Smoke, Tanks, and Me
[Story Overview]
Genres: Realistic war, military, armored warfare, anti-war, ensemble cast
Setting: A large-scale war following an escalation of an alternate Cold War. The American and Soviet military systems collide in all-out conflict. The war spreads from desert borders to cities, industrial zones, supply routes, and battlefields deep within enemy territory, ultimately escalating into total attrition and a decisive strategic showdown.
Central vehicle: The M60A2 and its four-man crew.
Main characters:
Carter: tank commander and protagonist.
Cross: driver.
Miller: gunner.
Hayes: loader.
The story's central theme:
War is not just a contest of tank gun penetration, armor thickness, and aircraft performance.
War is a contest of:
Industrial production capacity.
Fuel.
Ammunition.
Transportation.
Maintenance.
Personnel.
Training.
Reserves.
Communications.
Medical care.
Time.
A nation's ability to withstand losses.
Therefore:
"Destroying a tank" does not mean winning a war.
"Capturing a city" does not mean the war is over.
And even "winning the war" does not mean everyone finds happiness.
Ultimately, this book hopes to show readers that:
A person can win on the battlefield and still lose friends.
An army can win a battle and still lose many of its people.
A country can win a war and still pay a cost too great to calculate.
And a survivor may find that the world has already left them behind.
