Douglas Sea Devil Two

Mv Sea Dragon
1. Auflage 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4835-8322-8
Verlag: BookBaby
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 200 Seiten

Abner Luxor regains consciousness in the Critical Care Unit at Naval Hospital Philadelphia after he had been wounded on the beach at Hungnam, North Korea. Meanwhile back on USS LST-666 --- The Sea Devil, the Captain is informed his LST is being disguised as a coastal merchant ship, that will ply small ports up and down the Asian mainland and islands to buy and sell goods. However, the main thrust is to hunt down and kill off the ferocious pirates killing passengers and crew and taking the ships. The crew of the renamed ship --- MV Sea Dragon registered under the Swiss flag --- will be dressed as merchant seamen with a barely usable engine to entice the pirates to take over the ship. Two battles with pirates occur with success and tragedy of one KIA, several WIA, and one MIA. Meanwhile, a UDT detachment with a secret mission is deployed along the communist shoreline. On their second mission, one man is wounded; he is transferred via USCG Naha (Okinawa) Rescue One helicopter to USAF Hospital Naha. Another group of pirates attack with the same lack of success; again, several sailors are wounded. This time, a heavy cruiser intercepts the LST, removes the wounded, transfers replacement crew members, and Com7thFleet visits the ship, awarding the crew several medals and promoting the captain, Ezekiel Carter to Lieutenant Commander. Zeke receives new orders to assist the Chinese Nationalist Army on Taiwan augmenting troops and material on Quemoy Island just off the Chinese Communist mainland. The story will continue in Part Three.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Douglas, Mark

Leseproben

ONE Warrant Bo’sun Abner Luxor, USNR, was seriously wounded on Hungman Beach, North Korea, on the United Nations closing day, December 24, 1950, while the U. N. armed forces tried to hold onto North Korea. Luxor was machine gunned, brought back aboard barely alive, transported, first from his own ship USS LST-666 (also known as the Sea Devil), to the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany, then to US Naval Hospital Sasebo, Kyushu, Japan, where upon, after he was stabilized, he was air evacuated to US Naval Hospital Philadelphia. His lover, LTjg Marjorie Hellen, BSNC, accompanied him on an Air-Evac C-54 to US Naval Hospital Philadelphia. 1013, January 2, 1951 Intensive Care Ward US Naval Hospital Philadelphia, Penna Wha? Oh, that hurts. What hurts… . Oooo, everything hurts! Am I in a fog? I can’t open my eyes. Oh, my head hurts something awful. What’s that smell? Alcohol? Someone is holding my hand. Who can that be? One of the Korean refugees? Someone else is holding my other hand. Why are both my hands … Where am I? Two voices, women’s voices. English? Who are they? Well, asshole, if you open your eyes, you’ll find out. Nah, I don’t think so. The voices are not friendly. Is this a hospital bed? Okay, I'm in a hospital bed. Where am I? What’s this in my mouth? What happened to me? I remember … there were no more troops coming to us. Just many refugees. Then … then … nothing. So, where the fuck AM I? Ow, my head hurts. Oh, that hurts, too. Abner Luxor, Warrant Bo’sun (WO-1) USNR, began to recall being moved about. He thought he heard his girl friend Marjorie Hellen. Loud roaring sounds, brilliant white lights, and the stink of alcohol. Beyond that, his head buzzed and hurt. His mouth was dry. Abner tried to open his eyes. They felt glued shut. “His eye lids are fluttering,” the first voice shouted. “Shhhh. That usually means the patient is recovering consciousness,” second voice said sharply. “And keep your voice down.” First voice sniffed. “Well, I suppose a nurse would know that.—How do you know Luxie?” First Voice said suspiciously. Luxie? That's not Sheila. Is that Angie? Does that means I am back in Philly? Wha … The Navy Hospital? Hoooo boy—Angie! And the other voice, Marjorie? Oh man oh man! Well, here goes nothing. Maybe I better not … yet. Better listen and figure out what is going on. “Abner and I are in love and practically engaged.” Second voice said. That’s got to be Marjorie. What? Engaged? Hoo boy! Engaged. Where the fuck am I? “WHAT?” First voice exploded … sharply, loudly. Oh Yeah. That’s Angela. “You heard me.” Second Voice, intensely. “I said keep your voice down.” Abner opened his eyes and looked out at the hazy room thru his clouded eyes, slowly looked to the right and to the left. “Ladies, may I have my hands back, please?” He croaked with a gravelly not quite steady, barely understandable voice. Both ladies snatched their hands back and looked at Luxie. Lux rolled his head very slowly to the right because it hurt to move his head. He looked at Marjorie for a moment. Oh yeah. That’s my baby, all nursied up in white. He rolled his head slowly all the way to the left; he looked at Angie for another moment, focussing. Yepper, that’s Angela, in her business suit. “Hi Angela, I’m back!” Rolled his head faster Oooo, that hurt. All the way back to the right, head still hurting. Tried to smile. “Hi Honey. Am I back?” And this is where the story continues! Abner’s eyes were not focusing well. Looking slowly around him, he dimly made out his friend and attorney Edward T. Edward, standing at the foot of his bed. Why the hell is he here? What are they both doing here? Am I dying? “Hey Ed, long time no see,” he tried to say. “Do you think I’m dying?” His voice came out very weak and sounded like a frog croaking. Marjorie, acting nursily, all gussied up in her white uniform, slipped a straw in his mouth, glared at Ed, and smiled icily at Angela. “Take a sip, honey.” Angela glared at her; her fists closed on her hips, angrily. Ed, watching the girls’ feathers coming up, smiled at Abner, worried. “Well, I gotta tell you Abner, you look like death warmed over. What the hell happened to you?” After a moment, Lux. puzzling, began to speak slowly. “Ed, beats the shit out of me. The last thing I remember … I ran off the Main Ramp of the Sea Devil to see if any more equipment or troops were heading our way … We were the last LST beached on Hungnam North Beach, ready to retract. The Chinks were closing in and we needed to retract and get the fuck outta there! I could see a lot of Korean refugees were desperately running towards me. I waved them to hurry up. We had to close the Main Ramp and doors, and get the hell out of Dodge! … Small arms fire and grenades all over the place. The Chinks definitely had taken over. That’s the last I remember until a minute or so ago.” His voice was still croaking and sounded puzzled. “Luxie,” Marjorie spoke, “I got the story from Captain Carter. He said a North Korean or Chinese soldier jumped up and sprayed you with a burp gun. You took a grazing hit on your left temple, another bullet broke your left shoulder, and you took a bad hit in your abdomen. The surgeons had to cut some of your intestines out because they were so damaged.” “Ummm.” That explains my belly pain. She nodded and continued. “Chief Green and one of your P-boat sailors ran out and dragged you back aboard. Your Doc, aah, Chief Hanks?” Abner nodded, watching her. Okay, I understand that. Wonder who else helped me? Angela snorted. Abner slid a look at her, slightly unfocused. What’s Angela’s problem? “Anyway, Chief Hanks was not sure he could save you. You were leaking blood all over the place. They got you into Sick Bay and called for blood volunteers. Everyone with type A or O, lined up to give you blood.” Oh my. Lux, although his sight was foggy, noticed other nurses and a couple of doctors were listening to her recitation. Am I in Philly? Well, … must be, cuz Angie and Ed are here. Ed shook his head marveling at Abner’s wounds and near death experience. Marjorie was focused on Abner and didn’t notice the audience. She was still choking with fear. “Anyway, Honey, you were ‘choppered’ to the aircraft carrier Oriskany; they flew you to the US Naval Hospital in Sasebo after patching you up. I found you by accident on a gurney in the passageway while I was checking tags to see who was going in surgery next.” She took a breath. “I understand I shrieked and passed out!” She swallowed and continued. “You know, because of our personal involvement …” Angela snorted again; Marjorie flicked a glance at her and...