"We know that medical supplies and treatment are also lacking in the northern half of the Korean peninsula. To help with this problem, the United States government has made plans to ship twenty fully equipped mobile hospitals to North Korea. They will come with supplies, instruments, machines, drugs, and enough goods to last for a year. A volunteer medical staff can also come along, and will stay and work in the hospitals with Korean medical people for a full year. There is no cost or obligation."
Genera] Soo slammed both hands down on the polished table, creating a loud slap. He stood at the same time. The rest of the North Korean delegation rose as well. The general turned and scowled at the Vice President. He said something in a low voice, then marched stiffly out of the meeting and through the doors he had came in by. The entire North Korean party followed him.
Vice President Chambers stood watching them. Surprise, then a touch of anger, followed by resignation inched across his face.
"What did the general say as he left?" the Vice President asked the interpreter.
For a moment the man frowned, then shook his head. "I must have heard him wrong, Mr. Vice President. To the best of my hearing he said: 'Your fancy giveaway plans will kill you yet.'"
Vice President Chambers asked the interpreter to tell him again, then turned to the rest of his delegation and the South Koreans.
He shook his head sadly. "I just can't understand a man with a mind like that. We offer him a generous solution to two of his country's largest and most serious problems, and he threatens that our good plans will kill us? Does anyone understand what he meant?"
The Vice President looked around, but no one could answer. He lifted his brows. "Well, It seems like my big presentation is over. I didn't get started on it. Now, so we don't have a completely lost day, I want the ten-dollar tour of the DMZ, our troops at Camp Bonifas, the tunnels, the lookout towers, everything I can see, even the tank battalion."
The Vice President looked at his military guide, Major Prokoff.
"Sir, not a good idea. From time to time there are shots across the DMZ. It's always a danger up there."
"Nonsense. I've been in combat before. I have my CIB, and I've even taken a few shots in anger. Arrange it, Major. I want to take the whole delegation along, my staff and the Congressmen. Make them do some work on this pleasure trip."
"Yes, sir. I'll see you back to your quarters, then make the arrangements. You said all of your people?"
"Right, Major. There are twelve of us, my staff and seven Congressmen. Leave the newsmen in the rear this time. Like to get on that today. Might even decide to stay overnight on the line. Bring back some memories for me."
"That would have to be cleared by the commanding general, Mr. Vice President."
"Fine, get it cleared. You tell him that I've already cleared it. I outrank him all to pieces. Now get cracking, Major."
"Yes, sir."
Vice President Chambers smiled as the major hurried off. He enjoyed ordering these officers around. He had barely made buck sergeant during his two years in the Army. Yes, he enjoyed giving the brass orders for a change. He remembered his time in the Army Signal Corps. Lately he'd been fascinated with the military SATCOM radio. He carried one with him everywhere.
He could get in instant satellite communication with the White House or his office anytime he wanted to. He was amazed how well it worked. It transmitted to a satellite and then to the States and into the White House, where the message that had been encrypted was decrypted and came through in voice transmission. The unit was fifteen inches high, about six inches square, and weighed a little over ten pounds. The Vice President remembered the old SCR-300 Army radio he used to carry. It weighed thirty pounds, could transmit no more than five miles, and often didn't work at all.
Two hours later, just inside the gates of Camp Bonifas, the Vice President had the caravan pull to the side. He told his aide, Lukas Young, to bring up the SATCOM radio and get in touch with the White House. Young set up the antenna, turned it to face the satellite, and got the set working.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Vice President, the President isn't here," came over the radio.
"Well, this is Chambers. Tell him it didn't go well today at Panmunjom. Old General Soo went into a tirade about one people and one government. I just got started with our food and medical programs when he snorted, got up, and walked out. Tell the President for me. I'm off on a tour of the DMZ." Inside the camp, Lieutenant Colonel James F. Lauderdale became the Vice President's official guide.
"Mr. Vice President, it's good to meet you. I command the last American unit stationed inside the DMZ. I advised against this tour for you, but I was overruled. There is a danger here. We've had over seven hundred instances of North Korean commandos penetrating the DMZ and working into South Korea. These units have to be found and eliminated.
"From time to time there is sniper fire across the line. I'll be sure to keep you and your party as safe as possible. I understand you did some Army time."
"Yes, Colonel, I was in the Signal Corps." "Good. You remember when to keep your head down."
The tour began at the camp, with the colonel's briefing: "Camp Bonifas is a quarter of a mile from the DMZ. This is the most northern base in Korea that's manned by Americans. This is the focal point of the whole defense system. Our troops here are the sharp blade of the spear aimed at North Korea.
"If anything happens, we'll be the first to know, and then I grab the phone and call General Richard Reynolds, the commanding general of the U.S. Eighth Army. Let's get in the Humvees for a short demo drive into the DMZ. Right here the zone is two and a half miles wide. Down the center are yellow markers. Troops from each side are supposed to stay on their side of those yellow center markers. There have been a lot of incursions by North Korean commandos lately. We'll continue on and see one of our observation points."
It took them five minutes of driving down Military Route 1, through minefields, next to boulder-piled tank traps, and over culverts the colonel said were stuffed with high explosives that could be set off in case of a tank attack.
Colonel Lauderdale explained that he commanded a light infantry regiment of 250 Americans and three hundred South Korean troops. "This is the last of the one hundred and fourteen posts along the DMZ manned by American troops," he said. "Of course we have our backup tank battalion just to our rear."
Observation Post Oullette stood thirty yards from the yellow and rusting centerline markers in the DMZ. It looked like a training tower or hose-drying building for a neighborhood fire station. The group trudged up wooden stairs to the third floor, which was open on all four sides. On a clear day observers there could see sixteen miles into North Korea. A number of swivel-mounted high-powered binoculars rested on a shelf around the OP.
They went down the stairs and then down some ladders into the underground complex. There were concrete walls and openings. Each opening was a bunker that looked out on North Korea.
"If things get dicey, this is where we'll fire the first shots from if the NKs invade us," Colonel Lauderdale said. "We fight from here and if it's a huge invasion, most of the men here will either die in these bunkers or be captured."
Vice President Chambers looked out one port and noticed a series of switches on the side. "These for lights?" he asked.
A sergeant shook his head. "Triggers for Claymore mines, sir," he said. The Vice President knew what Claymores were. A chunk of C-4 plastic explosive packed with three hundred ball bearings. The mine could be angled so it fired the balls out one direction and at tremendous speed. One Claymore could kill half a platoon of infantry.