Shadows of Shelly

Shelly - Understanding Part 14a

FOURTEEN-a

Shelly - Understanding

Momma and Aunt Mae Sua told me to say nothing to Brit until the time is right. I assumed the occasion was proper since he had already met the Mothers of the Cradle. What he did not discern is that General Green is the product of the group! The reason Mrs. Green married him was that she loved him and recognized his potential in the Air Force.

I told Brit that his knowledge base could take him in any direction he desired. My heart gave a thump which permitted me to sigh deeply. My man was the smartest person in the world, and he thinks that I am right for him.

With the support of this influential cluster Brit was already recognized as a world leader. The president had called him twice on how to solve world hunger. The tractor he had designed cost less to build and was stronger. It consumed less fuel. His drawing of smaller units to convert sea water to fresh water for agriculture was creative.

He told the president that converting to these instruments was a long-term answer. The short-term solution was to help those countries that fostered peace receive aid in grains of wheat, corn and rice with detailed plans on how to distribute such food to all in their nations.

An interesting point is that Russia and China are short on providing staples of rice, bread and to meet needs of their people. They send their teenage and young adult soldiers to a certain death in war. Likewise, they enslave villages in surrounding countries to grow crops and raise pigs for them. These things are done to help halt population growth and stretch food available to their people.

Brit's theory is the war will lessen throughout Southeast Asia as harvests increase in China or Russia. Many of their soldiers come to Thailand as emigrants. The Thai government will require these combatants to serve in The Royal Thai Front Line Guard (TRFLG) for five years. Then they will be granted Thai citizenship. Usually by the end of their term they can speak Thai fluently and have a Thai wife from a poor village.

These young men are treated better than their former country treated them. They are paid on a regular basis and fed three meals a day. As they approach their fifth year, they have the option to become a member of the regular Royal Thai Army (RTA) with the rank of sergeant. They become completely immersed into the Thai culture, and probably have two or three children.

Brit has four flights (comparable to platoons.) One of these units has twenty-five former Chinese RTFLG. Another flight has twenty-five former prisoners from foreign countries. They are serving five years to receive a pardon and Thai citizenship.

The last two flights are made up of deserters from United States military who formerly served in Vietnam. Thai intelligence discovered them and gave them the option of being deported back to Vietnam and turned over to their former units, or serving in the RTFLG for five years. Some of these were living in obscure local villages with a Thai wife and children. When they heard about the RTFLG, they enlisted for five years in order to gain Thai citizenship.

The ones that enlisted made the best flight sergeants. Each flight had a Ja Sip Tri (จ่าสิบตรี – Sergeant Major Third Class) and Roi Ek (ร้อยโท – First Lieutenant) from the RTA.

The make-up of the squadron leadership was the Ja Sip Eck (จ่าสิบเอก – Sergeant Major First Class) Martin, a retired U.S, Marine, and Executive Officer Phan Tri (พันตรี – Major) Pudd Fi (เปิด ไฟ – former escape prisoner, Doug Paisley, from St. Louis, Missouri.) Both were RTA with Thai wives and children. Lieutenant Colonel Brit Matthews was Commander.

My stomach was growling, my eyes were frozen in place, and my arms were shaking. Brit introduced himself in Thai, English and Chinese as the new commander of the Squadron from hell. Everyone laughed but me.