training, making them qualified as combat swimmers, at HALO insertions,
and at combat operations deep behind enemy lines. They’d been assigned
to the U Feng operation because of their experience as forward air
controllers, and several of them shouldered the heavy, square cases
which held GLD equipment.
But their training also made them ideal for another type of mission.
“Listen up, people,” the officer in command of the unit said. Lieutenant
Francis Nolan Miller spoke softly but with absolute authority. “Team
assignments stay the same. So do the operational orders. The only
thing different is the initial objective. Once we have located and
freed any American hostages in the target area, original mission
directives are in force. Our first concern, however, is the safety of
Americans being held in that camp. Questions?”
“Yeah, LT,” someone said. “Whose screw-up was it this time?”
Miller allowed himself a tight grin. Last-minute changes to operations
such as this one were detested by the troops. They never failed to make
things more complicated … and more likely to go wrong. Inevitably
there was always someone who didn’t get the word. “It’s ours now,
Wojtascek,” he said.
“It’s in our laps so it’s our problem. Right? Move out.”
The Marines began separating into the four-man units favored by Recon.
Miller searched the LZ until he saw a That general standing with several
of his staff officers nearby. He walked up to the men and saluted.
“General Vinjit?”
“Yes, Lieutenant,” the general said in accented English. He was
dressed, like the others, in camouflage fatigues. Only the star on his
baseball cap showed that he was a brigade-level commander. “Your men
are ready?”
“Yes, sir. I just wanted to make sure we’re straight on the plan.
You’ll keep your forces back and out of sight until you hear from us.”
The general’s mouth twitched impatiently. “I and my men know our
duties, Lieutenant. You see to yours.” He turned away and continued
discussing the map with his staff.
“Yes, sir.” Miller returned to where his own team was waiting.
“Trouble, Lieutenant?” Gunnery Hunnicker asked.
“Nah.” He glanced back at the That officers. “Language barrier.”
Miller had an unpleasant feeling about this last-second change in plans.
Originally, the Recon Marines were to move in close to the U Feng
perimeter and serve as forward observers, first for the Hornets
designated as Chickenhawk, then for the Intruders designated
Thunderbird. The Marines would then step aside while Vinjit’s men took
the camp back from whoever had survived the air attack.
Now, though, the presence of American hostages in U Feng had changed
things. The air strike was to be delayed until either the Americans
were rescued, or until Lieutenant Miller reported that rescue was
impossible.
Either way, the bombers would not go in until after they’d heard from
the Marines.
There was so much which could go wrong. The enemy had to know that
several thousand That troops were in the vicinity. If the Thais were
discovered, getting those Americans out of U Feng might be impossible,
and Lieutenant Miller and his men would be left dangling.
If everything went according to plan …
Of course, Miller knew better than to expect that. The only question
was just what would go wrong … and when.
0736 hours, 21 January
U Feng
Hsiao knew the Thais were coming, of course. It was impossible to miss
them. Their aircraft, milling about north of Chiang Mai, stood out
clearly on radar, and his scouts had reported That airmobile forces
gathering several kilometers to the southeast.
How best to answer the threat? Hsiao had expected the enemy to begin
with a massive air strike. Once certain that the Thais were committed,
he would have ordered his own interceptors airborne, sending them off to
the north as if in retreat. When the RTAF pursued, they would cross the
Taeng River Valley west of U Feng where he’d arrayed the majority of his
hidden SAM batteries. The J-7s would then turn and fall upon the
survivors. Meanwhile, his ground-attack aircraft, still based safely
across the border at Mong-koi, would stoop on the ground troops,
destroying their trucks, their helicopters, their weapons positions,
leaving the troops easy marks for his own soldiers.