Order of the day; February 22nd

I dropped into a random landing craft. Tightening the strap of my helmet as I waited in the bobbing craft. A speaker crackled, and my voice, playing a speech I'd written and recorded last night played. Everyone listened, speakers and radios, all heard my voice in the early morning light.

"Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!" My voice rang out, drawing everyone's attention. Activity seemed to pause as my voice echoed across the fleet.

"You are about to embark upon a great crusade, to which we have striven these last months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people march with you." I looked around at the soldiers around me. Soldiers quietly closing their eyes, chanting under their breaths.

"In conjunction with our brave allies across the globe, you will help bring about the destruction of the plague upon humanity. The elimination of the undead scourge that oppresses humanity. You will fight for the security of humanity everywhere, and create a free, peaceful world once again." My voice swelled, speaking clearly before dropping back to a solem professionalism before I continued.

"Your task will not be an easy one. Our enemy is mutated and well equipped. They will fight savagely." My warning seemed to hang in the air, everyone knew this to be true. The undead did not hold back. Savage was the only way to describe how they fought.

"But this is the year 2025, much has changed since the world was flipped upside down in the summer of 24. Our great nations have inflicted upon our undead foes great defeats, in open battle, man to man. The tide has turned! The free people of the world are marching together to victory!" I spoke of the great victories we'd achieved. Of the Union's victories in California, of the Pacific alliance's victories across Malaysia and northern Australia. Of the great battles won at such great cost.

"I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than total victory!" My voice filled with determination, a deep resolution to it as it echoed.

"Good luck, and let us beseech the blessings of the almighty God upon this great, and noble endeavor." My voice faded, but the message did not. Soldiers bowed their heads before resuming their tasks. A tense feeling was palpable in the air.

As the craft filled we pushed off from the side of the transport. Slowly driving around in circles as we waited for the rest of the craft to fill. Across other ships BMPs were directly driven into the sea, throwing up large slashes of water as they began powering towards shore. A couple drones buzzed the craft, which finally drew some suspicion to me, the extra body hiding in the back. A platoon sergeant pushed his way to me, an angry glower on his face… that was quickly replaced by a frown when he glimpsed the rank on my lapel, and he turned around, deciding not to press the issue.

The landing ship motored closer to shore alongside several others. It pushed as far up the soft sandy beach as it was able before stopping, the ramp dropping into the surf with a wet splash. Everyone started forward, most drooping into surf about waist high and moving ashore as shells flew overhead, an attempt to draw the hordes away from the beaches. I dropped into the surf. Muttering about this crap being below my pay grade as I waded ashore with the troops, rifle in hand.

BMPs slowly started arriving, battling the surf and soft sand as they climbed the beach. They formed little firing lines, waiting for their soldiers to join them from the landing craft that they trudged up the beach from. Boots were ashore, a half mile stretch of beach, now to get some depth between us and the ocean, the growing noise starting to draw the undead out, creating a cascading effect as more and more started coming back towards us.

Naval infantry started pushing up the beach towards the road, BMPs slowly following, either navigating the narrow footpaths or attempting to brute force their way up the small sea wall, really just a small dirt wall created by years of the sea eating at the beach. Others advanced along the seafront, into the city proper. Starting the time consuming task of clearing every building as quickly as possible as offshore, the next regiment was preparing to land, BMPs slowly treading water, landing craft motoring back out to the troopships for another platoon or couple of squads of troops.

I frowned slightly, watching the next regiment come ashore, a small command post being created out of a bar right next to the beach. Radios and aerials, little else denoted it as the first Soviet headquarters on Luzon. A few command BMP variants were parked outside, and now that comms were up we could start tracking progress.

Godzilla was leaving the Pacific alliance alone so far, Jake's marines were almost entirely ashore and pushing north, Li's Panzergrenadiers were starting to begin landing operations, they'd be tasked with securing Mariveles before joining the push inland. Offshore both surface action groups and their carriers were pushing themselves to their limit to cycle their air groups as quickly as possible, the demand for air support was high, and try as they might, the couple squadrons of F15s we'd staged on Lubang were unable to keep up with demand.

With more waves of Soviet troops coming ashore, now was the time to start clearing Olongapo, securing the port infrastructure and airport, to begin pushing inland up the E4. Our pre landing schedule predicted three to four months to liberate Manila… that was accounting for delayed supplies, bad weather… anything we could really count for.