Combat Kelly #14 — Nick Peron

Aug 31

Aug 31 Combat Kelly #14

Combat Kelly

Combat Kelly and Cookie Novak are helping American forces drive the Chinese army out of the Korean town of Yongwa. They clear out the majority of the forces and spot a lone Chinese soldier rushing to a holy temple with a load of dynamite in order to blow up the Chinese equipment and secrets that are hidden inside. They watch as a lone Korean peasant tries to stop the enemy soldier and is shot dead. This however gives Combat and Cookie enough time to shoot the dynamite out of the Chinese soldier's hand causing the explosives to fall on the ground and explode, killing the Chinese soldier but not damaging the temple.

Combat and Cookie meet with the locals, including the town elder who tells them that the temple is sacred to them and that they will defend it with their lives in order to prevent it from being destroyed. Combat promises the Chinese that they will prevent that from happening and they take the elder to Major Thorn who also pledges to keep the temple safe.

However, as the American soldiers provide aid to the locals, bury their dead, and set up defences around the town, the Chinese are preparing another attack in order to regain their lost equipment that is stashed in the temple. That night the Chinese attack, out numbering the American soldiers and forcing them to withdraw from Yongwa, allowing the Chinese to retake it. However Major Thorn and his troops regroup and prepare for an assault on the city. The night before the attack Major Thorn prays for a victory. The following day, as Combat and the others advance on Yongwa, they are shocked when the Buddist temple suddenly explodes, killing all the Chinese soldiers in town. Rushing into Yongwa, they learn from the elder that they decided to blow up the temple to rid of their mutual enemy as they can ultimately rebuild the temple.

Recurring Characters

Combat Kelly
Cookie Novak
Major Thorn

Combat Kelly

Combat and Cookie are out on enemy lines and take a stop so that Cookie can radio in and get the play by play of that day's Yankees and Reds game. However just before he can listen in to another soldier's play-by-play, they are attacked by Chinese soldiers and taken prisoner.

The commanding officer and his men find the radio and the only English speaking enemy soldier listens into the radio play-by-play of the baseball game. He misunderstands all terminology and thinks the Yankees vs Reds game is actually communication about a nearby battle. This fools them into thinking that their nearby base was attacked by American troops and taken over. The commanding officer then orders his own radio man to send a message to nearby artillery cannons to blow up the base, killing his own men in the process. When radio reports come back about what happened, the commanding officer shoots his men and himself in shame over what was done.

When Combat and Cookie come around they find that the enemies are dead. When Cookie asks about the game over the radio and what happened, the soldier on the other line angrily hangs up on him for not listening to a word he said.

Recurring Characters

Combat Kelly
Cookie Novak

Cookie the G.I. Genius!

Cookie is posing for an action photo for a female war photographer named Flash. After Flash gets the shot, Sargent O'Hooligan gives Cookie a hard time for not listening to orders and sends him back out to dig a latrine hole, kicking Novak in the seat of the pants to get him moving. Angry that O'Hooligan is being mean to Cookie, Flash tricks O'Holligan into posing in front of a machine gun in order to catch him off guard for a similar kick in the pants.

While Sargent O'Hooligan doses off, Cookie digs the latrine hole and is surprised when he uncovers a Chinese tunnel being dug under their base. Armed with only his shovel, get gets the drop on the enemy soldiers, pointing the handle of the shovel into the back of their commander, convincing them that it is a rifle. He then forces the enemy soldiers to continue digging their hole and turns them over to the military brass.

Major Thorn commends Cookie on a job well done and he poses for a photo for Flash. However, when Sargent O'Hooligan ruins the shot by kicking Cookie in the butt again, it is seen by Major Thorn who then puts O'Hooligan on latrine duty for the night as punishment while Cookie and Flash spend the evening together.

Recurring Characters

Cookie Novak
Sargent O’Hooligan
Major Thor

How Kelly Hill Got It's Name

While trying to secure an unnamed hill, American soldiers are sent out to capture one of the enemy in order to learn what sort of weapons and number of troops the Chinese have waiting for them. Combat Kelly manages to catch one of these enemy soldiers, but before he can tell them what they want to know, he arms a grenade and blows himself up.

Suddenly they are forced to take cover in their fox holes from land mines that are being rolled down the hill at them by the enemy. When the blasts taper off, Major Thorn sends Combat and Cookie up the hill for recon. Along the way they come across two Chinese soldiers and gun them down. With a truck approaching in the distance, the two American soldiers change uniforms with their dead opponents and use the disguise to trick the truck into stopping.

Finding that the truck is loaded with explosives, Combat sends Cookie back to report to base to prepare to attack once they hear a blast. Combat then rigs all the explosives in the truck to explode and drives up to the Chinese base.

However, the smell of his American made cigarettes betrays his disguise and Combat quickly lights the fuse and flees in a unattached wagon. The blast goes off and Combat goes zipping by American troops who are storming the hill to finish off any survivors. Combat is less fortunate as he ends up smashing into a tree and requires medical attention.

In the aftermath of the battle, Major Thorn radios headquarters to inform them that their mission was a success. With the hill having no name designation, Major Thorn decides to name it Kelly Hill.