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Operation Red Moon
North Korea
0500 Hours Day 6 Month 6 Year 2010
Operation: Red Moon

? THE JUNGLE?

The sounds of bushes rustling and the wind blowing along the tree line also the sunlight beating upon your face giving you its infinite warmth makes the jungle seem like paradise. But if there?s a close quarters battle going on at that very spot the jungle is a death trap do you begin to hyperventilate, your legs begin to freeze and your whole body shuts down except for your brain. That?s the only part still recording the images of your fallen comrades and the screams and cries for help. This is what happened that day to my squad and myself but for you to find out what really went on I have to go back to the beginning.

Fort Brag, North Carolina
? SQUAD LEADER?

I never expected to be squad leader but when the top brass picks you to lead a group of soldiers into the battlefield you don?t have much of choice. My squad consisted of 4 very skilled, naﶥ and probably the worst people you can ever put in a unit but what can I say they?re my hell raisers and I love them. The first time I saw my squad was during their basic training I remember a tall figure crawling under the barbed wire his fatigue was covered in mud, his face had the expression of a man striving for perfection and his eyes were those of a lone wolf they gave him a nickname tall guy.
Another man I remember seeing was well built, tall and often doing latrine duty for his behavior towards his drill sergeant is very skilled in wielding a M249 SAW if you saw this guy work with that weapon you would think why would anyone put this maniac in the armed forces? To answer that question the only place you can shoot like a madman and get away with it is in the army. The other two I didn?t get to see because they were getting ready for their exam on identifying friendly and enemy vehicles and weapons.

Fort Brag, North Carolina
Ghost Squad Barracks

? INTRODUCTIONS?

I never did like to introduce myself I always felt like actions speak louder than words but in this case I?ll make an exception.
?All right my name is Roy Maxwell I?m the team leader of ghost squad?
?Now that I introduced myself would anyone else like to try or we could get better acquainted by doing some PT?
?No that?s all right I?ll go? said the figure standing by his bunk
?My name is Outlaw that?s all you need to know.?
? I?m Burdoy? said the figure near the lockers
? And I?m Rivera? said the other figure parallel to Burdoy
Command Post

?IF I DIE IN A COMBAT ZONE?

None of us have ever been in combat zone before this will be our first time think of it as a baptism by fire. I have no intention of dying in combat but if I do I at least want a proper burial but enough about me.
?All right listen up ghost squad, Roy I need you to take your boys into Kaesong and destroy their base and find any documents pertaining to any advanced weaponry or anything of that matter?? said Col. Baker
?Affirmative? I said
? Sir what?s the ROE on this mission?? said Burdoy
?Shoot only when shot at other wise try to avoid confrontation? said Baker
?One other thing Roy you will HALO over Haeju and meet your contact his call sign is ?Snake Eater? said Baker
?Yes Sir? the squad responded

Onboard C-130 heading for Haeju

?GORY GORY? WHAT A HELLA WAY TO DIE?

As the squad gets ready for the red light to turn green the pilot gives a signal that means 2 minutes for drop off. As I check my watch it hits 0300 hours if this was any other day I would be sleeping or cleaning my weapons.
?Stand UP! Move to the rear! Stand By!? said the pilot
?Spread your wings and fly! May god be with you? said the co-pilot
The squad jumps off the C-130 and begins their descent to Haeju as they free fall for about 1 minute they open their parachutes but Rivera has trouble with his parachute and begins to take his main off and tries the reserve his efforts are useless?.
After landing at the outskirts of Haeju the squad begins to look for Rivera but all they find is him hanging from a tree his neck was twisted, his arms and legs were broken and his left eye was dangling form its socket.
?All right there?s nothing we can do for him?take his gear and lets move out?
As the Burdoy and Outlaw take Rivera?s gear I give a SITREP to command and all I get from them is ?continue your mission? its pretty ******** up but its true we have to continue. As we begin to move each step we take may be our last I know I?m supposed to set an example for my men by being a calm and confident leader but I just can?t do it one of my men died before we even started to go to Kaesong.
? Commencing Operation: Red Moon? I said

? A DAY OF SURPRISES AND BLOODSHED?
Operation: Red Moon
0600 hours
Day 1 Month 6 Year 2010

We reach the outskirts of a village that reeks of dead bodies I?ve never smelled something so foul in my life and to make things worse the village had a eerie vibe surrounding it like when George Bush hides behind his father type of thing and I know he was only president till 2008 but it doesn?t hurt to joke. We begin to move in through the flanks of the village I took the right and Burdoy and Outlaw took the left as I went to search a nearby hut I found a body barely recognizable, burn marks on the face and the rest of the body was like hamburger meat. I took a moment to gather myself up I almost threw up while trying to avoid the stench meanwhile Burdoy and Outlaw found a survivor a young man who had one ear. I couldn?t get any valuable information from the guy because the only person who knew the language was Rivera so I guess were screwed.
Suddenly a mysterious woman came running towards us and amazingly enough she spoke English and I thought to myself could she be a spy for the NK forces?
?Hello my name is Melissa my call sign is Snake Eater?
What the hell is going on I thought command said the contact was a man? Never mind she?ll be of some use to us.
?All right, my name is Roy and this is Burdoy and that?s Outlaw?
?Who sent you?? Melissa said in commanding voice
?Eisenhower and George Patton? I said
Melissa started to laugh as she began to walk towards me and she said ?We work for the same side except I?m not supposed to be here I?m CIA a government spook and when this is over I?ll quit and begin a new life.?
?Well if we ever do finish I?ll buy you drink? I said
?Deal, now follow me I got a NK truck just West of this position I?ll take you to Kaesong? Melissa said
I?m beginning to like my contact its like she?s my guardian angel.
As we moved to the trucks position all of us started to notice the eerie silence that followed us so I told Burdoy and Outlaw to hold their position as I went to check out what was really going on. As I moved my feet began to sweat and hand automatically slinged the rifle to my right shoulder and took out my M9 meanwhile my other hand took out my combat knife I thought that I was actually going to kill someone but what I came across was a dog looking for food. When we got to the truck all I could see was blood I mean the inside of the damn thing was covered in blood with chunks of skin and brain matter everywhere I told Burdoy and Outlaw to go in the back and I?ll take the front.
?Hey Roy your an a*****e how come you get to go in front with the babe and we get stuck with janitor duty? Outlaw said
? Because what ever I tell you to do you?ll do it now buck up or I?ll leave your sorry a** here with that villager? I said

Operation: Red Moon
1300 hours
Day 3 Month 6 Year 2010

?ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR?WHAT A BUNCH A BULLSHIT?

While I was in doing my training up in Georgia I heard that some guy got the idea to bring his girlfriend into the war so they could spend some quality time together now that?s a bad idea. First of all if you bring your lover into a battlefield make sure she knows how to operate a weapon and also knows how to camouflage because what happened to that guy wasn?t pretty. Ok so one night he and his girl are getting a little grabby in a foxhole so when the guy stops and goes to take a piss that?s when a NK soldier sliced his manhood off and started to cut him up into little pieces so then the girl grabs her dead boyfriend?s SAW and begins to spray the ******** with everything the gun had, in all the confusion the guy gets up and gets turned into hamburger meat by his girl.
We stopped in a city just outside Kaesong?s base naturally Americans would be shot on sight if the soldiers knew we were steps away from base so we let Melissa go in and get a place for us. She?s fluent in English, Japanese and Korean hell she even threw in a bonus and got us the most expensive room in the hotel. We got to the room and started to put our weapons across the bed and begin to unpack our gear we planned to recon the area for 2 days and then strike. Melissa went to bathroom to take a shower and Burdoy and Outlaw went to sleep on the floor. Meanwhile as Melissa was taking her sweet time in the shower she began to sing in Japanese but all I heard was the title of the song ? Hitomi No Kakera? after she got out of the shower her body glowed as she began to walk towards me.
?I see you heard me singing? she said in a calm soothing voice
I replied nervously ?Yeah so what if I did?
?I?ll sing to you if we make out of this hell hole alive? she said
?Fine it?s a deal I?ll protect you until we complete our mission? I said
Melissa began to blush and felt embarrassed so she went into her room.

Operation: Red Moon
2300 hours
Day 4 Month 6 Year 2010

?CQC?

CQC stands for close quarters combat meaning when your weapon is of no use your last resort is your knife and any body part that can be used to inflict damage on an enemy. I don?t like CQC situations even during basic training I felt nervous to even try anything on my comrades because I felt like sooner or later I would have eventually killed one of my ?family.?
As Burdoy, Outlaw and Melissa were doing recon of the area with nvg?s and binoculars I walk toward the bathroom to wash my face and shave. Meanwhile, I heard the door open slightly I reacted by taking my knife out of its sheath and slowly but cautiously approaching the door when I got there I peered through the hole and saw it was an NK soldier doing his patrol I waited till his back was to me and I opened the door then I grabbed his neck and threw him into the room. Afterward I closed the door and put my knife to his neck almost piercing the skin and told Melissa to interrogate him for any info he might have on the base and this area. Before Melissa could?ve even get to the soldier two men armed with AK-47?s bashed the door and tried to capture us.
I took the guy on the left while Melissa took the one on right while I pushed the rifle away from my direction I took my knife and thrust it into his neck then I kicked his legs to get him on his knees and I grabbed his arm while the knife still stuck in his neck and broke it. During the struggle Melissa took care of the guy by quickly disarming him and bashed his face on the wall repeatedly until he dropped to the floor then she ended his misery by cracking his neck. After that brawl with the two soldiers the last guy was about to grab his AK when Outlaw and Burdoy beat down the guy till he was black and blue.
?That?ll teach you to grab a weapon when ghost squad is around? Outlaw said in a serious voice
Burdoy added ?Next time we won?t be so generous Melissa he?s all yours?
Melissa started to have a weird grin of satisfaction as she grabbed the guy and handcuffed him to a chair.
Melissa started to speak Korean to the guy and 1 minute into it the guy is already pleading for his life and begging to be set free. I asked Melissa what did she say to him.
?I asked him if he knew what dental torture was and that if he didn?t cooperate with us I would take his teeth out one by one until he complied.?
I replied with a shocked look on my face ?Next time just say you?ll shoot one of his fingers I mean c?mon its bad enough that he?s almost dead and not mention his buddies are right next to him.?
?Fine have it your way? Melissa said
After 5 minutes of interrogation the guy dies and all we got is that the base is barely guarded and that troop strength is about 100 men but at least its better than hearing its heavily guarded and troop strength is 1000 men.

Operation: Red Moon
0900 hours
Day 5 Month 6 Year 2010

?MOUT?

MOUT means Military Operations in Urban Terrain basically saying that today?s battlefields are no longer in trenches or forests but in cities were anything can happen a claustrophobic environment waiting to suck the life out of you.
?Hey Roy get up we need to get moving? Melissa whispered into my ear
I began to toss and turn and fell right back to sleep.
?That?s it Roy get up now!? she said in a demanding voice as she removed the sheets from me. I began to wake up only to notice Melissa was staring at something I asked what it was and she responded by saying ?nice tent.? I began to laugh as I went to freshen up and gear up. Burdoy and Outlaw were waiting in the hallway covering the flanks Melissa told me that she intercepted a radio conversation saying that this city is going to be overrun by NK soldiers at 1000 hours and if we didn?t hump it out to the base we would be overrun and killed.
Now after I geared up I told everyone we had to go on foot to the base and the base was about 15 miles from our position.
?Now you expect us to walk 15 miles to a base are you nuts!? Burdoy screamed
I replied in a calm voice ?Only in the morning now lets move out?

1130 hours
After walking for about 8 miles we take a rest near the next city?. a bad mistake on my part, the city was bombed out and felt like a ghost town as we got near a small building there was a sign that read ?Trespassers will be shot and survivors will be fraged.?
?Burdoy, Outlaw take Melissa and secure any building that looks suspicious on the right flank I?ll take care of the left flank? I said
?Affirmative? Outlaw and Burdoy said
As we went our separate ways I saw a glimmer from the building that seemed to overlook the right flank so I went to investigate it as I walked slowly up the stairs I couldn?t hear anything I began to move faster and more aggressively taking my M9 out and securing all the floors. I reached the 7 floor which was the last floor and only had two rooms I first went to the room on my right which was used for storage before I went to the other room I holstered my pistol and switched my rifle from single to automatic. Meanwhile, Burdoy tells Melissa and Outlaw to hold their position and wait till he gets back from checking out the tower of the church when he got up there he began to stumble, throw up and hyperventilate so he tried to calm himself down by sitting near a window and smoke a cig that he had with him. After he lit his cig and gave a few puffs a sniper crushed his face in. I heard the shot come from the last room I didn?t know who got shot at but I wasn?t gonna let him shot again so I got my grenade out took the pin off and threw it in the room after the explosion I rushed in and started to spray anything when the smoke cleared all I saw was an arm holding a sniper rifle.
After I cleared the room of the sniper the building began to shake a little I wasn?t going to take any chances with the stairs so I used some rope to rappel down to ground level Melissa saw me going down the building so she ran to see if everything is on order.
?What the hell are you doing?!? she said shockingly
?What does it look like I?m rappelling or are you blind!? I replied with a yell
Just then a piece of the building tore off and was coming down fast were I was and Melissa had already gone for cover and I was on the 2nd floor so I jumped as far as I could away form the building to slide down to ground level. When I reached my target area I cut the rope with my knife then ran like hell but when the piece shattered and scattered parts of broke my leg and some parts of my ribs I also lost consciousness.

Operation: Red Moon
1330 hours
Day 5 Month 6 Year 2010

?WHY WE FIGHT?

When I regained consciousness we were already near the base just a half-mile away. Outlaw and Melissa had set camp and set up some traps in case any NK were to follow us and Melissa was giving me first aid to my wounds. Outlaw tried to get in touch with command but there was too much static in the area.
?Sir are you all right,? Outlaw said
?You don?t have to call me sir just Roy,? I said
?Your lucky none of the pieces hit your spine or else we would need to abort this mission,? Melissa said
I had just remembered that Burdoy wasn?t with us so I asked where did he go no one responded the both of them just looked away then I realized I lost another comrade one friend of mine who?s next of kin will be getting an folded flag.
?******** WHAT THE HELL ARE WE FIGHTING FOR!!!? I began to scream and cry
?HOW IS IT THAT WE GIVE OUR LIVES TO PROTECT ONE ANOTHER FOR PRIDE, HONOR AND MANY OTHER REASONS BUT FOR WHAT PRICE? FREEDOM OF COURSE THAT?S ALWAYS THE ANSWER!!?
I lost consciousness but before that I tried to reach my grenade so I could pull the pin and end my suffering but I didn?t have enough strength to do so.

Operation: Red Moon
1950 hours
Day 5 Month 6 Year 2010

?NOSTALGIA?

Before I joined the Army my father told that a soldier isn?t a robot that only has a desire to kill he told me that a soldier is just a normal person who risks their life?s for the good of others. Those words are my guideline I follow them as if it were a law because the only reason why I?m getting out of the army is because I can?t stand how guys laugh and joke over someone they just killed and not show any emotion. I know this to be true because I have a friend in the Marine Corps he has zero tolerance for smart asses and even less for guys who show no emotion because they think it will ruin their masculinity and in a few month months he?ll be deployed to Vietnam. But I need to focus on what is in front of me not what away from me.

The cold night began and my teeth started to hit together so fast I could start a campfire. Outlaw tried to get in contact with command again this time it worked he patched me in with Col. Baker.
?Roy? Roy are you all right?? Baker said
?Yeah I?m doing fine Colonel I?ll give a SITREP in a few I just need you to give me some extra background on the base.? I said
?All right you?re just in luck we got some new Intel on the base it seems that no documents were found in their possession we got this from another contact inside the base an NK soldier.?
?Well now I guess that leaves one option?
?Destroy it?
?What about the other contact in the base??
?He?ll be far away before the base is destroyed don?t worry about it?
?Affirmative continuing mission?
I want to take a piss but I?m injured so I had Outlaw help me out.





Operation: Red Moon
2340 hours
Day 5 Month 6 Year 2010

?A MOMENT OF REMEMBRANCE?

I began to think about my life before I joined the army I remember that I used to write war stories and cadences during class while the teacher wasn?t looking. I also knew a lot of interesting people while in high school one of the moments I still laugh about was when my friend began to do the robot it was very funny and I also had another friend who mocked the way I talked he would always say my voice as deep as possible which sounded like a cross between a drill instructor and a very pissed off teacher.
Furthermore, I took an JROTC program while in the school because I had to but after a while I began to enjoy it and started to work my way up the ranks I reached Master Sergeant and had a job as Military Police. I also had a friend who was a captain in the program he would often tell us to do something and at the end of every sentence he would say it?s an order and start to laugh. Meanwhile, I had a cousin who was a 1st Sergeant and he nicknamed me dog because when I gave orders it seemed to sound like I was barking.
Now I lived a pretty good life back home lots of friends, good parents, good education but I wanted more I always wanted to be a writer to write about anything I liked to write maybe when I finish this damn mission it can came true. I stopped thinking about home and went back to sleep.

Operation: Red Moon
0330 hours
Day 6 Month 6 Year 2010

?SHOWTIME?

I woke up again but this time Outlaw and Melissa had gone to destroy the base, as I got ready for their arrival I began to go insane images of the people I knew or had killed came to haunt me in the dark cold jungle. I took out my knife and the reflection of light hit the corner of my right eye as I slowly moved the knife to eye level I saw myself my eyes looked like a prisoner preparing for his suicide. At that moment I had an epiphany I found a new respect for life I often told my self that suicide is necessary but suicide isn?t the answer. Suddenly, Outlaw and Melissa came back and told me that they were waiting for us I began to think if it was the contact from the base that sold us out but I told them we call in for an air strike we just had to get to the extraction zone, which was east from our current position.






Operation: Red Moon
0500 hours
Day 6 Month 6 Year 2010

?THE JUNGLE?

Since my injury still made it impossible for me to run I had Outlaw cover the rear and Melissa help me walk.
?Roy I?m going to call the air strike in,? Outlaw said as got the radio ready
?All right here are the coordinates EM 2-8-9-0? I said
Just then a squad of NK soldiers start to engage us I threw myself to Outlaw and got my M9 out as he got the M249 ready and Melissa got behind him to call in the air strike. A CQB battle began with both sides pouring every bit of ammo they had.
?s**t call in the ******** air strike already? Outlaw screamed
?Melissa get command and tell them we need an air strike at the base NOW!!? I barked at her
She began to freeze from head to toe without even moving her lips so I gave her my M9 and told her I would call it in.
?Command this is ghost leader requesting air strike at coordinates Echo Mike two eight niner zero? I said
?Roger that ghost leader a F-16 is moving towards the target?
?Roget that moving to extraction point? I said
I took out a smoke grenade from Outlaw?s grenade pouch and threw it to conceal ourselves so we could move out safely. As we got near our destination a UH-60 Blackhawk came to pick us up and it also gave us cover fire the first one on the helicopter was Melissa then it was myself then came Outlaw?s turn to get in when a bullet hit him in the shoulder he fell inside but he started to bleed a lot. Meanwhile, the Blackhawk took off and Melissa gave Outlaw immediate aid she said he would make it I was pleased and I stared at the base getting blown up in the distance.

Operation: Red Moon Completed

When we got back to command Col. Baker told me he was going to cite me up for a medal and I replied by slamming him into a wall and saying ? I don?t want a medal for what I did and medals don?t help me sleep at night its bad enough I got the nightmares haunting but I have to stare at the medals to remember what I went through to get them? He replied by nodding and letting me get myself to my barracks.

Six months have passed since I quit the army with Outlaw the both of us still keep in touch and we go fishing on occasion during the summer. The sky is always gray during the winter in Boston I always hated gray days but I did like the rain I don?t know why but it seemed to make me feel relaxed and optimistic about the future. When I got back from shopping I placed all the items were they needed to be and went to sleep.

1 hour later

I was half asleep when I heard a soothing voice singing a song into my ear I heard every word of it the song went like this.

anata dake ni aitakute imademo zutto
ame no hi ni wa omoidasu negai hitotsu dake

anata no mune ni wasureta
watashi no kakera
mada soko ni aru?

tojita honno naka nemutteru
omoide to iu na no PANDORA no houseki
toiki shinobaseta tameraide
itsumademo miteita
here in the rain

kinou chitta hanabira wo oshinde naita
anata no koto sukoshizutsu wasurete ikuyou de

watashi wa anata no kakera
anata no mune e kaeritai dake

kake ochita watashi no hitomi wa
mikazuki no katachi ni kowareta QUOOTSU
hikari mitasu no wa anata dake
itsumademo matteru
here in the rain

anata ni tada aitakute...

tojita honno naka nemutteru
omoide to iu na no PANDORA no houseki
toiki shinobaseta tameraide
itsumademo miteita

kake ochita watashi no hitomi wa
mikazuki no katachi ni kowareta QUOOTSU
mune wo mitasu no wa anata dake
itsumademo matteru
here in the rain

kakera wo sagashite

When I finally opened my eyes I saw Melissa she stood right next to me and said ? I told you I was going to start a new life but I want to start it with you.?