W.E.B. Griffin - The Corps VII - Behind the Lines

(G) WESTON BELIEVES THAT CREDIBILITY OF USFEP WILL BE GREATLY IMPROVED AS RESULT OF SUPPLIES SENT IN OPERATION WINDMILL, IN PARTICULAR THE GOLD, WHICH WILL PERMIT FERTIG TO BEGIN TO PAY FOR REQUISITIONS AND PURCHASE ORDERS. HE SIMILARLY FEELS INTRODUCTION OF CARBINES, UNKNOWN IN PHILIPPINES BEFORE WAR, WILL PROVE THAT US SUPPLIES ARE COMING AS PROMISED.

(H) WESTON STATED THAT HE HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF CAPTAIN MACKLIN BEYOND THAT HE WENT ASHORE FROM SUNFISH AND PRESUMABLY ACCOMPANIED MCCOY TO HQ USFIP.

IT IS THE OPINION OF THE UNDERSIGNED THAT WESTON IS ENTIRELY CREDIBLE AND THAT HIS OPINION OF FERTIG AS BEING INTELLIGENT, SANE AND COMPETENT SHOULD BE ACCEPTED.

FOR YOUR GENERAL INFORMATION, WESTON WAS DECORATED WITH SILVER STAR THIS MORNING BY MACARTHUR. ACCOMPANYING PRESS RELEASE USED PHRASE QUOTE CAPTAIN WESTON WAS ASSIGNED TO SWPOA'S USFIP ENDQUOTE. WESTON WILL DEPART BRISBANE BY AIR VIA PEARL HARBOR TOMORROW FOR THIRTY DAY RECUPERATIVE LEAVE IN US. COL STECKER STATED ANY REQUEST FOR FURTHER OSS DEBRIEFING IN US SHOULD BE REFERRED TO SECNAV. WESTON DECLINED TO GIVE HIS ADDRESS ON LEAVE.

WATERSON

STANTIONCHIEF BRISBANE

T O P S E C R E T

"I'll tell you what this does confirm, Mo," Donovan said. "Your pal Pickering is thumbing his nose at me."

"I told you it would be wise to make peace with him, Bill," Morrissette said.

"Who the hell does he think he is, telling Waterson he's too busy to see him?"

"He thinks he's Brigadier General Pickering, who doesn't work for you."

"He was sent there, for Christ's sake, with specific orders from the Presi-dent to persuade MacArthur to let us operate."

"To try to persuade MacArthur to let us operate," Morrissette said. "If he were asked, I'll wager he would say he has tried. And he did arrange for Cap-tain Macklin to go along."

"You noticed, of course, there has not been one word from Macklin," Donovan said.

"I noticed."

"Which suggests to me that Pickering's Lieutenant McCoy is not giving him access to the radio. Probably on orders."

"Maybe Captain Macklin has had nothing to say that McCoy hasn't al-ready said."

"The whole idea was to get the OSS involved in this," Donovan said. "Didn't anyone tell Macklin that?"

Morrissette didn't reply.

"Macklin might as well not be there, for all the good he's doing us,"

Donovan said. "I feel like a goddamned fool when I'm with the President, and Knox briefs him on what we're getting from Pickering, and I don't have a damned thing to say about what I hear from my OSS man on the scene."

"I understand they're sending the Sunfish back with more supplies. If we have time to do it, would you like me to send somebody in to replace Macklin?"

"Do whatever you have to do, Mo, to get somebody competent over there-where is there, by the way?"

"What there, Bill?"

"Where they're going to load the Sunfish, obviously."

"I don't know. It's half a dozen one way and six the other between Pearl Harbor and Brisbane. Maybe Espiritu Santo."

"Well, find out where and get somebody competent there in time to get on the sub. Somebody senior to Macklin."

"Why is being senior to Macklin important?"

"Because we're not going to replace Macklin, we're going to augment the OSS element at USFIP. And if Macklin is the idiot everybody seems to think he is, I don't think he should be in a position to give orders."

"Wouldn't it be easier just to bring Macklin out?"

"That, I suggest, would give people the opportunity to see for themselves what an idiot we sent in. Tell the Navy we want to send three people in."

"Pickering's people, and that aide-de-camp who stayed, are coming out."

"Good," Donovan said. "If that's the case, maybe our people will be able to get on the radio. And let the world know that the OSS is alive and well."

[ONE]

Naval Air Transport Command Passenger Terminal

U.S. Navy Base, Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii

0625 Hours 10 January 1943

It was raining steadily when the Coronado touched down, but it was a gentle rain, and the landing was smooth, as was the taxiing to the tie-down buoy.

An admiral's barge-far more luxurious than the whaleboats that served as water taxis in Brisbane and Midway-came out to take the passengers off. Carrying so much money-a thousand dollars in twenties-that he'd split it between the bellows pockets of his tunic, Captain James Weston stepped off the barge onto the wharf.

"Captain Weston?"

He saw a Marine officer, a first lieutenant, saluting and smiling somewhat hesitantly at him.

Weston returned the salute.

"I'm Weston."

"Is your name on your bag, Captain?"

"Yes, it is."

A brand-new canvas suitcase jammed with brand-new uniforms was someplace on the airplane. The passengers had been told it would be delivered to them ashore.

"I'll get it," the Lieutenant said. "You go up the ladder. The car's right at the head of the ladder."

The ladder was in fact a wide set of concrete stairs.

At the top was a Plymouth staff car, bearing an uncovered brigadier gen-eral's silver star on a red background plate. Weston wondered where his car was. If there was a general sitting in this car, it obviously wasn't the one the lieutenant was talking about.

The back door of the car opened.

"If you're Weston," a voice called to him, "get in."

He walked to the car and stepped in.

"Pickering said you were unusual," the man inside said. "He didn't say that unusual. What's with the beard?"

"I guess I can shave it off now, Sir," Weston said, ill at ease.

"Since you are taking lunch with Admiral Nimitz, I think that would be a good idea," the man said.

He shifted on the seat, and Weston could now see the stars on the collar of his khaki shirt.

"My name is Mclnerney," the General said, and put out his hand.

"Good morning, Sir."

Brigadier General Mclnerney handed him a sheet of paper.

"Read that," he said.

P R I O R I T Y

SUPREME HEADQUARTERS SWPOA 1625 HOURS 8JAN43

TO CINCPAG HAWAII

PERSONAL PROM BRIG GEN PICKERING USMCR TO BRIG GEN MCINERNEY USMC

DEAR MAC:

I JUST LOADED CAPTAIN JAMES B. WESTON ABOARD A PEARL HARBOR BOUND CORONADO. HE IS ENROUTE TO THE STATES FOR A THIRTY DAY RECUPERATIVE LEAVE. HE IS A VERY UNUSUAL YOUNG OFFICER WHO JUST CAME OUT OF THE PHILIPPINES WHERE HE WAS G-2 FOR GENERAL FERTIG'S GUERRILLA OPERATION. MACARTHUR GAVE HIM A WELL DESERVED SILVER STAR YESTERDAY.

I WOULD APPRECIATE VERY MUCH ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO MAKE HIS PEARL HARBOR STOP AS SMOOTH, COMFORTABLE AND AS BRIEF AS POSSIBLE.

HAVING SAID THAT I WOULD NOT BE AT ALL SURPRISED IF ADMIRAL NIMITZ WANTED TO AT LEAST SHAKE HIS HAND WHILE HE'S THERE. SO PLEASE AS QUIETLY AS POSSIBLE INFORM ADMIRAL NIMITZ OF HIS ARRIVAL.

BEST REGARDS FLEM

END PERSONAL TO BRIG GEN MCINERNEY

BY DIRECTION BRIG GEN PICKERING USMCR

HART 2ND LT USMCR

"I'll tell you what I can't do," Mclnerney said. "I can't get you out of lunch with Admiral Nimitz; I can't get you on a plane to the States before to-morrow, and maybe not then; and I can't make it stop raining. Aside from that, the place is yours."

"Thank you very much, Sir. I'm surprised. Overwhelmed."

"General Pickering and I were enlisted men in France in the First World War," Mclnerney said. "He's one of my favorite people."

"Yes, Sir."

"I'm an aviator, and-did he tell you?-so is his son. He flew Wildcats- made ace, as a matter of fact-on Guadalcanal."

"Yes, Sir, he told me. I'm an aviator, too. Or was."

"Was? Let me tell you something, son. Once you learn how to fly, it's like riding a bicycle. You never forget."

"General Pickering told me that, Sir. As a matter of fact, he quoted you."