Chapter 21: Promises, Promises

The PACAF Inspector General threw everything they could at them. During simulated attacks, units from other bases like Misawa, Japan, Osan, Korea, and Kadena on Okinawa roared over the base. Sometimes they were chased by a Wolfpack F-16. They were “bombed” by F-15s, F-16s and A-10s and often it sounded like the fourth of July with all the explosions. Smoke grenades filled the air with various colors of smoke and the security forces were constantly under terrorist attack. The sound of M-16s firing blanks filled the air day and night.

Wedge and Roxie usually made their way back to the dorm at night alone, and they agreed that if either were sleeping when they got home, they would let that partner sleep. Even though they were exhausted when they got home, they fought to stay awake for the other, but it was nearly impossible. Sometimes Wedge’s mind was spinning so fast from the day’s activities that he had a tough time falling asleep and Roxie could always tell when that happened because the next morning she would find him asleep on the floor next to her bed.

February literally came in with a bang. The IG tried to make sure that the shortest month of the year was also the loudest. An army helicopter squadron and a marine Harrier squadron had taken up home on Kunsan for the week. For some reason, the helicopters landed using the taxiway as their runway and almost landed on top of Wedge. He and Anna heard the load crew in the back laughing and yelling, so when he checked his mirrors, he saw a pair of Apache attack helicopters behind him. Later, an apology came to him from Base Ops, who said that the flight of choppers did not know that runway 27 did not exist.

The exercise started on Monday, and it wasn’t until Thursday when they were ducked into a shelter for an alert black that the inspectors came looking for him. “Who was driving this truck?” asked an inspector as he patted Juvat four.

“That was me,” said Wedge. He had just sat down next to Roxie and it was the first time they were able to shelter together.

“Name, rank, and last four please.”

“Donovan, Michael, A. Tech Sergeant, 0210.”

Another inspector pinned a “smart dead” tag on him and said, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered to bid farewell to Michael Donovan...”

“Did you sit up all night thinking that one up?” chuckled Donovan as he pulled off his mask. It was damn cold, so he put his mask back on. While he gathered his bag, he asked the inspector, “would someone be able to hear me inquire about a hoagie for dinner from beyond the grave?”

“No, I’m sorry, you’re dead, no one can hear you.”

“But I will pray for roast beef,” said Roxie sadly.

That night when she got back to the dorm, a roast beef hoagy with mayo and mustard just how she liked it was waiting for her, as was a steaming hot cup of chicken soup. “Were you lonely without me?” she asked Wedge who had nodded off in his “reading chair.”

“Oh, hey baby,” he said, and he got up and gave her a kiss. “I was chatting with that Vietnamese girl from Minnesota. She and her husband already got a follow-on assignment to Osan.”

“Lanh? She’s a sweetheart,” said Roxie. “She says since she can’t have kids, she and her husband are pouring everything into their education. They’re having a contest to see who can get their doctorate first.”