and Uncle Ho all get together and agree to distract the silly American president, who was busy buying glory with moon shots and astronauts, and take the Pueblo captive, take the crew prisoners, and get the code books. Meantime, Uncle Ho’s NVA is prepping the peasant guerrillas to launch ballistics and take up even more of his attention.
So Lyndon Johnson should be played by Ollie Stone (perfect fit!). Krushchev gets the full foreign actor treatment. The roles of Uncle Ho and Grandpa Kim are taken by boat people descendants and the whole thing is set in a poorly-lit Michelin 3-star restaurant in Paris, early in 1966 or 1967.
Walker did damage to us that, supposedly we are still ferreting out. He also was responsible for our agents’ deaths. Why did he do it? Ideology? Hard on for the US? Nope. Money. And he lived well beyond his known salary for nearly two decades (16 years ?). Nothing suspicious there, eh? It is thought he did more damage to our security than any spy in history. He’s dead. That’s the good part of this story. Oh, and he died in prison, somewhere in NC. I hope it was in the summer and the facility had no AC. Money. He did it for money. Not only was he a lowlife scumbag, but he recruited others, including FAMILY MEMBERS to spy for him. He was the poster child for a rope.
Among the info he gave them was detailed notes on exactly where and when the USS Scorpion would be coming home from Rota. 99 American Sailors dead…
Apparently there’s rumors suggesting that Scorpion got a shot or two in before she went down. Hope she made the Godless commie bastards pay for it.
“The Chinese want foreign trade. We’re one of their biggest customers.” Anyone want to guess who Japan’s biggest trading partner was in 1940?
Switzerland? No? Uh…oh! Mexico, right? No? Oh, nuts! I give up.
Couldn’t have been…. could it?
“…And let’s not forget the Norks’ shooting down Korean Airlines Flight 007 in September 1983, because the pilots strayed slightly off course.”
If I remember correctly, wasn’t it the Ivans (Russkies) that shot KAL Flight 007 down?
FUCK Karzai in every painful way imaginable, I’m sure he’s just hustling for money now that he’s not in the place of power he used to be in where he could funnel whatever money he wanted wherever he wanted and he’s probably blown a huge chunk of his stash partying in luxury.
My memory is sometimes faulty, too, API. May have been the Soviets.
It was. As a Russian linguist in northern Japan, that event ruled my life for quite a few months.
Was a 747 shot down by a Russian SU-15. The Russian pilot mistook the 747 (only the world’s most distinctive passenger jet silhouette) for a spy plane.
Still a little spooky to fly from Sea-Tac to Taipei and realize that you are looking at the Kamchatka Peninsula where it happened – impossible not to scan the sky for extraneous airframes as you fly by.
Actually, the shootdown happened near Sakhalin Island, on the other side of the Sea of Okhotsk from Kamchatka. The flight did deviate at Kamchatka and its track melded with a recce plane that was in the area.
Also, the shootdown was in the middle of the night and the Flagon pilot could only see the running lights.
The ironic thing is that commercial air flies that route today routinely.
I fixed it!
Karzai is like the exiled prince who’s a spoiled little bitch, except he doesn’t have the family fortune to maintain such a lifestyle.
Either steal the Pueblo back, or blow her the fuck up with enough ordnance to make sure she’s reduced to *tiny* pieces. Then drop leaflets over Pyongyang with the following message: “Fuck you, fat boy.”
Should’ve been done long ago.
I’m honestly surprised the Navy hasn’t sent a Team in to do just that…real Frogman shit.
I don’t think it can move on its own any more, Atkron. And besides, stealing it would be less spectacular than just blowing to bits with a splatter pattern of fiery debris landing everywhere.
PH: In your otherwise excellent article you state, “There was a lot of stuff on the TVs hung over the food area, the usual chatter and some sports stuff and I paid no attention, because whatever is going to happen, is going to happen. Right?”
Oh, PH, and I thought we were so compatible, so ready to take the next step, and here you are minimizing the importance of sports. Doing so is acceptable with hockey and soccer, but most other sports and sporting events are to be held in the highest esteem and their importance never trivialized.
I’m sorry, PH, but this is the end of the road for us. It’s been a great time and I will forever cherish our times together, but I simply cannot be with someone who in any way trivializes sports, except of course soccer and hockey. Oh, and swimming. And horse racing. And tennis. And curling. And golf. And archery. Well, archery is OK, as is track and field. Synchronized swimming is out, as is water polo. Anything to do with water is out. That leaves football, rugby, all types of softball/baseball and a few others. You could have redeemed yourself simply by stating that college football was sacred. But, no, you lumped all sports into the discard pile.
Goodbye, PH, thanks for the memories. I’m sorry, but I’m sure you understand.
/s
Well, yeah, but she can cook! Nobody’s perfect! Ya gotta take the bad with the good!
Get me a grill. I can cook anything, including food on a stick.
Chief, it’s been swell… but I did say ‘sports stuff’, not ‘sport of whatever game’. Might have been golf, too.
I don’t pay attention unless it’s men in tight pants bumping into each other, or man in boxers kicking a ball and slamming into each other. Rugby’s nice, especially when they get into a scrum.
Ciao bella!
I love it when you talk foreign to me, but can’t locate the above. Can you translate?
Which part, Chief? Ciao bella? It’s Italiano for ‘see you later’.
actually its either hello/goodbye beautiful
“There are three sports that try a man, bullfighting, motor racing, mountain climbing. All the rest are recreations.”
Ken Purdy
(mistakenly attributed to Ernest Hemingway)
Yep. Climbing will definitely get your juices flowing … most notably with “sewing machine legs.”
On a serious note, China is, IMO, simply fed up with that fatso, Kim Da Cheese Monger and his pitiful country. Weighing heaving on China, though, is the knowledge that tremendous numbers of NK will swarm their borders in the event of an outbreak of hostilities. I do believe China, Russia and the US will come to an agreement and take action short of military hostilities. China already is putting the screws to fatso economically regarding coal. It would not take much or much time to cripple NK and drive them to the bargaining table, where they will swear their nuclear program is only for defense, they have no nuclear program at all and they will never do it again. A deal is struck and, presto, a few months later lardass is back to his tricks. I’m not sure anything short of an overthrow of his leadership and/or military intervention will make a lasting change in the country. When he goes, NK and SK will reunite, IMO. That is something China will appreciate, as it keeps the refugees our of China. IMO
I dunno, the Kim Dynasty has lasted through three generations of batshit-crazy man-child lardasses with no end in sight. I’m thinking that when he goes, his hot sister* takes over. That could result in real problems, as she’s reportedly a lot smarter than he is.
* Provided NDtBF hasn’t stuck her in front of a ZSU, given that she’s been out of sight for a while.
She’s in IDC SARC’s basement playroom.
Last week, the Chinese Army moved 150,000 troops to the NK/China border, mostly made up of medical people and some just military. On Friday, they sent another 25,000 to join the first group, which is why I think they’re expecting something to happen, and also the reason my ears pricked up when I heard that sailor say ‘but, Mom….’
“…China already is putting the screws to fatso economically regarding coal.”
Not just that, they’ve let Kim-Cheese know in NO uncertain terms that further shenanigans will result in China pinching off their supplies of oil to Norkiland.
And the Norks have zero internal production of oil and natural gas–zero. Every petro BTU has to be imported.
Taking the Norks to the Stone Age would be an improvement.
I wouldn’t want to be a light bulb salesman in North Korea, that’s for sure.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/02/140226-north-korea-satellite-photos-darkness-energy/
O/T: I’d like to remember my squadron mates who died on 15 April 1969 over the Sea of Japan. Shot down by a North Korean fighter.
They were in an EC-121, PR-21. BUNO 135749.
I didn’t fly with VQ-1 until the 1990s, but I’ve served with guys who were in the squadron then. They still tear up to this day thinking about their shipmates whose lives were cut so short so soon.
Here’s a link to a story about the shootdown:
https://stationhypo.com/2017/04/15/remembering-the-crew-of-ec-121-beggar-shadow/
Rest in peace, shipmates.
Prayers up, MC.
It’s a dangerous and nasty job we do sometimes, even in so-called peacetime.
I hope they fry the little fat fuck! The grease fire alone would light up the night sky for a week!
Here’s hoping Kim-Cheese goes on an eating binge and croaks in his sleep. YES, he deserves much worse than that, but as I see it, that would create a huge power vacuum that could make North Korea implode. Think about it, their whole system revolves around the Kim Family bloodline and the worship of it, cut off the head of the proverbial snake and…
This is the kind of guy who would nuke Seoul and Tokyo if he knew he were going to lose power. I’d like to avoid that if it all possible.
He’s killed millions of his own people but hasn’t messed with the rest of the world much.
We never do thank Wild Bill enough for giving him the bomb. It’s the gift of instability that keeps on giving.