And I personally don't think we would have the time. So, I always keep my father, and his generation, in the forefront of my mind.
The second reason that I mention my father is that he turned me on to Kipling. I spent about a day of my week's leave after Airborne school at home (hey, there were girls and bottles out there pining for me). And just before I left, my dad handed me this really beat-up old book. He told me that his dad had given it to him before he went to England in 1944 and that it was time to pass it on. I didn't really think anything of it at the time (girls and bottles) but later, after I settled in at my permanent party, I pulled it out and gave it a look.
The Mandalay Edition of the Works of Rudyard Kipling, Departmental Ditties, Barrack-Room Ballads and Other Verses/Five Nations and the Seven Seas by Rudyard Kipling. Doubleday, Page & Company, Garden City, NY, 1925. Note the last poem is "To Wolcott Balestier," the dedication to Barrack-Room Ballads.
For the longest time I thought I was the only person in the world who still read Kipling. Then an old Vietnam Vet first sergeant (a guy I didn't even know could read) dropped a quote. Then I heard a general "kipple." A battalion commander. A sergeant. A visiting SAS sergeant major presented a bound collection to our battalion CSM. And I found out a little secret; there are damn few warriors in the world who don't like Kipling. There are some who don't know about him, but the ones who do are fanatics. It's almost a way to separate the sheep from the goats.
For anyone who has never read Kipling, if you like my books get a Kipling collection. Rudyard could say it as no one before or since has been able to say it. He speaks to the heart and soul of the soldier. In the end, we're all Tommies (or M.I. or Sappers or Oont drivers) at heart.
And that is the other reason I bring up my dad.
* * *
William Pryor Ringo,
Captain US Army Corps Of Engineers (ret.) P.E.
Born: July 24, 1924
Died: September 10, 1998
Me that 'ave been what I've been—
Me that 'ave gone where I've gone—
Me that 'ave seen what I've seen—
. . .
Me!
Glossary
Aarnadaha
Posleen Senior Battlemaster (Brigade commander).
abat
A nearly impossible to eradicate small pest on Posleen landers.
Adenast
Federation world on the far side of space from the Posleen invasion.
Aelool
Indowy Master Craftsman.
AFV
Armored Fighting Vehicle. Heavily armed personnel carrier or tank.
Agincourt
Fast Frigate in Earth Defense Region.
a-hoo-wah
Motivational or "battle" cry.
AirCav
Air Cavalry. Helicopter-borne scouts.
AIW
Advanced Infantry Weapon.
Alld'nt
Demons or sky gods of the Posleen pan-theology. Reputed to give great gifts but to also cause great harm.
Alrantath
Posleen battalion commander subordinate to Ardan'aath.
Althanara
Posleen Scoutmaster.
Anarlaralta
Posleen Scoutmaster subordinate to Alrantath (eson'antai).
Andatha
Region on Barwhon where majority of US expeditionary force is engaged.
APC
Armored personnel carrier. Lightly armed, lightly armored metal box on tracks.
Aradan
Posleen name for the star the Federation calls Diess.
Ardan'aath
Posleen brigade commander. Allied with Kenallai.
Arnata'dra
Posleen Scoutmaster, subordinate to Kenallurial.
Ashkabad
City in Turkmenistan.
Atalanara
Posleen company commander, allied with Kenallurial.
AWOL
Absent Without Leave.
Barrett Firearms
Manufacturer of a (really cool) .50-caliber sniper rifle. Based in Murfreesboro, TN.
Barwhon
Tchpth settled planet. Cool and wet with almost continuous swamps, lakes, rivers and bogs.
battlecase
Large ammunition box for feeding a manjack.
BattleDec
Short for Battle dodecahedron. A Posleen conglomerate ship consisting of an inner dodecahedral command ship (C-Dec) and twelve landers.
Battleglobe
A large Posleen conglomerate ship consisting of multiple hundreds of B-Decs.
Battlemaster
Posleen grade. Equivalent to captain-full colonel. Although all Posleen God Kings (Kessentai) are nominally independent, in general junior officers look to senior officers for direction.
Battlenet
Human Command Network for Continental Defense.
B-Dec
See BattleDec.
BDUs
Battle Dress Uniform. The US Ground Force standard camouflage field uniform.
Belvoir, Fort
Headquarters of the US Army Corps of Engineers. Located just outside of Washington, D.C.
Beretta
Standard 9mm sidearm of US Ground Force.
berm
An elongated pile of dirt used for cover.
Blackhawk
Military medium lift helicopter designated UH-60.
bowsers
Military tanker trucks.
Bradleys
Armored Fighting Vehicle (AFV). Crew of two, holds eight infantrymen. Armed with a 25mm chaingun and a TOW-2 Missile Launcher.
Bragg, Fort
Home of the Airborne. Located in central North Carolina.
Bullpup
Design of assault rifle. Places the ammunition magazine behind the firing hand thus shortening the overall length of the weapon.
Bushmaster
25mm chaingun mounted on a Bradley Fighting Vehicle.
caltrop
Four-pointed spike device designed so that one point always faces up.
castellaine
The manager of a Posleen estate.
cav
Cavalry.
C-Dec
Command Dodecahedron. Holds the senior God King of a Posleen "B-Dec" conglomerate and its most heavily armed normals. Is usually the center ship of a B-Dec. Has interstellar drive. Holds 1400–1800 Normals and 3–6 God Kings along with some light, simple armor.
chai
British Navy word for tea.
circumvallated
Surrounded by fortifications.
clacker
Detonation device for a claymore directional mine. So called because when compressed it makes a distinctive "clack" sound.
claymore
Directional mine. Consists of a convexly curved box with two ports for detonators on the top. The rear is a thin metal plate, then a sheet of explosive, then 750 ball bearings.
CONARC
Continental Army Command.
COS
Chief of Staff.
cratering
Detonating explosives so as to cause a large crater. This is primarily used as an obstacle.
CSP
Combat Space Patrol.
Cyberpunk
Elite information warfare unit. Extremely secretive.
Dantren
Indowy Megascraper Deushi Megalopolis. Refuge for mobile forces.
Darhel
Galactic Federation race.
DataNet
Posleen information network. Very similar to the internet except without any indexing tools.
defilade
Maneuvering to obtain cover from terrain
detcord
Explosive cord. Similar to fusecord, but explodes instead of burning.
didee-mao
Vietnamese: Retreat.
Diess
Indowy Planet. Under assault by the Posleen.
DivArty
Division Artillery.
D
unkirked
Evacuated by water.
edan
Posleen: Battle madness.
edas'antai
Posleen: Primary genetic sponsor. Father.
emphysemic
A person who has emphysema.
enfilading
Fire from the flank.
esonal
Posleen: Ovipositor.
eson'antai
Posleen: Primary genetic derivative. Son.
Farbase
Primary military base on the moon. Hidden on the backside in a crater to reduce ehance of detection by the Posleen.
Fars
Primary plateau of the country of Iran.
FedCreds
Federation Credits.
firebase
Heavily defended base where artillery is concentrated.
FireTac
Artillery Coordination Network.
Fistnal
Posleen: Damned. (Lit. "Eaten" reduced from "Eaten by sky demons.")
flechette
Finned metal dart.
flikker
To turn in the air like a hummingbird.
Fredericksburg
Town in central Virginia.
Fort A.P. Hill
Military base in central Virginia.
fuscirt
Posleen: Demons.
fuscirto
Posleen: Demons. Part of a wordy curse that translates more or less as "Demon Feces."
Galil
Name of an Israeli assault rifle.
GalMed
Galactic Medications. General name for a wide variety of medications the Federation has supplied to Earth.
GalTech
Galactic Technologies. General name for a wide variety of technologies the Federation has supplied to Earth.
Gamalada
Clan of the Po'oslenar.
Gatling
Type of automatic weapon that has multiple barrels.
ghillie
Type of camouflage suit used to break up the outline of an infantryman or sniper. Introduced by Scottish gamekeepers (or poachers alternately) during WWI.
Ghurka
Elite Nepalese Mercenary Infantry.
Glock
Type of pistol.
grat
Rare but extremely unpleasant pest of the Posleen. Resembles a very large ant and forms colonies.
Hiberzine
Galactic drug that causes almost instantaneous unconsciousness and places the user in a state of virtual suspended animation for up to 180 days. Combines pharmacological substances with nannites. Dosage is managed internally to the substance so that there is no chance of an over- or underdose.
Himmit
Federation race. Racial cowards and long-ranging scouts.
Hummelstown
Town outside of Fort Indiantown Gap.
Humvee
High Mobility Multi-Use Vehicle (HMMV).
HVM
Hypervelocity Missiles.
Indiantown Gap, Fort
Military post in Pennsylvania near Harrisburg.
Indowy
Galactic race. Short bipeds with apparently innate ability with technology and tools.
Irmansul
Galactic planet under threat of invasion by the Posleen.
Isfahan
Town in central Iran. Famous for its rugs.
Kasserine
Town in Morocco where the US Army suffered an early defeat in WWII at the hands of the German Afrikacorps.
Kenallai
Posleen: Senior battlemaster. Equivalent to a colonel or brigadier general.
Kenallurial
Gene derivative of Kenallai. Equivalent to a lieutenant or captain.
Kenstain
Posleen: Term for a castellaine. Castellaines are a lower "caste" God King and are formed from God Kings that have either voluntarily stopped fighting or were incompetent or cowardly.
Kessanalt
Posleen: Battle honor.
Kessentai
Posleen: God King (translates literally as "Philosopher" or "Thinker").
Kevlar
Aramide fiber used in body armor. Also used to refer to the helmets made of it that are worn by US Ground Force personnel.
Kiowa
Scout helicopter.
klicks
Short for "kilometer."
laager
Grouping of tanks or other fighting vehicles.
lidar
Laser detection system.
Maglite
Type of flashlight often preferred by police and special operations personnel.
Manassas
Town in north-central Virginia.
manjack
Automated machine gun.
Mashad
Major city in northeastern Iran.
Mayport
City and naval base in northeastern Florida near Jacksonville.
McCall, Camp
Small military base near the much larger Fort Bragg.
Milnet
Military internet interface and analogue.
Milspecs
Galactic Technology glasses. In appearance simple "wrap-around" sunglasses. Provide full light enhancement ability.
Minié
Type of bullet used by both sides during the Civil War.
monomolecular
Single very large molecule. A substance that is not only incredibly strong but also almost infinitely thin and therefore sharp.
Montrose Heights
Large hill overlooking Richmond, VA.
Mosby Hill
Large hill overlooking Richmond, VA.
MRE
Meals-Ready-To-Eat. Military combat rations. Come in plastic packaging.
Myer, Fort
Military base near Washington, D.C.
nannites
Very small mechano-electric machines that are used for a wide variety of purposes by the Galactic Federation.
NCO
Noncommissioned Officer.
Nomex
Fireproof fabric.
Occoquan
River, town and reservoir in northern Virginia.
oolt
Posleen: Group or company. (Lit. "Pack")
Oolton
Posleen: Battalion or brigade. Used interchangeably. (Lit. "Big Pack")
oolt'ondai
Posleen: Battalion or brigade commander. (Lit. "Big pack leader")
oolt'ondar
Posleen: Battalion or brigade.
oolt'os
Posleen: Posleen normal. (Lit. "Pack member")
Oolt'pos
Posleen: Command Dodecahedron. Holds 1400–1800 Normals and 3–6 God Kings along with some light, simple armor.
orna'adar
Posleen: Final battle or Ragnarok. A scramble for dwindling resources that leads to destruction of the world and extinction of all the Posleen on it.
Panatellas
Long, thin cigars.
Panzergrenadier
German Mechanized Infantry.
PDC
Planetary Defense Center.
plasteel
Galactic armor material.
Po'oslena'ar
Posleen: "The People of the Ships."
Po'osol
Posleen: Lander. Holds 400–600 normals and one God King.
Posleen
Enemy aliens. Yellow-grey centauroids. Thirteen to fifteen hands high at the shoulder. Arms jut from a combination shoulder. Sauroid head with multiple teeth is mounted on a long, snake-like neck. "Hands" are four-fingered talons with an opposable talon, similar to a fish-eating bird of prey. Feet are foreshortened talons adapted for running and slashing.
Proteans
Term for current generation of manjacks.
Provigil
Anti-sleep drug.
Pyronics
Manufacturer of the world's leading detonators, preferred by professional demolition personnel and terrorists the world over.
Qualtren
<
br /> Megascraper on Diess.
Quantico
Military base in central Virginia.
Quarles Gas
Petroleum supply company outside of Fredericksburg, VA.
Rabun Gap
Low pass in the Appalachians in northern Georgia.
radome
Radar Dome.
Ragnarok
The end of the world in Norse mythology.
railguns
Rifle that accelerates its projectiles magnetically.
Rappahanock
River in central Virginia.
Reaver
155mm wheeled mobile artillery.
REMF
Military acronym that starts with "Rear" and "Echelon" and goes downhill from there.
Reticulan
"Like a net." Military plan that called for distributed forces so that no single force would be landed upon and destroyed by the Posleen. Referred to as "victory in detail" by its proponents and "Ridicuplan" by its opponents.
Richbrau
Microbrewery in Richmond, VA.
Robertson, Frank,
Commander of the 229th Engineering Battalion. Lieutenant Colonel Light. Fredericksburg, VA.
Rockledge Manor
Restored home in Occoquan.
rubbling
Destroying structures to produce rubble for defenses.
Sammadar
Posleen Battalion commander.
Schockoe Bottom
An area of late 19th-century factories in Richmond,
VA.
SecDef
Secretary of Defense.
Simosin, Arkady
10th Corps Commander.
SpecOps
Special Operations.
Spotsylvania
County in Virginia.
Stenarnatta
Posleen Battalion commander.
Sten'lonoral
Posleen Command ship/battalion commander.
TacCO
Tactical Actions Officer for Continental Defense Command.
TacSO
Tactical Systems Officer for Continental Defense Command.
Tamerlane
Name often used for Timur, a Mongol invader of Iran who destroyed the last remnants of the Persian Empire.
tanglefoot
Barbed wire stretched taut at knee height designed to catch and "tangle" assaulting enemy troops.
Tchpth
Galactic race. Pseudoarthropods with a remarkable resemblance, other than being blue and red, to a Dungeness crab. Renowned scientists and philosophers.
Tel'enaa
Battle Demons. Part of a wordy curse. (Demons of battle eat and defecate their souls!)
te'naal
Berserk charge.
Tenal'ont
Posleen company commander.
tenar
Posleen God King's saucer vehicle. Has a heavy weapon mounted on it and a suite of sensors.