CH37 : Military Supply

Seongsu-dong, Daese Industries

Drurrrk. Drurrrk.

"Miss Kim, what's going on with Singapore?"

The telex machine spewed out paper like a roll.

It was all urgent requests to expedite deliveries.

"This morning, we shipped out. Aside from that, 400,000 yards of tricot fabric have come in as a high-priority order. They deposited $200,000 as an advance and demanded top priority."

"Ugh, crazy bastards. It's always urgent. No matter how much we raise the deposit, urgent orders never decrease."

It was driving Sam-bok insane.

Even pulling all-nighters to produce the fabric, there was no time to rest. Urgent orders kept pouring in.

"Razak from Singapore demands the additional quantities first."

"What more can I give? We don't have any left even if we wanted to."

"Why are you snapping at me, sir?"

"Sorry, sorry."

Sam-bok quickly apologized and handed Miss Kim a drink.

If Miss Kim collapsed, it would be a disaster for exports and everything else.

All because of Polytek.

The capacity was already strained with just tricot production, and adding Polytek was killing them.

It's not like they couldn't produce Polytek, which was bound to be a hit.

Chansu guaranteed they'd sell 250,000 military uniforms, so not producing in advance would be catastrophic.

Sending the first batch on a Navy LST provided some relief, but once Chansu fully started, large orders from Vietnam were inevitable.

Everything Chansu predicted had always come true.

"Sir, shouldn't we find more subcontractors now?"

"Yong-gu, it's easier said than done. We've searched all over the country and only found six companies that meet our quality standards. Are you suggesting we find more?"

"But we can't not look. The inventory warehouse is empty. Every time you place an order, I'm shocked."

They couldn't just increase the number of subcontractors indiscriminately.

Most subcontractors couldn't meet Daese Industries' stringent quality standards.

Relaxing those standards wasn't an option, as their strict quality policies were what kept attracting major clients.

"Who said we're standing still? Go out and provide technical support to the subcontractors. No matter how difficult Polytek weaving is, why is the defect rate over 20%? It wasn't like this initially! Why does it get worse over time?"

Sam-bok was also at his wit's end.

Subcontractors who produced tricot well kept messing up Polytek orders.

Defects were also disastrous for the subcontractors, so he couldn't just scold them for not meeting delivery quantities.

"Right. When I go out and set it up, the defect rate drops for a while, but it shoots up again once I return to headquarters."

"Damn it... We should be dancing for joy with money pouring in, but I can't sleep because we can't meet production targets."

"Sir, shouldn't we just buy more Karl Mayer machines? I can't sleep at night worrying our factory machines might break down."

Yong-gu's point was valid.

They needed a contingency plan.

It was much safer and more certain than finding more subcontractors.

'If it were Chansu, he'd invest in equipment. Just report it via telex after doing it.'

Sam-bok made up his mind.

"Let's do that. Check out some used ones... No, let's just get 10... no, 20 new machines."

New Karl Mayer equipment could produce 10,000 yards per month by tricot standards.

With 20 machines, they could cover up to 200,000 yards per month.

"Got it, sir. I'll look into it right away."

Foreman Yong-gu took the car keys from Sam-bok and hurried out of the factory. At Daese Industries, the culture was to act immediately when something came up.

"Sir, we got a telex from the boss."

"What? Let me see."

"Here it is."

「To. Sam-bok.

Received the goods well. Continue the supply to the dispatched soldiers as usual, and send the U.S. military supplies every two weeks. Also, I sent lumber on the returning ship. Sell it little by little to avoid price drops, use the funds for operating expenses, and save the rest. It will become a significant amount over time.」

The telex message Miss Kim delivered was practically a letter. The content was simple, but the work was enormous.

To continue the supply to the dispatched soldiers? Continue?

Regardless of the phrasing, the first task was to start supplying to the national military.

The second was to continue sending supplies every two weeks.

The third was an unexpected instruction to start a lumber business. Not through regular imports, but via Navy LST.

How was he supposed to handle this?

"Now we're selling wood... And sending goods every two weeks?... Are they trying to kill me?"

Sam-bok felt like crying.

Ten bodies wouldn't be enough.

Looking around, all he had were Miss Kim and three extremely busy foremen.

"We need to hire people. Export-import specialists, military supply specialists, technicians, workers, we need to hire them all."

"Right. We need to hire them, sir."

Miss Kim jumped up from her seat.

"Miss Kim, send official letters to nearby technical high schools and business high schools in Seongsu-dong. Announce that the top ten graduating students this year can interview at Daese Industries."

"Wow, new employees? Will I get an assistant?"

"I'll assign you two, so send out the recruitment letters quickly."

They needed to start by hiring workers who could be recruited quickly.

"Yes, sir."

"I'm heading out. Leave a note on my desk if anything urgent comes up."

"Yes, have a safe trip."

Sam-bok also hurried out of the factory.

He planned to recruit experienced people through his former workplace, Geumseong Textile.

If they had experience in military supply or export-import, setting up a Daese Industries branch in Busan was worth considering.

***

Bang! Bang!

"Oh my, that startled me."

"Cough, cough."

Just as he stepped out of the factory, he encountered Elder Hwang, who was spewing black smoke with each explosion.

"Elder Hwang, what are you doing?"

Recently, there were several explosions a day at Hyesung Nylon Factory, where Elder Hwang was conducting some experiment.

"What do you think I'm doing? Working."

"You're experimenting with that waterproof, breathable fabric again, aren't you? Chansu insisted you not do it alone."

"Don't worry. It won't explode to the point of being fatal anymore."

"You think that's funny?"

"Should I cry instead? You seem busy, so don't worry about others and go do your work."

Elder Hwang patted Sam-bok's butt and shooed him out of the alley.

Then he disappeared into the factory, scattering smoke as if nothing had happened.

"Yeah, laugh... Let's laugh."

Sam-bok looked up at the sky and laughed.

When he first started the business, he worried about failing, but now they were swamped with work.

He momentarily lost sight of his initial motivation in his happiness.

"Let's go, Sam-bok!"

Sam-bok shouted loudly and stepped onto the main road. He had to take a taxi since he had given the company car to Foreman Yong-gu.

"Driver, to Geumseong Textile, please."

"Yes, sir."

Recently, many textile companies were going out of business.

Sam-bok had a rough idea why, but it wasn't something to discuss openly.

Instead, he thought about how to scoop up experienced textile workers during this opportunity.

****

Quin Nhon Supply Base

"Ugh... cold... cold."

A sick American soldier curled up on his bed.

It wasn't the air conditioning that made him cold.

Malaria causes alternating chills and fever.

Although there were fewer malaria mosquitoes in coastal Quin Nhon, they weren't completely absent.

Vietnamese mosquitoes could find their way inside despite the most thorough mosquito nets.

"Hey, Sergeant Mark."

"Yes, sir."

Sergeant Mark responded promptly to Colonel Godell's low voice.

There were many officers around, but this soldier belonged to Sergeant Mark.

"Why did he get malaria?"

The soldier's condition was severe.

He was so out of it he didn't even notice Colonel Godell, the highest-ranking officer at the camp, standing next to him.

Godell was annoyed.

Until now, not a single soldier in the camp had contracted malaria.

Despite other forward camps like Da Nang losing many soldiers to malaria and other endemic diseases.

In other words, Quin Nhon Camp had zero non-combat losses so far, and that record was at risk.

"This engineer appears to have been bitten by a malaria mosquito while repairing the camp fence."

"I know he was bitten by a mosquito. What I'm asking is why! Did he miss taking his CP? Was there a shortage of CP? If there was no CP, he should have at least had tonic water!"

The U.S. military distributed malaria prevention pills, known as CP, to all soldiers weekly.

CP consisted of one chloroquine tablet and one primaquine tablet.

The reason for using two drugs was that malaria is not a contagious disease but a parasitic infection transmitted by mosquitoes.

Chloroquine eliminated the malaria parasites in the blood, and primaquine killed those hiding in the liver.

"Sorry, sir. This soldier was a new recruit assigned to the engineering company three days ago, so the necessary measures were inadequate. However, we have administered the new malaria treatment, D.D.S., and I am confident he will recover."

Sergeant Mark's confident response slightly eased Colonel Godell's mind.

If the soldier recovered without being sent to the Saigon base hospital, the zero non-combat loss record could be maintained.

"He will recover, you say?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. Ensure this doesn't happen again. Commanders must be especially vigilant."

"Yes, sir!"

As Sergeant Mark saluted, other officers gave him strange looks.

Mark, what are you doing? You were supposed to take the blame and speak up, weren't you? Their eyes seemed to say.

Colonel Godell, having eaten his share of military rations, didn't miss this atmosphere.

The officers apparently wanted to request something related to this incident.

"Is there something you need?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Speak."

"Please allow us to purchase CS equipment freely from the PX. This recruit wouldn't have been bitten by a mosquito if he had been equipped with CS gear."

"What does CS sell?"

Colonel Godell's curiosity was piqued.

CS worked well, but what gear were they selling?

Wasn't he responsible for Korean workers?

"The work attire is exceptional. It's supplied to the Korean military, so we think the U.S. military should adopt it too."

"The supply unit agrees with the engineers. CS attire boosts soldier morale and is practically beneficial in field operations. Please consider it, Colonel."

"The reconnaissance unit also concurs. According to the emergency local procurement regulation for overseas deployment, there should be no issue with special adoption."

Colonel Godell was taken aback as officers kept agreeing.

Mentioning the emergency local procurement regulation meant the soldiers were quite desperate.

"What's so special about it?"

"You should see for yourself."

Sergeant Mark confidently stepped forward.

"Lead the way!"

"Yes, sir."

Colonel Godell and the officers followed Sergeant Mark to the area where the Koreans were staying.

***

"CS! The colonel wants to see the goods in person."

"..."

What the heck? That surprised me.

I was busy chopping wood when suddenly a group of American soldiers appeared. They pointed to the makeshift store and asked to see the goods.

"CS!"

"Alright, alright."

Seeing how urgent they seemed, I quickly unlocked the store.

Due to frequent requests from American soldiers, I had set up two containers as a makeshift store.

Officially, it was a storage area for work supplies for my staff, as camp regulations prohibited running an actual store.

"There's not much. Mosquito nets, gloves, arm sleeves, face masks, stockings, safety boots, raincoats, work clothes, all jungle gear."

"Jungle gear?"

"Yes, these are safety boots with drainage holes. Dirty mud seeps in but drains out quickly. The work clothes and arm sleeves are made of Polytek, excellent for sweat absorption. Conversely, the mosquito nets and raincoats are 100% polyester, and completely waterproof. Most items fit snugly to the skin, preventing mosquito bites."

I quickly slipped an arm sleeve onto Colonel Godell.

What's this? Just a tight arm sleeve... but Colonel Godell's eyes widened.

How's that? Feeling cool? Surprised, right?

It's like turning on a fan.

"What material is this? Is there really such a fabric?"

"It's called Polytek, a functional fabric developed by our company. Suitable for jungle use, we plan to supply it to the Korean military as uniforms and boots."

"Planning to supply?"

"Yes, probably starting with the Blue Dragon Division, followed by the White Horse Division."

The Marine Corps will try it first, then the White Horse Division.

With U.S. funding for Korean military uniforms, they'll most likely choose Polytek uniforms.

Sam-bok is doing well.

"Colonel, try the safety boots. They're as good as military boots."

Sergeant Mark quickly stepped in.

Though bewildered, Colonel Godell seemed curious and tried on the jungle boots.

'How's it feel? Instantly cool, right? The steel plate in the toe makes it super safe, doesn't it?'

No further explanation was needed.

Though Colonel Godell was a soldier who enjoyed cigars and tonic water, he was still a U.S. military quartermaster colonel.

He could tell if equipment was good.

'This is the real deal!'

That was precisely Colonel Godell's expression.

"Colonel, adopting this gear will drastically reduce non-combat losses from malaria and other endemic diseases, and improve field performance."

"Agreed. If the colonel orders emergency local procurement for these items, soldier morale will soar."

Flowery words, but the meaning was clear.

Adopt these as military supplies to highlight Colonel Godell's achievements and enhance Quin Nhon Camp's overall record.

"With multiple items, distributing them in two or three batches would be more effective."

"Oh, Colonel!"

"Yes, sir!"

Colonel Godell suggested even more.

Since there were many great items, distributing them in batches would be better.

"CS, coordinate prices and quantities with the NCOs. Final approval comes from me."

"Yes, Colonel."

It felt like a windfall.

We finally cracked the backdoor of the supply base.

We broke into the challenging U.S. military supply business without any lobbying!

I'm a genius! A genius!!!

It's raining money! Money is pouring down!!!

"First, the engineers will buy all these items."

"Mark, that's unfair. Recon gets priority."

"What? Aren't supply soldiers people too?"

As Colonel Godell disappeared with a pleased expression, the NCOs started claiming the supplies.

「Sam-bok, we cracked U.S. military supply. Send loads of goods.」

Leaving them to fight, I hurried back to my quarters to send a telex.