Vietnam II: A War Novel Episode 2 (V2) by C.R. Ryder Read Free Book Online Page B

Tracked armored personnel carrier
    M-35 cargo truck
    M-151 Jeep
     
    ARTILLERY
    M-40 106 mm Recoilless gun
    M-107 175 mm howitzer self-propelled gun
     
    SMALL ARMS
    M16 Assault rifles
    M16A1 Assault rifles
    M14 Battle Rifle
    M1919 Medium machine gun
    M2HB Heavy Machine Guns
    M-60 Machine Guns
     
    It was assumed that all of this American equipment was phased out, in storage or decommissioned.  After all even the most basic weapons required maintenance, parts and ammunition.  We figured that the Vietnamese would have run out of spare parts a long time ago and neither we nor NATO had been sending them any replacements.
    That assumption would come back to haunt us.
    Finally we examined their air force.  The PAV air force would be our first obstacle if it came to armed conflict so it was better to look at them last and longest.  Again they had been armed entirely by the Soviets.  They were flying some of the vintage planes from V1 (of course so were we), but they had some modern air craft as well.
     
    Soviet Air Force Planes
    FIGHTERS
    SU-7B Fitter                                           30
    SU-17 Fitter                                          30             
    SU-22 M-3/M-4/MR Fitter                40
    MiG-21 Fishbed               150
    MR/ MARITIME PATROL
    Be-12 Mail                                          4
    SURVEY
    An-30 Clank                                          2
    TRANSPORT
    An-2 Colt                                          12
    An-24 Coke                                          9
    An-26 Cole                                          40
    Il-18 Coot                                          2
    Tu-134 Crusty                                          8
    Yak-40 Codling                            11                           
     
    The People’s Air Force captured hundreds of American aircraft in 1975 from the South Vietnamese.  They used them extensively against Cambodia.  The planes were no longer active due to a lack of replacement parts.  The ones that were seen in recent years were used only as trainers.

Staff Sergeant Gerald Zachary
    Combat Arms
    Texas National Guard
     
    We showed up at 0700 this morning.  It was not a shock.  We’ve all been watching the news and I for one got my papers a week ago.  The only thing that bothered me was that there was no return date.  I figured it was a bad sign.
    Pacer, the electronic company I worked for in Houston said they’d keep my position.  They have to by law.  My friend Terry is going to be covering for me.  He told me to drop him a line from time to time.  We joked that in ten years there wouldn’t be any letters home anymore.  Everything would be electronic mail.
    Everyone looked groggy.  They had us gathered in a hangar for four hours while the active guard guys figured out how to start.  Everyone was making trips outside to smoke like it was the last one they would ever have.
    Toward midmorning the AGRs got their shit together and started shuffling us through the line.  First came the paperwork.  Nothing was right.  Everybody was missing something.  They had JAGs at the ready for wills and powers of attorney.  The wills really fucked some people up.  I had been active duty so I knew it was a formality, but for some of the Guard Babies it was a wakeup call.  When they signed on the dotted line on that will they knew that it was real.  That was the moment when it all came home.
    The JAGs warned you not to sign your stuff over to the girl you met a week ago.  If you’re single leave everything to your