“Samar… Samar. Don’t forget Samar…” Bowman told the PJ. It was hard to hear over the roar of the MV-22 overhead, but the first PJ caught a snippet of Bowman’s words.
“He seems to be saying Sammy something,” the PJ said on a helmet radio to Collins. “There might be someone else nearby.”
“We don’t have time to search for anybody else,” Collins’ copilot said. “We’re past bingo already.”
Collins was using the FLIR scanner to search the area around the rescue site. Suddenly he stopped. “I got someone else,” he said. “Thirty yards to the right. He’s not moving. Check it out. Hoist Robby on board.” The first PJ on the ground climbed onto another seat on the forest penetrator, strapped himself on, then pushed Bowman’s head down and wrapped his arms around him as the cargo hold crew hoisted them up through the foliage. The second PJ began moving toward the second object, taking directions from Collins, using the gradually brightening morning skies to find cover until he was close enough.
The crew in the cargo hold of the MV-22 dragged Bowman inside and wrapped him in a blanket. One PJ shined a flashlight in his face, then compared the face to a sheet of ID-card photographs of downed crewmen from the Saratoga. “He matches,” the PJ shouted on interphone. “Bowman. Bullet Seven’s pilot.”
Collins let out a sigh of relief. “Dammit, I don’t believe it. We got one. The other guy might be his RIO.”
The second PJ on the ground reached the body. “He looks like a Filipino… wait. He’s wearing general’s stars. No name tag, but he’s got two stars on his collar.”
Collins maneuvered closer to his ground crewman. “General’s stars… a general? Named Sammy? Sammy… Samar? Holy shit, that might be General Samar, the fucking Vice President! Get him on board! Hurry!”
The Philippine national anthem played in the background. The television transmission showed a sign written in English, Tagalog, and Chinese, telling the viewer to stand by for an important message from the Philippine government. After two minutes, the scene dissolved, to be replaced by the grim face of Second Vice President General Jose Trujiilo Samar. Most of his hair was burned off, and one eye was swollen shut — he had refused to wear any bandages, however, because he was afraid his countrymen might not recognize him, and because he wanted all the world to see what the Chinese military had done to him. He was wearing his uniform, freshly cleaned and starched, which hid a tightly wrapped separated shoulder and burns across most of his upper torso.
“My fellow Filipinos and all others who can hear my voice. I am Jose Samar, Second Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines. I am speaking to you from a control room aboard the American aircraft carrier USS Ranger, which is en route to Guam after being viciously attacked by Chinese warplanes three days ago. This message is being broadcast to you at six o’clock A.M. on the third of October, Manila time, via Philippine TV channels two and three, on the Voice of America, the British Broadcasting Channel shortwave channel seventeen, and on other international radio and television channels.
“As you can see, I am injured but alive. I was rescued on the second of October from the island of Mindanao by American Marines shortly after being attacked and nearly killed by patrols from the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese patrols killed several of my militiamen while we were engaged in rescue operations, trying to save the life of an American Navy pilot shot down by Chinese fighter planes several days ago.
“I am speaking to you today to tell you that, as the governor of the Commonwealth of Mindanao and Second Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines, that the People’s Republic of China is engaged in a full-scale military invasion of my country. Do not be deceived by stories of cooperation with the Philippine government. The Chinese are believed to have murdered President Arturo Mikaso. Chinese warships have taken the Commonwealth cities of Puerto Princesa, Zamboanga, Cotabato, and Cagayan de Oro, and they are preparing to launch an all-out assault on the Commonwealth of Mindanao capital city of Davao. The Chinese are not liberators, nor are they assisting any legitimate Philippine government officials. They are invaders. They are moving large-scale military forces into my country with the intent of permanently occupying and annexing the Philippines. The Chinese invaders have attacked and killed Philippine citizens and have also attacked unarmed American reconnaissance planes.
“I am hereby urging all nations to impose economic and political sanctions on the People’s Republic of China for their illegal invasion, and to do everything in their power to help remove all Chinese military forces from my country. As Second Vice President and the only legitimate government leader of the Philippines, I hereby proclaim all incursions into the Philippines by the People’s Republic of China to be illegal, and I formally order the People’s Republic of China to remove all personnel, warships, and aircraft from our territories immediately.
“My authority may be challenged by the Communist government in Manila, led by the murderer Daniel Teguina. Teguina has called me a traitor and a rebel, but it was he who conspired to assassinate President Mikaso, allow the Chinese Army to invade the country, and take power for himself behind the brutal arm of the Red Chinese. His allegations are unfounded, but only the Supreme Court and the Parliament of the Republic of the Philippines can decide our guilt or innocence.
“But in the Commonwealth of Mindanao my authority is absolute, and I am still in command despite my injuries. My militia forces have denied the Chinese complete access to Cotabato Airport, we have continually routed them from the Cabagan, Davao, and Pulangi river valleys, and we have prepared a strong defense and a few surprises for them in Davao if they try to invade us there. This will be the greatest battle in Philippine history since World War Two. But we cannot hold off the Chinese hordes alone.
“I am therefore formally requesting military and economic assistance from the government of the United States in helping me to repel the Chinese invaders. I hereby authorize the American government full overflight, landing rights, and sailing rights into all Philippine and Commonwealth territories, and hereby grant full authority to conduct military, security, safety, and other operations in my country. I also authorize the President of the United States and his designated representatives, civil and military, to act with full presidential authority in the Commonwealth of Mindanao, including full authority for all defense matters, and I order my state militia to obey all orders of the President of the United States or his theater commanders as if those orders were my own. If I die of my injuries or am killed by hostile forces, my orders here stated will remain in force until my state is returned to peace, with all foreign powers removed.
“I hope that all loyal Filipinos hear my words. These are my standing orders to all loyal Filipinos:
“All active, reserve, national guard, inactive reserve, and former militia members under the age of sixty are ordered to active duty immediately. Report only to a district or city militia commander; do not report to a federal, National People’s Party, or New People’s Army official, or to anyone you do not know personally. If it is not possible to contact a militia commander, attempt to travel to Davao and report to a militia outpost.