“Yeah, I remember. It was all supposed to be so easy, we’d just waltz in and kick them out and all would be sunshine and roses. Heh.”
-Captain Robert Kugan (ret.), A History of the Bahamas War
“It was all going perfectly, until everything went wrong.”
-Unknown Soldier, New York Times
Off Grand Bahama Island
Smoke rose lazily from the island ahead of them, the effects of the airstrikes that had been pounding West End for hours now. Overhead, F-15E Strike Eagle and F-16 Falcon fighter-bombers and A-10 Thunderbolt attack aircraft continued to streak overhead, their wings loaded down with munitions to be released on the Malay defenders of the island.
In the water, a swarm of amphibious assault vehicles chugged towards the shore, each loaded with 21 Hugoran soldiers. From overhead, they looked like small animals swimming to shore.
Thankfully, the airstrikes had silenced most of the resistance in West End. The AAVs rolled ashore with only limited resistance, mostly scatted rifle and machine-gun fire. From the back to the vehicles, ramps slammed into the sand and the Hugorans charged out, clad in gray trousers, overcoats, flak jackets and helmets. Most carried an M16 rifle, some carrying SAWs or other heavy weapons.
The fight was quick and easy. Five Hugorans fell, and the Malay resistance was quickly silenced. The Hugoran flag, the bright stripes and bold red cross, was quickly raised over the tallest standing building in the town.
As the day progressed, the beachhead was expanded further, pushing down the road to Freeport. More armor and infantry, and some light artillery, came ashore, while the men from the first wave relaxed on the wrecks of Malay APCs in the streets of West End.
The Bahamas War had begun.
