The 90th story of a full-length business novel.
Immediately before the Korean campaign, they held an operation meeting as already mentioned before. The meeting was prepared as a secret conference behind closed doors. In the situation room, there were maps on the Far East and the Korean peninsula and related pilot charts. Those were hung one by one separately on the rack close to the national flag and emblems of the troops. There, the maps of the war situation in the past Sino- & Russo-Japanese Wars were also hung on the other racks separately. Of course, related maps and topographies were hung as complements for the briefing. Thus, all of the maps, charts, and complements showed clearly why the conference was to be held. So the mood was dead-and-alive. Every attendant could guess that it was to make the Korean campaign as the here-and-now issue.
Actually, the high commander was purposed to house action officers at the meeting. There, the officers were assigned to brief the current situation. After the briefing, the high commissioner was to deliver the purpose and reason of the Korean campaign together with his black wills.
Through using this conference, he badly wanted his officers to be resolved to wage the campaign unflinchingly. The seats were prepared for all the high ranking officers in the amphitheater. In the center of the room, the seat was set for the high commissioner. At the right and left side next to him, the deputy commander and the assistant chief of staff sat down. Personnel (Ground 1), Intelligence (G2), Operations (G3), Logistics (G4), Fires (G5), and Command & communications (G6) and other action officers were present. They have already attended it to prepare for their briefing. Of course, the topic was centered on the future campaign in Korea. Each action officer stood up by the podium and began to concisely report his own duty with the pilot charts one after another.
In this way, the conference began smoothly. Already, the continuity in the film had been fixed with a stage setting. So it began to crank-in. (Below is an image of crank-in. Source: ko-kr.facebook.com/thecrankin/timeline)
Each officer’s briefing was finished. Then, the eagle-eyed high commissioner, who was assigned with the mission as the supreme commander, took a nod. Then he commended them all in a soft and slow voice.
“Hmm, every gentleman has done a good job. I’m satisfied with the action plan on the coming campaign. I think every plan is meticulously playable according to the grand design. Yes, it’s excellent. I am sure that is a plan of campaign. Well, it’s my turn. Oyez, I’ve something to remind you all.”
Then he stood up from the seat and walked to the podium. It was the signal of the main film with a high angle. He began to make a full speech seemly with his left hand put inside his rear trouser pocket.
“First, let me give you the summary and the purpose of the on-coming Korean campaign. Of course, I surmise that you’ve already understood its deep meaning. But it is the upmost important issue. So, I have felt that it is necessary to convene the conference to check it out thoroughly and remind you of the true purpose of the campaign through the meeting. So, I’ve decided to hold today’s meeting.”
In light of his forceful speech, he must have been filled with the so-called soldierly spirits that are ‘Semper Fidelis’ and ‘Semper Paratus.’ Perhaps, he might be. Then he took a pause for seconds. Then he continued that:
“With the meeting I earnestly hope that. . . That is that you will fully understand its goal and background more in detail once gain. That is why I have the meeting with gentlemen. Hum, everything has set up. Well, I’ll give you something before the campaign. First, let’s look at the map over here.”
He looked up at the map of the Korean peninsula and Seoul City map. Then he grasped the pointer on the podium with his right hand. With it, he pointed to the Peninsula on the map. He began to speak out his speech straightforward.
“According to ROT (the rule of thumb), the scale of Korea is small and bantam weighted as you see it on the map. So, the Korean campaign is not worth fighting so long. Further, it is geographically a peripheral theater for our campaign. It is simply the contest of wills. There is no difficulty in carrying out the mission, I believe. It won’t be in vain.”
In this way he determinedly said. He continued saying plainly by pointing to the topography of Seoul with the pointer that:
“Well, for references, I’d like to say to it this time once again. I do know G2 (intelligence officers) has already given to you the correct information at the presentation. Nonetheless, I emphasize it once again. Now, the Korean capital, Seoul is situated in the plain. As you see it on the topography, it has no height, no rampart to scale. So, it’s easy to take it by land.”
Then he moved the pointer to the river on the map. Then he added that:
“Happily, it has another good merit for us. I mean, it is the Han River. The River will be useful for our maneuvering when we use it. It flows across the inside Seoul. It divides Seoul into two parts. Thus, there are two cities, the northern Seoul and the southern Seoul. To get there, we can use the River. Through the river, our logistics will be easily transported with our battleships.”
Continuously, he said with outspokenness that:
“Thus, I believe everything will be a plain sailing in the operation. We do not have to worry about the pain-in-the-ass transportation problem unlike other places where we have been troubled with the problems so far. Of course I do tell you one more thing that. . . . Such an operation will be done under the condition that we have naval supremacy over the Han River and dock safely our ships on the corners of Han River.”
It was the big picture of the Korean Campaign in the upcoming years. Then he turned to his lieutenant, asking him that:
“Are you writing all this down to make sure my instruction will be re-informed to my men”
The lieutenant said yes, sir. Actually he was scribbling all the details that the commanding general was instructing on since the start of the meeting. As for the commander, doing such a thing was a sort of histrionics. It was used to evade dullness and draw attention. Right, here the commander used it for his inhibited goal. Actually, it was called ‘window effect’ in the film. Right, it was used to attract the audience in the folm from time to time. But here, he used it to call for his officer’s attentions once again. (Below is an image of window effect. Source: www.dyvels.com)
