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Civil War Iii
Civil War Iii
Civil War Iii
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Civil War Iii

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It is the best case or it is the worst case. Set in the current day, this is the fictional story of the United States in a time of political upheaval which for the third time in our Nations history pits a portion of the citizenry against a Government that has become oppressive. This story traces the politics of the secession; and rebirth of a nation through the political evolution of a young family man from Illinois named Jim Jennings, who becomes increasingly evolved in the intrigues of politics and war.


The men and women who fight the Third Civil War are heroic and patriotic, yet as warm and familiar as an old shoe, as we see by glimpses into their private lives. Battles are brief and relatively bloodless against uninspired Federal troops in isolated garrisons. The major thrust of the Secessionist forces is to capture and control Federal nuclear assets before they can be used against them. This effort is partially successful in that they manage to capture all of the large strategic weapons and all but eleven tactical nuclear devices. Using conventional means of delivery, and various terrorist tactics, the Federal forces will use these eleven devices in an attempt to destroy the Secessionists Ports, and bring the Revolution to an end.

LanguageEnglish
PublisheriUniverse
Release dateNov 15, 2011
ISBN9781462063529
Civil War Iii
Author

R.d. Bullard

Roger Bullard, is currently retired on his farm in Illinois pursuing a lifelong desire to write. He is a former Marine Captain, flew F-4’s in Vietnam; and holds a Bachelors Degree in Engineering, he is a retired Aerospace Manager, who has three married daughters, and six beautiful grandchildren.

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    Civil War Iii - R.d. Bullard

    Contents

    Chapter 1

    Chapter 2

    Chapter 3

    Chapter 4

    Chapter 5

    Chapter 6

    Chapter 7

    Chapter 8

    Chapter 9

    Chapter 10

    Chapter 11

    Chapter 12

    Chapter 13

    Chapter 14

    Chapter 15

    Chapter 16

    Chapter 17

    Chapter 18

    Chapter 19

    Chapter 20

    Epilogue

    Appendix I

    Glossary of Terms

    Foreword

    This book is entirely a work of fiction. Because it is set in near real time, it makes no sense to change the names of political figures that would be readily recognizable simply from context; no undue disrespect is intended in any case. The actions of everyone named in this novel are fictional, and are the product of the author’s imagination. The author has no direct knowledge of the political leanings of any of the characters depicted in this novel, with the exception of Jim Jennings, who is counted among his close friends; and who consented to having his name used in this book. Jim may be said to be just right of center—about where the author stands—in terms of political alignment.

    This novel was written both as a warning of where our country could be headed, and also as an entertaining story of the way patriots in this country might react in such a situation. There will be little doubt in any reader’s mind as to the mindset of the author when it comes to the topic of Socialism. Any student of history can tell you that while Socialism is a high-minded ideal, and makes for wonderful political lies; when adopted into reality it inevitably ends in dismal failure, extreme economic deprivation, and eventual social collapse. There is no free lunch.

    The author wishes to thank all of those who read the manuscript for this novel and provided their inputs, both positive and negative.

    Chapter 1

    Secession

    The day after the election in 2012 Texas seceded from the union. Two days later Arizona became the second to secede. By Christmas twenty-nine states had announced their intentions to secede as well. Two additional states, California and Illinois, were locked in bitter debate over the question—it seemed likely that both states would split over the issue. Most of downstate Illinois favored secession, while most of the Chicago metropolitan area sided with the existing Federal Government. If the split came it would leave Chicago as the smallest state in the Union in terms of square miles. California seemed to be favoring division along an east-west line running roughly midway between Atascadero and Paso Robles. Hawaii had also seceded, but initially declared neutrality.

    Texas had obviously been awaiting the outcome of the Presidential Election and was ready with articles of secession sitting on the Governor’s desk—lacking only his signature. These Articles of Secession claimed a State’s right to withdraw from the Federation of States as established by the U.S. Constitution. Foremost among the reasons stated in the Articles was the Federal Government’s failure to control the National Debt. Texas accepted its share of the debt based on 2010 census figures, but flatly stated that from the date of secession it would accept no responsibility for future debt incurred by the U.S. Government. The Texas Articles were essentially duplicated by every state that seceded. The decision to accept a share of the National Debt was not an easy one for the seceding states, and it placed most of them in a very precarious financial position. But the leaders in these states were not men and women who hated the United States—they were men and women, Democrat, Republican and Independent, who loved their country and had waited long enough for the politicians in Washington to save it. As it turned out, this patriotic gesture gained worldwide support for the seceding states.

    The Administration, fresh from a bitterly fought and contentious presidential election was caught completely off guard by the swiftness of Texas’ surprise move. The sizeable Presidential staff was deeply involved in attempting to discredit charges of election irregularities and was not prepared to deal with the threat posed by Texas’ surprise move. President Obama made a public statement to the effect that as far as he was concerned Texans were still citizens of the United States, and that if he had to, he would . . . kick their asses back into line. Both of these statements turned out to be exactly the wrong things to have said; however, the President remained clueless concerning this fact for several months.

    The President’s Attorney General, Eric Holder, moved quickly to have a federal judge in Texas strike down the Articles, but just as quickly discovered that all of the federal judges in Texas had either resigned or were in the process of moving out of the state—actually, being moved out of the state. One obliging judge did point out to him a clause in the Articles which stated in effect that: ‘. . . the Sovereign State of Texas does not recognize as having jurisdiction in the matter of sovereignty any court except Texas state courts, and those appointed by any confederacy or federation which the state of Texas may choose to become affiliated with in the future.’ Undaunted the Attorney General located a ‘compliant’ federal judge in the ‘District’ who was more than willing to declare the Texas Articles void—administration mistake number two. If Holder had ever bothered to read the U.S. Constitution he would have known at least, that the Supreme Court has primary jurisdiction in a case involving one of the States—Oh, but that would have taken too long, wouldn’t it? Damned inconvenient, the Constitution.

    State legislatures in nearly every state cleared their calendars and took up the question of secession. Texas encouraged this and sent an ‘ambassador’ to each state. Arizona, as it has already been mentioned was the second state to secede. Their legislature had met in continuous session for thirty-six hours before adopting a measure almost identical to that of Texas. Arizona’s Governor signed the measure into law within thirty minutes of the floor vote in the Senate. Within a week other states began to adopt similar measures, and it became clear that the seceded states needed to band together for their mutual survival. Texas again took the lead, but to everyone’s surprise they called for a Federation Convention to be convened in Wyoming.

    The Event Center in Casper, Wyoming was selected as the site of the North American Federation’s Convention. By Christmas of 2012 secession activity had slowed, and the number of states seeking to join the NAF had stabilized at twenty-nine, plus two partial-states—Southern California and Downstate Illinois. In California much of the state government had fled Sacramento and established a new government in Southern California. The date set to convene the Convention in Casper was January 20, 2013—Inauguration Day; further confounding and confusing the Administration.

    President Obama was still maintaining that the seceded states were still legally part of the United States, and the Attorney General at his behest, was preparing to take the case to a District Court in Maryland—administration mistake number three. Meanwhile, preparations for a gala celebration of Obama’s inauguration to his second term proceeded.

    As January 20th approached, the major networks had each sent one camera crew to Washington, D.C. to cover the inauguration, while hundreds of camera crews and reporters from all over the world were converging on Casper, Wyoming. The President was livid. He demanded that the networks provide more coverage for his inauguration, but for once they weren’t listening—the big story was somewhere else. On the 20th the inauguration got a fifteen minute spot on the evening news, and the Event Center in Casper had continuous all-day coverage. Fox News didn’t even manage to find fifteen minutes anywhere in their broadcast day for the inauguration—but it was mentioned on the evening news. The inaugural balls went on as planned, but they were poorly attended—Washington was rapidly becoming a ghost town. Legislators from the seceded states had been leaving the city since mid-November, and in early January many legislators from the non-seceded states joined the exodus.

    Chapter 2

    The Convention in Casper

    The Texas governor opened the convention with the words: "‘We the people . . . in order to form a more perfect union . . . ,’ are gathered here today to establish a North American Federation, and to begin the process of establishing a Constitution for that Federation. I am aware of the fact that President Obama has mocked the phrase ‘more perfect’ in the U.S. Constitution as being redundant—’ if something is perfect,’ he asks; ‘how then can it be more perfect.’ This is a particularly sophomoric comment from a man who claims to have taught Constitutional Law. President Obama is not the first president to mock the U.S. Constitution, and that my fellow Americans is a large part of what has brought us to Casper today, he paused. The people in what was formerly the United States have many societal problems, many of which seem to be ‘unsolvable’. We cannot presume to know the answers to all of these problems—we can, however, provide them with a form of government which encourages and allows them to find their own solutions. Therefore, I believe that the first business of this Convention should be to nominate members from among this body and charge them with establishing a Constitution under which our Federation can grow and prosper. The United States Constitution as ratified on June 21, 1788, and as amended in subsequent years, is a strong, well thought out document and provides an excellent model on which to fashion our new constitution. It is my hope that this will be the case"

    A delegate rose, and a page hurried to him with a wireless microphone. Governor, my name is Jim Jennings, and I’m a delegate from Illinois, he introduced himself. The delegates from the Sovereign State of Illinois agree that the U.S. Constitution can and should be the model for our New Constitution; however, we believe that significant modification is required, and that not all of the amendments should be incorporated into the new document.

    Thank you, Mr. Jennings, the governor replied. I believe that you will encounter very little disagreement on those points—and certainly none from me, he affirmed. Now with that thought—which I believe is an excellent point to keep in mind—I would like to open the floor for nominations to the drafting committee. Each sovereign state is asked to nominate two members to this committee. Before this Convention goes into recess, the membership will be asked to vote on one committee member from each state. The sovereign state of Hawaii, which has not expressed a desire to join the Federation, is also invited to nominate two members—and will be given a seat on the drafting committee if they so desire.

    The first committee member nominated from the floor was a fiery young pol from Illinois named Jim Jennings.

    ***

    The President’s eyes were glued to the television monitors as he awaited his cue to appear. He was furious. The crowd that had gathered for his inauguration to a second term was a mere shadow of the crowd that had gathered in 2008. The scenes on broadcast TV were even more irritating, for they did not show even the paltry crowds in Washington, instead every station was showing the crowded Event Center in Casper. Contingencies from the seceded states filled every seat, and the Texas Governor was speaking to the rapt crowd.

    Damn that traitor, damn them all, the President swore. I’ll show them they can’t do this, he said to on one in particular.

    Mr. President—it’s time, an aide indicated that it was time for his appearance at the inaugural ceremony. The First Lady and his daughters were already at the door ready to go out—he hurried to join them. The look on his face was grim, and his posture was hunched and small.

    As he took his first steps toward the podium he turned to his Secretary of Defense and said, Mister Panetta, as soon as this is over, we have to talk.

    Later that afternoon in the Oval Office the President, his personal advisor at his side, outlined the action that he wanted taken. The secessionists have gone too far, he said. They are planning to draft a new constitution and set up a separate government in direct violation of the laws of the United States. We must act decisively to stop this now. Tomorrow morning when that illegal cabal reconvenes I want the Air Force to surgically wipe that event center off the map. Can you do that, General? There was shocked silence in the room.

    The Secretary of Defense was the first to find his voice. Mr. President, you can’t do that! Those are our countrymen—there have been no acts or threats of violence—they have a Constitutional right to assemble.

    Mr. Panetta, if I wanted your opinion, I would have asked for it. Who are you to tell me what I can or cannot do? And who are you to lecture me on Constitutional law? I have taught Constitutional law! I am the President of the United States, and I must act decisively to preserve the Union. Those men in Casper are traitors, and treason is a crime punishable by death in this country. It is my duty to act as decisively as Abraham Lincoln did a century and a half ago to preserve the Union.

    With all due respect, Mr. President; President Lincoln touched off a civil war that took the lives of over half a million of his fellow citizens—a similar action now could cost ten times that many lives, the Secretary said. Mr. President I urge you to attempt a more peaceful means to end this movement, the Secretary made an impassioned plea for reason.

    Mr. Panetta, history is quite clear on how this type of insurrection should be handled, and that is exactly how it will be handled, the President stated. Either you are with me on this matter, or you are against me—which is it?

    Mr. President, again with all due respect, I must strenuously object to the use of arms at this time, the Secretary declared. I believe that you will touch off a civil war just as Mr. Lincoln did, and in retrospect I don’t think I would have concurred with his decision either.

    Those are treasonous words, Mr. Panetta, the President snarled. I should have you locked up immediately and charged with treason—that’s what Lincoln would have done. Instead I will have your resignation on my desk within the hour—you’re dismissed.

    Leon Panetta left the Oval Office, distressed not by being asked for his resignation—he had already decided to do that if the President would not listen to reason—but by what was about to happen in that room, and what it would do to his country.

    Now, General, I will repeat my question, the President said. Can you surgically take out the Event Center in Casper?

    Mr. President, if those are the orders of my Commander-in-Chief the answer is yes, it is possible to take out the Event Center with very little collateral damage, the Air Force Chief-of-Staff replied. The Air Force can accomplish that.

    How, exactly, would you do it? the President asked.

    Sir, the General replied. I would suggest a single F-15E from the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base armed with three GBU-10 laser guided bombs.

    What is a GBU-10? the President asked.

    A GBU-10 is a standard two thousand pound high explosive bomb with a laser guidance seeker and tail fin package added. An extremely accurate weapon, Sir; and they are available at Mountain Home.

    That’s good, the President said. That’s what I want then. I want to inflict maximum casualties inside that building, with as little damage to surrounding buildings as possible. Will those bombs do that?

    I’m sure they will, Mr. President, the Chief-of-Staff assured him. But if I could remind the President; that is a ten thousand seat venue, and many of the delegates have their families with them.

    They are traitors too, General… see that my orders are carried out.

    Yes, Mr. President, but I suggest that those orders go directly from your office to the Commander of the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home—in a case such as this the Commander-in-Chief has considerably more clout than the Chief-of-Staff, General Norton said.

    You issue that order, General, I will send a message to the Commander of the 366th indicating that your orders are to be followed implicitly. Do you understand?

    Yes, Mr. President, I do, the General replied. Beneath his breath he added: I certainly do.

    Chapter 3

    Independence Rock

    I don’t have any meetings the rest of the afternoon or this evening, Jim Jennings said to his wife. Let’s take the kids to see Independence Rock, and then find a nice out-of-the-way place to have dinner.

    "Have you ever seen Independence Rock? Leslie asked. I’ve never even heard of it."

    Well, no… but it’s listed in the info packet that the visitors bureau sent us, Jim answered, . . . and it looks like it might be very interesting. Casper was where three major trails westward met, and evidently a lot of the pioneers carved their names and hometowns in the rocks there. We might even find a Jennings or a Kropp there.

    If it means getting away from the hoards of reporters and cameramen for a few hours, I’m all for it. I’ll get the girls ready and meet you downstairs in thirty minutes,

    When Leslie came into the lobby with their daughters thirty minutes later, two reporters had Jim buttonholed, and their flurry of questions was nearly overwhelming. Oh, here is my family now, Jim interrupted. We really have to be on our way. Leslie has an elderly aunt here in Casper and we promised to come by as soon as we had a spare moment, he prevaricated shamelessly.

    Sensing a human interest story one of the reporters said, . . . would it be okay if we tagged along?

    I don’t think that would be a good idea, Jim said—improvising quickly. She is very old and very sick. In fact she might be contagious so visitors are limited to family only. What is it that Aunt Addie has? Tuberculosis?

    Yes, a rare strain, Leslie confirmed. The doctor wasn’t even sure we should let the girls see her. No, it wouldn’t be good to bring anyone else along.

    Jim looked at the reporters and shrugged, sorry, you know how it is?

    Sure, . . . we understand, the first reporter said. We better let you be on your way; thanks for taking the time to talk to us. As Jim and his family moved toward the door the reporter added solemnly, Give our best to Aunt Addie.

    It was all that Lauren could do to keep from bursting out laughing before they got to their car. Once in the back seat she doubled over with peals of infectious laughter. God, I hope dear old Aunt Addie doesn’t die before we get there! Soon the entire family was laughing and commiserating with each other about their dear nearly departed, but newly acquired, ‘Aunt’.

    Dad, I have to admit that I wasn’t all that wild about going to see this rock of yours, but that performance with the reporters in the lobby has made it all worthwhile, Lauren said, still stifling an occasional giggle. So tell us about this rock.

    Jim found Independence Rock very interesting, but he was obviously the only one in the family who did, so their visit there was short, and he took the long way back to Casper hoping to find that little ‘out-of-the-way’ diner that he had promised Leslie. He was about to give up on that idea, when he spotted a red and blue neon sign ahead that read: ‘EAT’. As they pulled into the nearly empty parking lot the first nagging misgivings began to tug at his resolve. A hand-lettered sign proclaimed that they were indeed ‘OPEN’, and how bad could it be anyway?

    Inside it was clean, but a bit worn. You can sure pick ’em, Dad, Lindsey said quietly as she nudged him toward an empty table. I don’t think this is the type of place where you have to wait to be seated.

    I’m surprised they have chairs, Lauren added. I think I’m just going to have a salad, Dad, she added.

    When the waiter arrived—he appeared to be the cook also, and may well have been the owner as well. Jim asked to see the menu. We don’t have no menus, he said. It’s Sunday and we got buffalo stew, that’s what we always have on Sunday, ain’t got nothin’ else.

    Yuck, Lindsey said. "Fish stew?

    No, Honey, Jim said. I think he means the big wooly kind of buffalo, not the ‘buffalo’ fish we’re accustomed to in Illinois. He looked imploringly toward the waiter, isn’t that right, Sir?

    That’s right, I raise them on my own ranch, you won’t get no fresher buffalo no where.

    Double yuck, Lindsey said, making an appropriate face.

    We’ll have four orders of the buffalo stew, Jim said. If it was good enough for the Indians, it’s good enough for us.

    Dad! What about the Indians? Lauren blurted.

    They were the original inhabitants of these plains so I’m sure they ate buffalo stew all the time, Jim explained himself.

    I know that, Dad, I’m not an idiot, you know, Lauren said. "I mean what about the

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