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2LT Aeros, APAO Correspondent
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Forward Operating Base Yankee-6, somewhere in Minnesota

Day 700. It was 101 day’s ago that PEACE forces invaded the USA and Canada, triggering a war that has burned a path of destruction across three continents. While this may have been the longest conflict in the New World, you would not have guessed it had you been observing the US Army Tactical Operations Center (TOC). Young officers and crusty NCO’s were moving around the large open tent, updating charts and visual displays. In front of the main board, Generals NXNW and Jameson L. Tai (JLT) were studying the progress of the battle. Were it not for the dull thuds of explosions from the nearby Canadian border and the shrieks of attack aircraft overhead, you would have thought they were just watching a cheap RTS game.

An icon indicating the northward movement of a Marine Armored column began to flicker. “Signal Lost” informed the operator from his station. “Friendly Forces tracking becoming unstable, Hungary is running interference across all spectrums.” Another officer rushed up the Generals and stated crisply “Independent Radio operators in the Lake Country report heavy Hungarian armored units moving down from the North to reinforce Winnipeg. Combat out-post Santa Clause at the North Pole further reports massive airlifts emerging from the direction of Siberia”. NXNW studied the map one last time before nodding his head. “Signal I and II corps, order them advance with extreme prejudice, Prepare to jump TOC!”



Inside the US Army Tactical Operations Center

At that command, the nearby operations Sergeant Major immediately bellowed “JUMP TOC” which caused the entire room to spring into a scramble of packing up and loading up of vehicles. “I’ll direct the fight from Mobile Command Center, tell our escorts to lock and load”. Within 30 minutes, the entire tent and all the equipment had been loaded up and the Headquarters convoy began moving North, escorted by a Battalion of troops from the 2nd Infantry division. As we approached the Canadian border, all the soldiers could do was look out in shock. The first battle was not kind on this part of Canada, but now it looked like the surface of the moon. Fires were burning from one end of the horizon to the other, and a thick cloud of smoke all but obscured the shattered remains of the International Border post that marked the end of US Route 59. To the north was the constant soul shaking thumps of explosions and the angry rattle of small arms fire. Even more shocking, was the grim faced Canadian civilians who were seen trudging south away from the sound of the guns. Some of the Intel guys pulled a few of these poor souls aside and queried them as to what was going on. From what we gathered, I Corps had rolled by approximately 1 hour ago and was engaged with a Hungarian army south of Steinbach. “Should we vector some of I Corps towards Morria and take some pressure off II?” Queried JLT to NXNW. “Negative, II Corps can handle it, tell I Corps to keep pressing North and link up with the Marines at Ashern. I want the Highway along Lake Winnipeg cleared up to the Grand Rapids so the Romanian Army can blow through the choke point” Came the response. A glance at the map gave any wise soldier a shiver.

Grand Rapids sat between Lake Winnipeg and another major lake. It was the perfect choke point, and gave the only access further North into the Lake country. It was also astride the Hungarian Armies main axis of advance from Nunavut.

Above the convoy, a pair of PEACE Mig-27’s were dueling with a pair of F-15’s. One of the F-15’s sidewinder missiles slammed into a Mig, sending it into a death spiral. Unfortunately the other dove to the ground. “Its on an attack run!” shouted one of the Soldiers nearby. Immediately, the convoy opened up with .50 Caliber machine guns and stinger missiles. The Mig hit the after burner and roared over head. A few seconds later, a massive explosion rocked us all to our heels. Your fearless reporter actually blacked out. By the time I came too, it was nothing but organized chaos. The bomb had landed close to one of the escort Bradley’s and had flipped it off the road. It looked like it rolled about 50 meters. Those bombs pack a punch. Fortunately, the crew survived, suffering only broken bones and concussions. They were put on a field Ambulance and sent back to the rear. By now, the sound of Gunfire was very close indeed. Occasionally, small groups of Hungarians began taking hit and run shots at our vehicles. Up ahead, we saw a group of Stryker APC’s in combat formation, blasting away at far off targets. General NXNW hopped out of his vehicle and ran up to the troop commander who was peering down a pair of binoculars towards whatever it was he was shooting at. “What’s going on Captain!, the 5th Mechanized should almost be at Winnipeg by now!”. The flustered Captain immediately saluted and shouted back over the din of the erupting 105mm main guns. “Our light forces are heavily engaged just North of Steinbach. We can’t get on the Main Highway, the Hungarians are dug in all around the area!” “So what the hell are you shooting at?” In response to the query, the Captain pointed towards a tall sign designed to be seen from the highway labeled “Tim Hortons”. "The Huns are dug in all around that area. That big sign over there makes the perfect range finder" The Captain responded. “What the hell is a Tim Hortons?” Whispered a soldier next to me. “Oh, its like a Duncan Donuts, only better.” I responded.



Better then Duncan Donuts

After looking through the Binnoculars, General NXNW responded “I can do much better then these 105’s.” He waved towards his Radio Operator. “Get on the horn with the Pentagon, tell them I want a MOAB strike at these grid coordinates”. He then handed a piece of paper over to the operator and turned back to the Captain “Tell your men to get clear of that area ASAP, because it won’t be there for too much longer. For the next 30 minutes, the Hungarians and our boys traded shells and mortars while the majority of the troops took cover under their vehicles. When it just seemed like we could not take it anymore, the sound of a C-130’s turbo props became audible over the din. Looking up, we saw the transport aircraft beginning a lazy banking maneuver, escorted by 4 F-22 Raptors. Then, a large cylindrical object was dropped out the back and began to free fall. “FLASH FLASH FLASH” the soldiers all around us started shouting. Everyone began scrambling for what cover they could. And then there was a massive flash of light, and then noise that seemed to shake the earth to its core, and caused my eardrums to shriek even as I clamped my ears over them. Looking up, I saw a large orange mushroom cloud expanding over the Hungarian position. The Tim Horton’s sign seemed to stand defiantly against the backdrop of the inferno for a brief moment before it toppled in the face of the expanding gasses and heat. Watching the conflagration, I simply could not believe a MOAB was not a Nuke. It definitely is the Mother of All Bombs. The immediate area soon became deathly quiet. No response from the Hungarian side. “Tell your boys to saddle up and charge that position before the survivors have a chance to reorganize Captain!” Shouted NXNW. With that, the Strykers raised their grounding anchors and began to race across the fields towards the waiting highway and what remained of the Hungarian forces.



You do not want to be the middle of a MOAB strike


By Midnight, our TOC has been reestablished outside Winnipeg, while the troops of II Corps and the HQ began to try and get sleep, if that was possible over the steady thumping of artillery. Generals NXNW and JLT were huddled over a map spread out on a Camp table. “II Corps Reports they rendezvoused successfully with the Marines and are in position south of Grand Rapids. The Romanian and Croatian Armies are preparing to attack the town and take control of the choke point. The US Airborne and Mobile Infantry are all up and down the eastern lake district, centered around Oxford House. The remaining EDEN forces have captured the intersection south of Cranberry cottage, and are prepared to repel any PEACE forces that attempt to go around Grand Rapids. They are going to hit us hard tomorrow, I know it.

Day 701

Swarms of US Paramilitaries and National Guard forces were pouring down Canadian Expressway 1, while the regular troops were standing by in reserve. The Hungarians hit us hard in the early morning. Intense fights raged at Grand Rapids for hours before the I Corps and the EDEN troops began to retreat back down route 6 towards Coldwell. Outside Winnipeg, the US Forces were attempting to advance into the city from the South and East. The National Guard “Two Clicker Corps”had secured the town Tache on the outer suburbs of Winnipeg, but were running into the Hun Elites and taking heavy casualties.

“Keep up the pressure, dammit, we are not going to lose this time”. General NXNW was shouting into his radio towards a panicked sounding Guardsmen. The sound of heavy munitions detonations and close quarters small arms fire was audible over the radio speakers, even from my vantage point. Despite the cajoling, our forces were unable to force through the Hungarian lines, though the I Corps, Marines and EDEN had managed to stop the Hungarian push down routes 6 and 10 at Saint Laurent and Dauphin.

At this point, it was starting to look like the battle was lost, even as the sound of artillery, bombs and gunfire reached a fever pitch. Just when I began to wonder if I would have to type up a report on our defeat, the JCS command net cracked. “This is General Harlot, all US and Allied forces are ordered to advance and engage the enemy, don’t stop for anything”. General NXNW threw the mike down and shouted to the staff soldiers “He said every unit. Soldiers! Grab your weapons, we’re going in!” At this point, a massive column of US Marine tanks began thundering down Expressway 1, Leroy Combs at the front waving a Marine officers sword from his vantage point on top of his tanks turret. “There goes one crazy mutha, shouted one of our Sergeants to another”. Our light infantry and mechanized troops quickly mounted the vehicles and dispersed onto the median and sides of the Expressway in order to screen the tanks. And so we began our charge on Winnipeg.

As the city came into view up ahead, I could feel my breath catch in my throat. Whole sections of the urban center were ablaze, while dozens of attack aircraft and bombers sporting the symbols of PEACE, the USA and EDEN fought a deadly dance of death in the skies over the Manitoban capital. The charred out remains of PEACE and Allied vehicles lined expressway 1, being kept vigil only by companies of Engineers desperately struggling to clear the way for the armored charge. And then we slammed into the Hungarian lines.



US Tanks moving into downtown Winnipeg

There is no way to describe what happened after that. It was just a din of noise and fire. I seem to remember my M-4 starting to glow red at the barrel, and one of the Sergeants in our unit shouting at me to drop it and grab another rifle from one of the fallen soldiers. Before I realized it, we were in amongst the shops and apartments of downtown Winnipeg. PEACE and US Soldiers were seen exchanging bullets and directed dispersal munitions at point blank range. Some had even dropped their weapons and were fighting hand to hand. Just when I thought we could not take anymore, the noise began to steadily die down. The bombed out streets of Winnipeg became quiet as first dozens, and then hundreds of PEACE soldiers emerged from their positions waving white flags. “We have captured the Administrative district” I overhead General NXNW speaking into his radio. One of his orderlies ran up to the General, not even paying attention to the fact that his uniform was tattered and covered in concrete dust. “Sir, report of the EDEN Mobile Corps, they have routed the Hungarian Army on Highway 6 and have pushed past Grand Rapids. PEACE is in full retreat!”

After that, it was back to administrative work, processing hundreds of PEACE POW’s. At some point, their governments will be able to send them moving tickets, and we can get them off our hands. For now though, they were being escorted back to temporary internment camps in Minnesota. The men and women of the US Army were definitely exhausted. The Battle of Manitoba was the largest movement of eUS troops in the entire war, and we had prevailed against the most powerful war machine in the New World.