The Patriot (28 page)

Thirty minutes later the officers were escorted back and reported they have a total of twenty one thousand men. Goldie asked the general, do you have enough trucks available in Canada to transport your men back to Canada and was told he did not. Then you will have to walk once you are permitted to leave here. But first there is work to do. Tim, have your units take one company of the prisoners, march them back to the original battle lines then start a sweep of the area back from there. Let the prisoners locate and carry their dead comrades back to this location. Have your men stack all enemy weapons found where they can be retrieved later. James have your units escort one company of the prisoners and sweep your area as well. Joshua have your units do the same. Each of you leave one of your battalions here to guard the remaining prisoners. Then he turned to the general and told him, order your men to secure their fellow men and advise them any man who tries to run or escape will be killed. You General, and your senior officers, shall all remain here until all your dead are accounted for.

After the search for bodies had commenced Goldie asked Shrader to get central command on the radio. Wilson answered the call and said Richard is here what is your situation. After explaining the circumstances he told Wilson they needed transportation to carry approximately twenty thousand dead and wounded back to Canada. He explained the living can walk but we need transportation for a company of men to escort the walking back. After a moment Richard came over the radio and advised blue skies advises they can have adequate numbers of trucks and a company of guards at your location in one hour. Goldie said that will be soon enough it will take longer than that to get all the dead retrieved. Now he said, another matter, what do you suggest we do with the un commander and senior officers in charge of their force? After a period of silence Wilson came on and said load them on the trucks, let them ride with their dead soldiers so they can consider what their actions cost them. Agreed Goldie answered, I couldn’t think of a better way to send them off. We will wait for blue skies at these coordinates.

After giving Wilson their location Richard came back on and said congratulations on another job well done. You and your men have never let us down. Blue skies will join you within the hour. Contact central when all is completed and we will have transportation ready by then to carry you and your men home for a well deserved rest. Our Wisconsin operation has also been completed successfully with minimal losses. What were your losses? Goldie gave him the numbers, one hundred seventy eight lost another two hundred sixteen wounded. For the numbers you were up against that’s remarkable but that doesn’t make it any easier. Please advise us when they are all home and arrangements have been made so we can meet with the families. We will do that Goldie said and thank you, the numbers would have been higher had you not sent the choppers and medics. They did a great job transporting the wounded back to our aid station and helping us care for them. And the planes may have saved us many losses as well. Richard said in the end it may prevent many more losses now that the general knows we will respond to threats from the air. Meantime we will keep you posted on any new developments.

Calls began coming in from the units searching for bodies that all was progressing well. One commander said It’s hard for our men to understand how these units could have left their buddies behind as they did. There’s so many of them this will take some time. Mac answered and said roger we understand. But we have good news, blue skies will meet us here and transport the dead and living to the Canadian border. And central is sending transportation so we’ll all have rides home when we are done.

Nearly an hour had passed when Brian reported that blue skies had arrived at his location. Mac advised hold them at your location until all areas have been searched for bodies and weapons. That shouldn’t take long our units are beginning to come in now. James units were the first then before long Joshua’s units followed by Tim’s. Some of the enemy were carrying one while others were trying to carry two of their dead. All looked thoroughly beaten and worn out by the ordeal. The living and their commanders were sickened by the sight of the bodies being lain before them. When finally it was finished and a count was made the commanders were faced with the cold facts that the number of dead surpassed the number of living. Of the fourty five thousand who had started the incursion onto American soil more than twenty four thousand now lay dead. Goldie told the foreign general and other officers, look at what your actions cost, was it worth it. He turned to Mac and said contact Brian, tell him to send blue skies on to our location.

A few moments later trucks were heard then started arriving and continued for nearly an hour before all had moved in. Their commander, an veteran army Major, and several veterans of the Korean and Viet Nam conflicts were temporarily sickened at the sight of thousands of bodies lying before them. Finally the Major asked who is the senior commander of your forces, and Mac introduced him to Goldie. After a short discussion Mac told Tim and the boys, have the prisoners start loading their dead into the trucks. The process took an hour to complete but once finished Goldie said order the prisoners to fall in in front of the convoy, except for the officers. Separate them and put them into the trucks with those they lost. He said Major, it’s at least a three hour walk to the border, are you prepared to take command of the prisoners. The Major replied I am. They saluted one another then the Major turned to his unit commanders and said take the damn foreigners back to Canada.

Once the last of the convoy had disappeared out of sight Mac said I contacted Richard. He advised transportation for all our men should be arriving within the hour. Goldie said that gives us time for the men to walk back thru the area and take all the enemy weapons to the medic station and we can all wait there for our rides. He turned to Tim, James, and Joshua, have your men make a walk thru. You guys all jump in they can catch up with us there. After the units had been given their instructions he told the driver lets go. Moments later they pulled into the rear area camp. Goldie jumped out and headed for the commo van. Mac laughed and said wonder what your old mans hurry is. James said hell he headed for the pop cooler to get a Pepsi. Mac said he’ll never change, all he ever needed was his Pepsi and smokes.

Later as they sat waiting Mac asked Shrader has there been anything on the radio. He said nothing new but we haven’t had it on for a while. He reached in the van turned the set up so all could hear. A state commentator was talking about the action in Wisconsin where a small united nations diversionary force had been sent in and suffered terrible losses. We are told that small force has surrendered and the living and dead were allowed to return to Canada. But he added, we are advised the important operation where as many as fifty thousand well equipped soldiers marched thru Michigan is going well. Those forces may be well on their way to liberating UN leaders being held captive at a location somewhere in Ohio. News is hard to get in that area but local citizens who were forced to flee their homes in southern Michigan to escape the fighting tell us the sounds of battle was deafening. UN aircraft are said to have been sent to support the troops and citizens report many loud explosions could indicate militia forces may be getting bombed by UN aircraft. There has been no official word from Washington or the UN Command as to how soon they expect that operation to be completed.

Everyone laughed and Mac said the local citizens are pulling the wool over their eyes. Goldie said We must have destroyed their communications back to their command before they could get word to their high command what was happening. We better get Tim’s wife on your phone. If our folks back home hear this they will be worried. It took a few minutes but finally he handed Tim the headset. Tim talked to his wife and told her it was over then told her to call James and Joshua’s house and let them know we were on our way home. Then he added, yes we have some losses but can’t say who at this time. We should be home by morning, see you then. He turned to the others and said they were pretty worried not hearing anything except what comes over the radio or television. We will have to remember to keep in touch with them when we can. The others agreed we let them down.

The units were checking in now and before long all personnel were accounted for. The wounded who had been sent to local hospitals had all been treated and returned and those who had sacrificed their lives were made ready for their return home just as trucks began rolling into the area. Goldie told James you have the farthest way to go to Adams county so we’ll load your units up first and take all those from your units who were lost and return them to their loved ones. Once they are ready to travel Joshua you get your highland county units loaded and those from your units who were lost. Then Tim you and Brian get your people on board and those who were lost and we will get underway. As first James then Joshua prepared to leave the old man gave them a bear hug and told them tell your wives and my grandkids I love them and will see them all soon. Your drivers will drop all of your people off in Hillsboro where their families can meet you.

After the convoys had departed Tim’s units were loaded and Goldie signaled the drivers to move out. The trip home was mixed with satisfaction over their victory but sadness also for those who had been lost. Near two AM James called to report his and Joshua’s units were all in Hillsboro and families were picking up their loved ones and those who were lost. By dawn they had completed their own journey home and the convoy pulled into the Vienna campsite. As the transport vehicles left they were replaced with others as family members arrived to take their soldiers home. James and Joshua had returned to the camp waiting their dads arrival. The advised they had met with the families of those who were lost and all agreed they wanted their men to be buried together at the site where the earlier ones had been lain to rest. Tim agreed and said those from his units also would be buried with their fellow men from Highland and Adams counties. There would be one united ceremony which would be held on Saturday afternoon, four days away.

Richard was contacted and advised of the plans. He said He and other national militia leaders would be there for the ceremony. Then said get your dish set up and turn the television on then we’ll talk again later. Mac yelled to Shrader get the antennas out and the screen on news is breaking. Their chef had coffee and sausages ready and all took food and coffee and gathered round as the picture came on.

The announcer was excitedly reporting that the UN forces had been attacked by militia forces in Michigan and suffered terrible losses. This was no war he said, this was an act of barbarism perpetrated by organized terrorist thugs. Peacemaking UN soldiers have been ambushed and many thousands of them slaughtered by these barbaric American terrorists. It is reported that four US aircraft on loan to the UN forces had been shot down while making a peaceful flight over the southern Michigan air space. He said we will soon show pictures of the UN troops returning just hours ago. The pictures have already been transmitted to United Nations Headquarters and Washington. We are expecting their response momentarily. We warn these pictures are terrible and children should not see what we are about to show.

The scene then changed and pictures of the remnants of the UN force were shown offloading from trucks and carrying their dead across the long bridge into Canada. Terrible, terrible the announcer was saying as the scene unfolded. This is far worse than the carnage of Wisconsin only days ago. We are told as many as thirty thousand may have been killed and thousands more injured. It is believed this massacre was masterminded by the same individual that ambushed the American president and his staff as well as the United Nations Prime Minister who are still being held hostage. He is also said to have been behind the carnage at the United Nations Headquarters and many other attacks on our military forces. These atrocities cannot go unanswered by Washington or the world community. We are attempting to contact Washington leaders to see what their response will be but are unable at this time to bring you that. When their response is known we will bring that to you.

Just as the news announcement ended Shrader advised he had a call from Richard and was putting him on the screen. Richard came on and asked are we connected and Goldie said loud and clear. Richard asked did you watch the public announcement? Sure did, looked like they were in a state of shock. Has there been any word from Sheridan or the joint chiefs? Not a word Richard answered, but we have been informed that troop ships are now heading into the New York and Charlestown ports. We are watching that situation closely for any attempt to move those troops inland. Goldie advised him graveside ceremonies are planned to commence at 1000 hours for those we lost. Richard assured him they would be there to represent national leaders so until then gentlemen we‘ll say goodbye.

After the call had ended Mac said Lets all go warm up some rations then see what is on the screen. He asked their chef what’s on the menu for lunch. Chicken noodles, hot dogs, and stewed tomatoes he answered, and they’re hot and ready. Everyone filled their bowls, grabbed a couple of hot dogs, and a cup of stewed tomatoes then waited for the images to appear on the screen. Commentators were still talking about the losses of united nations peacemaking soldiers in Wisconsin and Michigan. It is now reported that more than thirty five thousand lost their lives and thousands more were wounded in those two attacks. There still has been no official response from Washington.