Survive as a World War II Soldier - Chapter 64



Only Noblemtl

#064

The best thing about being the Chief of Staff was that I could bring out unknown talents and use them.

To be exact, it was thanks to the gifts my wonderful seniors gave me to celebrate my inauguration.

The vacant positions left by the mass resignations were a great help in attracting capable people I know.

There is a reason why the old saying goes that birds of a feather flock together.

The capable and smart guys make friends just like me.

If you know even a little bit about World War II or world history, you absolutely cannot help but know that Marshall was promoted to brigadier general and brought up to the staff. Marshall brought up his friends in droves.

People like Ridgeway and Walker.

Marshall was the god of distribution, and he was at the top of the talent distribution.

Anyway, thanks to the talented people that Marshall brought in, I was able to make the bold decision to send one of the slaves I was holding onto out.

“If it were that guy Eisenhower….”

In the history of the original, the person who stood next to MacArthur during the very time when he was running wild was none other than Eisenhower.

Even when MacArthur was expelled to the Philippines, Eisenhower, who found fault with every word he said, took him with him. How capable must he have been?

And Eisenhower, who had been watching over him all this time, was very capable.

“Wouldn’t that be enough to assist Mitchell?”

“I guess so.”

Only then, looking at Manuel who seemed relieved, I added one more thing.

“And Mitchell, contrary to his looks, is a responsible person.”

The leadership he displayed during World War I when he was commander of the Air Corps was not bad.

It’s just that they interfered with the creation of the Air Force after that.

To be honest, the reason I clamored for the creation of an air force was because of my own personal advancement, but ultimately because I was thinking of my juniors at the aviation academy.

If you were simply thinking about yourself, wouldn’t it have been better to choose something that would look good to your superiors?

Above all,

“There is also a saying that a place makes a person.”

“Okay.”

Manuel nodded and then started talking about Japan.

“By the way, the atmosphere in Japan is not good at all. Last year, they tried to kill Zhang Zuolin and take over Manchuria, but failed, and his son Zhang Xueliang joined hands with Chiang Kai-shek.”

Japan’s greed was already widely known.

I ate Joseon, but I wasn’t satisfied with that.

From the beginning, to Japan, Joseon was merely a passageway to the continent they so desperately desired.

And Manchuria, located right above Joseon, was the land that Japan coveted the most.

“If the panic continues for a long time as you say, the mood in Japan will only get worse and worse…”

“It would be highly likely that they would start a war with the intention of paying back the debt.”

“That’s right. No matter what, isn’t the easiest way to resolve the panic ultimately war?”

Manuel’s words were correct.

The Great Depression in the United States should also be seen as having ended with World War II rather than Roosevelt’s New Deal policy.

“So, there’s someone who really wants to meet you···.”

Manuel spoke carefully, watching my expression. I could understand without even having to hear the explanation.

The people on the provisional government side were clear.

“If it’s your introduction, then of course I have to meet you.”

Manuel was quite pleased with my generous permission and arranged a meeting with them.

##

“It is an honor to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Although I pretended to be indifferent on the outside, I couldn’t control my trembling heart.

Most of those who came from the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea had unfamiliar faces and names.

If I had known a little more about history, I might have known these people, but that was my standard.

But there was one person whose identity I could recognize at a glance as soon as I saw his face.

My heart was pounding.

How could I not tremble when I saw that familiar face, which I had seen countless times in photos?

Dosan Ahn Chang-ho.

The person who served as the representative of the provisional government delegation was none other than Mr. Ahn Chang-ho.

An Chang-ho greeted me while adjusting his clothes.

“First of all, I would like to express my gratitude.”

“yes?”

“I heard that you worked hard for the Koreans in Japan during the Great Kanto Earthquake. I also heard that you were a great help to those who immigrated to the Philippines in finding a way to support themselves. Thank you.”

“No. It’s something that should be done naturally···.”

Although he waved his hand and said no, Ahn Chang-ho bowed politely.

After expressing his gratitude, Ahn Chang-ho began to briefly explain himself.

“As you may know, we Koreans are still fighting against Japanese aggression.”

He passionately explained how much the Korean people wanted independence, introducing the activities of the provisional government and various independence fighters active in Manchuria.

“And the Koreans who immigrated to America are also hard-working and honest···.”

“I also know well the diligence and sincerity of Koreans.”

After listening to the explanation for a long time, unable to show off the stories I already knew, the main point finally began to come out of Ahn Chang-ho’s mouth.

“After the Great Kanto Earthquake, young people who obtained pilot’s licenses from the Manila Aviation School are making brilliant achievements on the anti-Japanese front.”

“Yes. Well, I heard reports about that.”

In fact, I wanted to say that I would do everything I could to support you.

But I knew that wasn’t the best, so I had to struggle to control my mouth, which was moving on its own.

Thanks to that, Ahn Chang-ho opened his mouth cautiously with a nervous expression, perhaps misunderstanding something after seeing my stiff face.

“Our provisional government plans to establish an aviation corps.”

It was something that had been attempted in the history of the Yuan Dynasty.

After the establishment of the Shanghai Provisional Government in 1919, No Baek-rin, who was the chief of military affairs, had high expectations for air power.

He conceived of a surprise attack using aircraft in the war against Japan, and even visited the United States in 1920 to purchase aircraft.

Kim Jong-rim, a Korean-American who responded to Noh Baek-rin’s wishes, also established the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea Flight School in Willow City.

However, such a dream ended in failure when Kim Jong-rim, who had sponsored the flight school, went bankrupt.

After that, the provisional government organized an army centered on the land army, and a small number of Korean pilots were limited to joining the Chinese military aviation corps and operating.

However, my intervention began to bring about change.

“It’s not a bad idea to join the Chinese warlords’ air force and fight against the Japanese, as it is now. In fact, if we can fight the Japanese, we can do anything. But···”

The biggest problem in China today is that warlords are divided by region.

The warlords, who were split into several groups, sometimes allied with each other or were hostile to each other according to their own interests. And as a result, some of them did not confront Japan but rather cooperated with it.

The problem is that their situation changes from moment to moment.

That’s why they use them to their heart’s content when fighting Japan, but when the situation changes, they are kicked out or something…

“It would be better if they kicked them out. There are many cases where they are caught and handed over to the Japanese.”

It was a story that made me sigh.

“That is why the provisional government is trying to create an independent force by any means necessary.”

The problem was that, like the Chinese, the Korean independence activists were also divided.

Although I don’t know much about the history of the independence movement, I knew that independence activists were also divided into left and right wings, and even within those, they were divided based on what they valued.

For example, isn’t Ahn Chang-ho, who is in front of us, famous for having a bad relationship with Kim Gu?

“I understand why you came to me, but I don’t think I can give you an answer right away.”

“Yes. I know that you have shown me great consideration by meeting me and listening to my story. I will wait, so I earnestly ask you to please give me some good news.”

He, who organized the Heungsadan and was the center of Korean residents before leaving for Shanghai to become the Prime Minister of the Provisional Government, said he would stay in the United States for the time being.

So, Ahn Chang-ho and others said a burdensome goodbye and left.

##

There was no hope in sight.

It has long been known that the president’s statement that this recession would be over in two months was a blatant lie.

The high-ranking self-proclaimed economic expert spouted out nonsense.

“The right answer is to liquidate all the stocks, all the companies, and all the whining farmers.”

The responsibility for investment lies squarely with the individual, and the government has consistently maintained that it has no interest in it.

in result,

“Oh, why is the factory closing?”

“What about last month’s salary?”

The factory manager responded with a haggard face to the workers’ cries.

“I didn’t get my paycheck last month either. The price of goods? Oh, the damn boss bet everything on stocks.”

“yes?”

The stocks secured by the factory became worthless, and the president was left with a huge debt that could not be repaid even if the factory was sold.

“Well, it’s better to sell the goods than to close the factory like this…”

“Does the item sell? Does it sell?”

Consumers who used to buy items more expensive than their monthly salary on installment payments are no longer around.

Well, it’s been a while since I tightened my belt.

William sighed as the factory he had been working at disappeared.

Life has always been hard.

“What do you do for a living now?”

As he was wandering the streets, sighing deeply, a butcher shop caught his eye.

Butcher shop.

Yeah, there was a time when he was a successful CEO.

In his youth he ran a butcher shop. He was married and had a wife.

“What on earth were you thinking back then?”

Now that I think about it, I couldn’t have been that stupid.

“Join us on this great journey to save the suffering people of Europe. The United States Army needs you.”

So I guess I was obsessed with the word Europe.

Although he didn’t really remember, he knew that his roots were Lithuanian.

When I was a child, my parents often told me stories about their homeland, which they had to leave for unavoidable reasons.

In fact, he didn’t even know where Lithuania was, but just hearing the word Europe made him feel like he couldn’t just sit still.

So I closed down the butcher shop that was running smoothly.

“Are you crazy?”

“It is a great thing to fight for freedom.”

“No, I don’t need a great husband, I need an ordinary husband by my side.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon. I’ll leave you plenty of money to live on. Darling, pray for my victory.”

I should have listened to my wife.

Europe, which I left in defiance of opposition, was terrible.

Yes, in fact he was dreaming a vain dream.

I thought I would become a hero like General MacArthur, who I saw in the newspapers, and march to Lithuania somewhere in Europe like a triumphal general, and be welcomed…

But it was an impossible fantasy, and the best he could do was barely preserve his life.

And then I returned to my hometown.

He was left with nothing. His butcher shop had become someone else’s, and he, with no skills or abilities, was left to work as a day laborer.

It was natural that his wife, who was suffering from financial difficulties, asked for a divorce.

“Damn. Another day was a waste.”

The streets were full of job seekers like William.

“Are you having a bad day today too?”

“Oh, you?”

“It’s the same.”

His situation was somewhat better, fortunately or unfortunately, because he had no family members left behind.

Then one day it happened.

William noticed that a familiar face he often encountered on the street was leaving for somewhere with his family.

“Where on earth are you going?”

“He’s going to DC.”

“DC? You mean Washington?”

“okay.”

“What, are there any jobs there?”

The man hesitated for a moment at William’s question, then opened his mouth.

“I fought in the great war in Europe a long time ago.”

“Oh, you were a war veteran too? Me too.”

“Is that so? Then it’s easy to explain. It’s the participation bonus.”

“A bonus? Oh, oh. Right. But that’s a long way off.”

“Yes. But the situation is a bit urgent right now. So, since I have to receive the money anyway, wouldn’t it be better if I could receive it a little earlier?”

William nodded at the man’s explanation.

“You’re right.”

“I found out that there are many people who think similarly. If we talk together, wouldn’t the President listen better?”

“Oh, that’s true.”

“How about it, are you going too?”

William nodded immediately.

“Then I should go.”

So people started to gather from all over the country.

For a bonus.

Aren’t we comrades too?