asked, “But who the hell do you expect me to play poker with if you’re not there?”
For once the South Korean was the one caught at a loss for words.
Kevin grinned wider himself and tossed Rhee the pack of cards he’d brought along. “So you’d better get well fast, Lieutenant. And you’d better practice up while doing it. I don’t play with amateurs.”
He looked down at his friend. “I’ll see you up at the Z in a few weeks. You’ll like it up there. It’s a pretty quiet place these days.”
And with that, he turned and walked out of the ward, whistling.
GLOSSARY
A-6E Intruder: A twin-engine attack plane, the Intruder is one of the few planes that can strike a target in any weather. It is launched from carriers and has a prodigious payload. The crew of two sits side by side, and although the copilot has no flight controls, he can fly the plane by telling the plane’s computer what to do.
A-7E Corsair: A single-engine, single-seat attack jet, this plane first appeared during the Vietnam War. It is classed as a “light attack” jet and lacks the sophisticated sensors and massive payload of the A-6 Intruder. It is a popular aircraft with its pilots.
AA-2 Atoll: The first Soviet heat-seeking air-to-air missile, it is a direct copy of the 1950s-vintage AIM-9B Sidewinder. Like the early model of this missile, it can attack targets only from the rear. It has a range of about two miles.
AA-7 Apex: A Soviet radar-guided missile of mediocre performance. It has a range of about twenty miles.
AA-11 Archer: A Soviet short-range, heat-seeking missile. It has a range of about four miles, and most importantly, the ability to engage enemy aircraft from the front.
AIM-54C Phoenix: A U.S. radar-guided missile, it is linked to the F-14 Tomcat’s AWG-9 weapons system. This huge weapon has a range of eighty miles and a speed of five times the speed of sound.
AIM-7M Sparrow: The standard U.S. radar-guided missile, its 25-mile range is shorter than that of the AIM-54C Phoenix, but much longer than that of the Sidewinder or any other heat-seeking missile. It has gone through many improvements. Although the initial versions used in Vietnam were poor performers, the later makes are considered very effective.
AIM-9L Sidewinder: One of the most effective and successful missiles ever made. After launch, it homes in on the heat given off by an aircraft and explodes. Unlike earlier models, or other similar missiles of other countries, it does not need to see the hot tailpipe of a jet aircraft but can even lock onto an aircraft from the front. It has a range of about ten miles.
AK-47: A Russian-designed assault rifle, this simple, effective weapon has been exported widely and copied by many nations. It is a 7.62-caliber rifle that can be fired either in semi or full automatic. It weighs about nine and a half pounds.
AKM: A newer and slightly lighter version of the Soviet AK-47 rifle.
An-2 Colt: A Soviet biplane first designed in the late 1940s. In spite of its ancient appearance, it is an excellent performer, is cheap, and has good short-field characteristics. Popular as a light transport and utility craft, over 18,000 have been built.
APC — Armored Personnel Carrier: A general term used to describe vehicles designed to ferry infantry across the battlefield. Their light armor provides protection against artillery fragments and small-arms fire.
APS-115: A U.S. radar carried in the nose of the P-3C Orion. Called a “surface search” radar, it is used to look for ships and especially periscopes.
AS-4 Kitchen: A Soviet cruise missile, the “AS” stands for “air to surface.” “Kitchen” is the NATO code name assigned to the weapon. Supersonic, it is launched from large aircraft like the Backfire. It has a range of 280 miles and a one-ton warhead. The warhead can be either high explosive or a nuclear bomb.
ASROC — Antisubmarine Rocket: Fired from Navy ships, it is used to attack submarines. A solid-fuel rocket quickly boosts a Mark 46 homing torpedo several miles to the presumed location of an enemy submarine. Once it arrives in the target area, the homing torpedo is lowered into the water by parachute. In place of the torpedo, ASROC can carry a nuclear depth charge.
ASW — Antisubmarine Warfare: The art and science of killing enemy submarines.
AWG-9 radar: The radar mounted in the nose of the F-14 Tomcat fighter. A very powerful and sophisticated unit, it allows the aircraft to track and fire AIM-54C Phoenix missiles at up to six air targets simultaneously.
BDU — Battle Dress, Uniform: The Army’s name for camouflaged uniforms.
BLU-109 bomb: A type of 2,000-pound bomb. It has a specially hardened case that allows it to penetrate many feet of reinforced concrete before detonating.
BMP —
BOQ — Bachelor Officers’ Quarters: A cross between an apartment house, a dormitory, and a zoo, it is a place for unmarried officers to live on base rent-free. Each room has a combined bedroom and living room and a small bath. There are no kitchen or cooking facilities, although there is usually a refrigerator.
BTR —
BTR-60: An eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier, it first appeared in the early 1960s. The first of a long series of similar designs, it has a boat-shaped hull and can carry fourteen men. One flaw in this design is its two gasoline engines, located behind thin armor. This was corrected in later versions.
C-141 Starlifter: This four-engined transport is the stardard cargo plane for the U.S. Air Force. It can carry over 200 troops or 35 tons of cargo.
C-5 Galaxy: The largest aircraft in the U.S. inventory, this monster can carry 110 tons of cargo. It rarely carries troops but instead is used to carry items too bulky or heavy for the C-141 Starlifter.
C4: The designation for a type of plastic explosive used by the U.S. Army and others. It can be worked like modeling clay, burned, or dropped, but it will not detonate without an igniter.
CAR-15: A South Korean-built version of the U.S. M16 rifle.
CEV: The M728 Combat Engineering Vehicle looks like a cross between a bulldozer and a tank. It has a built-in crane, a bulldozer blade, and a large, low-velocity “demolition gun.” It is used by the Army to clear obstacles and build entrenchments.
CH-53: A twin-engined cargo helicopter, the CH-53 was also used in Vietnam as a combat rescue helicopter, with machine guns, armor, and a hoist for recovering downed pilots from inside enemy territory. This was so successful that the idea was expanded to the present MH-53E Pave Low, an ultrasophisticated machine loaded with sensors and weapons.
CIA — Central Intelligence Agency: One of many U.S. intelligence agencies and the one most widely known. Headquartered in Langley, Virginia, across the Potomac from Washington, D.C.
CIC — Combat Information Center: The compartment of a Navy warship where displays showing information from the ship’s radars, sonars, lookouts, and any other sensors are located. The ship’s captain will normally “fight his ship” from here, where he can see what is going on around his vessel. It was first developed during World War II, when sea battles moved out beyond visual range.
CINCPAC–Commander in Chief Pacific: A U.S. officer in command of all American forces in the Pacific area. The post is usually occupied by an admiral, but he also controls Army, Air Force, and Marine units
