American Strategic Deception Bureau

　In short, in the first year of the Vietnam War, American college students had basically no reaction because they felt it had nothing to do with them, and a lot of them just watched and cheered.

　The following year, the Pentagon began to increase conscription from universities, and some college students tried to evade military service or protested the war.

　By the third year, soldiers began returning from the Vietnam front, missing limbs or addicted to drugs. Some returned to campus to continue their studies, sharing their experiences with their younger classmates, exaggerating the bloodiness and cruelty of the battlefield.

　So, the terrified American college students refused to accept it, the anti-war movement instantly became in full swing, and draft dodgers became increasingly popular.

　While college students still have weaknesses, if they believe that losing their lives or becoming disabled is far more terrifying than losing their diplomas, then what other methods can the Pentagon use to control them and force them to fight in the battlefield?

　Just like if the vast majority of people in the country are deadbeats, then the credit blacklist will automatically become invalid.

　After all, the federal government cannot impose collective punishment and create a tyranny like "one person evades the draft and the whole family goes to jail."

　Even because there has been no declaration of war and the United States is not in a state of war, it would be difficult for the Pentagon to conscript men even if it wanted to.

　Historically, by the late Vietnam War, draft dodging had become politically correct in the United States, and those who dutifully served would instead be discriminated against and criticized. Later, President Clinton and many other American politicians relished recounting their "glorious" pasts, including their participation in anti-war movements and draft dodging.

　But who could possibly use this stigma to attack them? If they did, they would only bring shame upon themselves, wouldn't they?

　This is the same reason why 20% of the members of the Indian Parliament are involved in murders and 40% of the members have criminal records.

　According to Indian social norms, if you're a member of parliament, you must have committed some heinous crimes. If you don't even have a criminal record, how can that be justified?

　Ahem, back to the point. Unfortunately, as an honest kid with no criminal record, John Simmons didn't evade military service, but instead went to the front lines of the Vietnam War. So, within just a few months, he experienced a series of shattered values ​​and traumatic experiences.

　What exactly was the Vietnam War all about for an honest man like John Simmons?

　Well, first

　First, he had just started college, found a beautiful girlfriend, and was looking forward to his dream campus life when the government suddenly launched a wave of propaganda, saying that the people of distant Vietnam were suffering, being ravaged by the tyrannical Vietcong, and that the American imperialists were going to rescue them and set them free. Then another group of Americans followed suit, saying that they were going to teach the Vietcong a lesson.

　Although John Simmons had no idea where Vietnam was, he laughed foolishly as he watched the army on TV boarding the ship and heading off to war.

　He originally thought that he could just attack Vietnam. It was just a lesson for a small country and it could be easily flattened.

　Unexpectedly, this awful war dragged on for so long, with no sign of an end. Instead, the number of wounded and sick soldiers being sent home increased. Furthermore, with no censorship in place at the time, all sorts of gory footage from the Vietnam War front lines were broadcast, leaving Americans watching at home wondering: Didn't they promise to bring freedom and democracy to the Vietnamese? Why did it feel like their own young men in Vietnam were only busy killing and burning, even more brutal than the Japs?

　To make matters worse, the Pentagon felt it was short on soldiers and came to the university to enforce the draft. John Simmons also drew a bad lottery and was forced to enlist. Someone on campus suggested he could sneak away to Canada to avoid the draft. But he hesitated for a long time and didn't dare to cause trouble for the school or his family.

　Although as a weak intellectual, he had never killed a chicken in his first twenty years, let alone a person, but because of an order from the White House, he was still stuffed into a boot camp, received six months of crash training, and then shipped to Vietnam to participate in the war.

　In Vietnam, he blindly followed orders to kill people, exchanged fire with North Vietnamese soldiers and guerrillas, and set fire to villages amid the cries of civilians.

　The more people he killed and the more houses he burned, the more John Simmons realized that he was fighting an unjust war.

　Moreover, the enemy was by no means a lamb to be slaughtered. They had been using all sorts of unimaginable methods to fight the US military – mines were buried on the roads, traps were dug on the trails, there were traps and ambushes in the forests, and the military camps were bombarded with artillery shells and rockets every few days. Everything was different from the war described by our parents:

　In World War II, once the US military defeated an enemy army and occupied an area, they could basically sleep soundly. But in Vietnam, unless they were in a few seaport cities far from the front lines, no matter how many victories they won, they could only sleep in fear.

　The endless vigilance and preparation for war were exhausting. To keep the soldiers fighting, the army distributed drugs to them to help them stay alert. As a result, everyone became addicted to drugs. Because numb nerves needed drugs to stimulate them, and the unfortunate ones who were injured needed drugs to relieve the pain.

　Day after day, American soldiers fought in this strange land, but the enemy was endless and there was no telling when it would end.

　Sometimes when John Simmons woke up in the middle of the night, he couldn't help but wonder: What on earth is going on? Why did he come here to suffer?

　A year ago, he was still lying in a comfortable, soft bed, eating steak cooked by his mother, and dreaming of becoming a CEO after graduation, marrying a beautiful, wealthy woman, and reaching the pinnacle of life. Now, he was drinking murky water that tasted like water purification tablets, eating unpalatable field rations, and could only hope to survive another day.

　Although there were many excitement-loving war-loving maniacs in the army who thought killing everyone was cool, John Simmons just couldn't muster the enthusiasm.

　His only hope was that after serving on the front line in Vietnam for a year, he would be able to leave Vietnam safely and be rotated back to his country.

　As a result, he can now leave Vietnam early, but not go home, but go to Indonesia and embark on another battlefield!

　How ironic! He used to think about leaving Vietnam all the time, but now he's worried about his new destination, which might not be as good as Vietnam!

　John Simmons smiled wryly, his mind wandering as he listened to the Master Sergeant's rant, trying to cheer the soldiers up. He explained how one of the Marine Corps' traditional responsibilities was to protect the lives and property of American citizens, to aid allies under attack, to teach foreign enemies a lesson, and to let the world know that America was not to be trifled with! The Marines arrived at their destination, following orders, and joined the battle, no matter who the enemy was.

　They are all old-fashioned clichés that may make some brainless young people excited.

　But for those of them who had spent at least half a year on the Vietnam battlefield, the more they listened, the more numb they became.

　Seeing the tepid reaction from the crowd, the sergeant realized something was wrong and quickly changed his words, "Don't worry! Everyone, you're in luck! Think of this expedition as a vacation! Not every place has such formidable Vietcong! Indonesian monkeys are much easier to fight than Vietnamese monkeys!"

　Huh? Are Indonesian monkeys easier to fight than Vietnamese monkeys?

　After hearing this, John Simmons blinked, finally pricked up his ears, and became a little more alert.

　-

　Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia

　As the shrill sirens blared, the entire city descended into chaos. Pedestrians on the streets ran for cover, shouting and yelling. Some tried to hide in air-raid shelters, while others took advantage of the chaos to loot. Police and Indonesian Communist Party youth patrols shouted and even used sticks to disperse the crowds.

　A moment later, 30 B-52 Stratofortress bombers roared in from the distant Guam airport and appeared over the Indonesian capital.

　The Indonesian anti-aircraft artillery on the ground began to fire "boom boom", but unfortunately it was not enough to

　Seeing enemy planes at 10,000 meters in the air only gave him courage. As for the "Sam" air defense missile that could actually shoot down a B-52? Unfortunately, the Soviet Union had not yet had time to provide Indonesia with such advanced weapons.

　What's more, even the "Sam" series of surface-to-air missiles have a pitifully low hit rate against the B-52.

　Therefore, the US B-52 flew over Jakarta easily without any interference from anti-aircraft fire.

　Next, accompanied by strange "hiss, hiss" whistling sounds in the sky, a dazzling golden-red meteor shower filled the sky, like heavy snow, falling down and shooting from the sky in all directions.

　One after another, bright flame flowers surged up in the city of Jakarta, becoming bigger and brighter.

　The terrible heat wave, the dazzling flames, and the howling of ghosts and wolves everywhere were like hell descending, tearing everyone's heart apart.

　Many people were ignited by the flames on the streets and turned into shaking and rolling fireballs. The miserable screams were terrifying.

　In the burning houses, countless people were buried under the rubble or suffocated by the thick smoke.

　From time to time, huge fireballs would rise from the ground, which were caused by gas stations or warehouses storing flammable and explosive materials being ignited and detonated.

　For a time, the city of Jakarta, also known as the "Coconut City", was filled with smoke and fire, the ground was in ruins, and the sound of howling was endless.

　When the shrill air raid sirens died down, President Sukarno emerged from the air-raid shelter, dusty and grimy. He gazed at the fleet of American B-52 Stratofortress bombers flying away in the sky, and the burning city. He immediately stumbled and fell to the ground, slapping his thigh and weeping.

　"Americans!! How dare you... How dare you..."

　"Of course the Americans dare! They even dare to drop atomic and hydrogen bombs! Twenty years ago, they burned down Japan's imperial capital, Tokyo!"

　Mrs. Dewi, who had come from Japan, followed Sukarno out of the air-raid shelter and spoke these words as she lifted him from the dust. Although she looked haggard and weak from the miscarriage she had suffered earlier in the battle, her expression grew even more resolute as the flames of war approached. "This city is undefendable. We should retreat to Yogyakarta! You staying in Jakarta won't change anything."

　Listening to his concubine's advice, Sukarno, who was over 60 years old, pursed his lips, still looking very unwilling.

　But he also knew that he really couldn't stay in Jakarta. No one could defend this former headquarters of the Dutch East India Company under the attack of the US military.

　What's more, there are undercurrents among various political forces in Jakarta at this moment. I wonder how many people are looking forward to serving as guides for the US military!

　——After the United States announced its recognition of the "Free Indonesian Government" established by Nasution on the island of Sumatra, and "at the invitation" sent troops to Indonesia to overthrow the Sukarno regime that "persecuted the people and opposed freedom", Indonesia's political situation underwent another dramatic change.

　Even those nationalist intellectuals who used to make a lot of noise and shout all kinds of anti-American slogans are confused and shocked.

　Because they never dreamed that the Americans would actually take real action this time!

　As a result, the last rebel force on Java Island, the Siliwang Division trapped in Bandung, had already suffered heavy bombardment from the Indonesian Air Force, President Sukarno's calls for surrender, and repeated shelling and harassment from left-wing workers, peasants and soldiers. Its morale had plummeted to the bottom and it was on the verge of collapse.

　As a result, as soon as the news of the imminent arrival of US military reinforcements spread, the shaky Siliwangyi Division immediately stood up and showed no signs of surrender or escape.

　Especially after the U.S. military airdropped radios, ammunition, supplies and CIA liaisons to them, the rebel generals of the Siliwangyi Division, who thought they were on the winning side, became even more arrogant and actually tried to persuade the government forces that surrounded them to surrender.

　The Sukarno government had to face the landing of US troops at the same time as there was such a powerful rebel army behind it, which was 200 kilometers away from the capital Jakarta and could attack from both inside and outside at any time with the enemy coming from the sea. It was like a thorn in the side, making it extremely painful.

　The "Free Indonesian Government" established by the rebel leader Nasution in Palembang initially had little support on the island of Sumatra, except for a small number of right-wing army officers. Most local powerful factions maintained a neutral and wait-and-see attitude.

　But as the White House officially announced the dispatch of troops to Indonesia to support Nasution, most of Sumatra responded instantly and joined the rebel leader Nasution. Many party branches of the Indonesian Communist Party on Sumatra were destroyed and massacred by right-wing elements.

　Sukarno had originally sent a counter-insurgency force to Sumatra, but it became difficult to move forward and was completely trapped in a difficult situation.

　What disappointed Sukarno even more was the Soviet Union's performance. Before the Americans intervened directly, and when Indonesia was just engaged in a melee between the left and right factions, the Soviets shouted "support for socialist allies" at the top of their lungs, as if they were willing to go through fire and water for their brothers.

　As a result, as soon as the United States announced that it would send troops to Indonesia, the Soviet fleet anchored in Jakarta was like a cat that touched hot charcoal. It immediately boarded the "Tantric Masters" and "Tantric Apprentices" from the "Super Power Research Base" in Jakarta, as well as the small number of Soviet troops that had previously stayed in Jakarta, and sailed away as quickly as possible to escape the attack range of the US military - at this time, it had probably passed Malacca.

　Strait A, and entered the Indian Ocean, right?

　Although the Soviet Union and Indonesia did not sign a military alliance agreement, Sukarno was still very disheartened by this "fleeing at the sight of the enemy."

　Although Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko spoke out for Indonesia on the international stage and condemned the United States' imperialist aggression of brutally invading other sovereign countries, it did arouse public support from many third world countries.

　However, the "weapon of criticism" cannot replace the "criticism of weapons." The speeches at the United Nations and the articles in Pravda, no matter how contagious they were, could not stop the American bombing and landing!

　To prepare for the US invasion, Sukarno convened an emergency parliament in an attempt to rally the nation's forces to jointly resist the US imperialist invasion. However, Sukarno was disappointed to find that, aside from the Indonesian Communist Party, neither the Ulema Party, which represented Islamic clerics, nor the other political parties, which represented industrialists, businessmen, and landowners, supported his war plan. Instead, they accused him of acting rashly and bringing disaster upon the country.

　Religious forces are extremely hostile to the Indonesian Communist Party and even openly stated that they want to use the power of the US military to purge "sinners who don't believe in God"!

　What’s even worse is that Sukarno no longer has time to do united front work!

　——Just like every war launched by the United States after World War II, when the landing fleet carrying U.S. Marines was still sailing in the vast South China Sea, the U.S. Air Force's strategic bomber group had already taken the lead and launched a surgical bombing on Indonesia!

　Indonesia's military ports, barracks, ammunition depots, radar stations, communication centers and military airports were all subjected to heavy bombing by the US Strategic Air Force. Hundreds of Indonesian Air Force aircraft were destroyed in hangars or on runways at ground airports before they could take off.

　As for the Indonesian Navy's ships, most of them were sunk due to being caught off guard, and the remaining surviving ships had no choice but to hide everywhere.

　——Within 72 hours of the US announcing the start of military action, Indonesia lost 70% of its navy and 50% of its air force.

　The following air battles quickly consumed the remaining combat aircraft, fuel and ammunition of the Indonesian Air Force.

　At this point, the entire Indonesia has been completely exposed to the firepower of the US Air Force and has no ability to resist.

　After destroying most military targets, the US Air Force began a massive bombing of the city of Jakarta, with an intensity comparable to the Tokyo air raid.

　President Sukarno was eventually forced to declare Jakarta an undefended city and hastily fled to Yogyakarta, the former wartime capital during independence. Soldiers and officials loyal to him, as well as members and cadres of the Indonesian Communist Party in the capital, also left Jakarta and moved to the east and rural areas.

　In an instant, the roads heading east from the capital city of Jakarta were crowded with fleeing refugees and soldiers, and every intersection was overcrowded.

　Lost children cried for their parents, and parents sobbed for their children. Trucks, buses, herds of buffalo, and ancient wooden-wheeled ox carts jammed the road, which was littered with burning car wrecks and bodies, some intact and some mutilated.

　Behind these retreating people were burning cities and charred ruins, and above their heads were the occasional bombing and dive-bombing by American planes.

　So, when U.S. Marine John Simmons landed with his troops in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, holding his Garand rifle, he thought he would encounter a tough battle, but he found only a group of flattering girls on the beach, holding garlands and food to "welcome the royal army."

　This made John Simmons breathe a sigh of relief, and he put the safety of his rifle back on, muttering to himself.

　"Perhaps, the commander was not lying this time? Indonesian monkeys are really much easier to fight than Vietnamese monkeys!"

　Huhu came to stop the attack.

　But this bunch of foolish monkeys had plenty of courage, but they didn't know the techniques of concealment, sneak attacks, or ambushes. All they knew was to rush over the mountains and plains with their Type 38 rifles left over from the Japanese army, shouting nonsense slogans. It was as if their minds were still stuck in the 19th century era of line executions.

　Well, it might be better to line them up and shoot them, because they couldn't even form a decent formation - and then they were naturally subjected to machine gun fire and mortar bombardment by the US Marines, and their bodies were scattered in the mountains and on the streets.

　When cleaning up the battlefield afterwards, they found that only half of the Indonesian bodies were holding rifles, while the rest were holding spears and machetes.

　——Relying on the invincible firepower of the American imperial army, it is so easy and enjoyable to ravage the stupid and barbaric natives!

　Of course, some Indonesian resistance fighters knew how to dig trenches and build fortifications at road junctions and mountain passes, relying on the terrain to thwart American advances. But they were ultimately far inferior to the Viet Cong guerrillas. They didn't know how to convert trenches into tunnels, nor did they know how to create clever camouflage.

　As a result, their fortifications were quickly spotted by American aircraft from the sky, and were subsequently subjected to a deadly barrage of rockets, high-explosive bombs, incendiary bombs, and machine gun fire from the US Air Force and Navy. Burned to the point of screaming for their parents, their flesh and blood flew everywhere... and they fled.

　By the time the Marines rushed forward, all they had left was collecting bodies and reloading guns.

　In short, John Simmons's company had fought nearly 200 kilometers eastward since landing in Jakarta. Yet, no one in the company had been killed in action, only seven wounded. Everyone was in high spirits, even enjoying singing military songs along the way.

　Alas, the Indonesian monkeys on this island are indeed much easier to fight than the Vietnamese monkeys in the north!

　If the Vietnamese monkeys we dealt with before were as stupid as the Indonesian monkeys here, perhaps the Vietnam War should have ended long ago?

　Fourth-class soldier John Simmons couldn't help but think so.

　——There is no way. Just by waving the red flag you cannot become a qualified guerrilla fighter, just as you cannot become a US soldier by using American weapons.

　The Viet Cong's jungle guerrilla warfare capabilities began at the end of World War II. They gained their first experience points from the Japanese who had no desire to fight anymore. They then fought with the French for a full eight years, honing each other's skills, promoting each other, and learning together how to fight a tough battle.

　In addition, they received generous instruction from Chinese teachers, who taught them all kinds of guerrilla warfare experiences gained at the cost of blood and lives, and trained them for many years by fighting against the South Vietnamese army. Finally, when the US military arrived, their skills were fully developed, allowing the American imperial division to experience what was called the "holy body of tropical jungle guerrilla warfare."

　And what about the Indonesian Communist Party?

　The Indonesian Communist Party also participated in armed struggle in its early years. After the end of World War II, it allied with Sukarno to oppose the return of Dutch colonists.

　Unfortunately, the Indonesians lacked sufficient martial virtue and were even defeated by the Dutch. First, in the First Indo-Dutch War, from September 1945 to November 1946, they lost the outer islands of Borneo and Sulawesi, leaving only the two large islands of Sumatra and Java. Then, in the Second Indo-Dutch War, from July 1947 to August 1948, they lost almost all the major cities on Java and Sumatra, forcing them to retreat inland to Yogyakarta.

　With the successive setbacks in the anti-colonial war, the Indonesian Republic, which had been defeated repeatedly, broke out into serious internal strife. The left-wing and right-wing parties blamed each other, and the left-wing extremists and moderates also fought each other. The armed forces controlled by each party even reached the point of assassination and fighting each other.

　Finally, in the Madiun Incident in September 1948, the left-wing radical armed forces that attempted to split the Indonesian state and establish a Soviet republic in the Madiun region were suppressed by orders of Indonesian President Sukarno, who dispatched the army to carry out a bloody "purge of the communists."

　That autumn, 10000 party members and supporters were killed in Indonesia, including leader Muso, who was killed in action, leaving the entire party severely damaged.

　However, Sukarno, who ordered the "purge of communism", was immediately punished by fate. This retribution came so quickly that it was hard to keep up.

　In December 1948, the Dutch colonial army, seeing the Indonesians fighting among themselves, seized the opportunity to break the armistice and launch a third war. On December 19, they invaded Yogyakarta, Indonesia's wartime capital, and captured President Sukarno and all the other heads of government, completely annihilating the Indonesian resistance.

　Sukarno himself was thrown into a Dutch prison and lived in prison ever since. Countless other independent backbones were arrested and killed.

　In this way, Sukarno eliminated the Indonesian Communist Party from his own camp, and the Dutch took the opportunity to destroy the Indonesian Republic, and Indonesia's independence cause was a complete failure.

　That’s enough. We’ve lost three battles and the left, the center, and the right have all been crushed. There’s no hope for anyone. Just wait to kneel down and become slaves!