Tim Reardon watched with a bit of sadness as the last ship departed the pier and moved toward open sea. He was still busy as hell with additional ships, but these had been the heart of the effort. As his men and women had taken to the task, they added additional hours of their own just to see that the job had been done right.
Rust had been the biggest enemy. They found it in nearly every nook and cranny. It had been no one’s fault. Over the years, the paint covered bad spots and had been recovered many times. When they broke through it was like decay in a tooth — it had to be ground out and repaired. In some cases, they had to shore up the area with more steel. But now the old ships were as good as new. He was still a little upset that they had not been able to fully air condition the North Carolina, but the crew quickly got used to the heat. More fans were installed and the berthing areas were pleasant if not totally cool. Air conditioning had been provided in some spaces including the galley and mess decks, wardroom, and electronic spaces. It might not cover the whole ship, but at least they had something.
He watched the silhouette of the ship as she cruised through the channel towards the open sea. Not a sound was heard as she moved and no lights were visible. Reardon’s people had taken the time that day to break a second bottle of champagne on her bow. It had last seen service in World War II. They figured she needed a little refreshment.
What made Reardon happy was the captain. Captain Christopher Hustvedt came aboard with a determined approach that had people jumping. Yet on a personal side, he was a thoughtful, friendly person who understood problems and took the steps to fix them without casting blame. He took the time to explain why a job was important and needed to be done. As a result, people did things just because he asked. On the few occasions did he give an order, he expected 100 percent in everything — even in his own job. Mostly he managed like a good CEO and delegated responsibilities to people who could get the job done. His effect was like magic. People started going out of their way to make sure things were perfect.
But that was not all. Hustvedt’s distant relative had been the first commanding officer of this very ship. Upon his arrival it became a “family thing” to the crew and the shipyard. Every day, he went compartment by compartment talking to the men and giving an encouraging word. There had been a Captain’s Mast only three times. One time, a young sailor just in the service had mouthed off to a superior. In another, the sailor had gone AWOL on a drunken rampage. In those cases, the punishment was swift and severe. The third had been an honest error. The young man misunderstood his duties and damaged equipment. In that case, the Captain stressed to the sailor the importance of making sure he understood the orders given him and told to return to his duties. Then he talked to the officer and Chief Petty Officer who had given the order; not blaming them, but stressing the importance of making sure people were properly trained for a specific duty. It ended up setting the standard for the entire crew.
Captain Hustvedt also made sure to befriend Reardon and his staff. They learned to count on him and he knew he could call on them if there was a problem. It was a magnificent working relationship. The result was steaming out of Hampton Roads. Reardon smiled at himself. Whenever Hustvedt left the service, he would have a job at Newport News.
Reardon watched until the ship was no longer visible, then turned and caught the bus back to his home. He had determined he would not drive again until this was all over. Besides, the bus gave him the chance to relax after a hard day. As it rolled along the darkened streets he thought about the men on the ship, and how fortunate they really were.
“Your efforts have not been consistent with our approved plan, Comrade Minister,” the Chairman said sternly. “According to your plan we should have been on the outskirts of Pusan by now. As it is, we are seventy miles away. What excuse do you have, Comrade?” Chairman Kim was obviously angry.
Lu Chen was sweating. Yes, it had been his plan. Yes, they had seemingly accounted for every detail. But they were failing to move as rapidly as they could and the casualty rate was astronomical. He cleared his throat. “Much of the delay has been the determination of the people we fight, Comrade Chairman. Their determination has been almost heroic; however, I believe they fight because they wish to delay the inevitable as long as possible. They are counting on the United States and other nations to come to their rescue. However, I point out that, except for some limited re-supply, there has been no shifting of forces within the United States to counter our actions. They, Japan, and neighboring states are still caught by our offensive preemptory strike. According to our intelligence, no ships are gathering, no planes are being deployed, and no troops are being sent. In short, Comrade Chairman, they are waiting for something that can never come.”
Chairman Kim listened to his Defense Minister. He considered the Americans and their allies politically weak. The intelligence services reported nothing from any nation surrounding them. He also remembered an old Soviet missive that a determined defense was a difficult thing to confront. After all, the Soviets had used the scorched earth policy against the Germans in the Great Patriotic War to amazing effect. They too had been waiting for help from the other allied nations. It had worked well for them, but delays were costly to the Party. Action must be taken now to assure the People’s victory. “What steps are being taken, Comrade? We must achieve a victory soon before the imperialists can mount any type of offensive.”
The Chairman’s wrath had been calmed a bit. Lu Chen picked up on this and continued. “Comrade Chairman, we cannot say that there have been some errors. I have charged two of our senior officers with cowardice in the face of the enemy. One we suspect of using Army resources to build himself a new home. These men have been punished extremely and their families removed from their government quarters and jailed,” he said. Both men knew what the extreme punishment would be; usually ending with a small hole in the back of the head. Their families would be placed in work camps.
Lu Chen knew the Chairman thought highly of catching people who failed and using them as an object lesson. He was rewarded by a smile. Lu continued. “After reorganizing our supply system, our trucks are now able to adequately supply our advancing army. Each day we gain more ground. At this rate, we should completely dominate the peninsula within six weeks. Even Seoul will fall by that time. My military advisors assure me of this,” he said.
It was the same old thing, Kim thought. Always optimistic. But the Army had been successful in their march through South Korea. There was not one defeat as yet. They had merely been slowed down. But he must make sure they knew he was in charge. “Comrade Minister,” he said. “The Party demands success according to schedule. We obviously understand some delays, but they are getting too frequent and too costly. You are to make the outskirts of Pusan in no less than five weeks. If not, the Party must look to other leadership,” he said as he turned and stormed off.
Lu Chen watched him leave with some trepidation. Kim was all powerful in his country, but his family had a reputation of being ruthless and demanding. Many a man lost his head, literally, when they were displeased. He knew this was his last chance. He gathered the papers and left the room, summoning his military advisors to accompany him.