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

"After you get back from your week off," Rickabee said.

Christ, is he reading my mind?

"Aye, aye, Sir."

[ONE]

The White House

Washington, D.C.

1115 Hours 17 October 1942

"Douglas," the President of the United States said, "has stated that guerrilla operations in the Philippines are impossible at this time."

"And we all know that Douglas Mac Arthur is incapable of being wrong, don't we?" the Hon. Frank Knox said, taking his pince-nez off and starting to polish the lenses.

Roosevelt looked up from his wheelchair at the dignified, stocky, well-dressed Secretary of the Navy and smiled.

"Admiral?" the President asked.

"We really know nothing, Mr. President, except that this man Fertig has chosen not to surrender, and that he has a radio," Admiral William D. Leahy said. Leahy, a tall, lanky, sad-faced man, was the former Chief of Naval Opera-tions, and was now serving as Roosevelt's Chief of Staff.

He looked between Knox and the President, who waited for him to con-tinue.

"If we plan to suggest to General MacArthur that he is wrong, I would like to have more facts than we now have," Leahy went on. "I would therefore suggest, Mr. President, that we investigate further. Specifically, that Ricka-bee' s people see what they can find out about Fertig's activities, and what the potential is."

"I suggest the Admiral is correct, Mr. President," Knox said.

"Have you brought this matter to Admiral Nimitz's attention, Mr. Secre-tary?"

Knox shook his head, no.

"The relationship between Nimitz and MacArthur is at the moment ami-cable," Leahy said. "I would suggest, Mr. Secretary, if the President believes we should go ahead with this-"

"I think we have a moral obligation here," the President interrupted. "In the absence of an overriding consideration to the contrary, we should go ahead, at least to the point of finding out more about this chap Fertig."

"Yes, Sir," Admiral Leahy said.

"This sort of thing, guerrilla warfare, operating behind the enemy lines, is really in Bill Donovan's basket of eggs," the President said. "But that pre-sumes Douglas's willingness to talk to Donovan's man, doesn't it?" "Unfortunately," Knox said.

"After Pickering's thoughts on that subject, it occurs to me that if I or-dered him to take Donovan's people, the first place Douglas would drag his feet would be in this case."

Knox grunted.

"The result would be a disgruntled Douglas MacArthur, with this fellow Fertig dangling in the breeze? Is that your assessment?"

Leahy nodded agreement, and Knox repeated, "Unfortunately."

"Is there any way around this? To avoid confronting MacArthur?"

Leahy nodded. "I would suggest that it might be best if I sent Admiral Nimitz a Special Channel Personal advising him of what we know so far, and informing him that we are looking further into the matter, and that any support he may be asked to supply be provided with the utmost discretion."

"Don't anger Douglas by not telling Douglas, in other words?" the Presi-dent asked.

"Yes, Sir."

"General Pickering is with Douglas," the President said thoughtfully.

"I don't think General Pickering has to know that I have communicated with Admiral Nimitz," Leahy said. "If he doesn't know..."

"Then it wouldn't slip out in conversation, would it?" the President said approvingly. "Frank, see what information you can develop, as quickly as pos-sible, without annoying Douglas."

"Yes, Mr. President."

"Going off at somewhat of a tangent, Frank," the President said. "I sup-pose I thought of this because Pickering has a MAGIC clearance...."

"Yes, Mr. President?"

"I have been informed by Churchill that he plans to propose the establish-ment of a unified China-Burma-India command with Lord Louis Mountbatten named as its supreme commander."

"Yes, Sir?"

"I'm not going to give it to him easily, but in the end, I will have to go along. When that happens, despite the reservations that Admiral Leahy has ex-pressed both eloquently and in great detail-I won't need to hear them again from you, Frank-we are going to have to bring the British in on MAGIC. That means we will have to send to India a liaison officer with a MAGIC clearance, and the necessary communications people."

"General Pickering?" Knox wondered aloud.

"I think we should send Pickering for a visit, when the time comes, yes. But I was thinking of an officer to serve as the MAGIC man on Mountbatten's staff. Think about that, would you? Someone who would not be dazzled by proximity to royal blood?"

Banning, Knox thought immediately. But he said nothing beyond "Yes, Mr. President."

"Thank you for coming to see me, Frank. I know what a brutal schedule you have."

"My privilege, Mr. President," Knox said, aware that he had just been dismissed.

"Keep us up to date on this Fertig fellow, will you, Frank?" the President called as Knox reached the door.

"Yes, Mr. President."

[TWO]

=TOP SECRET=

THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY

WASHINGTON

VIA SPECIAL CHANNEL

DUPLICATION FORBIDDEN

ORIGINAL TO BE DESTROYED AFTER ENCRYPTION AND TRANSMITTAL

SUPREME COMMANDER SWPOA

EYES ONLY BRIG GEN F.W. PICKERING, USMCR

1515 17 OCTOBER 1948

FOLLOWING PERSONAL FROM SECNAV FOR BRIG GEN PICKERING

DEAR FLEMING:

I JUST CAME FROM A MEETING WITH ADMIRAL LEAHY IN WHICH THE SUBJECT OF FERTIG AND GUERRILLA RESISTANCE IN THE PHILIPPINES CAME UP.

LEAHY BELIEVES THAT THE MATTER SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FURTHER AND SPECIFICALLY BY OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS, AND FURTHER THAT THE FEWER PEOPLE WHO KNOW ABOUT THIS THE BETTER.

HAUGHTON IS WORKING WITH RICKABEE ON THIS AND I WILL KEEP YOU ADVISED.

BOTH THE PRESIDENT AND LEAHY EXPRESSED THEIR CONCERN VIS-A-VIS MACARTHUR'S RELATIONSHIP OR

LACK OF RELATIONSHIP WITH DONOVAN'S PEOPLE. THE POINT WAS MADE AND I THINK FAIRLY THAT

THIS (GUERRILLA) SORT OF THING BELONGS IN DONOVAN'S BASKET.

BEST PERSONAL REGARDS

FRANK

END PERSONAL SECNAV TO BRIG GEN PICKERING

HAUGHTON CAPT USN ADMIN ASST TO SECNAV

T O P S E C R E T

[THREE]

Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff G-l

Headquarters, United States Marine Corps

Eighth and "I" Streets, NW

Washington, D.C.

0825 Hours 18 October 1942

Colonel David M. Wilson, USMC, Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff G-l for Officer Personnel, looked up from his desk to see Master Gunner James L. Hardee, USMC, standing there with paper in his hands and a smile on his face. (Master gunner, a rank between enlisted and commissioned status, is equiva-lent to a U.S. Army warrant officer.)

"I gather there is something in your hand that requires my immediate at-tention, Mister Hardee?"

"I thought the Colonel would probably be interested in this application for transfer, Sir," Hardee said.

Wilson put out his hand and Hardee handed him the typewritten letter.

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE

UNITED STATES POST OFFICE

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

16 October 1942

FROM: Macklin, Robert B., First Lieutenant USMC

TO: Headquarters USMC

Washington, D.C.

ATTN: MCPER-0P341-B

SUBJECT: Request For Consideration For Special Assignment

Reference is made to Memorandum, Headquarters, USMC dated 12 Sept 1942, Subject, "Solicitation of officer volunteers for Special Assignment To Intelligence Duties."

The undersigned wishes to volunteer for such duty. The following information is furnished:

The undersigned, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, is an officer of the regular establishment of the Marine Corps, presently on detached service with the USMC Public Relations Office, Los Angeles, Cal.

The undersigned is performing supervisory duties in connection with War Bond Tour n. Previously, the undersigned was a participant (e.g., one of the "Guadalcanal Veterans") in War Bond Tour I.