When the Dead Speak

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

"I really don't feel comfortable having my father discuss the subject, Officer Travis."

Frank listened as Joy Engle, Joe Kelly's daughter, explained by phone her father's fragile condition. Frank could hear kids talking in the background and Joy telling them to go outside by the pool.

"But you did explain to your father why I was calling? The case we're working on?"

"Yes, and I know he agreed to talk to you. It's just that his health is not..."

"Joy, give me the phone, dear."

Frank could hear another voice, then muffled voices as the mouthpiece of the phone was covered. Seconds later, a man's voice came on the line.

"Officer Travis?"

"Please, call me Frank, Lieutenant Colonel Kelly."

"Only if you call me Joe."

"All right, Joe." Frank explained the case and how they were trying to piece together Hap's whereabouts since Mushima Valley. "What can you tell me about Mushima Valley?"

Joe sucked in a deep breath. "A night doesn't go by that I don't think of those boys."

Contrary to his daughter's concerns, Joe sounded sturdy, youthful, as if he still did fifty push-ups every morning. His voice was deep, confident, with just a slight hint of the emphysema that racked his lungs.

"I dispatched my men to Hill Fifty-Six at sixteen-hundred-hours. We knew the North Koreans had a massive front organizing north of Hill Fifty-Six but we weren't sure of their strength. Our orders were to wait for the Marines and the air power. And, if necessary, delay the advance of the North Koreans."

"How many men comprised your task force?"

"Forty-five of the best men in the Army. They were like the Navy Seals and Green Berets combined. But the columns of civilians our planes saw hours before were a smoke screen. We lost communication sometime during the night. Didn't know what to think except the worst. Ended up a battalion of North Koreans and Chinese was waiting in the brush at the top of Hill Fifty-Six. They mowed down my men like they were sitting ducks." Joe's breathing sounded labored. "Damn, what a waste of good lives." His voice broke. Frank could hear Joy in the background saying, "Daddy, you don't have to do this."

"How did Hap Wilson's unit, the Twenty-fifth Infantry Division, get involved?"

"Montgomery, that's Major General Stanton Montgomery, offered to send a detail out to check on my men."

"Do you know their names?"

"No, just some of Montgomery's black boys." Joe coughed, wheezed. "Damn," he muttered under his breath.

"Black?" Frank's voice and diction usually did not give away his African American heritage. And right now, Frank wasn't about ready to tell him.

"Yes. The Twenty-fifth was a black unit."

"I thought the infantry was integrated. If I remember my history class, it was banned in 1947 or '48."

Frank swiveled in his chair to survey some of his fellow workers. Andy Branard and Maury Jackson, the newest recruits, one Caucasian, one African-American, were high-fiving each other, laughing. There was mutual respect in their eyes. Sergeant Ron Dorsey, due for retirement in a couple months, sat two desks away, complete disdain written all over his face as he watched the young detectives. They came from two different generations. Sometimes you hope things have changed.

"In principle only. There was too much in-fighting. Many commanding officers would rather separate the troops and have peace than try to follow the executive order and have fights and disorder among the ranks. Besides," Joe went through a ten-second coughing spasm before continuing, "what D.C. ordered and what actually happened thousands of miles away, hell, it was two different worlds. I had a couple of blacks in my task force. Never had a problem with my men. We had bigger fish to tackle." Joe heaved a sigh. "My men. Damn."

"Have you ever talked to the men who made it out?"

"I met with each of them at the hospital. All four had been unconscious when they were pulled out of there.

"So they don't remember anything about the rescue."

"Just what they were told. That four men from the Eighth pulled them out and drove them back to base. Those boys were decorated heroes." Joe coughed and wheezed again. Frank could hear Joy mumbling something.

"One last question, Joe. What does the term lightning strike mean?"

"That's when the North Koreans conducted a full assault, threw the whole damn shit load at us. It was quick and deadly. I guess you could say that's what my boys got."