Norsemen!

Markus was given authority, years ago, by the Gunny to form a band to entertain the troops. He had gone a step further in making a military marching band similar to what the Marine Corps had but his secondary duties assigned to him by the Skipper came from Marine Corps regulations.....take care of the dead. Not morticians but to get the dead back to the rear for burial. This part he did not like in the least and he saw, first hand, the suffering from the families as they came to find their fathers, brothers, sisters, mothers or sons. He was feeling old now after over ten years of this and wanted to quit, start a family and have children. He had enough of war, it was time to build.

Authority was given him to find a suitable site for a cemetery they could use and to make it a memorial park. Through the years he was promoted to Colonel and did not have to handle the bodies any more but the faces of the families still haunted him as they came to pay their last respects. The area he choose was several miles away from Skavatland and he had it built into a very large park with benches, pavilions, etc so families could use it. He stood there now, outside the huge gate he had built with the name Valhalla Park across the top of the iron gate. It was as if there were an unseen force not letting him enter so he just stood there, watching a funeral procession. One of hundred or thousands that have been here in this war.

"When will it end?"

A major walked up behind him, paused a moment then spoke.

"Sir?" He said not wanting to disturb him. "The band is awaiting your order."

"Yes," he turned as the major saluted him. The cold starting to get to his bones now with age.

"You know Major!" he said as he put on his gloves. "I have been here for over ten years now and still not married. No family of any kind."

"Yes, sir?"

"Do you have a family?" He looked at the young Major.

"Yes, sir, and three children." The Major said cocking his head. "Why do you ask?"

"You are a lucky man, Major." He straightened his cap. "Very lucky man." Then walked towards the band master.

Gunny paced the floor near the back of the State house near the conference table that was strewn with paper work. Jackson had just came in with the Skipper and Major Welsh with fresh reports from the front.

"We got the Northern troops to the front," he laid down several sheets of paper on the table for the Gunny and other Generals to see.

"General Jackson dispatched them to the west in support of the Saxons and Germans for the push." Skipper handed several sheets of paper to a General.

"I am SO tired of this damn war!" Gunny stood, pushing papers away from him. "When will the damn thing END?"

The group of about fifteen General offices took a step back, they had never seen him this way. He turned, throwing a coffee cup at the wall, leaving the entire room silent and stunned, just staring at him.

"Gunny?" Jackson stepped next to him and put his hand on his shoulder.

"We are loosing people every day in this war! EVERY DAY!" He paused looking around him at the staring officers. "I want to build! NOT fight!"

He took a deep breath as he turned.

"My apologies, I am a bit edgy with this new offensive and I want it to go according to plan. I ALSO want this to be the final push to the Italian border. I want them DESTROYED once and for all!"

"Gunny!" Jackson looked into his eyes. "Come with me, OK?"

Skipper took the Gunny's other arm and they, slowly, escorted him out of the State house to his quarters then returned.

"I got word to Doc of what happened. He said he would be right over and not to worry. Just over worked and he needs rest."

"How about Yngvilder?" Skipper asked.

"Yeah. I sent word to her too."

"Never got to tell him there are two hundred and ninety-eight thousand troops from the three Northern countries yet. Just told him where they were."

"I don't think it matters right now."

Oswald and Gerhard were together for a conference for the first time in years near where their two armies linked together. They had moved the new troops into line with battle hardened soldiers just to make sure they would not run. They both knew these new troops had been in battle but that was the old ways, this new kind of war will make event he strongest soldier loose his senses at times.

"I have a large supply train three miles behind the lines waiting on our word to follow us. We have about four hours before we shove off with this. Do you have anything else to add before we go, Oswald?" Gerhold said as he bit into a sandwich the cook made him.

"Not anything I can think of," he sipped coffee from a tin canteen cup.

"By the GODS I hope this works. It could be then end of all this nonsense." Oswald said. "I can get back home and start planting again," he said as he stared at the ground.

"I know what you mean, Oswald. I want to get back and open one of those shops that sell cars."

Oswald laughed, leaning back on his wooden box he sat on.

"You are actually going to SELL those things?" He said with a smile.

"Yes I am!" Gerhold said, as if defiant but smiling. "Come by and I will give you a good deal on a new one!"

They both laughed and continued speaking of what they will do after the war until it was time to get the attack started.

Gerhold stood on top of a tank with his binoculars, scanning the front as his troops moved forward under fire. The Greeks opened with artillery, spreading out among his troops as they advanced, killing and maiming what seemed to be hundreds. Behind the troops were dozens of tanks and behind them were the new troops from the North.

"GO soldiers...GO! Don't stop! Get under that artillery!"

He could see his tanks begin firing as soon as they had targets which was way too soon he thought. The Greeks must of been closer than he thought with the tanks firing that soon. His troops in the front then disappeared in the thick smoke of battle with the tanks following. The only ones he could still see were the raw Northern troops but they seemed to be performing well...so far.

He jumped down from the tank, yelling at his staff to follow him, then got into a small vehicle the Marines called a Jeep and headed for his troops. He had to be as close as possible to be able to give orders and to set up his field command post.

"Sir!" A runner came to the side of his Jeep handing him a message.

"Oswald here! We have taken Wiesbadena and Liege all ready! Waiting for your flank to catch up then we will press on."

"WOW!" Was all he could say as he slapped the driver on his back with a smile then pointed forward.

"Let's go GET SOME, soldier!"

He looked at the map and his objective was Mannheim, only a few miles away but supposed to be a major supply dump for the Greeks so it would be contested. As the Jeep stopped behind a burning Greek tank, he jumped out then on top of the jeep with his binoculars, scanning his front. He could see his troops hitting a large bunker complex that was reported on his map, but in only a matter of minuets it was secured and they pressed on.

He heard roaring over head, looking up he saw at least two dozen British aircraft fly over at low attitude, so low as a matter of fact, he saw they were all carrying bombs under their wings. He watched as they flew past him quickly, hoping they would not hit his troops so he grabbed his binoculars to watch.

The British planes looked sleek and beautiful as they flew gracefully past him then he saw them fly past his troops and keep going. Where the hell were they going anyway. He continued to watch when he saw explosions further inland, too far away to hit his troops so it must have been a predetermined target. Smoke began to rise and continue to billow into the sky which meant they hit something that is still burning. He dropped his binoculars with a smile.

Owald radioed for his troops to hold their position while the flanks could catch up to them. The radio operator next to him was receiving a message he could hear from the receiver and it sounded frantic. He took the receiver to listen.

"We have a Greek tank battalion to our front and our tanks are NOT HERE!" There was a pause. "Do we stay or fall back?"

"This is General Oswald...hold you position I will send support, do you copy?"

"That's affirmative, will hold position but do not expect for any of us to be here when it arrives."

Oswald seemed stunned. Where are his tanks?

"Get on that radio and find out where the hell our tanks are!" he yelled.

A few long minuets later the radio cackled.

"Sir! Our tanks are held up at a crossing. Greek tanks are on the other side of the ford and I got reports they are in the dozens."

"Let me have that thing!" He grabbed the receiver.

"I want those tank ACROSS that ford NOW! I don't care how you do it Colonel...GET THEM ACROSS NOW!"

He knew the Greek tanks were no match for theirs but they had a dozen to every one of his, which meant they could concentrate fire on his tanks quicker. Just then he heard rumbling from his rear as it seemed every artillery piece he owned opened up at once. He was hoping that was going towards those Greek tanks but he could not be sure.

"Get with the rear and tell them we need air support in this sector," he handed the operator a set of map coordinates. "Tell them it is now or never!"

"Aye, aye, sir!"

Gerhold was following close behind his troops, near the raw Northern troops, as he heard the radio crackling again with reports from his front line.

"Left side! LEFT SIDE!"

"We see it...Greek tanks. Hold your position for a minuet. Be right back." It became silent then started again.

"We got them. Is it open now?"

"Roger it's open, thanks."

"Third battalion keep your distance, don't bunch up. There are Greeks for everyone here today!"

"Contact the rear and tell them we are on the outskirts of Munich!"

MUNICH! Gerhard was taken aback. They were miles ahead of him and he did not realize it. He needed to get moving and catch up to them and prod these Northern troops in the butt to get them moving.

"Tell the Allied Commander to speed it up. Our troops are all ready at the gates of Munich." He jumped into his Jeep and had the radio operators pack up and go with him.

"We have them on the run, General!" He said with broad smile to one of his officers with him.

Sigrun had been drafted to take command of all Norse troops on the front, which he did not care to have but he did it anyway. After being briefed, he took command and now he was having the troops march forward, towards the Greek lines. His objective was Vienna, about one hundred miles away. He had never seen the modern army but was accustomed to command and really the only thing that has changed was the aircraft. He still had his artillery he loved but now he was in charge of the entire front. which was a big change from his artillery command.

"Sound advance, General!" He said as he took a seat in the new Jeep.