Ben and Rita are sitting at their kitchen table drinking coffee. She opens a letter, reads it and then looks at him.
"I have wonderful news from my cousin in Houston. He owns a cottage right on the Gulf of Mexico near Vera Cruz. It's a fantastic place. We can have it the week of Cinco de Mayo. It'll be the honeymoon we've been postponing for too long. What do you think, my love?"
"Sounds great. What's it like?"
"It's very isolated and very romantic. It'll be just you and me...just...you...and...me."
"I can't wait. Feliz Cinco de Mayo."
"Let me show you where it is on the map. It's just north of Vera Cruz."
In his office at the Department of the Army, U.S. General Matthew Ridgeway greets his staff who are standing around a table where a large map of Mexico is spread out.
"This will be called Operation Segundo, in reference to the first Mexican War in the 1840s. As a matter of fact, we'll be using a similar plan, a two-prong lightening strike, first at the port of Vera Cruz to be followed by a diversion from the north at various points along the Rio Grande. Our goal is to capture a man in Mexico City named Julius Karchevsky. We've got to get in and out quickly to limit any loss of life. The president is trying to negotiate his surrender by the Mexicans, but in case he is not successful, we must be ready to act within 90 days. I've picked you men because I have confidence you can pull this off. Now, let's discuss details."
They study the map of the area just north of Vera Cruz.
No comments:
Post a Comment