Shoot Down

“You seeing this?” Captain Moore yells as he points left out the cockpit window.

Stepping forward, away from the center of the Huey, I lean out the open left side door, where a site straight out of a history book greets me.

Four huge green bi-planes, flying in formation, are cruising just over Site 85, dropping explosives on and around the radar base there.

How’d they know it was here?

“I’m gonna get above them, you grab a gun. Let’s see if we can have a little fun!” Moore yells into the comms again.

Scrambling back from the open side door, I reach down with my right hand to un-strap one of the AK-47s we brought with us on this resupply mission.

The front strap lock on the AKs sticks a bit, forcing me to kneel down to get better leverage to pull up on it.

Damn, I don’t want to miss my chance to shoot at a bi-plane!

While kneeling, I notice the tree tops fade away from just below the open right side door of the Huey.

We’re getting up there.

Catching the strap lock, I’m able to snap it open, freeing the AKs from their safe storage.

I yank out the AK on top.

Do I strap them back in, or turn and shoot, leaving the AK’s loose?

I turn my head to look out the left side door. The bi-planes are still there, in formation as it heads away from the radar base.

They must not have seen us yet.

I’m not missing them yet.

Holding the free AK under my arm, I re-strap the remaining guns to make sure they don’t start falling about the Huey’s rocking cabin.

Alright, they’re good to go, now for some fun!

Swinging back around so I’m facing out the open left side of the Huey, I point the AK-47 toward the last plane in the formation.

No aiming with this thing!

The AK set to semi-automatic, I pump a quite a few rounds toward the slow bi-plane trudging just below.

Did I even hit anything?

Banking left, the plane breaks formation.

I must have got his attention.

Moore yells from the cockpit, “Let’s make this a dogfight!” as he banks us to follow the bi-plane.

Yeah, let’s get this gook!

Securing myself against the Huey’s bulkhead, I fire off more rounds at the attempting to escape bi-plane.

Nowhere to go buddy! Nowhere to hide!

Unloading round after expendable round into the bi-plane, my cartridge empties out pretty quick.

Whether or not I’m hitting anything, he’s running scared.

This is fun!

A second bi-plane comes into view as I pull out the empty cartridge, replacing it with a full one from my vest pocket.

He must be following the plane I’m shooting at.

This one has a gun-mount on top, with a guy inside firing something up toward us.

Hey, they’re shooting back. Now it’s a fight!

“Focus on the shooter!” Moore yells.

“Already on it!” I yell back.

He probably didn’t hear me. 

No matter.

I lock the new cartridge into the AK, pull back to load the first round in the chamber, and let loose on the second bi-plane.

He’s staying level so his guy can shoot. Thanks man!

ZZZZzzzttt,ZZZZzzzttt,ZZZZzzzttt,rounds whiz by me.

Maybe I shouldn’t be that thankful yet?

Just as that thought crosses my mind, smoke begins seeping, then bellowing forth from the armed bi-plane.

I must have hit something!

Slowly at first, then faster, and faster, the large green machine from the past descends toward the earth. 

“Woods, you got’em!” Moore yells on the comms.

I shot down a bi-plane!

“Let’s get the other one!” I yell, hoping Moore can hear me.

Looking around for the first bi-plane, I can see him from the right side scrambling, at what low speed he can, to get back to Vietnamese airspace.

Moore banks the Huey to the right.

I’ll get you yet my pretty!

Lunging across the open deck of the Huey, I jump the tether connecting me to the helicopter as I swing the AK-47 up to fire from the open right door.

“There he is!” Moore yells just as I see the scurrying bi-plane.

Pumping rounds into this guy, I’m surprised when it starts nose-diving toward the ground.

No smoke.

The plane simply descends, no turning, no attempt to pull up, nothing.

“Seems like we’re done here.” Moore yells, “Gotta land this ammo.”

What about the other two?

“Hey, I’m 2/5th of the way to Ace!” I yell back.

“Good shootin’ Woods!” Moore exclaims as he banks the Huey back toward the radar station. “The other two bugged out. Can’t catch’em with all this ammo aboard.”

Two ain’t bad, even if they were bi-planes!

Painting of an Air America Bell 205 helicopter engaging two Vietnam People’s Air Force Antonov An-2 biplanes dropping 120 mm mortar rounds on Lima Site 85, Laos,12 January 1968.

Bell UH-1H Huey Helicopter. 

 On January 12, 1968 an American helicopter, part of the Air America CIA sponsored mission in Laos, was running supplies of ammunition to a secret U.S. Air Force radar station high-up in the hills of northern Laos. Coming through the canyon near the base, the Americans were surprised to find four Vietnamese An-2 bi-planes in the process of bombing the radar station. The American helicopter flew in above the Vietnamese planes, shooting at them with a hand-held AK-47. Two of the bi-planes went down in the jungles, while the other two were able to get away. Two months later the radar station was attacked by Vietnamese ground units, with a complete loss of all U.S. personnel serving at the station. This event was the largest single loss of life for the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War.   

The primary source for this story was here.

Icy

British Invasion of Iceland 1940

Word came down early this morning an observation plane flew over Reykjavik for more than an hour. At 03:40, a fellow policeman spotted a small fleet of ships off the harbor, but could not tell what nationality they were.

Following the news of the invasion and capitulation of Denmark, as well as the sudden invasion and occupation of Norway by the Germans, we’re naturally a little on edge about a foreign fleet of ships showing up off of our coast. Finar Arnalds, our acting Chief of Police, went out to see for himself. Realizing the ships were British, he contacted the Foreign Ministry to inform them our neutrality was about to be violated and headed out with our party to meet the ships as they docked.

Finar asked to speak with the captain of the first British ship, a destroyer, but was refused.

He then called the Prime Minister, who ordered him not to interfere with the British troops and to try to prevent conflicts between them and Icelanders.

Now they are pulling up to the quays, preparing to unload troops. A small crowd has assembled to see the British land. The British consul, who clearly received notice of the invasion, is waiting with his associates to assist the troops as they arrive. He walks up to Fris, our Commander.

"Would you mind ... getting the crowd to stand back a bit, so that the soldiers can get off the destroyer?" he asks.

"Certainly," comes Fris’ reply.

We’re here to keep the peace.

As the first British troops begin their descent from their ship, the crowd becomes agitated, calling out names and yelling at them to go home.

“Calm those folks down!” Fris orders our small contingent.

I’m not calm. My home is being invaded by a foreign army.

We spread out, attempting to talk the people away from yelling at the British.

“Sir, please remain calm. We will inform them they are violating our neutrality.” I offer in the most calming voice that I can muster to a man impatiently holding a cigarette in his shaking hands.

“They’re no better than the Germans, invading us like this! How is this different from Oslo? I’ll tell you how, at least there, the Norwegians resisted!”

He’s right, at least in Oslo the Norwegians put up a fight, sinking several German ships.

“Yes, but the Norwegians have a military. Sir, we have 70 policemen in the whole of Reykjavík. What would you have us do?” I reply, hoping the facts of the matter will settle him.

What can we do? They have hundreds of men pouring out of these ships. We couldn’t stop them even if we wanted to.

The rest of the crowd seems to be calming down, but this man has burned through one cigarette and is already on another. Simply burning through, rather than smoking them, as he barely brings the lit sticks to his mouth in between raves.

“I tell you, this is the end of our freedom! We’ll be at war, occupied by a foreign power. This is the end of our independence!” he barks, barely taking a break to breathe between snippets of anger.

How long will they be here? Will the Germans invade now that the British have? How will we feed them?

A less than impressive line of British soldiers begins walking up the street in front of the crowd. Wrinkled uniforms, sickly looking men, and an odd assortment of hand-held weapons combine to create the impression of a retreating, rather than invading army.

They look awful.

As I’m gazing at the motley bunch of British soldiers, the agitated man slips past me, heading directly for one of the meeker looking men in British uniform.

What’s he going to do?

Running after him, I cannot catch him in time.

He grabs hold of the poor soldier’s weapon.

No, don’t cause a problem, please!

“Take your hands from that man’s gun!” I say softly as I come up behind him, taking his arm.

Without noticing me, he stuffs a cigarette in the barrel of the gun, and then throws it back to the shocked soldier.

“Be careful with this!” the man yells at the stunned British boy soldier.

I pull him away as a British officer starts yelling at the poor soldier.

May that be the worst thing that happens today.

The man, clearly satisfied with his actions, turns and walks away.

I turn back to watch the motley army invade my homeland.

A British soldier smiles at me.

I smile back.

On May 10, 1940, a quickly assembled, poorly trained, and under-equipped British force of 746 Marines from the 2nd Royal Marine Battalion conducted Operation Fork, the invasion of neutral Iceland by landing in Reykjavik. On the heels of the German invasions of Denmark and Norway, the British felt they could not lose access to the North Atlantic and had to act quickly, despite Iceland’s declared neutrality in the war. The British ordered a reserve unit of untrained men (the only men currently available) into immediate action. (The 2nd Battalion only received orders to prepare for deployment on May 3.) The only resistance met was one man, who grabbed a soldier’s weapon, stubbed his cigarette out in its barrel, and then left the scene.

That evening, the Icelandic government formally issued a statement noting their neutrality had been “flagrantly violated” and “its independence infringed.” Iceland wanted no part in the war and intended for both warring parties to stay away from its territory. The British government attempted to put lipstick on the pig by promising payment for any damage, favorable trade agreements, non-interference in domestic affairs, and a promise that troops would be withdrawn at the end of the war. The Icelandic authorities decided it was best to cooperate but formally maintain a neutral standing. Prime Minister Hermann Jónasson made a radio address to his people that night, telling them not to interfere with the British troops. They were to treat them as guests.

To put this invasion in context, on the same day, Germany invaded France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, and Winston Churchill became the Prime Minister of Britain.

One week later, 4,000 British Army troops relieved the initial invasion force. This force was subsequently augmented by Canadian and other Commonwealth troops up to 25,000. The following year, the British troops were replaced by American troops (America was not yet in the war). The Americans stayed for the rest of the war and beyond. Iceland became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and hosted American and other NATO troops throughout the Cold War. American forces officially withdrew in 2006, although NATO allies regularly deploy aircraft in Iceland, and the country is a key participant in NATO’s integrated air defense system.

What’s at Stake in Trump’s Impeachment and Conviction

What’s at Stake in Trump’s Impeachment and Conviction

If the impeachment and Conviction of President Trump fails, he may occupy the White House until January 2025. I am taking this opportunity to put a stake in the ground. I may be wrong on the specifics, but the theme is what I am calling here. This is a brief historical summary of our future if we fail to remove this disastrous individual from office:

Among many other harmful outcomes for Americans and the World, Trump and Putin will have (if they don’t already) a meeting of the minds, allowing Russia to carve out a sphere of influence in the former Soviet Union, and beyond. This will be akin to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in which millions of people were traded between authoritarians, forced to live under tyranny for more than fifty years. Trump wants to have a grand bargain with Russia. His second term, when there are no checks on his power, would be his chance to achieve this outcome.

As part of that bargain, Ukraine will be the absorbed into a political entity greater than the current Russian Federation, which will be led by Vladimir Putin. It will not be alone, as Belarus will likely already be inside. Putin is term-limited by the Constitution of The Russian Federation, but he is not yet done being in charge as bad things happen to those who are no longer holding the reigns of power in Russia. Thus, he is working to create something greater than Russia, which he can lead. Belarus is the first state which will willingly help form this entity. Ukraine will be its first unwilling target for absorption.

After Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, will be targeted. If left to their own devices, despite NATO membership, they will also be absorbed. Other targets for absorption will be Georgia, Moldova Kazakhstan, etc through the list to the likely last holdouts of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

This will recreate an Empire led by Russia. Still weak as compared to China, this imperial Russia will seek to dominate Finland, Poland, Bulgaria, Turkey, and its other near neighbors.

Does this all sound familiar? It should. Nothing here is out of historical context. Nothing here is unforeseeable. Nothing here must happen if we remove Trump from office and elect a President willing to stand up for democratic values both at home and around the world. We must protect the world so many gave their lives to save in The 20th Century’s War. The first step is removing this friend of a resurgent Russia who currently inhabits the White House.