alternatehistory.com

Don't let the sun go Down on me


As the year of 1973 came to a close, and the tenuous ceasefire in the Middle East seemed to hold, tension was high around the world. From Afghanistan, to China. From the United States, where Oil now seemed a luxury, to South America, where repression was on the rise. The Cold War seemed to be getting hotter everyday, and people were noticing it.

Robert Kennedy's first term was one of great success, that few dispute. From foreign policy to welfare, social programs, the moon landing, and many others. But as the first year of his second term came to a close, things looked bad. Now, when one war seemed to pause, another one would hit the American morale in a massive way.

"The Christmas Offensive" is what the newspapers called it. The Fall of Saigon came on Christmas day 1973, and brought the complete collapse of South Vietnam once and for all.

Since the withdraw of American forces in 1969, in what became know as the Prague Deal, South Vietnam had been supplied weapons and other material through American allies. That, complemented by the large range of unofficial American personnel operating in the area, from CIA to a number of other groups and military black ops, seemed like enough to preserve the status quo to some top men. Others claim the future of Vietnam was decided the day American forces abandoned it. That if the United States had committed to the fight, the Viet Cong would have collapsed. That we will never know.

The simple truth is that all the help the United States and it's allies could offer to South Vietnam was not enough to fight of the constant Viet Cong strikes, and the continuous Communist push towards the South. Asa collapse seemed inevitable to all, Kennedy could do little then sit and watch as Saigon became a symbol of Socialist victory in Southeast Asia.

Some Republicans would fall hard on Kennedy, one declaring that "This is what happens when you put a boy with socialist sympathies in the White House". Other's were terrified that the Dominoes were falling, one after the next. From Afghanistan to Vietnam, Socialism was spreading and many would blame Kennedy. His "Prague Deal", once called a masterpiece in diplomacy, was now being called a great blunder.

Kennedy would not remain motionless for long, however. As the Fall of Vietnam became obvious, he would concentrate spending on clandestine operations in Asia, the middle east and the Americas. Afghanistan would not become another victory for the USSR, the president would simply not allow it.

All in all, the American citizen would spend his Christmas in a uncertain scenario. But a new year was coming, and that always promised change.

The End and the Beginning of a Era, Marcus P. Edginton
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I hate this country- he muttered under his breath for the thousand time.


Mr. Church had been in Vietnam for almost five years now. Five years of hunting and being hunted, of shooting and being shot upon, of getting information in any way he could, and praying his enemy never had the chance to repay the favor.

But that was not what he hated, that was the job. It was unpleasant, certainly dangerous, but it sure as hell was better then being a grunt. His brother had ben a grunt, and it had earned him a body bag in '68. He was never a very smart kid, but bright and dumb had died side by side that year in this God dammed country.

What Mr. Church really hated was the heat. The relentless humid heat.

As a proud citizen of Michigan, Church had spent his Decembers in snow, eager to get a vacation to somewhere warmer. The Agency had arranged that for him, and by god he had been sorry. One December night in nam had been enough to make him look fondly on his native snowstorms.

That had been back in '69. He arrived not long after the G.Is. had left, but on a comfortable TWA coach. He was a tourist, officially. One of many tourists, janitors, lawyers and nature lovers that would come to live in An Hoa base, as guests of Colonel Pham, first name, unpronounceable. Their mission had been very simple. Aid the Colonel and his forces in hunting down the Viet Cong. Teach them all they needed to know to hunt down subversive forces, and eliminate them. It had been hard to Mr. Church at first. It was a big transition from his previous job in Berlin. But Eagle had assured him it was a step up. This would make him a top dog in field operations. That is, if he proved capable in his mission, and didn't die.

Eagle, V.I.P.s are on their way. E.T.A fifteen minutes. See you soon, copy. - He spoke loudly on his radio.

He could still hear the fireworks a few miles away. Saigon, he knew. And here he was, in the middle of the jungle, driving four bureaucrats to a Agency plane in a airstrip that didn't exist. And as the cherry on top of Ho Chi Min's ice cream, the Jungle was almost certainly riddled with Charlies.

Mr. Church had been very good at his job. Cell after cell, camp after camp, he had found it, and helped eliminate. He was good friends with Colonel Pham, if a nightly poker game could be called a friendly relationship. And he had his fellow Agency men with him. Richardson, McCain, Miles, all smart and capable men like him. But all were gone now. The price of getting comfortable.

Church had never gotten comfortable, too much heat for comfort. His guard had been up from the moment he landed, and he made a point to never let it down. That was the only thing that kept him alive. Richardson was made into Swiss cheese when he assumed a Charlie was dead. Miles was blown to bits by a improvised explosive when he failed to properly frisk a suspect. McCain went to town, thinking he would get lucky with a Girl, instead he got stabbed. Even in the safety of the base, Church aways slept with a gun under his pillow. You never knew when one of these soldiers could turn.

It was extremely dark by the time he arrived in the Airstrip. The Jeep's lights where the only source of illumination. That and the moonlight, and the occasional firework. They had waited for too long, Church Knew, the enemy was a few miles off, even if this plane took of, they might just as well be shot down. But the bureaucrats were to important, Eagle insisted, they had to be extracted.

Dakota! - Church screamed the password, and just like that two figures emerged from the shadows, one he knew well, Eagle, head of operations this part of the world. The other he did not.

Mr. Church, good to see you again. Eagle proclaimed. I see you brought our packages with you. - Eagle smiled, as he wasted a quick glance on the four men. - Preston here is our pilot.

It wasn't fucking easy - Church replied frowning at the superior. Eagle was a famed asshole, and in five years church had never really developed any fondness for the man. - The city is crawling with Charlies, government buildings are being raided. What's the extraction plan? - As He spoke Preston was leading the bureaucrats to the small one engine plane in the airstrip. They were going to escape on that crap. Perfect.

Preston here will fly us real low twenty clicks southwest, were our friends in blue will sail us away to freedom. They are already waiting for us, and their patience must be getting really small, so let’s go already. – Eagle turned around and embarked in the sorry excuse for a plane. There was never really a discussion with him, when he said something Church obeyed. He knew that bellow the two metric tons of asshole, there was a man with decades of experience and a whole lotta friend back in Langley. You did. Not. Piss. Off. Eagle.

As Church climbed up to enter the plane he heard the all too familiar sound of gunfire, followed a millisecond later by a sting of pain.

Fuck! – He screamed and instantly turned around with his M-16 in hand. - Go! Fucking Go! – He screamed at the pilot, and he did exactly that. The Engines were already on, and as Mr. Church fired back into the darkness, half inside the plane, he wondered about the great luck he had. Being shot when you’re stepping into the plane out of there. His consolation was that he gave back plenty. He couldn’t see the Charlies, but he heard at least two distinct screams as he fired at the woods, and the plane left the ground. He moved inside and closed the door.

You okay there Church? – Asked eagle, with a hint of real concern. – Look’s like they got you in the butt! – Then he gave a loud laugh, and looked outside the window. The Four Bureaucrats were almost pissing themselves, but Eagle was calm. And no one was shooting them down, which was a good sign. – Easy up kid, you’ll live. How about a month’s rest sound to you?

Sounds good - Church answered, trying not to give away the disconfort of the bullet

Great! – Eagle exclaimed. You are in the big leagues now kid, got the assignment of your live for you after you rest a bit.

Church laid there in the plane, sweating.

As long as it’s somewhere cold.

Eagle gave a big laugh at that. That did not look like a good sign.
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