Chapter 21

The President was addressing a special session of both houses of Congress. Normally, he addressed a joint session once a year to report on the State of the Union. It is very rare otherwise. If it does happen, it is normally reserved for most serious matters such as declarations of war and major national crises. This special address was scheduled for eight o’clock in the evening. The TV networks were carrying the speech live, although there had been no advance word regarding its subject matter.

The President was introduced by the Speaker of the House of Representatives in whose chamber the joint session was held. It was obvious from the good cheer and fellowship that, even though the networks didn’t know what the President was going to say, the Congressional leadership did and approved of it in advance. From the joviality on the podium, whatever the subject was, it was not a national crisis. Moreover, even before starting his address it was clear that the President’s proposal had bipartisan support.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, I have asked you to grant me the favor of addressing both houses of Congress this evening. I have a problem that I believe you can help me with. Unlike so many others, this problem is neither life-threatening nor does its solution require multi-year appropriations of billions of dollars.

“The problem is one of appropriate recognition for extraordinary service to our country. I intend to tell you a series of stories and then propose a course of action to you.

“First, there is a captain in Army Special Forces. This captain singlehandedly stopped the Russian advance in the recent war by blowing up the bridge across the River Weser and, as a by-product, nearly destroyed the last intact first-line Soviet armored division left on the Western Front. The captain also wiped out a Soviet patrol of ten men using a sniper rifle. Later the officer was wounded and evacuated back to England. The captain was awarded the Medal of Honor for the bridge, the Silver Star for the patrol, and the Purple Heart for the wounds in action.

“Then there is an army major. The major went through Special Forces training in Quantico in command of a training class. The major insisted that the class would set records that would last at the school. The class set records in every category maintained by the school. The major, more or less as an afterthought, set every personal record the school has.

“The major was then sent to England to prepare for the Allied assault against the Warsaw pact troops. No one at headquarters could figure out how such an assault could be successfully launched because of the Russians’ very creative use of a mobile reserve. To make this work the Soviet front line is kept a bit thin. At several points along the line there are concentrations of artillery and armor within reach of any point along its assigned sector. As soon as an attack begins, the Soviets would allow the attacker to penetrate and then use their reserves to smash the spearhead while the front-line troops attack on both flanks. The major figured out how to neutralize this tactic. The major received the Legion of Merit for planning the attack.

“Then there is an Army lieutenant colonel. The colonel first extended the major’s plans to exploit the breakthrough, then personally took out the Soviet reserve command post the major had identified. Our attack roared through the Russian front lines and completely smashed the Soviet troops. The colonel was wounded but personally killed eighty of the enemy and held the position until relieved by the 82^nd Airborne Division.

“Incidentally, we later learned that we suffered fewer casualties in the breakthrough than we expect to have in a field training exercise. In one armored unit in the spearhead the only casualty was a soldier who sprained his ankle jumping down from his tank after the battle was over. The lieutenant colonel was awarded the Medal of Honor for the eighty troops killed, the Distinguished Service Medal for the planning, and the Purple Heart for wounds suffered in action. Nothing has been done to reward the officer for successfully carrying out the mission of destroying the command structure of the Soviet reserve forces that permitted the attack to succeed.

“Then there is an Army colonel. This colonel, after the successes I just mentioned, trained a number of LRRP teams to do the same thing the lieutenant colonel had done as we pressed forward with our attack. The result was that we chopped up the Warsaw Pact forces while sustaining virtually no casualties of our own. This colonel also opened negotiations with Field Marshal Mikhail Solov of the Soviet Army. Marshal Solov defected to the West.”

“Finally, there is an Army brigadier general. This general met Marshal Solov and engineered the surrender of the Warsaw Pact forces. The Soviet Politburo resigned en masse and a new government of the Russian Republics was created. The general has been awarded a new decoration by Russia, the Gold Cross of the Republic, the highest award that exists in Republican Russia, as its tribute to the exploit. Our government has done nothing ... yet.”

The President smiled quizzically at the congressmen. “Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you? What can we do? You see, as some of you already know, the captain, major, lieutenant colonel, colonel, and brigadier general are the same person. These are the exploits of a single person and all took place within the last six months.

“That person is a young woman named Kelly Jackson! Kelly now has two Medals of Honor, one Distinguished Service Cross, one Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Silver Star and two Purple Hearts. In addition, she holds Great Britain’s Victoria Cross, the highest award for valor the United Kingdom can award. She holds the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor, the highest award for valor given by France.

“Germany has reactivated the Golden Order of the Knights Cross for her. It is the highest award for gallantry the Federal Republic of Germany can ever award. There is also the small matter of the receiving the keys to the German Federal Republic. Kelly is given credit for reunifying Germany, helping them achieve a German dream of over forty years standing.

“Finally, she has just received the Gold Cross of the Republic, created for her by the Republic of the Russias.

“We spend a great deal on defense. With Kelly, I think we’ve spent more on the ammunition she’s expended than on her salary. You see, she has almost no seniority. She still hasn’t been in the Army a year yet. She is now a major general. The question is how do we recognize a person who almost singlehanded won a major war ... with negligible casualties on both sides ... and then won the peace?

“For a solution to this puzzle I propose the creation of a new award, the Congressional and Presidential Gold Cross of Liberty. This award will be a permanent addition to our military awards structure. It can only be awarded on the personal recommendation of the President and requires a formal vote of both houses of Congress. This will become the senior United States award for valor and distinguished military service.

“I propose Kelly Jackson as the first recipient of this medal. I hope you will support me and grant to Major General Kelly Jackson the recognition she so richly deserves. Thank you.”

The President did not leave the chamber. Instead he was offered a seat on the podium. Following his address the chairmen of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees gave short speeches formally introducing the legislation. While still in joint session, the two houses individually passed the legislation creating the Cross of Liberty and making the first award to Major General Kelly Jackson. The two pieces of legislation were passed by the two houses of Congress within a few minutes. Finally, the President signed the law that had already been drafted for his signature in anticipation of its passage. He returned to the rostrum.

“Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.” He grinned broadly at the two houses, continuing, “Now why can’t it always be this easy?” There was a round of laughter from the Congress.

The President continued, “Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pride to introduce to you Major General Kelly Jackson, United States Army, whom you have just recognized by voting to award her the first Gold Cross of Liberty. Before bestowing the award, though, I should give you some background. Kelly is only nineteen years old. Until a few days ago, she didn’t have a high-school diploma. Nevertheless, she won the war with her bravery and with her brains.

“It seems she was reading Soviet armored doctrine ... in the original Russian. It was never translated into English. She listened in to the Russian command post where the general commanding the reserve forces at our point of attack was located. Kelly waited for him to give the orders to his front-line commanders to fall back away from our assault and then took him out along with the generals commanding his five reserve divisions before the order to move into their blocking and attack positions could be given. She then proceeded to knock off anyone who looked like he might be interested in taking command.

“Finally, there is no doubt about one thing: Kelly Jackson is the most beautiful general in any army in the world.” The President turned to the side and said, “Kelly, will you please come forward?”

Kelly walked out on the podium wearing her dress blues. She had been asked not to wear the Medal of Honor which normally is worn around the neck with the dress uniform. She saluted the President smartly as an aide came over with a jewelers box. The President spoke into the microphone, “To Major General Kelly Jackson: For exemplary military service so far beyond the bounds of expectation it leaves your countrymen speechless. For winning a war, and winning a peace. For saving countless thousands of lives. For sparing a continent from the destruction of modern war. For courage and bravery that has never been seen before. We, the Congress of the United States, acting on the recommendation of the President, present you the highest award your grateful countrymen can bestow, the Gold Cross of Liberty!”

The President hung the cross, made of 22 carat gold, around her neck. The broad ribbon from which it hung was gold with a single red stripe. He kissed Kelly on the cheek and said softly, “I’m looking forward to attending your wedding. Thank you for remembering to invite me!”

Kelly went to the rostrum and looked out at the sea of faces. She could see the bright lights of the television cameras as she began to speak. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much. I really don’t know what to say. I consider myself the luckiest person on the face of the earth. Less than a year ago I was a prisoner of the KGB and was contemplating suicide. There was nothing for me to live for. I escaped and met the man who is soon to honor me above all women by making me his wife. I met a Russian general when I was a prisoner. He befriended me and helped me as much as he could. By luck, working together we were able to bring the war to a successful close.

“In the last few months I have met some of the finest military minds the world has ever produced: General Samuel Adams, General Edward Carlson, General James Ames. There are many, many more. I am here this evening to say that you, and the American people you represent, have every reason to be very proud of these men. They have served you well.

“It is said that defense isn’t cheap. It’s not. But it’s not the money, it’s the men. Were it not for Adams, Carlson, Ames, and many others like them, I would not be here tonight. I would be dead. Their troops took me out of a series of deadly situations. You should be very proud. I know I am very proud to know them and to have had the privilege of serving under them and with them. Thank you for this great honor.”

Kelly executed a perfect salute to the Congress, turned on her heel and marched off the podium. As she turned, the congressmen came out of their seats and began to applaud and cheer as she left the hall.

In the TV newsrooms, there was consternation and chagrin. Here was the biggest story of the war and no one in the media had ever heard of it. Instantly assignments were made. As Kelly left the chamber by a side door she was mobbed by reporters. Mike joined her along with a phalanx of Capitol police and Secret Service men the President had made available to guard her. Everyone was screaming questions.

Mike grinned at Kelly who winked back at him. She yelled, “Quiet!” The news people were startled into silence.

Kelly looked around at the group and then said, “I will make a deal with you. I will spend time with two reporters. You can make whatever deals you want with them. I will be available until my wedding which is in about four weeks, and then we will see what happens. I am selecting Chris Collins and Bill Carlson. I will see the rest of you later. Chris and Bill, are you interested?”

Christine Collins was a top-level Washington reporter with one of the TV networks. Bill Carlson was a bylined writer with a conservative magazine who also wrote a syndicated newspaper column. Chris was predictably liberal while Bill was as predictably conservative.

Bill was the first to respond, “General, I would love to take you up on that.” He turned to Chris standing across from him and said, “How about it Chris? Are you game?”

“Hell, yes, I’m game!” she replied, “Let’s go!”

The foursome made their way out of the Capitol building. Mike asked Chris and Bill about their clothes, and then the four of them headed off in a taxi to Chris’s apartment in Georgetown. After getting her things together, they were waiting in front of the apartment house for a taxi. Suddenly, Kelly was grabbed around the neck from behind and felt the point of a knife against her throat. She sensed three other knife-wielding black men around her.