That was what he heard and believed, but later learned that, yes, the American military was mighty, and a good chunk of the three million soldiers were in American when it happened, but too many were reserve.
Many soldiers were overseas.
To call them all to duty and prepare them for a war took time. To bring forces back home… took time.
American sustained massive strikes and was already at a disadvantage by the time the military was ready.
To make matters worse, key American Allies had also been attacked.
In the early days of war, when Falcon was a school boy, it was hopeful. Truly early on, American troops pushed back opposing forces.
Then like always, like history dictated, others couldn’t keep their noses out.
It would have been done and over, America would have cleansed the country of the enemy.
But then another country stepped in and then another.
Within a year it had escalated.
Before Falcon was a teenager, every seaboard state in the union was a warzone. And by the time he was seventeen, ‘Nuclear explosion’ was a commonly heard phrase.
There never was that nuclear holocaust depicted during the cold war era or in the movies of the fifties. It was always tit for tat, small weapons, usually aimed at bases or resistant points.
Other weapons and other means of destruction were used.
At least in the beginning, they were.
Later on someone got the bright idea, ‘Let’s just launch a bunch and see what happens?’
What happened was destruction and it brought no end to the war.
Basic training in the Army at one point was eleven weeks. By the time Falcon joined it was six. He was trained to fight, pure and simple. Because he was not part of the draft and scored high on the written portion of the test, he was able to choose his job. He could have been a communications specialist, but he wanted to be infantry.
He was glad he chose that or he would never have met Stacy.
His first tour was Florida. The southern portion of the peninsula had long since been submerged in water. Not deep, but enough that it was uninhabitable.
Special bombs detonated off shore created tidal waves and Tsunami like waves that were unexpected water weapons.
The enemy came aground there.
He fought ground battles in the southern state for six months until he heard a command he didn’t expect. “Retreat.”
They pulled back into Georgia.
Florida was a lost state. It was never regained at all during the war and still remained a Ran-Force territory afterwards.
Of course, it was a swamp land and the portions that weren’t encompassed in water were decimated by war.
Florida was probably the first official wasteland.
Sequentially, a lot of states were declared wastelands.
In Falcon’s lifetime he saw the United States go from 52 states to 43.
That mattered in the beginning of the war and shortly after, but now, it didn’t.
For the first time in his lifetime, a few years after the war ended, there was peace.
No one fought because there was nothing really to fight over. Falcon supposed in the future there would be. Man wouldn’t learn his lesson; he’d rebuild and eventually they’d fight again.
But for the time being, Falcon didn’t see war happening. Hell, he didn’t even see man surviving.
Man would though. He always did.
4. Delayed by Dust
Some time during the course of the night, Lilly did that twist and turn of her body inching Falcon from the bed. Her brown hair had slipped from her ponytail and tickled his nose. He slept a little longer on his cot and woke when the sun started to shine. He had things to do before the children woke.
Falcon knew it before he even looked out the window.
Everything was covered in a thick veil of red and brown dirt. He was ready to kick himself for leaving the vike out. It was his means of transportation, or at least one of them.
The Vike was actually a pretty great invention by some old timer in town. The man used to do body work on cars and trucks. When gasoline dried up, he converted cars and vans into what he called ‘Vikes.’ They were shelled out vehicles to carry people and goods with the ability to peddle with both arms and/or legs. They worked. They could also be pulled by a horse.
But that was for short trips. Horses required water and that was scarce, at least in the south.
The vike was covered in dust and he was glad he had put on the canvas roof. Falcon just wanted it near the porch so he could load up with ease.
He pulled a jar of granola from the cupboard and placed it on the table for Josh and Lilly, and then went outside.
He coughed, but how could he not? Each step tossed the dirt into the air.
“Damn it,” he cursed aloud, grabbing the broom and sweeping the walk in front of the house. He couldn’t spare the water to wash it down.
He was reminded of snow, when they used to get it. He remembered the heavy snows, and how, as a little boy, he’d sit in front of the living room window watching his father clean off the car.
Now Falcon was about to do the same thing.
It took all of ten minutes to clear it off. Then he took off the canvas and flapped it out. He left it down because he had to load the Vike.
Just as he finished, he saw him coming up the driveway.
Chad.
Chad was a man in his twenties with a wife. They were one of several families that moved on the property years ago. Falcon believed they moved on the property just when Josh was born, right after the cold spell ended.
Chad and his wife, like many others, had nothing, lost everything and were starving. Stacy fed them and welcomed them on the property.
Those who lived on Falcon’s land were grateful. They lived in trailers, shared a well, and in exchange, they worked the farm when it was running, helped can, tapped the wells when they needed it and built a fence on the property.
They were instrumental in keeping the place safe from transients.
Falcon wasn’t as kind as Stacy.
He had to stop letting people live on his property. There was barely enough for those who were there.
Chad rarely came up to the house so Falcon worried that something might be wrong.
“Morning,” Chad said. “Taking the kids out into town?”
“And some,” Falcon said. “What brings you up here?”
“Got a favor to ask.”
“Come on in,” Falcon waved his hand for Chad to follow and went into the house.
Chad followed. He was thin and not so pale since he spent a lot of time out in the sun. But he was worn like a lot of people. His hair thin and he was balding, probably from lack of nutrition.
“Lea’s sick,” Chad said, scratching his head. “She’s pregnant with them twins and they’re taking the toll on her. Ration and Barter day ain’t until Tuesday and that’s five days away.”
“Don’t you have food?” Falcon asked.
“Some. I got oats, that granola, a little water, jerky and stuff like that, but I was hoping you would trade one of the soup jars. She needs meat and vegetables.”
Falcon breathed out. “You know that stuff is saved for the winter for my kids.”
“I know. I know.” Chad nodded. “But I need to get that stuff in my wife and to my kids in her belly.”
“I understand.”
“I got you this for the trade.” He set a jar on the table.
“Milk?” Falcon asked.
“Yep. Went to Garrett’s farm; he has milk, lots of it. He barters it out in jars. Cows are doing well. Don’t know how.”
“He barters for feed,” Falcon said lifting the jar. “But he doesn’t barter milk until Tuesday.”