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Prologue
“Goodbye everyone.” These were the last, tearful words I spoke to my family before departing for the San Diego Air Force Base. As I drove through the sunny suburbs of California in my black sedan, I thought about what I was about to do. “I want peace, but I also want to defend my country.” I thought. I arrived at the base, and parked in a very elegant lot. There was beautiful landscaping-huge green weeping willows, bright yellow sunflowers, and nice red roses just bursting into bloom. But I couldn’t concentrate on any of that-I was way too nervous. I opened the big glass door of the library-like building in front of me and wondered, “Do I really want to do this?” But it was too late now. I walked into a small white room with framed certificates and medals on all four walls. At the heart of the room, there was a nice oak desk piled high with papers. Sitting at that desk was a man in a crisp black suit that had medals covering just about every inch of it. I saluted to him and said, “Commander Karlt, my name is John King.” I was to be a fighter pilot in the war with North Korea.
Chapter 1
My name is John B. King, and I fly an F-16 Bomber for the U.S. Air Force at the San Diego Air Force Base. I have been with the Force for about two months now, and I have attained the rank of Captain. I’d say I’m a pretty nice guy. Kind of quiet, but that’s because I’m always afraid that I’ll have to go to battle. Anyway, during my time with the Air Force, I have made a couple of friends. But my best friend is a guy named Jim Coors. He’s kind of pale, and thin, but he’s so nice, you’d be surprised.
This brings me to where I am now. It’s about noon, and I’m in the Air Force cafeteria. Across from me is Jim. I took a forkful of today’s lunch (spaghetti and meatballs) and lit up with pleasure. Air Force food-the best you’ll ever have. As I continued to inhale my lunch, Jim spoke up. “John, I’ve got some bad news.”
“Uh oh.” I thought. “Don’t tell me he’s going to be sent to North Korea!”
“I’m getting sent to North Korea.” He said solemnly.
“Oh boy…” I thought. “Why couldn’t I have been sent along with him? Why? Why?”
“That stinks.” I remarked.
“Yeah, I know. I have to leave in three hours. In other words-eat, pack, and go. I’ll be leaving on Runway 5.”
“I’ll be there!” I exclaimed.
“Thanks buddy. Well… see ya.”
Chapter 2
“Goodbye Jim.” This was almost as sad as the goodbye to my family two months ago. It was a dreary, gray afternoon at the San Diego Air Force Base-cold and windy, with clouds so thick it seemed that not even the sharpest blade could penetrate them.
As Jim started his engines, I headed back to my bunk. It would have been too sad for me to watch.
At curfew (11:00pm), I lay in bed thinking, just wondering what would happen next. “My only good friend is gone, I can’t visit my family, and most of all, I’m scared of being sent to war! What am I going to do!?” I screamed this at the wall, momentarily losing the final shred of control I had. Worn out from screaming, I rolled over and fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter 3
The next week was hard to get through. Overcome by sadness and grief, my movements became sluggish, and I would talk to no one. I was in a funk. But this afternoon, all of that would change.
At Four O’ Clock, I saw a gathering on Runway 5. “Oh my gosh! Jim’s back!” I remarked happily in my mind.
I ran over to the plane as fast as I could. But then, I noticed that it was not Jim’s plane. Jim’s plane had red, white, and blue stripes across it with the word USA on top in big, bold letters. But this, this plane was a dark khaki color, and on the nose were the words North Korea.
Chapter 4
“Uh oh…” I thought. This was not good. There was a North Korean-THE ENEMY-at our base!!! As the enemy soldier stepped out of his plane, I started to wonder, “Could this be an ambush? I mean, no North Korean would be stupid enough to come here alone and unarmed.”
I tensed as he stepped toward the crowd. Then in flawless English, he spoke.
“Hello. My name is Yerger Kazentekov. As you can see on my uniform, (His uniform had a red and blue circle on it-the Korean emblem.) I am from North Korea. Though this is so, I do not wish to impose a threat to the United States. I wish to help avert an all-out war, because I know what my people want.
Chapter 5
I was sitting in a small brown room with Yerger. There was an elegant glass table and two oak chairs for us to sit on. Both of us sat, and we began our conversation.
“So, um, Yerger, you say that you know what your people want?” I asked.
“Yes.” He said simply.
“Well, in that case, let’s cut to the chase-what do your people want?”
“It is very simple.” He replied softly. “We want respect. We want respect. We want to be treated as equals. You may not notice it, but the United States if America always considers itself superior to all other countries. You call us an ally, which is true, but you almost use us. Your country always goes strutting around saying, “The United States is the best!” We and many others are almost considered inferior to your country. If you take a minute to think about it, you will find that I am absolutely right.”
I did just that, and I found that he was right. As I thought of our history, I saw that we cared mostly for ourself, and didn’t really really care for other countries. We didn’t really treat other nations as equals, we just said, “Okay, they’ve got a problem, we’ll help.” Or, “Okay, we need your help.” I mean, many people have made friends with aliens, but they were just friends. After about two minutes, I stopped my train of thought and said, almost a little defeated, “Mr. Kazentekov, you are right. The U.S. really should treat you a lot better. We can go down to the Commander and tell this to him right now. C’mon.”
We both raced through the gray halls, avoiding people here and there, until we finally got to the Commander’s office. It was a fair sized cubicle-about 10x10, with bright yellow walls. At the center of the room was a nice oak desk, and behind the desk was Air Force Commander Phillip Karlt. Commander Karlt stood up, looked me in the eye and said,
“Captain King, why have you come here and interrupted me from my work?”
“I have been talking with Mr. Kazentekov here and,”
“Mr. Who?”
“Yerger Kazentekov, of the North Korean Air Force. We’ve been talking and,” But I didn’t get to finish.
“Captain King, are you crazy!? Have you lost your mind? This is the enemy we’re talking about! The Enemy!”
“I know sir but,”
“No buts! You clearly do not understand war Mr. King. Mr. Kazentekov here will be kept for questioning. You on the other hand, are going to be sent to North Korea to fight.”
“What!? Sir, all the North Koreans want is respect! If we just treat them like equals we wont have to go to war!”
“I don’t give a hoot Captain King. You are going to North Korea whether you like it or not. Either I’ll see you on Runway 2 in two hours, or I will have you arrested for disobeying a direct order. Good day to you sir.”
And just like that I stormed out of there, totally speechless. “Yerger, I’m sorry.” I said ruefully and defeated.
“Sorry? You should not be sorry. You did the right thing. It is your Commander who should be sorry. If he had listened to you, he could have worked out a resolution to war. Instead, he acted stubbornly and foolishly, by saying that war was the only option. It is him who should be sorry.”
He said this without a hint of emotion, keeping a steady tone the whole way through. “Thanks Yerger.”
I walked out of the room and got ready for my first real battle. Little did I know, it would be my last.
Chapter 6
“Falcon, you are clear for take-off. I repeat, you are clear for take-off, over.”
“This is Falcon, ready for take-off. Over and out.” It was exactly two hours from when I confronted Commander Karlt, and I was on Runway 2 in my brand new F-16-The Falcon.
“All right Falcon, you’re all clear. Good luck out there.”
I got my requested clearance from Mission Control, and I was 100% ready. I started picking up taxiing down the runway, and then I was off. I was quickly picking up speed. 200, 300, 400, the ground was a black and white blur as I shot past and started going airborne. In all of my life, despite the fear that was constantly gnawing at my insides, I have never, ever, felt anything as exhilarating as taking off in an airplane. As I started climbing higher and higher, I couldn’t resist showing off a little with a few back flips.
“Yeeeee-haaaawww!” I yelled, giddy with excitement.
“Falcon, are you there? Do you read?”
Mission Control brought me back to Earth. “Um, uh, yes, uh, this is Falcon, resuming course to North Korea, over.” I said, a bit embarrassed for acting so childish. As I flew over the sparkling Pacific, I could only wonder what would happen when I got to North Korea.
Two hours later, I flew past Japan and arrived 10,000 feet above North Korea. I wasn’t planning on shooting anyone with my twin machine guns or bombing anything, but if a misunderstanding broke out, then I would have no choice.
I was flying right over the border of North Korean territory when a mud-brown fighter plane came up to intercept me. I came to a dead stop and waited for him to make the first move. But then, instead of attacking, the Korean spoke up.
“My name is Ratszov Kazentekov. I believe you know my brother Yerger?”
“Yes I,” I started but Ratszov started up again.
“My government has made a decision. We will not fight you if you prove that you trust us.”
“How am I going to do that?” I replied, determined to resolve this conflict.
“It is quite simple-we have decided that if one of your own people gives their life for North Korea, one single life, then the United States will have proved its trust.”
“Oh my…” I thought. “I’ve got a decision to make.”
“Well…” I started.
“John! Don’t do it!”
All of a sudden a familiar voice joined the conversation as a plane came hurtling towards me.
“Jim?” I said, surprised. “I thought you were dead!”
“No, just captured. The Koreans finally let me go, and I overheard your conversation. John, I would rather give my life than see you die.”
I thought about what he said for a few seconds, and replied, “Then go down with me.”
It was a tough decision, but if this was what it would take to avoid war, than I was willing to do anything the Koreans through at me.
“You’re, you’re sure about this?” Jim asked me.
“Yes.” I said firmly.
“Then let’s do it.”
Then we locked wings and started the dive toward death, but also toward peace.
At that moment, the North Korean pilots realized how determined Americans could be as they watched two friends join together, and give their lives for their country.
This is the last thing I will remember before I die. But before I go, I have only one thing to say. “For America.”
Epilogue
John and Jim’s “story” was told to America as soon as they completed their “Dive if Justice”. The war was aborted, and America became very close with North Korea. John and Jim are now known as true American Heroes, and their names are known to just about every American on the face of the Earth. John King and Jim Coors-America’s Beholders of Peace.
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