Chapter 364 Bet

The weather at West Point in October is getting colder. Those hurried cadets and officers can be seen everywhere on campus. They either wear leather bags or three or five people do not stop. The wind of the Korean War blows to the United States. Many people are optimistic about the war. They are proud of General MacArthur's achievements, and think that this will be another peak in his personal military career. He will build from the United States. One of the most prestigious soldiers since the establishment of the army.

Every teaching area of Saiya Hall will be discussed every day, and the debate about this war is more fierce than ever before. Especially after the U.S. military led by MacArthur landed in Incheon, many people optimistically estimated that the war was coming to an end.

Parks was sitting in General Taylor's on-campus mansion, enjoying the French wine and some fresh fruit provided by General Taylor, while several soldiers who were on duty blamed General Taylor for sending him away. Now there are only Parks and Taylor in the swimming pool in the back yard of the huge villa. The two soldiers lay on their chairs and basked in the early autumn sun.

"My report has been submitted!" There was something wrong with General Taylor's face. "I know this is not very popular. They don't like to have different opinions, especially when General MacArthur makes significant progress. General Taylor sneered at himself.

"They will know your wisdom sooner or later!" Parks squeezed his lips. He put the wine on the small round table of the umbrella between the two, and then turned his head to look at General Taylor and said, "I hate your courage, General. But you still seem weak. Of course, this may eventually lead to you not being able to stay here for a long time. What the army needs is not a dissent like you!"

"I know!" General Taylor smiled and relaxed as if he had lost something. "I know, but I can't help but say what I think, not for me, nor for this position, but for the United States! I know what kind of person MacArthur is. He is too strong, and now my worries are even worse. Our progress is too smooth. It's not a good thing, especially for a long-honored general with a strong surname.

"What are you worried about?" Parks moved slightly, and he soon realized what General Taylor was worried about. At that time, it was not without military strategists who made a correct assessment of MacArthur or the final progress of the war, but it was often covered up by the glory of victory. Until it was uncontrollable, it suddenly remembered how important the opinions of those opponents were.

"I'm worried about General MacArthur!" Taylor seemed to be talking to himself, then shook his head, and then nodded. Obviously, he was also in a contradiction in his heart. Between opposition and approval, he wants to choose the former, but the former has no way out now, and it may eventually lead to his hard-won status. But echoing those radical ideas is not what he wants. That's why he came to Parks. He already knew Parks' attitude towards the war through the newspaper. He just wanted to talk to Parks casually. Now they can say that they have common contradictions.

"But he can't listen to any advice now. Victory made him lose his mind. Maybe he is a stubborn person. The victory and achievements in the Pacific battlefield of World War made him lose the patience to listen to his opinions. General, I think we can only wait for him to make a mistake before listening to our opinions! Everyone is optimistic now, but once the war is out of control or exceeds the limit, it is not only the North Korean army involved in the war, but also the Soviets and Chinese behind them!" Parks said truthfully, "If we could stop near the 38th parallel, I think all this would be avoided!"

"You can see it clearly!" Taylor nodded in agreement. He has always appreciated Parks's military talent. Whether tactically or combatally, he can now show such an opinion strategically, which also shows his extraordinary. "Well, let's not talk about this now. Let's talk about you!"

"Talk to me?" Parks was a little surprised and then laughed, "General, what else can I do?"

Taylor bit his head and smiled, "I know you didn't come to West Point because of how attractive it is to you. I know that the military department has sent you a letter, and the only way you can escape the recall is to come here. Because I know you don't like this war. That's why, Les, are you going to stay in West Point for the rest of your life?

Parks then smiled. This was not difficult to analyze. He shook his head and said, "No, General, I don't want to stay in school all my life. It's not that I don't like it here. I'm here until my service ends. I don't want people to find a handle. You know, although I like the life of the army, it's very Obviously, I can't find that feeling here. If Company E hadn't disbanded, maybe those brothers would feel very good together--" He suddenly stopped and said to General Taylor apologetically, "I'm sorry, General, General, I didn't mean to mention this."

"I know. To be honest, the disbandment of the 101 Airborne Division is the most wrong thing I have done. Believe me, I feel the same as you, but now it's all over!" Taylor smiled bitterly.

"Yes, everything is over!" Parks couldn't help sighing. He knew that Company E was just his past. He had to look forward. What he was most worried about now was not the progress of the war, but his friend Winters. He knew that Winters went to North Korea as the commander of a battalion of the 187th Regiment, and his calf was injured in the most recent battle. Fortunately, there was nothing serious. However, after a month of recovery in the rear hospital, Winters returned to the 187th Regiment again, and he was again because of the success of the Busan defense war. I got a cross medal. But he was firmly tied to General MacArthur's seemingly dangerous chariot.

After a conversation with General Taylor, Parks obviously felt that General Taylor's attitude towards him was much closer. Maybe he was a person who was good at listening to him, or maybe he was a person who held the same point of view as him, which made him feel like a bosom friend. Of course, he also had more or less. It is the intimacy of his old subordinates.

And Parks still continues his life at West Point, participating in training on time every day. If he has time, he will go to a guest lecture in military affairs. Of course, he mainly explains the art of command and some knowledge of special forces. But it's mainly his class, and every time the classroom is full.

" Major Parks! My name is Melence." After another lecture, a student raised his hand. He stood up and said to Parks, "We are now engaged in a war no less than World War II. We have been arguing about it for a long time. Of course, our unanimous result is that the North Korean army will be driven away by us, and we will get this. The absolute victory of the war. When he said this, there was a lot of applause in the classroom. Obviously, many people agreed with him very much.

"Nevertheless, we still want to hear your opinion!" The student did not mean to be provocative. On the contrary, he looked very eager, and the other students were similar to his expressions.

Parks was stunned. He didn't expect any students to ask him such questions at such a time. In fact, anyone who reads the newspaper will know what Parks's attitude towards the war was like at the beginning. At that time, no students asked about it. Perhaps in the minds of these students, when the war goes smoothly, they will want to hear the praise of the authorities of the war, especially those who once had no hope for the war, to satisfy their sense of national honor in the supremacy of the United States.

"Everyone knows what my attitude is like!" Parks smiled, "If you read the newspaper, you will find that I am a pessimist. Of course, the current result proves that I am wrong, at least this is the result!"

Parks' words came out, and the classroom suddenly buzzed, and then Merens still asked, "Major Parks, I don't mean to offend. Now our war is going very smoothly. Some people even predict that even if all the North Korean troops are driven to the Korean Peninsula, our soldiers will I will go home with victory before Christmas!"

"Does anyone think so?" Parks shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

"Yes, at least General MacArthur once revealed this meaning in his speech the day before yesterday. I don't think it's unreasonable!" The student Melens said, which aroused the response of the students below, and there was a buzzing sound in the classroom.

"Of course, I have a high respect for General MacArthur. His achievements are so remarkable." Parks couldn't help laughing and said, "I don't know if what you just said was said by General MacArthur, but I dare say that he definitely won't say that. Everyone knows that I have participated in World War II. I fought in the European theater and served in the 101st Airborne Division. At that time, we fought with the belief that we would win, at least that's what we thought before the market garden operation. At that time, General Eisenhower said in the army that once the market garden operation was carried out, we could rush home for Christmas!"

Parks said here, shrugged his shoulders and smiled, "It was 1944 when we said that, but we finally let the Germans surrender unconditionally on May 7, 1945. Of course, until now, I have believed that the person who said that was definitely not General Eisenhower. So I was confused by what you said just now. I think General MacArthur would never say anything like ending the war before Christmas. Because I've already experienced it once!"

As soon as Parks's words fell, there was a burst of laughter in the classroom. Obviously, the laughter went to the questioning Melens, and he also blushed and said, "Really? Major, I can bet with you if I can!" With that, he took out a $20 bill from his pocket, "20 dollars, I'll end the war before Christmas!"

Obviously, this is provocation, and the ridicule of the students made the guy lose his mind. He completely ignored the difference between superiors and subordinates, the difference between instructors and students, and all the students looked at him worriedly.

Parks couldn't help shrugging his shoulders, took out a $20 bill from his pocket and smiled, "Okay, Merens, I bet with you." With that, he patted the bill gently on the podium!

(to be continued)