W.E.B. Griffin - The Corps IV - Battleground

"I'm afraid to ask what he told you," Knox said.

"He started by saying that one should regard them as used car salesmen in one-tone shoes," she said. "And then, I'm afraid, he became somewhat cynical."

Knox laughed.

"But here you are, seeing Senator Fowler," he said.

"My father and my husband feel he's the exception to the rule," she said. "And he tells me you are, too."

Franklin, the butler, appeared with a pitcher and glasses on a tray. It occurred to Knox that since there hadn't been time to make it, obviously Franklin had prepared it beforehand, probably on orders from Patricia Pickering.

Knox took one of the glasses and raised it. "Your health, Ma'am."

"Thank you," she said. "Would that include my peace of mind?"

"Certainly," Knox said, smiling.

"You can do something about that," she said. "You can tell me where he is and what he's doing."

"He's in the Pacific, as you know," Knox said. "As my personal representative."

"A week ago, I had a message from him saying that he was going to sea for a while and would be out of touch," Patricia Pickering said. "And now the radio tells me that we have invaded Guadalcanal in the Solomons. And I have learned that my husband is no longer in Australia. I want to know where he is and what he's doing. And Richmond tells me that you're the only man who knows."

"Are you sure he's no longer in Australia?" Knox replied. "I'm curious. How could you know that?"

"The Pacific Endeavor is now in Melbourne. I radioed a message there to be relayed to my husband; and her master replied that his whereabouts are unknown to our agent there. And that MacArthur's headquarters denied any knowledge of him."

Use of Maritime Radio for transmission of personal messages had been forbidden since the United States had entered the war, but Knox was not surprised to hear what she just told him. The master of the Pacific Endeavor was not going to ignore a message from her owner, or refuse to do whatever the message ordered him to do, whether or not the U.S. Navy liked it.

Patricia Pickering read his mind. "Please don't tell me I wasn't supposed to do that."

"I have the feeling, Mrs. Pickering," Knox said, "that anything I say wouldn't make very much difference to you."

"I would take your word if you tell me there were good reasons why my husband disappeared from the face of the earth," she said. "Is that what it is?"

"David," Knox said, turning to Captain Haughton, "would you show Mrs. Pickering our last message from Captain Pickering?"

Haughton opened his briefcase, took out a two-inch thick sheaf of papers, looked through it, and pulled a file from it. The file cover sheet was marked with diagonal red stripes across its face and TOP SECRET was stamped at the top and bottom. He handed it to Patricia Pickering.

TOP SECRET

Eyes Only-The Secretary of the Navy

DUPLICATION FORBIDDEN

ORIGINAL TO BE DESTROYED AFTER ENCRYPTION AND TRANSMITTAL TO SECNAVY

Aboard USS McCawley

Off Guadalcanal

1430 Hours 9 August 1942

Dear Frank:

This is written rather in haste, and will be brief because I know of the volume of radio traffic that' s being sent, most of it unnecessarily.

As far as I am concerned the Battle of Guadalcanal began on 31 July when the first Army Air Corps B-17 raid was conducted. They have bombed steadily for a week. I mention this because I suspect the Navy might forget the bombing in their reports. They were MacA's B-17s and he supplied them willingly. That might be forgotten, too.

The same day, 31 July, the Amphibious Force left Koro in the Fijis, after the rehearsal. On 2 August, the long awaited and desperately needed Marine Observation Squadron (VMO-251, sixteen F4 F3-Photo recon versions of the Wildcat) landed on the new airbase at Espiritu Santo. Without the required wing tanks. They are essentially useless until they get wing tanks. A head should roll over that one.

The day before yesterday, Friday, Aug 7, the invasion began. The Amphibious Force was off Savo Island, on schedule at 0200.

The 1st Marine Raider Bn under Lt Col Red Mike Merritt landed on Tulagi and have done well.

The 1st Parachute Bn (fighting as infantrymen) landed on Gavutu, a tiny island two miles away. So far they have been decimated, and will almost certainly suffer worse losses than this before it's over for them.

The 1st and 3rd Bns, 5th Marines, landed on the Northern Coast of Guadalcanal, west of Lunga Point, to not very much initial resistance. They were attacked by Japanese twenty-five to thirty twin-engine bombers from Rabaul, at half past eleven.

I can't really tell you what happened the first afternoon and through the first night, except to say the Marines were on the beach and more were landing.

Just before eleven in the morning yesterday (8 Aug), we were alerted (by the Coastwatchers on Buka, where Banning sent the radio) to a 45-bomber force launched from Kavieng, New Ireland (across the channel from Rabaul). They arrived just before noon and caused some damage. Our carriers of course sent fighters aloft to attack them, and some of our fighters were shot down.

At six o'clock last night Admiral Fletcher radioed Ghormley that he had lost 21 of 99 planes, was low on fuel, and wants to leave.

I am so angry I don't dare write what I would like to write. Let me say that in my humble opinion the Admiral' s estimates of his losses are over generous, and his estimates of his fuel supply rather miserly. Ghormley, not knowing of this departure from the facts, gave him the necessary permission. General Vandergrift came aboard the McCawley a little before midnight last night and was informed by Admiral Fletcher that the Navy is turning chicken and pulling out.

This is before, I want you to understand, in case this becomes a bit obfuscated in the official Navy reports-before we took such a whipping this morning at Savo Island. As I understand it we lost two US Cruisers (Vincennes and Quincy) within an hour, and the Australian cruiser Canberra was set on fire. The Astoria was sunk about two hours ago, just after noon.

In thirty minutes, most of the invasion fleet is pulling out. Ten transports, four destroyers, and a cruiser are going to run first, and what's left will be gone by 1830.

The ships are taking with them rations, food, ammunition, and Marines desperately needed on the beach at Guadalcanal. There is no telling what the Marines will use to fight with; and there' s not even a promise from Fletcher about a date when he will feel safe to resupply the Marines. If the decision to return is left up to Admiral Fletcher, I suppose that we can expect resupply by sometime in 1945 or 1950.

I say "we" because I find it impossible to sail off into the sunset on a Navy ship, leaving Marines stranded on the beach.

I remember what I said to you about the Admirals when we first met. I was right, Frank.

Best Personal Regards,

Fleming Pickering,

Captain, USNR

TOP SECRET

Patricia Pickering looked at Frank Knox. "I didn't know that we lost three cruisers. My God!" She may not consider herself qualified to run Pacific and Far East Shipping, Knox thought, but she knows what a cruiser is, and what the loss of those three cruisers means to the Pacific Fleet.

"That was very bad news," Knox said.

"And they had to leave, to avoid the risk of losing even more ships?"

"Your husband doesn't think so," Knox said. "I don't want to sit here in Washington and judge the decisions made on the scene of battle by an experienced admiral whose personal courage is beyond question."

"And my husband? Do I correctly infer that he went ashore on Guadalcanal and is there now?"

"I'm afraid so."

"God damn him!" Patricia Pickering said furiously. "The old fool!"

"Apparently, there is someone more annoyed with Captain Pickering than I am," Knox said. "I didn't send him over there to shoulder a rifle."