CH36 : Supplies

"Yes, I'm off duty. Come over and have a beer. I even have your favourite Jack and Coke."

"Just Coke is fine since I'm on duty."

I walked over to Sergeant Mark and received a cola.

He had brought a bucket filled with ice, alcohol, and drinks. Such a commendable American soldier.

"Hey, guys. Take it easy!"

Sergeant Mark, with his characteristic casual demeanor, tossed a bottle of Coca-Cola to my staff.

"What brings you here? Area A beach is much better. We've set up parasols and sunbeds."

The beach at Area A had been cleared neatly.

Thanks to this, it now resembled a beach from the 21st century, and our pockets had become heavier.

The American soldiers would lie on the sunbeds, hand over dollars, and our staff would clean their boots and rifles.

By going out at twilight after a day's work, we would earn extra allowances.

While this happened, the more physically fit staff could take on such side jobs, though most would fall asleep from the day's exhaustion.

In this world, physical strength was directly related to money.

"That place is too crowded. I prefer somewhere quieter."

"I respect your taste."

"And since I'm here, I'd like to get some Polytex."

"You've already used it all?"

Sergeant Mark made quite a bit of money reselling Polytex face masks, gloves, sleeves, and stockings for the soldiers.

Polytex products were a sort of bribe we gave to the engineering commanders, and even selling them at five or six times the cost price, we couldn't keep up with the demand.

"Used it all? We've had a lot of new recruits lately, and they're all clamouring for it."

"How much do you need?"

"Give me 30 pairs of each."

"I don't have that much. We make these ourselves for work."

It wasn't a lie.

When we left Busan Port, we didn't have time to make the finished products, so we brought a few rolls of Polytex fabric and a sewing machine.

We cut the fabric on site to make sleeves and face masks, thanks to a few former seamstresses among our staff.

"Then give me as much as you can."

I went to the field office and brought a few pairs of sleeves and stockings, handing them to Sergeant Mark.

"Twenty pairs are all I can give you. Sorry, I can't give more."

"What can you do if you don't have more? I'll have to distribute them by drawing lots. Anyway, who would believe Korean products are better than American ones?"

"These were developed because there are so many rice paddies in the Korean countryside. Other products are much better from America."

I joked around a bit.

"Anyway, thanks. The platoon leaders, especially those on night duty, wouldn't even think of going out without these. They come back with them torn up after just one outing, crawling on the ground."

"They tear these tough things?"

"Don't even mention it. The Viet Cong make booby traps with sharp spikes and tin can lids. Still, thanks to these, we've reduced tetanus and malaria cases significantly. The headquarters even asked what the secret was. Haha."

Sergeant Mark was grateful not just for the money he made but because they genuinely helped in operations.

They couldn't use them openly since they weren't part of the standard issue, but if they were officially adopted, the headquarters would probably award a commendation.

This means, sooner or later, you'll officially adopt these.

Honestly, nothing is more convenient for protecting against mosquitoes, leeches, centipedes, spiders, fire ants, snakes, and all sorts of pests.

Once you try Polytex, you can't go without it.

There are no alternatives.

Such products must be worn close to the skin due to their purpose, and without Polytex, the skin would become sore, making it impossible to wear for long periods.

"If it helps with military operations, find a way to make an official request. Our headquarters is already planning to ship Korean military supplies. Maybe we can share some supplies from there."

"Does the Korean military use Polytex too?"

"Of course. The quality of Korean military supplies is much better than our handmade ones."

What I said was bound to come true.

Sam-bok was handling the domestic military supply, while I focused on the American military supply.

The domestic military supply price would likely be driven down to near-cost price, so I had to make money from the American military supply.

By now, you should have tried Polytex enough to want to pay full price for it soon.

"Really? I thought I saw a lot of cargo from the Korean military, but there was some CS cargo mixed in."

The Korean military already arrived? That couldn't be.

In the original history, the Tiger Division wouldn't come to Quy Nhon until November... By now, the National Assembly might have just passed the deployment of combat troops.

"The Korean military arrived? Didn't you mistake it for our company's cargo ship?"

"Cargo ship? No, it was a pretty big warship."

"A warship?"

Not a cargo ship but a warship?

Were soldiers really here?

Feeling uneasy, I ran towards the temporary harbor.

I had clearly instructed Sam-bok to send the largest ship possible.

It should be a cargo ship, not a warship.

***

"Salute, welcome to port."

"Salute, thank you for welcoming us. This is the Unbong, having departed from Busan Port, delivering 26 trucks, 19 jeeps, 680 drums of gasoline, 50 drums of lubricants, 32 tons of six types of beer, and 68 tons of various military supplies to the Quy Nhon logistics base."

"Thank you for your hard work on the transport operation. Salute."

We hadn't dredged enough to build proper docking facilities, so we laid out rafts where the handover ceremony was taking place.

Behind the Korean sailors, a perfectly intact LST was visible.

'Unbong? Baekgu Unit? Did our navy have such a large ship?'

The LST had "Unbong" written on it, and the flag with a white seagull on a blue background bore the name "Baekgu Unit."

After the handover ceremony, the LST, true to its nature, pushed its bow onto the shore and began unloading trucks.

Though they were unloaded from a warship, the trucks were construction models meant to transport aggregates at construction sites.

The marks on the trucks indicated they belonged to BR. This meant the construction manager would soon arrive as well.

Tap.

"Excuse me. Are you President Woo Chan-soo of Daese Industries?"

As I admired the trucks I would one day own, someone saluted sharply.

"Yes, that's me."

"Salute! The President has sent a personal letter."

"The President?"

"With the Brown Memorandum, the Republic of Korea Navy has acquired four LST ships. Your contribution is also acknowledged. I am sending you rice, kimchi, and gochujang to encourage you to work harder for the country."

I had expected the President's letter to be gold-plated, but it was simply a letter.

Getting four LSTs through the Brown Memorandum was an impressive negotiation.

As far as I knew, we had received fighter jets and tanks, but we got warships too. Even if they were second-hand, this was significant.

The President's commendation was akin to receiving a bouquet of kimchi and gochujang instead of flowers.

Though it felt a bit humorous to receive such gifts from the President, they were practically helpful.

Even if we managed to get by with Vietnamese rice, kimchi and gochujang were truly hard to go without.

"The President also instructed us to deliver this message: since the food might spoil quickly, we will send it every two weeks. If you need more, request it immediately!"

The naval officer delivered the President's words with military precision, looking at me with sparkling eyes, seemingly envious of the President's attention.

I had no desire for such attention.

"... Please convey my gratitude."

This was essentially an order to report every two weeks rather than asking for more.

When the President commands, you comply.

Fortunately, he didn't send a telex ordering bi-weekly reports.

"Understood. Also, please accept the supplies sent by Daese Industries."

"Oh, really? Our company sent goods too."

The naval officer pointed to the truck loaded with goods.

This was truly welcome news.

Sam-bok had shipped dozens of tons of goods.

What a capable guy.

"Here's news from Daese Industries as well."

"Thank you."

The naval officer handed me a letter from Sam-bok.

"Chan-soo, look here. I tried to charter a cargo ship, but Quy Nhon port is a special military zone where general cargo ships can't dock. Although it can go to Saigon, goods frequently disappear there, so we used a warship. The Blue House Secretariat asked if there was anything they could help with, so we took the opportunity. I know we should avoid politics, but we had no choice. I sent as much as the warship could carry."

Ah, so cargo ships can go to Saigon but not directly to Quy Nhon. I hadn't considered that.

Sam-bok must have been quite stressed.

The rascal, he sent a letter instead of a telex, fearing I'd be angry for not sending a cargo ship. Coward.

"Please confirm the receipt of the supplies."

The naval officer handed me the acceptance documents.

To him, this operation seemed to be a very important military mission directly ordered by the President.

I boarded the truck and checked the goods.

Opening the boxes, I found face masks, gloves, sleeves, stockings, mosquito nets, as well as military uniforms, boots, and raincoats

, all tightly packed.

With this amount of supplies, I could begin tackling the American military supply market.

"Confirmed receipt."

"Confirmed delivery. Salute."

"Salute! This... looks good. Would you like to use it?"

Feeling thankful and seeing his earnest eyes glancing at the goods, I wanted to give him a gift.

"Thank you."

"This is called Polytex. It's cool and comfortable to wear."

I handed him a bundle of gloves and sleeves.

"I know."

"You know?"

"Yes, I heard these are high-quality items provided to deployed soldiers. Thank you."

Huh? Has Sam-bok already secured a military supply contract?

Well, with this amount of stockpile, it's about time.

In any case, the naval officer seemed very pleased with my gift.

"It's not free. I have a question."

"Ask away."

"Are you returning with an empty ship?"

"No, we are scheduled to return with empty drum containers to Jinhae Port."

"Not completely empty, but almost."

"... Do you have a request?"

He was a sharp man.

His name tag read Major Son Tae-yang.

"Major Son Tae-yang, this is for the nation. Please help me."

"For the nation?"

Using patriotism on a soldier of this era was like a cheat code.

"There are surplus materials from the American military that would otherwise be taken by the Japanese. We've worked hard to procure these resources, so please bring them into the country."

"What are you referring to?"

"Lumber. It's surplus from a construction contract with the American military, so there's no problem with exporting it."

It wasn't illegal; it was using the American military's surplus material handling regulations.

Though it might seem odd, the rule was that leftover materials from American military support, if they constituted less than 2% of the total supply or were basic construction by-products like soil or gravel, could be handled by the contractor.

In essence, it was like saying, "Dispose of the waste, and we'll give you a fee."

In other words, I could export the lumber by preparing and approving the disposal documents.

The American military and I, as their subcontractor, used the same format for documents, making this possible.

I was equivalent to a non-commissioned officer in the American military.

"Did the President approve this?"

"Of course. Lumber equals dollars."

Naturally, President Park had ordered it.

Hadn't he commanded us to earn dollars in the war zone for the country? I was faithfully following his orders.

Even if he hadn't given such an order, why would I discard such precious lumber?

I'm no saint who can ignore gold nuggets lying on the ground.

"I will postpone the transport of empty drum containers and initiate an urgent operation."

"Follow the coastline southwards until you see a sandbar and a pile of lumber. See you there."

"Understood. Salute!"

Major Son Tae-yang's eyes sparkled.

He had nothing to fear since this was a direct order from the President for the nation.

A soldier lives and dies by orders, and he wouldn't hesitate to take up arms for the country.

***

The operation was swift.

True to its nature, the LST anchored on the sandbar and began loading lumber with a crane.

All my staff and I had to do was roll the fumigated lumber towards the shore with a lever.

"Daese Industries will take over the lumber, so please stack it temporarily at the naval port."

"Don't worry. It will be delivered safely."

"You'll have to come often for the same purpose."

President Park instructed to bring me gochujang and doenjang every two weeks.

Since you're here, you shouldn't leave empty-handed.

Load the ship with lumber.

"... Salute!"

Major Son Tae-yang was momentarily taken aback but quickly regained his posture and saluted.

"Salute! Safe voyage."

"Come back! Put my letters in the mailbox."

"My letters too!"

The staff handed over the letters they had been unable to send to the Unbong.

"All, salute!"

"Salute!"

"Salute!"

The warship departed from the shore. The soldiers standing in line on the deck saluted sharply and disappeared from view.

"Indeed, navy uniforms are the best!"

I waved my hand at the departing warship.

Arrive safely! Come back in two weeks!

The Unbong, an official naval warship of the Republic of Korea, felt like our personal ferry.

As soon as the ship left, I sent a telex to Sam-bok.

Of course, I also sent a thank-you letter and a business progress report to the President.

The President would be surprised to hear that I was also starting a lumber business.

He would help as well.

After all, he knew better than anyone that economic development was key to maintaining power.

Asia might be in turmoil due to the Vietnam War, but the baby boomers in America were starting to settle down and buy homes.

At this time, lumber was as important as oil. It was a resource that directly reflected dollar inflation.

Unlike the original history, one of the many sources of money that flowed to Japan was now turning towards Korea.