#138th Field Artillery

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The Consequence of Loyalty Chapter One

The Unprepared Army (Wattpad | Ao3)

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━─━────༺August 11, 1941༻────━─━

When his dad told him he was being sent to the Philippines, Kentucky knew what it meant. He was being sent as appeasement, a way to add more legitimacy to the half-hearted attempt to reinforce the Phillippine Islands. Kentucky knew that he would never actually see actual conflict, as he would be pulled out as soon as the Phillippines were sure to be lost.

No matter what, his father’s plan would always be to cut the dead weight of the Phillippines and take him back once they had better supplies and conditions. Kentucky knew the plan would be called callous and outrageous, but it was necessary. 

It’s not like he had any personal stake in it anyway. Kentucky barely knew the Philippines. They had never spoken, not even in passing. So Kentucky did not feel any doubt or shame about the plan. War was war. Phillippines was old; he would understand. War always meant sacrifice, and Pa would come back for the Philippines once he was in a better position to do so.

Kentucky’s first impression of the Philippines wasn’t at all a good one. It was hot, it was sticky, and it was so far away from home. At the very least, Kentucky didn’t have to venture into the jungle and could just stay in Manila. 

Kentucky didn’t want to be here, but orders were orders. The worst part was that other states had volunteered to go. And by other states, Kentucky really meant New Mexico. But Pa shut that down, saying that it would not help add more influence behind the reinforcements if he sent a female state and that the state had to be male.

Kentucky was just unlucky enough to be the state whose name got pulled.

So here he was, in his Pa’s backwater territory, ready to defend a territory that put up with his family at best and hated them at worst.

Kentucky always loved being an ungrateful savior. Then again, Philippines didn’t seem like a man who felt gratitude, and instead always seemed to have a complaint about anything Pa did to help him.

Kentucky was not looking forward to meeting him.

“Now, as grateful as I am that you have joined us, Kentucky, but I wish that your father would send us more supplies and men. We have the ability to defend Philippines and his land successfully, but your father is reluctant to do so.” General MacArthur said when he greeted Kentucky at the airfield, going straight into business.

“We aren’t at war yet, General. We still have diplomatic relationships with Japan.” Kentucky answered, avoiding the problem he knew his general wanted him to address. General MacArthur was most definitely aware of the fact that almost all American war plans required temporarily giving up the Philippines. Kentucky’s presence would change that.

“Still, if you could write to your father—”

“My father is not in charge of that, and you know it. I am only here because it looks better for the people in charge to send a state out here to prove that they are ‘committed.’ I know you want me to do more, but I can’t. We will make do with what has and will be sent out here.” Kentucky explained with a sigh, “Now, I’d like to know where I am stayin’. I have yet to be assigned to any fightin’ force, as I was just sent out here very suddenly.”

“We don’t know if we will assign you to a unit just yet. We think it is better that you stay with the Philippines and his unit for now until we can work something out.” General MacArthur said. Kentucky groaned, unhappy with that arrangement, but nodded in agreement anyway.

“Yes, sir. Where do I go to meet up with them?” Kentucky asked, eager to get on with the miserable months he would be spending in this sweltering hellhole instead of joining up with the 138th Field Artillery Regiment as he did during the Great War. Hopefully, the quicker he got on with things, the faster the time would go.

“Actually, my wife and I were wondering if you would do us the honor of joining us for dinner tonight.” General MacArthur asked. Kentucky did his best to bite down a sigh and nodded.

“Of course, it would be my pleasure,” he said, and maybe I can convince you to assign me to a proper unit while at dinner. Maybe I do have to be in this place, but I can at least be in a proper unit to make things easier.

“That’s fantastic. I’ll have someone take your things to your quarters, and we can head to my home now if that’s alright with you.” General MacArthur asked. Kentucky nodded.

“That’s fine with me. I have nothin’ classified with me that would require me to hold onto my bags,” Kentucky said before following the general to a jeep and climbing in. He had been in the Philippines for less than ten minutes and was already being used for political favors.

How wonderful.

━─━────༺August 12, 1941༻────━─━

Kentucky hadn’t gotten the chance to meet Philippines the day he arrived, as the impromptu dinner with the MacArthurs had delayed him for hours as Kentucky was expected to be a good guest and say to chat. It wasn’t all bad; Kentucky got to be reminded of how terribly short human lifespans were, but it still felt… unnecessary. 

Kentucky knew it wasn’t earning him any favors with Philippines, at least.

Speaking of said territory, Kentucky was looking for him, hoping to get introductions out of the way. While Philippines, of course, knew who Kentucky was, between him and his many brothers, Kentucky knew that Philippines would probably not recognize his face. They only truly met face to face once, after the Spanish-American War, when Pa introduced the new territories to them.

Kentucky didn’t think he would ever forget Philippines’ steely gaze, the way the territory seemed to exude the confidence of an empire, the way that Philippines spoke their names as if every one of them were poison. He was not a man anyone would easily forget. It was clear to Kentucky from that day that, misguided as he was, Philippines was a fighter and someone who knew who he was as a person. 

Finally, Kentucky spotted the territory, chatting away in some foreign language with one of the native soldiers. 

“Hey, Philippines!” Kentucky called, walking over to the man. Philippines turned to face him, and Kentucky saw the territory’s face fall as his tail flicked in annoyance, “I’m the Commonwealth of Kentucky, in case you’ve forgotten.”

Kentucky had gotten a new flag in the years since he first met the Philippines face to face, and while he still had his seal on his face, there was no guarantee that the Philippines would recognize it. Kentucky barely knew his own siblings' seals, and he had been seeing some of them since birth. 

Philippines looked Kentucky up and down before a clearly forced smile made its way across his face: “Ah yes, the reinforcements that America promised will surely be enough to defend my land from a Japanese invasion, as you are clearly here because you can be a one-man army, and not because you are convenient as propaganda and to make it seem like America is more committed to helping me than he is.”

Philippines’ voice didn’t sound angry, but there was no denying the hostility and sarcasm in his words. 

“Help is help, Philippines. Let’s not talk about why I may or may not be here but rather the fact that I am here. Here to help you.” Kentucky said. Philippines made an odd noise, somewhere between a scoff and a laugh.

“Help me, you are. Say, how was MacArthur’s last night? I’m sure drinking and dining with the general does so much more good for me than joining a battalion and training for the fight ahead.” Philippines snarked. Kentucky clenched his fists and was about to fire back with another insult when the soldier that Philippines had been talking to began laughing. 

“Is this how countrypeople talk to each other?” he asked, surprising Kentucky with his impeccable English. 

“Only when one is being a stubborn fool,” Philippines said. Kentucky laughed.

“We’re all stubborn fools. It’s the one thing we have in common!” Kentucky said, “Now, who’s this soldier?”

“This is my good friend, Captain Ricardo Lopez,” Philippines said with a smile. “Please do your best to ignore him. He is an idiot who likes insulting his superior officer.”

“You’re only my superior officer because you’re a country.” Captain Lopez said.

“He’s a commonwealth. He won’t be a country until 1945,” Kentucky pointed out. Both Captian Lopez and Philippines shot him annoyed looks at that statement.

“So I’ve been told,” Philippines muttered bitterly, “Your father is quite fond of bringing that up whenever we talk.”

“I’m not tryin’ to be rud—” Kentucky said before he was cut off.

“You never are. But how about we focus more on the impending threat of invasion and less on my current political status. Arguing over things like that isn’t going to help anyone. Listen, do you know what you’re supposed to be doing here? Aside from looking real nice in propaganda pictures?” Philippines said. Kentucky gritted his teeth, hating everything about the way he was being talked to.

“I have yet to be given orders other than ‘go to the Philippines’ and ‘hang out with Philippines and his unit.’ So, no, I don’t know what I’m doin’ here. I didn’t even want to be here so we can both be mad about it. But like I said, I’m here now, so let’s be grateful for the fact that I can offer some sort of help.” Kentucky said, taking care not to yell at the two Filipinos. Philippines laughed, shaking his head.

“You really are just a walking propaganda doll. Go on, gago, and find your camera. The real soldiers have things covered.” Philippines said, getting right up into Kentucky’s face. It took all three decades of Virginia’s Etiquette School to keep Kentucky from punching Philippines right there and then.

But Kentucky knew he couldn’t. Philippines and Kentucky had to project an image of military strength and confidence. They couldn’t be fighting. 

“I know you don’t like me, but if I am truly just here to make your army look more competent, then you and I need to learn to get along—or at least pretend to—before we make things worse.” Kentucky said before swallowing his pride and sticking out his hand again, “So let’s do this again. Hello, I’m Kentucky. I’ve been sent here by my father to help you and your forces.”

Philippines’ eyes met his, and a brief silence fell between them both. Finally, Philippines took Kentucky’s hand.

“Nice to meet you,” he said, shaking firmly before turning back to Captain Lopez and saying something to him in the strange foreign language. The captain nodded and turned away, shooting one last look at Kentucky. Philippines then turned to Kentucky.

“My people aren’t excited about you being here. We see it as an insult. So…try not to piss anyone off.” Philippines advised before following the captain. Kentucky bit his lip.

That could have gone better. Then again, he wasn’t expecting it to go well. Kentucky sighed. He was not the right person for this job. While he understood why his pa and the commanders in Washington wanted to have a state here, they might have been better off sending a territory like Alaska. At least then, the Filipinos would have something to bond over with them.

But still, when it came time for fighting, Kentucky was sure that he and Philippines could put aside their differences as they fought off the Japanese.

At least, Kentucky hoped so.

━─━────༺August 13, 1941༻────━─━

Humans never seemed to understand how things worked with countrypeople. While that wasn’t always a bad thing, when humans were too out of touch with the political ramifications of inadvertently insulting a personification, the effects could be catastrophic.

Case in point.

“You want me to do what?” Kentucky asked, mouth agape as he stared at General MacArthur, hardly believing what he had been just told. Philippines looked just as shocked, staring at General MacArthur in unadulterated horror.

“I would like you to act as a bodyguard to the Philippines and look after him, especially once combat actually begins. It will do good to show that our focus is on protecting the Philippines and help to reassure the commanders back in Washington that we have capable people protecting the Philippines.” General MacArthur explained.

“You have got to be joking, right? I’m older than Kentucky. I’ve been fighting in wars since before either of you were born!” Philippines protested.

“Yeah, he can take care of himself. Makin’ me look after him is a waste of my skills. I should be with the heavy artillery or where I can actually make an impact. This is a waste of your limited reinforcements!” Kentucky added. Philippines and him had just agreed to place nice and to stick to their own business. This threw a wretch in all that.

Philippines was probably going to become disagreeable just to spite Kentucky, and Kentucky couldn’t spend every waking moment following around a territory perfectly capable of taking care of himself. 

This was an idiotic idea and would only further any resentment that the Filipino soldiers might have with Kentucky. Did General MacArthur even think this through?

“I know this isn’t ideal—” General MacArthur began.

“It’s not just an unideal move. It’s impractical and is going to…you know what American soldiers think of me and my people. This is only going to feed into their mistrust and hate of us. That’s the last thing you need to foster before a battle.” Philippines said, his voice confident and ringing with the power of the country he would soon be.

“Kentucky is going to be your bodyguard Philippines. That’s an order.” General MacArthur said. Kentucky clenched his fists, biting his tongue to prevent him from saying something stupid and getting himself in trouble.

“Yes, sir,” Kentucky said, making sure to put as much Southern passive-aggression in his voice as he could. While he knew he had to do this, as he couldn’t disobey direct orders, that didn’t mean he had to pretend to be happy about it.

Philippines neglected to say anything, but General MacArthur must have taken something about it as a sign of agreement and nodded once at both of them before walking away.

“We aren’t doing this. I don’t care if we get in trouble. But this is idiotic and foolish. Just because General MacArthur doesn’t know what to do with you doesn’t mean that he has to make you my problem.” Philippines said.

“Maybe instead of avoidin’ each other and inevitably gettin’ in trouble, we could try to be as ineffective and disruptive as possible when together in hopes that it forces General MacArthur to reconsider his decision.” Kentucky proposed.

“Not a bad plan.” 

“Thanks, I have far too many siblings and a father who thinks we should get along. We had to figure out somethin’ that kept him from makin’ us go on ‘bondin’ activities.’” Kentucky said, causing Philippines to laugh.

“My siblings and I never did anything like that. We weren’t close. Spanish Empire expected us to be…more like…coworkers, I guess, is a good way to put it. Sure, he still called us family to keep us close, but it was always family with him, never with anyone else.” Philippines said before sighing, a kind of sigh that was familiar to Kentucky—the sigh of the past weighing heavily on the mind.

“Family’s weird,” Kentucky said. Philippines nodded.

“It is. But, as fun as your plan sounds, I don’t think we should do it. We need to appear unified. For our troops, to boost their morale, and for Japan, to show her that we will be a formidable foe. We just have to get around it by ignoring orders—”

“Direct orders.”

“Direct orders, yes, and hope that we don’t get into too much trouble.” Philippines pointed out. Kentucky sighed. 

“You’re right.” Kentucky really wished that Philippines wasn’t. 

Why did humans always think that countrypeople couldn’t take care of themselves like they were maidans in need of protection? Why did they always fail to grasp that countryfolk were immortal, that they could not be killed by mortal hands?

There was only one Japanese soldier who posed any threat to Philippines and Kentucky. Having an immortal protect an immortal was foolish. Kentucky would be more useful as a bodyguard to General MacArthur than he would be to Philippines.

“Hey, Philippines, be sure to tell your men that I hate this just as much as you. I’d rather them not all hate me for General MacArthur’s poor choices.” Kentucky said, turning to the older personification. Philippines nodded.

“I will.”

God, what a mess this was going to be.

━─━────༺August 20, 1941༻────━─━

“What happened to ‘I hate this just as much as you do?’ What happened to that, Kentucky?” Philippines snapped as he marched away from Kentucky. Kentucky followed the territory, hands clenched.

“I still don’t like this, but—”

“But nothing! Was this another one of your father’s attempts to control me? One last time, one last hurrah before I get my independence and am free of his grip. Has that been what this whole thing is about? A chance for your father to show that he still has control over me?” Philippines asked, anger on his face, ears pulled back against his skull.

“My father has nothin’ to do with what General MacArthur ordered. He has more important things to worry about right now, like the negotiations with Japan that might save you from an invasion!” Kentucky snapped.

“Save me! Protect me! Bodyguard for me! I’m not some helpless damsel who needs you and your family’s protection! I can handle myself. I always have before. And I know your father knows that. So this has to be about something more. If not control, then am I untrustworthy? Am I a spy now, a disloyal American?” Philippines spat out the word American like it was a dirty word like it was an offense to even have it come out of his mouth.

“My father didn’t order me here to be your bodyguard. That was General MacArthur. I don’t know why he did that. But I was sent here to reinforce your islands.” Kentucky stressed. How many times would he have to say this until it registered for Philippines?

“Then why are you in charge of me?” Philippines asked, getting right up in Kentucky’s face.

“I’m not.”

“Well, you have been acting that way. If you really thought you weren’t in charge of me, then you would respect my decisions and do your ‘job’ and not impede upon mine.” Philippines accused.

“That’s not what I’m tryin’ to do!” Kentucky protested. Philippines didn’t get it. Kentucky wasn’t doing anything to impede Philippines. 

“Then why do you keep talking over me? And demanding that I speak English to my friends whenever you’re around. Why can’t you just leave things alone?” Philippines asked.

“It’s not proper to speak over languages when you are a part of the US Army, and it’s not needed to defeat the enemy,” Kentucky explained. Philippines scoffed, a steely look in his eye.

“Ever since the Great War, you and your family have become so sensitive to the fact that other languages besides English exist. Besides, maybe I am part of the US Army, but that doesn’t mean I can’t speak my own language. I still speak English when I do army things, but chatting with Ricardo shouldn’t require English, nor you listening in. You…” Philippines threw his hands in the air, seemingly so angry that he couldn’t speak.

“I’m not tryin’ to…I just…” Kentucky trailed off, unsure of how to explain things to Philippines.

“You just what, Kentucky? You just what?” 

“I just…want you to be a proper…no, wait, that sounds wrong,” Kentucky said, realizing that his explanation would only serve to make Philippines mad if he didn’t word it properly. 

“You don’t even have a way to explain it, do you?” Philippines asked disbelief in his voice.

“No, I do, I do. Just…give me a minute,” Kentucky protested. Philippines sighed.

“You do realize the fact that you can’t come up with a good defense for your actions may mean that your actions are not completely logical and instead based on biases you already have about me and my people? And that intentionally or not, you are acting on those biases and not actual logic?” Philippines pointed out. Kentucky blinked, pausing.

“Huh.” He said. He never thought about it like that. Was he acting on biases? Was he being illogical in his actions?

“Why don’t you think about that while I take some time to myself?” Philippines proposed before walking away, not even waiting for Kentucky to give an answer. Kentucky sighed and rubbed at his face.

“He’s right. I’ve been an idiot.” Kentucky said. Oh, why couldn’t this have been easier? Why couldn’t Kentucky have just joined a battalion or joined a regular unit like he always did? Why did he have to be sent here?

Kentucky was a prideful man at times. He didn’t like admitting he was wrong. He didn’t like admitting that maybe he was being illogical or biased. Philippines seemed like a great person, but he…he made Kentucky reflect on himself far too much. Perhaps if it were a time outside of war, Kentucky would appreciate the chance to reflect on himself and learn how to better himself for his people.

But in a time when war was looming on the horizon, it just confused Kentucky. It wasn’t a good time to question oneself.

But now that that thought had been put in his head, Kentucky knew he would be unable to stop thinking about it.

Dammit.

━─━────༺August 31, 1941༻────━─━

Kentucky figured it out. He figured out why the Philippines seemed so annoyed by his presence and everything about Kentucky. 

At least, Kentucky thought he had figured it out.

Philippines didn’t think that Kentucky cared. It made sense. Kentucky had been complaining since the beginning that he didn’t want to be in the Philippines and kept telling Philippines that there were still negotiations going on and that he should stop worrying so much. 

It made sense that Philippines would think that Kentucky didn’t care about him and his people and that Kentucky would be okay with them being invaded and overrun by the Japanese army. While that was far from true, Kentucky never gave Philippines any reason to think otherwise. 

“Hey, Philippines, can we talk?” Kentucky asked that afternoon, hoping that this would help straighten things up and help to relieve some of the tension between them. Philippines sighed, not sounding the least bit excited.

“What do you need, Kentucky?” he asked.

“I know you think I don’t care…but…Philippines, I’m just as scared of a Japanese invasion as you are. And I’m not tryin’ to belittle you by bein’ here or doin’ anythin’ like that. I…I didn’t want to serve here, I’ll admit to that…but that doesn’t mean I don’t care. You’re still one of us, even if you will be a country in four years.” Kentucky explained. Philippines shot Kentucky a surprised look, and Kentucky smiled back sheepishly.

“Then why are you acting like you are?” Philippines asked.

“Well…you were right about the bias thing. I was just…bein’ an asshole. I was…I was actin’ like I knew what was best for you without takin’ the time to understand you. And I was…bein’ stupid. I’m sorry.” Kentucky apologized. Philippines looked Kentucky up and down before nodding.

“Apology accepted. Only if you promise to make an attempt to fix your behavior,” Kentucky nodded, and Philippines continued, “And if you are so scared of Japan invading, why do you keep bringing up the fact that there are negotiations?”

“I want to convince myself that peace is possible because I don’t want to fight another war. I can’t.” Kentucky said, face flushing as his voice cracked on the last word. For the first time since he arrived in the Philippines, Kentucky watched the face of the personification of said land soften.

Philippines put a hand on Kentucky’s shoulder, “I get where you are coming from when you do that, but you can’t deny the possibility of war to believe there might be peace. I want things to get better. I want Japan to leave me alone and be content with her spoils. But I won’t deny that she might attack me just because I want peace to be true.”

Philippines's voice was gentle and kind, so different from the bitter tone he had been using before. The tone of his voice reminded Kentucky of whenever his pa or older siblings would help comfort him or calm him now. It was so painfully familiar and comforting.

It was strange. 

“Why do you have to be right about everythin’?” Kentucky bemoaned. Philippines’ lips quirked into a smile.

“I wouldn’t say everything…I’m old, Kentucky. I’ve learned a lot in the past three-hundred seventy-odd years. And…I’ve reflected a lot on myself and the world since 1898. I have more experience living, that’s all.” Philippines said. Kentucky laughed.

“I always forget how unbelievably old you are.”

“Older than your father,” Philippines said with a smile, something sad in his eyes.

“So is Florida,” Kentucky pointed out, “And he doesn’t act like it.”

“My nephew is…very hurt from New Spain. Being a child is his escape.” Philippines said. Kentucky blinked.

“Florida’s your nephew? God, I hate thinkin’ about this family tree.” Kentucky groaned. Philippines laughed.

“It’s only as bad as it is because of the empires,” he said. 

“You’re not wrong. The amount of kids and grandkids Britain alone has is horrifyingly high.” Kentucky acknowledged.

“Especially with how many kids America has,” Philippines said off-handedly. Kentucky felt himself begin to bristle with indignation.

“We aren’t related to Britain.” he snapped. Philippines frowned.

“Right, I’m sorry,” Philippines said. “I get it. He was…not great as a parent or a person. I…when I was in British hands, he was…better. I think America made him lose it a little.”

“You were British?” Kentucky asked, shocked. He thought Philippines had only ever been a Spanish colony before he was an American territory.

“During the Seven Years’ War, yes. My land was captured by British forces. Which means I’ve been in Spanish, British, and American hands. Hoping that Japanese won’t have to be added to the list.” Philippines said, his tone casual but still clearly forced. 

“Don’t worry. That won’t happen.” Kentucky said, “Even if she does invade, I promise she won’t take over your land.”

“You can’t promise that. I know that your father intends to give me up if I am invaded and come back for me later. He’ll pull you out as soon as the fighting gets rough. He’s okay with losing me, not with losing you.” Philippines said. Kentucky frowned, looking down and biting his lip.

Philippines was right. Pa would order Kentucky to leave as soon as it was obvious that the Japanese would win no matter how much resistance they put up. Kentucky would be ordered to leave the Philippines behind and abandon them to be occupied for however long it took his Pa to return.

“I’m sure that Pa will want you to evacuate as well. It would lessen Japan's authority if you were still fightin’ for the Americans,” Kentucky said. Philippines shook his head.

“You have far too much faith in your father.” 

“He wouldn’t leave you here!” Kentucky protested earnestly, “He cares about all the personifications in his land!”

“Even if he didn’t order me to stay, I wouldn’t leave. I can’t…I can’t leave my people to Japan. I…I will always stand by them. They have stood by me. I owe them as much as to not abandon them. You understand.” Philippines said. 

Kentucky did understand. He understood perfectly.

That didn’t mean he didn’t hate it.

━─━────༺September 7, 1941༻────━─━

“And I have no idea how on earth Nevada convinced Arizona to do that,” Kentucky said, finishing his story. Philippines laughed.

“I am so glad that my land is so far away. I don’t have to deal with your nonsense.” Philippines said. Kentucky snorted in amusement.

“You hang out with Hawaiʻi, and she has her own fair share of nonsense she’s been involved in.” he pointed out. Philippines shrugged.

“I think the arson still isn’t as bad as your nonsense.” 

“She destroyed the entire illegal alcohol supply of the South! Do you know how hard that was for us?” Kentucky protested. Prohibition was one of the worst experiences of Kentucky’s life, and half the reason why the South protested her becoming a state was because they were still mad about that. That, alongside the fact that Hawai’i didn’t have many people who could be trusted with the responsibility of self-governance.

“You can survive without drinking all the time.” Philippines said, “You’re doing it right now.”

“I’m only completely sober when I’m on active duty. And even then, I drink sometimes. Mainly after battles.” Kentucky explained, “Pa says we need to cut back on the drinkin’ before combat cause of that one battle of the French-Indian War. I don’t know which one he’s talkin’ about, but it’s made Pa very strict about how we states are supposed to handle wartime drinkin’. Uncle James says it’s Pa tryin’ to make up for somethin’ that ain’t his fault, but he feels guilt over.”

“Ah…James.” Philippines said, suddenly looking very uncomfortable, as the comfortable atmosphere that had developed over the past hour or so they had spent talking vanished. 

“You think Pa’s crazy,” Kentucky said. It wasn’t an accusation, just a statement of a fact Kentucky knew most people believed.

“No…it’s complicated. The personifications most definitely exist. I’ve seen that in the newest states. But… never mind. I don’t know how to word it, and I don’t want to offend your father or…any of the others.” Philippines said. Kentucky shrugged.

“I’m not gonna push on that topic. So, you got any fun stories from your siblings from when you were a part of the Spanish Empire?” 

“I wouldn’t classify any as fun. Besides…I was too far away to be close to many of them. I was the Oriental outsider, the Asiatic that…that was…that could barely be considered a proper Spaniard. I wasn’t well-liked.” Philippines said. Kentucky frowned.

“So you had no one?” he asked. That sounded like a miserable way to live. Kentucky couldn’t begin to imagine a life without his siblings, or worse, a life where they all hated him. How did Philippines go through that for hundreds of years?

“I had my people,” Philippines answered. Kentucky let out a low whistle. No wonder Philippines was so loyal to his people, “And now I have Hawai’i.”

“And me!” Kentucky added. Philippines smiled.

“And you. And some of the others in the area. It’s just…hard when you are colonies of different empires, or one is a country, and one is a colony. But hey, maybe once I get my independence, I can make more friends with countrypeople.”

“Sounds like a great way to get emotionally devastated when they eventually betray you.” Kentucky joked. Philippines’ smile turned bitter.

“Oh, I know. Your father and your siblings taught me that lesson well.” Kentucky looked away, feeling guilt overwhelm him. It was easy to forget that his family had technically turned their backs on Philippines during the Spanish-American War and made him a territory. It was easy to pretend that the Philippine Insurrection wasn’t fought by Philippines.

It was easy to forget until Philippines made him remember.

“I’m sorry,” Kentucky said.

“Did you fight in the Philippine–American War?” Philippines asked.

“No, but—”

“Did you fight in my land at all during the Spanish-American War?” Philippines asked, cutting off Kentucky.

“No.”

“Then don’t apologize. You didn’t betray me, and you didn’t fight to keep me under your father’s thumb.” Philippines said. Kentucky stared at him in shock. Did Philippines not get that Kentucky had supported annexing him? Did Philippines not get that it didn’t matter whether or not he fought?

“But I supported it!” 

“You supported your father. You’re loyal to him, and I respect that. But his actions are not yours, so I will not make you take responsibility for them. Your father needs to apologize, and so does anyone else who fought in subjugating me. But no one else.” Philippines said, voice firm. Kentucky nodded.

“I…don’t know what to say…but I can try to get them to apolog—”

“Ken, I appreciate the sentiment, truly I do,” Philippines said, cutting Kentucky off with a smile, “But I want them to apologize on their own terms. It’s more authentic that way.”

“Pa is stubborn about admittin’ when he is wrong. Same with Texas. You sure they gonna come around?”

“You did.” Philippines’ words, so sincere in nature, caught Kentucky completely off guard. Kentucky didn’t expect that—he didn’t want that kind of sincerity. Philippines deserved to hate him, and a part of Kentucky worried that the refusal to get an apology from him was because Philippines felt like he had to, like he had to ensure they got along, even at the cost of an apology he deserved.

Philippines deserved to punch Kentucky in the face, like Hawaiʻi had done before, for how Kentucky stood by and let his Pa annex Philippines, how he stood by and supported betraying an ally, while they turned around and gave Cuba his independence.

“I’m still sorry for not helping sooner,” Kentucky said, “That’s not something you can blame on Pa. That’s on me.”

Philippines didn’t answer, and the two sat in comfortable silence.

━─━────༺September 19, 1941༻────━─━

General MacArthur had just informed Kentucky that unless Japan invaded before 1942, he would be sent home in January. Kentucky should be happy. He knew he should be happy. If it were a month earlier, he would have been. 

But he couldn’t make himself be happy about this. About leaving Philippines. Kentucky felt so guilty about it. After learning about how alone Philippines had been his entire life, after learning how he had been complacent in causing some of that loneliness, after learning about Philippines…Kentucky didn’t want to leave him.

Like Philippines was loyal to his people, Kentucky was loyal to him. Kentucky would always be loyal to his fellow Americans, even if they were scheduled to gain independence in a few short years. Abandoning Philippines to an impending Japanese invasion went against all of Kentucky’s morals. He didn’t want to do it.

He didn’t follow orders. He didn’t want to turn on the Philippines again and leave the future country to fend for himself. Sure, Philippines would have the army to help, but the army treated him differently. Many saw him not as a person to befriend but as a superior to obey. The Philippines had Captain Lopez, sure, but…the captain could die. 

Kentucky couldn’t. He could ensure that Philippines would have someone by his side until the battle was over, for good or for bad.

Kentucky wanted to do that. Being told, being ordered to abandon Philippines was wrong. Even if Japan hadn’t attacked yet, Kentucky knew that Philippines was wholeheartedly convinced that the women would come for him. Kentucky, leaving Philippines while knowing that…he couldn’t. He couldn’t.

As Kentucky approached the part of the base where Philippines hung out, he spotted said territory scribbling away at a piece of paper, probably another letter to Hawaiʻi. Kentucky bit his lip as guilt from what he had just been told overwhelmed him.

“Why the long face, Kenny?” Philippines asked, looking up from his letter. Kentucky didn’t answer and just sat down next to the older man, trying to figure out how to tell him what he had just been told. “Kenny?”

“General MacArthur says that if Japan doesn’t attack by next year, he’s sending me home. So I can be ‘more useful elsewhere.’” Kentucky said. Philippines blinked. 

“And you’re sad about that? I thought that was what you wanted?” he asked confusion in his voice.

“I thought so, too. Then I got to know you, and I realized I can’t…I can’t leave you alone. I can’t just abandon another member of my family—and I know you might not feel the same way, but you’re an American, and that makes you family, in my eyes at least. I…it would kill me to leave you, especially once Japan does invade. I left you alone, with an army, yes, but still alone.” Kentucky blurted, feeling tears well up.

He hated getting emotional, but…everything was so complicated now. 

“You see me as family?” Philippines asked, his eyes wide.

“I’m sorry if that’s weird,” Kentucky said softly. Philippines shook his head, a soft smile on his face.

“No…no…it’s fine…just unexpected. You…don’t want to leave me because you decided that we are family?” he asked. 

“I mean, I’ve…I decided long ago, when Ana and Rida first joined us, that any new Americans were going to be family to me. It was the same for you…I just…I never knew you well enough for there to be any feelings behind that promise. But now that I know you better than I did before, at least those feelings are there. And I don’t abandon family. It goes against everythin’ I believe in.” Kentucky explained, feeling sheepish. 

He didn’t like talking about his feelings. It was embarrassing to have to put your heart out there. For all Kentucky did to mediate fights between his siblings, he knew he would hate if anyone did it to him because having to be blunt about your feelings for another was hard.

“I…” Philippines looked speechless, his mouth partially agape as he stared at Kentucky. Kentucky shuffled his feet, anxious.

“Phil?” he asked, wanting to make sure the other was okay, that Kentucky hadn’t overstepped any boundaries, hadn’t ruined things again. However, Kentucky was caught completely off guard when Philippines pulled him into a tight hug, the letter forgotten as it was crushed between their bodies. Kentucky didn’t say anything and instead hugged the older nation back, pretending like he couldn’t feel the tears soaking into his shoulder.

“That means a lot. Salamat.” Philippines said, pulling away and trying his best to hide the tears. Taking the hint, Kentucky ignored them. He didn’t recognize the second word Philippines had said, as it was in a foreig—in a language that must have been from Philippines’ land. 

Kentucky shrugged, “I’m glad it did. I…I’m sorry. For anythin’ I did to wrong you in the past, stuff I might not remember. I…I want to make it up to you. That’s not why I’m stayin’, I do care for you, but…I hope this is enough to pay you back for any backhanded comments and any actions I took that helped Pa win during the insurrection.”

“Trust me, Kentucky, it’s more than enough.”

━─━────༺September 23, 1941༻────━─━

Kentucky didn’t have nightmares often. He rarely dreamed in general. But recently, he was having more and more nightmares of a Japanese invasion, of watching Philippines and the rest of his family die and being able to do nothing to stop it.

It was terrible. Kentucky would wake up shaking, screams on his lips, and would not be able to sleep the rest of the night, choosing instead to write to his family and pray that they would be alright.

He wrote a lot.

It was strange. Kentucky and his family were immortal. They could be killed and returned to the living world by God. Death had never been a significant concern to Kentucky. He knew his God would always return him to his people until it was Kentucky’s time to join them in God’s kingdom.

The only time it had been…it was the Civil War.

Kentucky knew his family, and the war had been so bloody Kentucky was sure that his family would kill each other in the same manner they ripped each other apart. Even Kentucky had broken his vow of neutrality to defeat and kill his replacement. Everyone was out for blood, out to make their family feel pain.

Despite the blood and death and loss of life and limb, his family has survived and grown stronger. God blessed his Pa with strength and blessed his family by ensuring their survival, his promise that they would stay united.

And while Kentucky knew that God was on his side now, the victories of Japan and Germany, both godless in their own right, were terrifying. God was not able to protect the young nations of Poland, Austria, and Czechoslovakia, as well as the much older nations of France, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, and Belgium.

God had not protected them from Germany’s army, from his wrath, from his destructive power. Although Kentucky faced a different nation, Japan's victories were immense, even if they were over godless nations. 

Kentucky had been more confident of victory before he came to the Philippines, so sure that the nation and his people would be able to thwart Japan. Seeing the reality behind things, seeing how small their force was, seeing how terrified Philippines was, despite the country’s best attempts at hiding it…Kentucky was beginning to pick up on that fear as well.

He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. On the one hand, the fear was certainly unreasonable, as Japan would not be able to defeat them, even if she did invade. On the other hand, perhaps it would be better to not be cocky as to ensure that the army did not diminish their strength by accident. 

Kentucky knew arrogance was a killer. He had seen it time and time again. But at the same time, it was so hard to call it arrogance when it seemed so factual and true. There lies the conundrum. Was he right, and defeating Japan would be easy? Or would his father’s plan be put into effect, and Philippines would be abandoned?

“Please, God, do not let her take Philippines’ land. Please protect him from her and ensure his safety and permanent survival. Please let him survive this and be able to see his independence, which he has deserved for so long. In Jesus’s name I pray, Amen.” Kentucky prayed quietly, hoping God would hear his pleas and help them.

Just to be safe. Just to ensure that things would go right.

Because he didn’t want to think about what would happen if Japan won, the idea of that happening was too terrible even to consider. 

They would win. God was on their side, and Japan had a terrible, outdated military. The nightmares were just nightmares, a product of concern, not reality.

Kentucky could fear it all he wanted, but the fears would not be realized.

They would win. They had to.

━─━────༺November 1, 1941༻────━─━

Kentucky had been thinking a lot about his recent nightmares. Despite his attempts to reason with his fears and convince himself that they were unfounded, they still echoed in his mind every time he did something even remotely relating to the war effort.

He didn’t like it. The nightmares weren’t real; they shouldn’t bother him this much. And yet they did. Maybe it was the fact that he knew nothing about Japan, the very person he was worrying so much about. Kentucky had always feared the unknown.

But Philippines was near to Japan’s land. Maybe he knew something about her or what she might do. It was worth a shot anyway, without Hawaiʻi here.

“Philippines? What are your thoughts on Japan?” Kentucky asked one evening as Philippines and him wrapped up their daily activities.

“What do you mean?” Philippines asked.

“I mean…haven’t you met her? You know more about what she is like than I do. I want…just in case things go wrong. I’d like to know the type of person we are dealin’ with.” Kentucky explained.

“I have met her. Japan is…she’s hard to read. I know Hawaiʻi is good friends with her, but she’s a bit off, I think. Maybe she just doesn’t know how to express herself, but…I don’t know.” Philippines shrugged. “Sorry, Kenny. I wish I could help alleviate your fears more.”

“What do you mean by a bit off?” Kentucky asked. Did she seem eager for violence like France? Effortlessly manipulative like Britain? Cruel and cold like the Russian Empire had been? A bit off could mean so many things to a nation, and Kentucky expected the worst.

“She’s not a violent person if that’s what you mean,” Philippines said. Kentucky shot him a disbelieving look.

“She has been trying to conquer China for years! She’s taken control of so much land! She’s clearly gettin’ ready to invade more land, possibly your land. What do you mean she isn’t violent?” Kentucky asked incredulously.

“Oh, her government is violent and ready for war, but the few times I’ve met her…she didn’t seem that way. I think she is upset with colonial powers like Britain, Spain, Netherlands, France, and your father, but…most personifications here are. That’s not a sign of a violent person; being annoyed at someone else is calling the shots unjustly. I…I can’t see her supporting this, not fully, at least.” Philippines said, biting his lip, “But I can’t say. I haven’t spoken to her in years.”

“So…we don’t know?”

“Well, I think she would maybe be upset by your presence. If we get captured, I believe I can talk her into either sending you home or letting you stay with me, as I don’t think she would hurt me. Like a house arrest thing.” Philippines suggested. Kentucky quickly shook his head.

“No! I don’t…I know it’s a policy mainly still directed at Britain and his family, but I’d like her not to know I’m here, even if that means I get held captive with normal soldiers. I'd rather fight as a human anyway and…I don’t like countries knowin’ about me. I don’t want to be used to get back at Pa, especially if you say she don’t like him.” Kentucky said. Philippines nodded.

“I understand. I know that you have your reasons for being skeptical of nations.” Philippines said something Kentucky knew was referencing what had happened to his younger brother Michigan back in the 1810s when Britain had found out about one of them. That had only forced the states to hide their presence even more. While they were still public knowledge, no personification aware of their existence even brought them up to someone who didn’t know.

Kentucky wanted to keep secret. Even if that meant he would miss out on a prison sentence of house arrest.

“Do you think there will really come a time when both of us are prisoners?” Kentucky asked, his voice far too light for the subject matter. While Kentucky was worried…he had never truly been concerned about that. But now that the idea had been put in his head, it wasn’t going away.

“Who knows? I…I don’t. But…I’d rather think about everything that could be done so I am better prepared for whatever actually comes. Do I think we will be prisoners? I do not know. But I’d rather be prepared for that chance than not at all. I’m not getting caught off guard by anything, not again.” Philippines said, voice firm. Kentucky nodded.

“That’s a good thing. Being prepared is always better,” he said, “I just wish it didn’t make me so unreasonably worried about everything.” 

“Well, like you said, there are still active negotiations. Maybe everything really will work out in the end.” Philippines pointed out, though it was clear from his tone of voice, that he didn’t believe that to be true.

“Yeah…maybe,” Kentucky replied. But by now, he was beginning to have doubts. As much as he hated the possibility, war and invasion seemed likely.

He wished so badly that it wasn’t.

━─━────༺November 4, 1941༻────━─━

Kentucky had thought a lot about what Philippines had told him a few days earlier, about the necessity of being prepared. He had thought a lot about what he had done to prepare himself in case of a worst-case scenario. It was, admittedly, very little. Kentucky had been so assured of their victory that he had not thought to think about what would happen if he was taken prisoner.

The very little he knew about Japan was from Hawaiʻi and Philippines, and he didn’t speak a word of Japanese. Kentucky knew nothing. If anything bad happened, he would essentially be going into the situation blind.

There was nothing he could do to resolve the situation regarding his limited knowledge of Japan, as he could not leave Philippines and couldn’t just summon his father or Hawaiʻi to the Philippines to tell him everything they knew about Japan.

But he could resolve the situation of his complete lack of knowledge of Japanese. Kentucky knew Philippines spoke the language; the future country had mentioned it many times offhandedly in many of their more depressing conversations. Kentucky wasn’t looking to become fluent; he was just looking to know enough that he could convey simple things to any Japanese soldiers who did manage to take him prisoner.

When Kentucky asked Philippines to teach him, the country smiled and nodded, not asking any questions and jumping straight into figuring out what Kentucky wanted to know.

“Well, I’m not too sure on what I want to learn. I just want to know enough that if I get taken prisoner, I can communicate some information to the soldiers.” Kentucky explained. Philippines nodded.

“Hello is konnichiwa, although I’m not sure if you would ever use that, considering that if you are a prisoner, you probably aren’t greeting the soldiers with a cheery hello.” Philippines began. Kentucky snorted in amusement.

“Who’s to say I’m not? Konnish—konnichiwa.” The word felt strange in his mouth, so different than English.

“Don’t worry about getting it all perfect now. We can keep practicing daily, or however often you’d like, to ensure the words and their pronunciations stick with you.” Philippines said. Kentucky nodded.

“Thank you.” 

“Speaking of thank you, that’s arigatō in Japanese. Japan’s big on manners so you’ll probably want to remember that one, if nothing else.”

“‘Cause nothing says manners like invadin’ your neighbors.” Kentucky snarked, getting a laugh from Philippines.

“You probably shouldn’t say that to her face,” Philippines said, failing to suppress child-like giggles. Kentucky grinned wider than he had since arriving in the Philippines.

“That sounds like a great idea, Philip! I’ll be sure to do that!” Kentucky said, his voice bright and cheery. Philippines cuffed him on the back of the head, making one of those weird lion noises Kentucky knew meant joy.

“How do I say ‘I don’t speak Japanese?’ That’ll be an important one to know.” he then asked. Philippines scoffed.

“Kenny, you’re as white as they come. I don’t think any Japanese soldier is thinking you speak Japanese.” Philippines said, tailing flicking in amusement. Kentucky stuck his tongue out, and Philippines laughed, “It’s nihongo wa hanasemasen. I don’t understand, which is probably the more useful phrase for you to know is wakarimasen.”

“Yeah, I don’t understand is probably better to use. Wakarimasen.” Kentucky said, testing out the word, “Anything else that you think would be useful for me to know?”

“Food is tabemono, water is mizu. Toilet is toire. Those will be helpful if you need to ask for any of those things. Please is kudasai, that’s another good one to know.” Philippines said, rapping his fist gently against his side. Kentucky nodded.

“We’ll need to go over those again cause that was a bit too fast for me to understand them all.” 

“If we can get together a list of what you want to know, I can write it down, and those can be the ones we practice, as well as anything else we think of adding along the way,” Philippines suggested.

“That sounds like a great idea! We should probably get the list together first before we start writin’ anything down. What’s sorry? If Japan is big on manners, I should probably learn that phrase too.” Kentucky then asked.

“Gomen nasai.” Philippines said, “And if you want to introduce yourself, it’s your name followed by desu. I’m not sure how your name translates in Japanese, so I can’t help you there.”

“Eh, it’ll be fine. It’d rather have my name for me used than Japan’s name for me.” Kentucky commented off-handedly, “What about ‘help me.’ Don’t know if I would need it, but it might be helpful to know, just in case.”

“That’s tasukete. And I pray you never have to use that.” Philippines said, looking disturbed.

“Well, if I’m injured or somethin’, either as a prisoner or if I surrender, I might need it. Besides, it’s preparation. I’m not expectin’ to use any of this. Once the war is over, I’ll probably forget it all.” Kentucky reassured, “Speakin’ of that though, how would you say injury or wounded?”

“Well, injured is kega o shita, and wounded is fushō shita. I think, and I’m speaking as someone who does not speak Japanese that often, nor is familiar with the culture, that they can be pretty interchangeable. I’m not completely sure.” Philippines said, giving Kentucky a look very similar to one he had seen on his older siblings' faces. It was concern, like when Kentucky asked too many questions about death or other topics that had been deemed ‘off-limits.’ “Any other words you want to know?” 

Kentucky shook his head, “No, this is good. Thank you.”

Philippines smiled, concern still on his face, “You’re welcome. I expect you to be up and ready to memorize those works at 4 am tomorrow!”

“4 am? This violates my rights as an American. That’s just cruel and unusual punishment.” Kentucky joked, watching as Philippines’ face brightened.

“Oh, shut up and quit being so melodramatic.” the territory said. Kentucky smiled.

“Not on your life. Being melodramatic is fun, and besides, we all need a good laugh right now.” he pointed out. Philippines sighed.

“You aren’t wrong about that. But please, promise me that you won’t keep thinking about being held captive. We…we don’t need that affecting our morale, and I’ve noticed you’ve become more withdrawn since you have. Think positively, Ken. Everything will be fine.” Kentucky nodded.

“Okay…I’ll try.”

How much he would succeed is a different story.

━─━────༺November 15, 1941༻────━─━

“Hey, Phil, do you know the human names of anyone in the US?” Kentucky asked one afternoon, a topic that he had thought about long and hard over the past month or so.

“Hawaiʻi’s. Why?” Philippines asked, shooting Kentucky a confused look.

“Do you want to know mine?” Kentucky asked. Philippines’ eyes widened in shock, and, surprisingly, Kentucky was sure he could see a little bit of horror in there. That confused him the most. He was giving Philippines his name willingly, so why would the territory be horrified by that?

“I…Kentucky, I am honored by the trust, but you can’t tell me your human name!” Philippines protested. Kentucky tilted his head in confusion. Of course he could tell Philippines his human name. It was his choice whether or not to share that precious piece of information, and Kentucky wanted to. Philippines was family, and his family deserved to know Kentucky’s human name. 

Unless…was this some sort of native belief Philipines had from before Spanish Empire had come?

“Yes, I can. It’s my choice.” Kentucky insisted, hoping that would be enough to convince Philippines.

“And it’s my choice to say no,” Philippines said calmly like he wasn’t refuting the offer of one of the most profound kinds of trust a countryhuman could give another.

“But I trust you enough to tell you this. It isn't a pity thing!” Kentucky insisted, fighting that was the reason why Philippines didn’t want to hear it. Philippines sighed.

“That’s not why, Ken. Have you heard the rumors about the pseudo-puppet nations Japan has birthed? I…I do not believe she will harm me or you, but if you choose to fight as a human to avoid unwanted eyes, then it is better. I don’t know. Just…just in case.” Philippines said, his voice dropping to a quiet whisper.

Kentucky’s stomach dropped. He hadn’t…he had heard about the puppet states in China and Europe, but they were always new countries, ones that existed only to serve their master. He never imagined Philippines becoming one of them.

“You think she would make you…” he asked, trailing off, not even wanting to say those dreaded words.

“Japan isn’t the one that chooses the puppets. She’s just the one pulling the strings. I’ve heard…every rumor is distorted; obviously, China hates Japan and will do anything to paint her as an evil monster, but from what I’ve heard, most of her puppets have been granted their free will. Unlike the False France in Europe. But…if she does choose to get information before giving me back my will, I don’t want to give her that.” Philippines said, his voice…his voice sounding almost resigned.

“You won’t be her puppet! Stop talkin’ like you will. That’s not ever going to happen, so you shut up!” Kentucky snapped. He didn’t like Philippines talking like this. It was scary. It scared Kentucky. 

While Kentucky had been under martial law before…being a puppet was worse. At least under martial law, you had control over yourself, and it was so subtle that it didn’t hurt that much. A puppet was the opposite of all that. It was cruel.

“I…you can’t promise that, Ken,” Philippines said.

“Yes, I can! I promise, so long as I am protecting you, that J** or her government will never make you a puppet state. I won’t let you face that fate, so don’t you dare resign yourself to it, you hear me?” Kentucky said, his voice angry but firm. He hated seeing Philippines look so resigned. It was scary.

“Kentucky…” Philippines said, looking like he wanted to protest. Kentucky crossed his arms and stared down the lion chimera and Philippines' shoulders dropped as he sighed. “Fine. Okay. Thank you for your promise, Ken. I’ll try not to think about the possibility of that.”

“Good. Now my name is Fr—” Kentucky was cut off by Philippines’ hand quickly covering his mouth.

“I still don’t want to know. Just in case. After the war is over, you can tell me, but only then.” Philippines said, meeting Kentucky’s eyes. Kentucky nodded before licking Philippines’ hand, causing the country to pull it away as fast as he could, “EW! Ken, I was going to let go!”

“I’m a little brother. What can I say?” Kentucky said with a shrug. Philippines rolled his eyes as he wiped his hand on his shirt.

“You have more little brothers than older brothers, so shut up.” The territory grumbled. Kentucky grinned.

“Hey, if you are going to be all sad and stuff, It’s my sworn duty as a younger family member to annoy you into thinkin’ about something else. See? It’s workin’.” he said. Philippines cuffed him lightly on the back of the head.

“You’re fired.”

“You can’t fire me!”

━─━────༺November 28, 1941༻────━─━

When General Brereton called Philippines and Kentucky in for a private meeting with him, they were both understandably nervous. A private meeting with a general was never a good thing for them, and they both worried it was news that things had taken a turn for the worst. 

“Hello, Philippines and Kentucky. I have news from Washington. This is confidential, and neither of you is allowed to mention anything I tell you to the troops.” General Brereton began. Kentucky and Philippines nodded.

“Yes, sir. What is it?” Kentucky asked.

“Negotiations with Japan have broken down. War with Japan now seems to be a matter of when not if.” General Brereton said. Kentucky and Philippines shot each other horrified looks. If Japan had broken off negotiations, that could only mean she was planning on escalating the war in some way.

That meant an invasion of Philippines' land was much more likely.

“We won’t tell anyone. We shouldn’t spread any panic.” Philippines said, trying to keep his voice steady. However, Kentucky could hear the nervous undercurrent in his voice.

“Do you know why they ended?” Kentucky asked, stepping forward. General Brereton shook his head.

“No, I was just told that they have broken off.” 

“Shit,” Kentucky exclaimed quietly. This wasn’t good. All the worries and fears that he had about the war surged back with a vengeance, becoming stronger. Philippines getting hurt, the horrific thought of puppetry, of his small Japanese lessons to learn tiny phrases and words.

All of the worrying and preparation was going to be put to use soon; Kentucky just knew it.

“Thank you for informing us. We’re going to return to our unit before they think something is wrong.” Philippines said before grabbing Kentucky’s elbow and guiding them out of the room.

“She’s going to attack soon,” Kentucky said, fear in his voice.

“We always knew–”

“But it was less real before. Now that the hope of negotiations has failed…I have no more hope to cling to that you might spend the war safe.” Kentucky admitted, voice quiet so as not to let anyone else overhear.

“She won’t conquer my land. We’ll fight her off.” Philippines said although Kentucky could tell, the older man didn’t fully believe it himself.

“I don’t want to…I don’t want to go to war. I don’t want you to get hurt. I don’t…fuck! Why couldn’t the Great War be the end of it? Why do we have to be so fuckin’ greedy and bloodthirsty of a race?” Kentucky exclaimed, frustrated tears coming to his eyes. He quickly tried to wipe them away, not wanting Philippines to see.

“You really care so deeply for people. And that’s so good to see. But…we can’t control the actions of other people. We just have to do our best to deal with whatever the fallout will be. But…we can win, Ken. I believe that we can.” Philippines said, not commenting on Kentucky’s comment about their race. They both knew it to be true. They had bled and suffered for it.

“I…I believe we can win, too. I just…so many people died for the victory last time. I don’t want to lose more people. I don’t want any more lost generations—especially not any Filipino ones. You don’t deserve to start your journey as a country comin’ right out of a war that has promised to be worse than the Great War. It’s not fair.” Kentucky said, his voice so tired. He was tired. 

Why did he have to care so much? Why couldn’t he just turn off his emotions like some other countryfolk could? Why couldn’t this be easier?

“Nothing in life is. It sucks. But, like I said, we just have to deal with it. I don’t want to, but I have to,” Philippines said. Kentucky huffed in frustration.

“Right. Deal with it,” he muttered.

“I think it’s a good time to see if we can get a drink. Come on, Kenny, let’s go.” Philippines said, throwing an arm over Kentucky’s shoulder. Kentucky leaned into the embrace, sinking into the comfort Philippines brought.

It was like when he was younger and would have nightmares and when Virginia or Dad would hold him close and hug him until all the fear was gone. It was nice, and it helped to calm down the fear that was overwhelming him.

“That sounds great, Philip. Thank you,” Kentucky said. Philippines gave a little half-smile, and the two Americans started their search for alcohol.

They both needed it.

━─━────༺December 8, 1941༻────━─

Kentucky was roughly shaken away, Philippines concerned and alarmed voice piercing through his sleep-fogged brain. Kentucky groaned, trying to tell Philippines to shut up, but all the words that came out were slurred.

“Ken, wake up! Hawaiʻi’s been attacked!” Philippines’ statement pushed out all exhaustion in Kentucky’s brain, and he quickly sat up. Hawaiʻi was attacked? But Japan, no doubt. Briefly remembering that Hawaiʻi once called Japan her closest friend, Kentucky pushed those thoughts aside, turning to Philippines to get more information.

“What happened?” he asked as he grabbed his uniform, preparing to get changed.

“They attacked the naval base. I don’t know how many died, but a lot of ships were destroyed. We have to prepare for an invasion. It seems imminent now.” Philippines said. Kentucky swore loudly.

“What time is it now?” 

“Four am. Get ready. We’re going to meet with the generals.” Philippines said before turning to leave the room.

“The generals need us?” Kentucky asked, confused. He and Philippines should be making sure the troops are ready, and the planes can take off as soon as the light hits. Why did they have to meet with the generals?

“Oh, they didn’t ask for us, but I’m getting us to figure out a plan right now.” Philippines said, “Cause I haven’t heard much from General MacArthur.”

“We all just found out. Give everyone time to collect themselves.” Kentucky said. Philippines shot him a harsh look, and for the first time, Kentucky finally realized how shaken Philippines was.

Of course he was.

His best friend has just been attacked, and now Philippines might be invaded in the next few hours. Philippines was worried and scared. He needed to keep on his feet, to do something, to see that other people were just as anxious and concerned as he was.

“Phil, you talk to the generals. This is your land, and you are the most familiar with your situation. I’ll stay here and make sure everyone’s ready for an invasion by dawn.” Kentucky suggested. Philippines nodded.

“Okay…okay…thank you, Ken. Thank you.” Philippines said before rushing off into the darkness. Kentucky watched him go, worry in his eyes. The battle they had been waiting for was on the horizon. Now, it was just a matter of when Japan would attack them.

But, unlike Hawaiʻi, Kentucky and Philippines would be ready for it, and they would hopefully be able to spot the invading force before it arrived and take it out then.

If not, well, Kentucky would just have to hope that luck would be on their side.

“God, please protect and shield us in the coming fight ahead. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.” Kentucky muttered to himself before he finished getting ready. 

The war had now truly begun.

━─━────༺༻────━─

It was almost one thirty in the afternoon, and there were no signs of Japan. Not a naval force, not an aerial force. The planes that they had sent up into the air at dawn were back at their respective bases, refueling before they would be sent out on a night patrol. Philippines had returned from unsuccessfully trying to speak with General MacArthur, and now the two nervously paced around, trying to calm their rattled nerves.

“I wish she had attacked by now. An invasion is better than this uncertainty.” Philippines muttered to himself.

“Do you think she’s even attacking today?” Kentucky asked.

“She has to. She had the element of surprise in Hawaiʻi, and the navy has been badly hit. They need to attack before the navy is prepared and ready, giving us less time to prepare as well. Attacking fast is the only logical thing for her to do.” Philippines explained, voice calm but his tail betraying his fear.

“Well, the planes didn’t see anything so far. Maybe tomorrow?” Kentucky suggested. Philippines shook his head.

“She’s invading today. I know it. You’ve heard the reports..” Philippines said.

“There’s too many conflicting reports to know what is true. We don’t know anything, Philippines. We have no idea what’s to come. She attacked Hawaiʻi, who was her friend! We clearly don’t know as much as we thought!” Kentucky ranted before freezing as they both began to hear the sounds of planes.

“Are the boys back in the air already?” Kentucky asked. Philippines swore, pointing at the faint shape of planes that were clearly coming from somewhere else, not American planes taking off.

“It’s Japan’s planes!” 

Japanese planes were flying overhead, and Kentucky felt fear run through him. 

“Where are they going?” Kentucky yelled. Philippines shook his head, fear in his eyes.

“I don’t know. I don’t know.” Philippines' voice cracked, and Kentucky finally saw how scared Philippines was and how much fear he had really been hiding all along. Kentucky grabbed Philippines’ hand and squeezed it. 

“It’ll be okay. We’ll be okay.” he tried to reassure. But he didn’t believe it, and he could tell Philippines didn’t either.

But he and Philippines weren’t pilots. They were army soldiers. So all they could do was watch in horror as the Japanese planes bombed their target, somewhere else on the island, that they could not see from their position.

The Japanese invasion had begun. Philippines and Hawaiʻi had both been attacked. 

The United States of America was now at war.

━─━────༺December 22, 1941༻────━─

The past two weeks have been terrible. Japan’s forces kept coming, and it seemed like the Japanese army would be an unrelenting wave that would steamroll the American troops. Today especially has been a terrible day for Kentucky and Philippines. It seemed that Japan’s main invasion force had finally come, and the poorly trained and equipped soldiers weren’t able to hold them at the beaches. 

They were being forced back, forced to withdraw, and give up miles of land to Japan. Kentucky was worried for Philippines. The future country had been fighting hard and seemed to take every loss very hard, and it seemed like the man was starting to become convinced that he really would be captured.

“It’s okay, Phil. It’s only the first day. We have plenty of time to drive them back and turn things around. If you give up hope, so will the troops, and we can’t have that right now.” Kentucky pointed out to the demoralized personification.

“It’s hard, Ken. We aren’t equipped for this. Fuck! If only your father had sent us more. Not just men to make us look like a big army, but a good army, an army that can fight well.” Philippines said, throwing his hand out in a sweeping gesture toward the soldiers.

“We can still hold out. Even if we don’t win, we can make Japan pay for every inch of land she takes from you.” Kentucky said. Philippines perked up a little at that.

“I wish I didn’t have to give up anything. This is my land, not hers. I’m scared that if we keep withdrawing, we’ll run out of space to go.” Philippines said, reminding Kentucky of the very bitter truth that they were trapped on an island without air and naval superiority. It was a terrifying situation to be in.

“Then we surrender if we have no other choice. Pa will come back for us.” Kentucky said. Philippines scoffed.

“He’ll come for you. And that’s only if you aren’t ordered to leave before we are captured.”

“I’m not leavin’ you Philippines, Pa’s orders be damned. I’m not leavin’ you. If you don’t think Pa will come for you, then I’ll make him come back here to get me.” Kentucky said, “But Phil, please, I know you have fought against greater odds. Like durin’ your war with my father and your war with Spanish Empire. Don’t get demoralized now. You have allies that will help you, and even if we lose this battle, Pa won’t let us lose this war.”

“I know, Ken. Just because I am scared of what might go wrong doesn’t mean I don’t have hope for things that might go right.” Philippines said, “I’m not giving up that easily.”

“You better not, Pilipinas.” Captain Lopez said, approaching the two immortals, “If you give up hope, so will a lot of people here.”

“Yeah, plus you have to show Japan what happens when she messes with the Filipinos. Be a hell of a way to start off being a country.” Kentucky added.

“You can stop trying to cheer me up now. I’m fine,” Philippines said.

“I think we’re trying to cheer ourselves up now. The progress they made in just a day…it’s scary. We could all use a few jokes and reminders that the war isn’t lost if we are defeated here.” Kentucky said. Captain Lopez scowled.

“Yes, but occupied and POWs.” he pointed out.

“Better POWs than dead.” Philippines said, “You won’t be killed as a POW. You’ll just be out of the war. An occupation isn’t the end of the world. I’ve been occupied due to war before. I know how to handle it.”

Kentucky didn’t comment on how Philippines was leaving out any concerns he had over becoming a puppet state. It would be better to reassure Captain Lopez that they would be okay, even if they were defeated, than let him worry about a possible fate that might befall Philippines.

Sometimes, it was better to keep humans in the dark about what it was really like to be countryfolk. The truth…they wouldn’t be able to handle how horrific it got.

“That doesn’t mean we won’t hold out. We aren’t handin’ this country over on a silver platter for the J*** to take. If they want it, they’ll have to fight us for every inch of it. Maybe we can’t win, but we can hold out and delay her plans. That’s just as much of a threat.” Kentucky said.

“Hey…you just called me a country,” Philippines said. Kentucky raised an eyebrow.

“That’s what you’re choosing to focus on. Not the war?”

“Speaking of the war, we should all get to sleep soon. The battle isn’t over yet, and exhausted soldiers aren’t good soldiers. You’re our most experienced people, and having you incapacitated won’t do us any good.” Captain Lopez pointed out. Kentucky saluted the captain.

“Yes, sir,” Kentucky said, shooting once last concerned glance at Philippines.

He really hoped everything did turn out right. Not only for Philippines but for Captain Lopez, whose wife was pregnant with his first child; for Hawaiʻi, who was probably still dealing with the fallout from her friend’s betrayal; for his Pa, who was now leading his land through another war; and for his siblings, who now all had to fight.

He really hoped that things would be okay.

━─━────༺December 24, 1941༻────━─

General MacArthur had invoked Plan Orange 3, meaning that the American forces in the Philippines were withdrawing to the Bataan Peninsula. This meant that the military and his Pa’s government were getting ready to ditch the dead weight of the Philippines, leave him behind, and come back for him later. 

Kentucky hated it. 

He couldn’t believe he had ever liked or supported the plan before. Philippines was family. You don’t abandon family just because helping them is hard. You don’t abandon your family because you don’t want to help them. 

Kentucky hated it all.

“It’s okay, Kenny. We always knew it would end this way.” Philippines said, trying to soothe Kentucky’s anger as they began the withdrawal to Bataan.

“I hate that it has to! I hate that Pa is being a coward who won’t come to help us fight! I hate it!” Kentucky snapped.

“I can’t believe you’re angrier about this than Pilipinas is…” Captain Lopez said, shooting a concerned look at Philippines, who sighed.

“Ricardo, this has been the plan in place for years. I have resigned myself to this fate. I knew it was coming. Kenny, on the other hand, has not accepted it.” Philippines explained.

“I’m not going to. I don’t want to. Regardless of orders, Captain Lopez, I am staying here ‘til the very end. I don’t abandon family, especially not to an invading country. I have morals.” Kentucky spat. If he had a tail like Philippines did, Kentucky was sure that it would be lashing angrily.

“You don’t need to get angry on my behalf. That won’t stop the withdraw. Besides, we are taking heavy casualties. We need to regroup, and Bataan denies them Manila Port. It will be okay. There is no order to abandon me.” Philippines said. Kentucky scoffed.

“‘Cause we’ve already been abandoned,” he said. Captain Lopez nodded.

“He’s right. We were abandoned the minute they stopped sending us supplies and trained soldiers.” the captain pointed out. Philippines sighed.

“While you both make good points, there’s no changing things now. America can’t get any new men here, as the navy is damaged. And we have to withdraw to Bataan if we don’t want to lose more people. I’d rather you be captured than killed, you know that, Ricardo.” Philippines said. Captain Lopez shot a strange look at Kentucky at that statement but turned back to Philippines.

“Salamat po, Pilipinas.” Captain Lopez said, “And I know. But I am okay dying for you.”

“I’m not okay with that. You aren’t allowed to die. That’s an order.” Philippines said, his face now twisted into a deep frown, his voice firm. Kentucky was frowning as well. While he knew firsthand what pride in one’s nation was like and the willingness to die for your nation, it was always uncomfortable to swear it to the nation’s face, especially when you are friends with them like Captain Lopez is.

“Listen to your country, Captain Lopez. Phil don’t like no one dying for him.” Kentucky added, eyes flicking to meet Philippines’.

“I don’t want us to win by losing every single soldier we have in the process. I don’t want us to defend if that means everyone dies. Ricardo, you have a child on the way. I don’t want to be the reason that that child loses their father.” Philippines explained, voice deadly serious. Captain Lopez nodded.

“I’m…I’m sorry, Pilipinas. I’m going to…check on my men now.” Captain Lopez said before walking off towards his unit.

“Do you think that we will lose a lot of people?” Kentucky asked as they watched the man walk away.

“All depends on when the generals surrender. And I have no idea when that is. They want to keep fighting, but at the same time, all American plans want me to be temporarily abandoned to Japan until America can come back for me. So...I don’t know. I hope we don’t have many people die in vain. I…” Philippines trailed off, shaking his head, “Let’s just get back to helping with the withdrawal to the Bataan Peninsula.”

Kentucky took the hint and stopped talking but still continued to shoot concerned looks at Philippines. The battle for his land was going terribly for them. It was horrific. Based on everything they knew before the invasion, the Japanese…they shouldn’t have been able to push them back so quickly; they shouldn’t have been able to make them withdraw just two weeks after the beginning of their invasion.

Kentucky underestimated the Japanese and overestimated the capabilities of the poorly equipped and trained troops. It was clear that Japan was sending her best soldiers to participate in the invasion, and Philippines and Kentucky barely had enough adequately trained troops.

Kentucky had been arrogant before, when he always assumed they would win, just because of what? Because they won the last war? Because they had to be better? If only Kentucky had done more to get his Pa to give them supplies, and if only he had done more to get his Pa’s government to change the plan.

There was a lot he could have done. But all he could do now was regret.

Oh, and fight. He could also put up one hell of a fight.

━─━────༺December 26, 1941༻────━─

General MacArthur declared Manila an open city. The Pearl of the Orient was now undefended, leaving the city and its people open for Japan’s troops. Philippines’ capital was just given up to the occupiers. His heart could be taken any day now.

That worried Kentucky. While the events on the land in Manila wouldn’t hurt the Philippines, he knew that losing your capital could be a major blow mentally—not physical hurt, but another kind.

“Your capital has just been declared an open city. How do you feel about that?” Kentucky asked Philippines as they left General MacArthur’s headquarters.

“It’s for the best. This way, Japan won’t attack it trying to get to us. This will protect the people there.” Philippines said, trying to sound nonchalant, but the hand over his heart betrayed his fear.

“That doesn’t mean you can’t be upset by it. That’s your capital, your heart. I know losin’  it has to be hittin’ you hard.” Kentucky said, trying to keep his voice light. Philippines sighed.

“It does hurt…of course, but…it’s still for the best. I’d rather give up my capital without a fight when we know we can’t defend it than hurt all the people living there by fighting the Japanese for it. This will save civilian lives from battles being fought in the streets of that city.” he acknowledged, his voice more somber.

“I’m sorry.” Kentucky said, “I know you…”

Kentucky trailed off, not really knowing what to say. It was clear that Philippines was feeling many conflicting emotions right now, between his relief that the citizens of Manila would not get caught up in the fighting and his pain over having to just hand over his heart to the enemy without fighting for it.

“I just wish I could put up a little fight, show the Japanese that we aren’t handing over the city because we don’t care! I don’t want her to think this means I don’t care about my people or my capital or anything like that! I want to do more, not just feel useless retreating like this.” Philippines snapped, his voice both angry and sad.

“I know…it sucks. It sucks that the best option might make people think you don’t care. It sucks the best option is to not even try to fight for your heart. It sucks. It’s all just horrible.” Kentucky said, angry on Philippines’ behalf. Because the country was right, it could make so many people think that Philippines didn’t care about them, and having your people lose faith in you and believe you don’t care, and that was one of the worst things you could do to a nation.

Kentucky had felt it so strongly during the Civil War, and he didn’t want to feel it again.

“War is terrible. It always has been. But lately, it’s just gotten more and more terrible. Why couldn’t Japan just leave me be? I want nothing to do with her empire. I have never hurt her. I have never done anything like that. Why am I the one being punished for her grudge against America?” Philippines asked.

“Because you’re the closest to her, the biggest target. It has nothing to do with you as a person, just with the threat you present.” Kentucky pointed out. Philippines let out a sharp, bitter laugh.

“It never has anything to do with me, and yet I’m always getting hurt. Fuck!” Philippines said before kicking at the ground, “I don’t care if I can’t do it until America comes, but I am going to make her pay for this. I will see to it. I don’t care if that means I have to leave here and fight somewhere else. I’m kicking her ass and showing her what it means to mess with my people.”

Philippines sounded so frustrated and upset, and it hurt Kentucky to see the nation like that. It hurt to see him so demoralized and so frustrated by everything that the army has had to do to improve its position.

“But for now, we can deny Japan a key port and prove to her that just because she can march into Manila, that doesn’t mean we’re done fighting. We still got a lot of fight left in us, so let’s show that J** what we got.” Kentucky said. Philippines smiled.

“The optimism of youth is a sight to behold.” 

“I’m 149.” Kentucky deadpanned. Philippines shrugged.

“Young enough,” he said before sighing, “Let’s just hope that next year will be better for us.”

“I’m sure it will be.”

[workersolidarity]

[ 📹 Scenes from the unconscionable murder of innocent civilians by the Israeli occupation army after targeting a civilian vehicle with a tank shell as the person drives down the street in Rafah city. After hitting the vehicle, the tank fires a second shell at the civilian, who'd exited his damaged vehicle and was lying in the street at the time.]

🇮🇱⚔️🇵🇸 🚀🏠💥 🚨

💥ISRAELI MASSACRES OF PALESTINIAN FAMILIES CONTINUES ON THE 138TH DAY OF GENOCIDE IN THE GAZA STRIP💥

Israeli occupation atrocities were recorded for the 138th day of Israel's ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip as attacks on civilian homes, vehicles and places of gathering across the enclave continued by land, sea and air.

According to Gaza's media office, the Israeli occupation committed a total of 11 new massacres of Palestinian families, resulting in the martyrdom of more than 118 civilians, mostly women and children, and the wounding of another 163 others.

In a clear violation of International humanitarian law, the Israeli occupation army bombed in the vicinity of Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, injuring several civilians and damaging the hospital's buildings as the siege of the hospital by occupation forces continues.

Sources with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) say around 120 injured civilians, patients and medical staff remain at Nasser Hospital as PRCS works to transfer the wounded to the International Medical Corps and the Indonesian field hospitals in Rafah, also in the southern Gaza Strip. PRCS said they transported 21 wounded civilians from Nasser Medical Complex on Tuesday and are continuing to transfer patients at this time.

At the same time, Israeli tanks opened fire on displaced civilians in the Mawasi neighborhood of Khan Yunis, slaughtering six Palestinian civilians.

PRCS is also reporting the completion of a mission to evacuate two martyrs and 8 wounded civilians from the Médicins Sans Frontières (Doctor's Without Borders) headquarters located on Rashid Street, west of Khan Yunis governate.

The Red Crescent Society said they carried out the mission in conjunction with, and accompanied by, a team from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), helping to transfer the wounded to the International Medical Corps in Rafah.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation bombed residences in the village of Khuza'a, east of Khan Yunis, resulting in the murder of 8 Palestinians.

According to local reports, ambulance crews discovered a number of dead and wounded in the Al-Mawasi neighborhood and in the New Port area north of Khan Yunis, after the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) withdrew military vehicles and tanks that had previously moved into the two neighborhoods around dawn.

According to reports, the Israeli occupation air forces bombed three civilian homes in the Shaboura Camp in central Rafah, while occupation gunboats fired artillery shells towards the tents of the displaced in the Al-Mawasi neighborhood west of Rafah, with several casualties reported as a result.

In another horrific atrocity, Israeli occupation forces bombarded central Rafah with airstrikes and artillery fire towards a gathering of local civilians, resulting in the death of a civilian and the wounding of several others.

In continued horrors in the central Gaza Strip, Israeli warplanes bombarded multiple civilian residences in the Nuseirat and Deir al-Balah Refugee Camps, killing 34 civilians and wounding a number of others.

According to local sources, at least 20 civilians were killed after Israeli aircraft bombed the Khattab family home in Deir al-Balah.

Simultaneously, occupation jets bombed a civilian home in the Nuseirat Refugee Camp, resulting in the deaths of at least 12 Palestinians, while another home bombed by occupation warplanes resulted in the deaths of two Palestinians in the Al-Zahra area.

In another crime against humanity, the Israeli Occupation Forces targeted the home of Professor Nasser Abu Al-Nour, Dean of Faculty of Nursing at the Islamic University in the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, killing at least 8 civilians, including a lawyer from the Women's unit at the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, Nour Nasser Abu Al-Nour (Juma), along with her child, Kenzi and four of her daughters.

Israeli artillery shelling fired from a tank also targeted a civilian vehicle in Rafah, killing two civilians.

In the northern Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation army launched a massive ground operation in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City, announcing that the operation would continue for at least two weeks.

Israeli forces also stormed various areas of Al-Zaytoun, killing 5 Palestinians and killing another 5 in the Al-Sabra neighborhood, while several others were killed after incursions into the Al-Shati camp, west of Gaza City.

There was also a marked increase in the number of bombings and shelling across the entirety of the northern Gaza Strip.

According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, at least 8 Palestinians have died after a power outage cut off oxygen for patients at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis.

The report says that, due to the Israeli siege of the hospital, the dead were unable to be removed from the hospital in a timely fashion, resulting in the beginning of decomposition as the bodies remained in their beds amongst living patients for four days. Medical staff have asked that the Israeli army withdraw to allow a proper burial of their dead, but the siege continues unabated.

As a result of Israel's ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, the death toll among Palestinians has risen to 29'313 martyrs, while an additional 69'333 civilians have been wounded since the beginning of Israeli aggression on October 7th, 2023.

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#videosource

@WorkerSolidarityNews

[pinturasdeguerra-1945-1985]

1969 105mm Howitzer M101 A1 - 138 Field Artillery Brig. Kentucky Thunder - Sasaki & Koizumi - box art AFV Club

repost better quality plus history

https://kynghistory.ky.gov/Our-History/Major-Commands/Pages/138th-Field-Artillery.aspx

[greatworldwar2]

• Battle of Kohima

The Battle of Kohima proved the turning point of the Japanese U-Go offensive into India in 1944 during the Second World War. The battle took place in three stages from April to June 1944 around the town of Kohima.

The Japanese plan to invade India, codenamed U-Go, was originally intended as a spoiling attack against the British IV Corps at Imphal in Manipur, to disrupt the Allied offensive plans for that year. The commander of the Japanese Fifteenth Army, Lieutenant General Renya Mutaguchi, enlarged the plan to invade India itself and perhaps even overthrow the British Raj. If the Japanese were able to gain a strong foothold in India they would demonstrate the weakness of the British Empire and provide encouragement to Indian nationalists in their decolonization efforts. Moreover, occupation of the area around Imphal would severely impact American efforts to supply Chiang Kai-shek's army in China. The objections of the staffs of various headquarters were eventually overcome, and the offensive was approved by Imperial General Headquarters on January 7th, 1944. Part of the plan involved sending the Japanese 31st Division (which was composed of the 58th, 124th and 138th Infantry Regiments and the 31st Mountain Artillery Regiment) to capture Kohima and thus cut off Imphal. Mutaguchi wished to exploit the capture of Kohima by pushing the 31st Division on to Dimapur, the vital railhead and logistic base in the Brahmaputra River valley. The 31st Division's commander, Lieutenant General Kotoku Sato, was unhappy with his role. He had not been involved in the planning of the offensive, and had grave misgivings about its chances. He had already told his staff that they might all starve to death. He and Mutaguchi had also been on opposite sides during the split between the Toseiha and Kodoha factions within the Japanese Army during the early 1930s, and Sato believed he had reason to distrust Mutaguchi's motives.

Starting on March 15th, 1944, the Japanese 31st Division crossed the Chindwin River near Homalin and moved north-west along jungle trails on a front almost 60 miles (97 km) wide. Because of a shortage of transport, half the artillery regiment's mountain guns and the infantry regiments' heavy weapons were left behind. Only three week's supply of food and ammunition was carried. Although the march was arduous, good progress was made. The Indian troops were the 50th Indian Parachute Brigade under Brigadier Maxwell Hope-Thompson, at Sangshak. Although they were not Miyazaki's objective, he decided to clear them from his line of advance. The Battle of Sangshak continued for six days. The parachute brigade's troops were desperately short of drinking water, but Miyazaki was handicapped by lack of artillery until near the end of the battle. Eventually, as some of the Japanese 15th Division's troops joined the battle, Hope-Thompson withdrew. The 50th Parachute Brigade lost 600 men, while the Japanese had suffered over 400 casualties. Meanwhile, the commander of the British Fourteenth Army, Lieutenant General William Slim, belatedly realised (partly from Japanese documents that had been captured at Sangshak) that a whole Japanese division was moving towards Kohima. He and his staff had originally believed that, because of the forbidding terrain in the area, the Japanese would only be able to send a regiment to take Kohima.

Kohima's strategic importance in the wider 1944 Japanese Chindwin offensive lay in that it was the summit of a pass that offered the Japanese the best route from Burma into India. Through it ran the road which was the main supply route between the base at Dimapur in the Brahmaputra River valley and Imphal, where the British and Indian troops of IV Corps (consisting of the 17th, 20th and 23rd Indian Infantry Divisions) faced the main Japanese offensive. Kohima Ridge itself runs roughly north and south. The road from Dimapur to Imphal climbs to its northern end and runs along its eastern face. In 1944, Kohima was the administrative centre of Nagaland. North of the ridge lay the densely inhabited area of Naga Village, crowned by Treasury Hill, and Church Knoll. South and west of Kohima Ridge were GPT Ridge and the jungle-covered Aradura Spur. The various British and Indian service troop encampments in the area gave their names to the features which were to be important in the battle e.g. "Field Supply Depot" became FSD Hill or merely FSD.

Before the 161st Indian Brigade arrived, the only fighting troops in the Kohima area were the newly raised 1st Battalion, the Assam Regiment and a few platoons from the 3rd (Naga Hills) Battalion of the paramilitary Assam Rifles. Late in March 161st Brigade deployed in Kohima, but Major-General Ranking ordered them back to Dimapur, as it was felt initially that Dimapur had more strategic importance. Kohima was regarded as a roadblock, while Dimapur was the railhead where the majority of Allied supplies were stored. As the right wing and centre of the Japanese 31st Division approached Jessami, 30 miles (48 km) to the east of Kohima, elements of the Assam Regiment fought delaying actions against them commencing on April 1st. Nevertheless, the men in the forward positions were soon overrun and the Assam regiment was ordered to withdraw. By the night of April 3rd, Miyazaki's troops reached the outskirts of the Naga village and began probing Kohima from the south. The next day, Ranking ordered the 161st Indian Brigade to move forward to Kohima again, but only one battalion, 4th Battalion Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment commanded by Lieutenant Colonel John Laverty, and a company of the 4th Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment arrived in Kohima before the Japanese cut the road west of the ridge. Besides these troops from 161st Brigade, the garrison consisted of a raw battalion (the Shere Regiment) from the Royal Nepalese Army, some companies from the Burma Regiment, some of the Assam Regiment which had retired to Kohima and various detachments of convalescents and line-of-communication troops. The garrison numbered about 2,500, of which about 1,000 were non-combatants.

The siege began on April 6th. The garrison was continually shelled and mortared, in many instances by Japanese using weapons and ammunition captured at Sangshak and from other depots, and was slowly driven into a small perimeter on Garrison Hill. They had artillery support from the main body of 161st Brigade, who were themselves cut off 2 miles (3.2 km) away at Jotsoma, but, as at Sangshak, they were very short of drinking water. The water supply point was on GPT Ridge, which was captured by the Japanese on the first day of the siege. Some of its defenders were unable to retreat to other positions on the ridge and instead withdrew towards Dimapur. Some of the heaviest fighting took place at the north end of Kohima Ridge, around the Deputy Commissioner's bungalow and tennis court, in what became known as the Battle of the Tennis Court. The tennis court became a no man's land, with the Japanese and the defenders of Kohima dug in on opposite sides, so close to each other that grenades were thrown between the trenches. On the night of the 17/18th of April, the Japanese finally captured the DC's bungalow area. Other Japanese captured Kuki Picquet, cutting the garrison in two. The defenders' situation was desperate, but the Japanese did not follow up by attacking Garrison Hill as by now they were exhausted by hunger and by the fighting, and when daylight broke, troops of 161st Indian Brigade arrived to relieve the garrison. The British 2nd Division, commanded by Major General John M. L. Grover, had begun to arrive at Dimapur in early April. By April 11th, the Fourteenth Army had about the same number of troops in the area as the Japanese. The British 5th Brigade of the 2nd Division broke through Japanese roadblocks to relieve 161st Brigade in Jotsoma on April 15th. After a day's heavy fighting, the leading troops of the Brigade (1st Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment) broke through and started to relieve the Kohima garrison. By this point, Kohima resembled a battlefield from the First World War, with smashed trees, ruined buildings and the ground covered in craters.

Under cover of darkness, the wounded (numbering 300) were brought out under fire. Although contact had been established, it took a further 24 hours to fully secure the road between Jotsoma and Kohima. During April 19th and into the early hours of April 20th, the British 6th Brigade replaced the original garrison. 6th Brigade observers were taken aback by the condition of the garrison; one battle hardened officer commentated: "They looked like aged, bloodstained scarecrows, dropping with fatigue; the only clean thing about them was their weapons, and they smelt of blood, sweat and death." Miyazaki continued to try to capture Garrison Hill, and there was heavy fighting for this position for several more nights, with high casualties on both sides. The Japanese positions on Kuki Picquet were only 50 yards (46 m) from Garrison Hill, and fighting was often hand-to-hand. On the other flank of Garrison Hill, on the night of April 26th, a British attack recaptured the clubhouse above the Deputy Commissioner's bungalow, which overlooked most of the Japanese centre. The Japanese reorganised their forces for defence. Their Left Force under Miyazaki held Kohima Ridge with four battalions. The divisional HQ under Sato himself and the Centre Force under Colonel Shiraishi held Naga Village with another four battalions. To support their attack against the Japanese position, the British had amassed thirty-eight 3.7 Inch Mountain Howitzers, forty-eight 25-pounder field guns and two 5.5-inch medium guns. The Japanese could oppose them with only seventeen light mountain guns, with very little ammunition. Nevertheless, the progress of the British counter-attack was slow. Tanks could not easily be used, and the Japanese occupied bunkers which were very deeply dug in, well-concealed and mutually supporting.

While the British 6th Brigade defended Garrison Hill, the other two brigades of 2nd Division tried to outflank both ends of the Japanese position, in Naga Village to the north and on GPT Ridge to the south. The monsoon had broken by this time and the steep slopes were covered in mud, making movement and supply very difficult. In places the British 4th Brigade had to cut steps up hillsides and build handrails in order to make progress. On May 4th, the British 5th Brigade secured a foothold in the outskirts of Naga Village but was counter-attacked and driven back. On the same day, the British 4th Brigade, having made a long flank march around Mount Pulebadze to approach Kohima Ridge from the south-west, attacked GPT Ridge in driving rain and captured part of the ridge by surprise but were unable to secure the entire ridge. Both outflanking moves having failed because of the terrain and the weather, the British 2nd Division concentrated on attacking the Japanese positions along Kohima Ridge from May 4th onwards. Fire from Japanese posts on the reverse slope of GPT Ridge repeatedly caught British troops attacking Jail Hill in the flank, inflicting heavy casualties and preventing them from capturing the hill for a week. However, the various positions were slowly taken. Jail Hill, together with Kuki Picquet, FSD and DIS, was finally captured by 33rd Indian Infantry Brigade on May 11th, after a barrage of smoke shells blinded the Japanese machine-gunners and allowed the troops to secure the hill and dig in. The last Japanese positions on the ridge to be captured were the tennis court and gardens above the Deputy Commissioner's bungalow. On May 13th, after several failed attempts to outflank or storm the position, the British finally bulldozed a track to the summit above the position, up which a tank could be dragged. A Lee tank crashed down onto the tennis court and destroyed the Japanese trenches and bunkers there. The terrain had been reduced to a fly and rat-infested wilderness, with half-buried human remains everywhere. The conditions under which the Japanese troops had lived and fought have been described by several sources, as "unspeakable".

The situation worsened for the Japanese as yet more Allied reinforcements arrived. Nevertheless, when the Allies launched another attack on May 16th, the Japanese continued to defend Naga Village and Aradura Spur tenaciously. An attack on Naga Hill on the night of May 24th gained no ground. Another attack, mounted against both ends of Aradura Spur on the night of May 28th, was even more decisively repulsed. The repeated setbacks, with exhaustion and the effects of the climate began to affect the morale of the British 2nd Division especially. The decisive factor was the Japanese lack of supplies. The Japanese 31st Division had begun the operation with only three weeks' supply of food. Once these supplies were exhausted, the Japanese had to exist on meagre captured stocks and what they could forage in increasingly hostile local villages. The Japanese had mounted two resupply missions, using captured jeeps to carry supplies forward from the Chindwin to 31st Division, but they brought mainly artillery and anti-tank ammunition, rather than food. By the middle of May, Sato's troops were starving. He considered that Mutaguchi and the HQ of Japanese Fifteenth Army were taking little notice of his situation, as they had issued several confusing and contradictory orders to him during April. On 25 May, Sato notified Fifteenth Army HQ that he would withdraw on June 1st, unless his division received supplies. Finally on the 31st of May, he abandoned Naga Village and other positions north of the road, in spite of orders from Mutaguchi to hang on to his position. Miyazaki's detachment continued to fight rearguard actions and demolish bridges along the road to Imphal, but was eventually driven off the road and forced to retreat eastwards. The remainder of the Japanese division retreated painfully south but found very little to eat, as most of what few supplies had been brought forward across the Chindwin had been consumed by other Japanese units, who were as desperately hungry as Sato's men. Many of the 31st Division were too enfeebled to drag themselves further south. During the Battle of Kohima, the British and Indian forces had lost 4,064 men, dead, missing and wounded. Against this the Japanese had lost 5,764 battle casualties in the Kohima area, and many of the 31st Division subsequently died of disease or starvation, or took their own lives. After ignoring army orders for several weeks, Sato was removed from command of Japanese 31st Division early in July. The entire Japanese offensive was broken off at the same time. After Sato was removed from command, he refused an invitation to commit seppuku and demanded a court martial to clear his name and make his complaints about Fifteenth Army HQ public. At Kawabe's prompting, Sato was declared to have suffered a mental breakdown and was unfit to stand trial. The huge losses the Japanese suffered in the Battles of Imphal and Kohima (mainly through starvation and disease) crippled their defence of Burma against Allied attacks during the following year.

[electricthink]

Stalingrad: The Commissar's House (Historical Doc

 [Narrator] The campaign began with a German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 known as Operation Barbarossa. After initial successes, the Soviets halted the German advance at the gates of Moscow. The next year the German high command developed a new command called Case Blue, which focused on seizing the valuable Russian oil fields in the Caucasus region. 

Once again, the German campaign began with great advances, however the Caucasus offenses soon ground to a halt, and by mid-September, Stalingrad became a new major objective for the attacking German forces in southern Russia. On 13th September, 1942, the German's sixth army under General Friedrich Paulus began it's assault on the city. Lieutenant General Vasily Chuikov and his Soviet 62nd Army defended Stalingrad. 

Within two weeks, the Germans cleared much of the south and central portions of the city although the Soviets stubbornly clung to a few small enclaves. Nonetheless, Paulus considered the center and south fighting to be over and began the fight to take the northern factory district. After a surprisingly rapid and successful assault on the tractor factory on 14 and 15 October, the Germans open the attack on the Barrikady factory on the following day. The Barrikady factory was a sprawling complex. 

The factory grounds were roughly 2,500 meters long, by 1,500 meters wide. The major factory halls were massive structures and many made excellent defensive positions with good fields of fire even from within. By the time the German army launched its assault on the factory, it's structures and grounds had already experienced a tremendous amount of destruction. German bombardments and artillery barrages inflicted heavy damage to most of the buildings and rubble was everywhere. 

The remnants of damaged and destroyed factory products, shell holes and Soviet fighting positions littered the grounds. The area was an ideal location for defenders and therefore very difficult terrain for attacking forces. This apocalyptic scene typifies the urban battlefield and illustrates U.S. army doctrine which further explains that the three dimensional urban terrain makes identifying, reporting and targeting of enemy locations difficult. This is the environment faced by the German attacking force which consisted of several divisions and well over 10,000 solidiers who attack from the north. For more than two weeks, this force pushed deep into the complex with the Volga River as its objective. 

The Red Army fiercely defended each building and ultimately stopped the German onslaught just 400 meters from the Volga on the outskirts of the factory's lower settlement and the complex's administrative area, which the Red Army heavily fortified. The lower settlement was the last bastion of the Soviet defense in the Barrikady factory. Current joint and army doctrine can trace it's origins in lessons learned in previous wars and military actions executed throughout history. The eastern front in World War II, and specifically the battles within the city limits of Stalingrad, highlight the complexities of urban warfare. Understanding current doctrine is key to successful integration of forces, synchronization of assets and execution of complex orders. 

 In peacetime, the lower settlement served as the Barrikady factory administrative area and one of the residential districts for factory workers. About 400 meters beyond the settlement were the cliffs of the Volga River, the German 305th Infantry Division's final objective. Within the lower settlement, a number of port locations held significance to either the Germans, the Soviets or both. Key locations included Theater Park, the cinema booth, the Barrikady factory fuel depot, the Index Finger Ravine, the transformer hut, and the Volga River. 

Key German locations were Hall 6E, which served as the headquarters for the 576th Grenadier Regiment. Hall four served as the headquarters for the 577th Grenadier Regiment. House 53 served as the headquarters for the 578th Grenadier Regiment. Key Soviet locations were Colonel Ivan Lyudnikov's command post bunker for the 138th Rifle Division. The red house wish functioned as Colonel Lyudnikov's personal observation post. 

The apothecary, also referred as the pharmacy, a Soviet strong point. And the Commissar's house, which originally served as the main administration building for the Barrikady factory and was now a Soviet strong point as well. The defense of the lower settlement was primarily the responsibility of Colonel Lyudnikov's 138th Rifle Division. Though the 241st Regiment of the 95th Rifle Division was responsible for the defense of the area between the apothecary and the fuel depot. By this time, the 138th Rifle Division consisted of three diminished regiments with a total combat strength of about 1,000 soldiers. Attached to the division was the sole remaining element of the 37th Guards Division, the 250 men of the 118th Guards Rifle Regiment. The 768th Rifle Regiment of the 138 Rifle Division in the north, helped positions largely within an apartment complex. The 344th Rifle Regiment held another apartment complex near the massive Hall Four, which stretched south to the vicinity of Theater Park. The 650th Rifle Regiment also held part of the apartment complex near Theater Park, several other buildings east of there and the Commissar's house itself. (threatening music) The Commissar's house was a massive brick structure within the lower settlement. The house, completed in 1916, and solidly constructed with red bricks from the nearby brick factory possessed an appropriately castle-like appearance. It's construction consisted of massive, three-foot thick walls, a reinforced concrete cellar, and was two stories in height. 

It was relatively clear fields of fire around the building in all directions and the Germans considered this structure key terrain, a crucial defensive position within the 138th Rifle Division's defensive zone. The United States Army doctoral manual, ADP 3-90, defines key terrain as an identifiable characteristic whose seizure or retention affords a marked advantage to either combatant. Due to its obvious strength, the building earlier served as Lyudnikov's headquarters until the German advance forced him to move his command post to a bunker below the bluffs of the Volga River. The Barrikady workers officially recognized the building as the factory administration building. The Germans would refer to this building as the Commissar's house. 

[mndoughboy1918]

Days Two and Three

September 27-28, 1918 - Full diary entry:

“Slept in a dugout last night. 

Carried casualties all day under artillery fire. 

This job between the front line and back lines is far more dangerous than front line. The artillery action is awful all the time.”

In To Conquer Hell, Historian Edward Lengel reports confusion and disarray in the 35th Division as the second day of the battle began:

September 27 brought the already-confused 35th Division closer to dissolution. The previous evening had ended with the 138th Regiment, bloody and exhausted, on the right; on the left, Lieutenant Colonel Carl Ristine had pushed his 139th Regiment to the front, passing through the shattered 137th Regiment. Ristine had acted against orders, but division commander Major General Traub ordered the 139th to continue ahead while the as-yet-untested 140th Regiment leapfrogged the prostrate 138th on the right. The 139th and 140th would then advance toward the division’s original objective, three miles north of Fléville. 

Poor staff work caused two different attack orders to enter circulation, preventing a coordinated advance. On the right, Lieutenant Colonel Channing Delaplane’s 140th passed through the 138th at dawn and advanced northwest, with weak artillery support, up the broad, open slopes of Hill 218. The Germans had festooned the hill, an important observation point, with massive coils of barbed wire, which held up the Americans at the crest. Wire clippers went to work with maddening slowness as German 77mm field guns and Maxim machine guns, which had preregistered on Hill 218, delivered horribly accurate volleys on the infantry from long range. There was no escaping the bullets and shells, as Sergeant William Triplet discovered to his horror: 

[The Germans] were artists with machine guns, used them at two thousand yards or more, placing them well back where the trajectory of the bullets would follow well down the curve of our reverse slopes. Then the gunner would range in with bursts of ten and when he saw just one bullet kick up dirt on the crest he’d clamp his gun at that elevation knowing that the other nine bullets were making life miserable for anybody on the reverse slope behind the crest.

The 140th stopped, pinned down, below the crest.

By the next day, the 35th had made decent progress but at a severe cost. And the leadership changes I discussed a few days ago were, predictably, causing problems. More from Edward Lengel:

The Missouri-Kansas Division had done well so far, advancing five miles over two days and taking Charpentry Ridge in a stirring assault on the evening of September 27. September 28 began with Lieutenant Colonel Delaplane’s 140th Regiment, on the right, still occupying the ridge road north and east of Charpentry, and Lieutenant Colonel Ristine’s 139th holding the ridge above Baulny to the west. Ahead, the regiments faced a series of open slopes and ravines, the most prominent feature being Montrebeau Wood, about a mile ahead on the left. Dense with trees, thickets, and emplacements occupied by the fresh German 52d Division, the wood covered a broad, craggy hill that overlooked much of the surrounding country. Its capture was essential to I Corps’ advance east of the Argonne. The 35th Division’s commander, Major General Traub, had no particular plan for taking it; but Pershing lashed him forward, demanding attack without regard to artillery support, terrain, or the state of the German defenses. 

Traub took little interest in coordination and planning, preferring to wander along the lines, brandishing his swagger stick and shouting fiery, irrelevant commands. He lived on coffee and cigarettes. Traub’s staff scattered in the process of trying to follow him around the battlefield. Brigade and regimental commanders, most of whom he had appointed only a few days earlier, gave up trying to consult division headquarters and acted independently.

Chaplain Edwards in From Doniphan to Verdun recounts the devastating casualties in the 140th Infantry:

Through the draws, over the hillocks, through the dense brush and woods the men lost heavily. The regiment passed Chaudron Farm, reaching Montrebeau woods. There was little support from the Artillery, while the enemy planes were very active. It was a grueling hour. The enemy artillery overwhelmed us with direct, indirect, and flanking fire. Planes with machine guns and bombs cut down on us from the sky. 

The losses were terrible, and when the regiment rested for the night in Montrebeau wood, with the second battalion in the hedge north of Chaudron Farm as reserve, it was badly cut to pieces. The third battalion had lost half its men. Murray Davis was wounded, but refused to pay any attention to it. Holt was terribly wounded, dying in a few hours. Harrison, Hunger and Barnert of I company were casualties, Eustace Smith was in command of I and K companies, plucky Captain Kenady having received his wounds. Stark and most of the battalion Headquarters were gone. M company had lost Captain McFadden, wounded — a strong, brave, splendid officer. Champion — the bravest of the brave — was killed. Nottingham, who had proved himself in Alsace, was wounded. Slaughter was terribly wounded, and Denham and Stinson, also of L company, were casualties. But in the driving rain, the men held firm.

I won’t attempt to comment on the military tactics used in this battle, nor the subject of whether the 35th had adequate support from its artillery. The consensus among the experts, though, is that the battle was a disaster in these areas and American casualties were far higher than they should have been.

Where was Robert today? See the timeline.

Next: The Third Day