Griffin W.E.B. - The Corps 09 - Under Fire

[FOUR]

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF

HEADQUARTERS, SUPREME COMMANDER, ALLIED POWERS

THE DAI ICHI BUILDING

TOKYO, JAPAN

0830 14 JULY 1950

Major General Edward M. Almond was in his outer office talking to a tall, intense young lieutenant wearing the in-signia of an aide-de-camp when Brigadier General Fleming Pickering, trailed by Captain Kenneth R. McCoy and Marine Gunner Ernest W. Zimmerman, walked in, Almond broke off his conversation in midsentence and offered Pickering his hand.

"We heard you were here," he said, "But Al"-he nod-ded at the lieutenant-"couldn't seem to find you."

It was a question, and Pickering answered it.

"We're in the Imperial," he said. "My wife's in the hotel business, and hotel people take care of each other. They call it `comping,' and I take advantage of it whenever I can."

"I don't think Al thought of the Imperial," Almond said.

"No, sir, that's the one place I didn't look," the aide con-firmed.

"Well, I guess I don't ask if you're comfortable," Al-mond said. "But I can offer you a cup of coffee. General MacArthur expects you at 0900."

"Thank you," Pickering said. "General, this is Captain McCoy and Mr. Zimmerman."

"You look familiar, Captain," Almond said, as he shook McCoy's hand.

"Captain McCoy was stationed in Japan," Pickering an-swered for him. "With Naval intelligence."

"I thought he looked familiar," Almond said. He turned to Zimmerman and smiled. "Is it true, Mr. Zimmerman, that Marine gunners can really chew railroad spikes and spit nails?"

"Carpet tacks, sir," Zimmerman replied.

"Would you rather we talked alone, General?" Almond asked. He nodded at his aide again. "Or..."

"I think it would be helpful if we all talked," Pickering said.

"Gentlemen, this is Lieutenant Al Haig, my junior aide," Almond said, "who will round up some coffee and then join us."

"I suppose the best way to do this is to show you my or-ders," Pickering said, taking two envelopes from his pocket and handing them to Almond.

Almond opened the smaller envelope and read it.

THE WHITE HOUSE

WASHINGTON, D.C.

JULY 8,1950

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

BRIGADIER GENERAL FLEMING PICKERING, USMCR, IN CONNECTION WITH HIS MISSION FOR ME, WILL TRAVEL TO SUCH PLACES AT SUCH TIMES AS HE FEELS APPROPRIATE, ACCOMPANIED BY SUCH STAFF AS HE DE-SIRES.

GENERAL PICKERING IS GRANTED HEREWITH A TOP-SECRET/WHITE HOUSE CLEARANCE, AND MAY, AT HIS OPTION, GRANT SUCH CLEARANCE TO HIS STAFF.

U.S. MILITARY AND GOVERNMENTAL AGEN-CIES ARE DIRECTED TO PROVIDE GENERAL PICKERING AND HIS STAFF WITH WHATEVER SUPPORT THEY MAY REQUIRE.

Harry S. Truman

HARRY S. TRUMAN

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

"Now, that's a blanket order," Almond said, and indi-cated Lieutenant Haig with a nod of his head. "May I?"

Pickering nodded, and Almond handed the order to his aide. Then he opened and read the orders in the second en-velope.

S E C R E T

The Central Intelligence Agency

Washington, D.C.

Office of the Director

July 6, 1950

Mission Orders:

To: Brigadier General Fleming Picker-ing, USMCR Assistant Director of the CIA for Asia

By Direction of the President, and in compliance with Mission Memorandum 23-1950, Classified TOP SECRET/CIA/Director, with which you have been made familiar, you and the following mem-bers of your staff, all of whom have been granted TOP SECRET/CIA/Director security clearances, will travel to Tokyo, Japan, and such other places as you/they may feel necessary. Travel may be accomplished by U.S. Government air, sea, rail, or road transporta-tion, for which Priority AAAAA is as-signed, or by any other means you/they determine are necessary.

BANNING, Edward F., Colonel, USMC

MCCOY, Kenneth R., Captain, USMC

ZIMMERMANN, Ernest w., Master Gunner, USMC

Roscoe M. Hillenkoetter

ROSCOE M. HILLENKOETTER

Rear Admiral, USN

Director

S E C R E T

"Two questions," Almond said, as-after getting an ap-proving nod from Pickering-he handed the second orders to Haig. "Colonel Banning? And why two sets of orders? The Presidential order would seem to cover everything."

"Colonel Banning, to answer that first, General, is at Camp Pendleton in California, setting up a communica-tions link between there and the White House. I'm going to need such a link from here to Camp Pendleton, which is one of the reasons I asked to see you."

"Al, see that the General gets whatever he needs," Al-mond ordered.

"Yes, sir," Haig said.

"And so far as the orders are concerned," Pickering went on, "Captain McCoy thinks it would be a good idea to get a third set, issued by SCAP"

"Saying what, Captain?" Almond asked McCoy.

"Saying that Mr. Zimmerman and I are on a liaison mis-sion-or something like that-from SCAP, sir," McCoy said. "Preferably signed by you, sir."

"Reason?" Almond asked.

"White House and CIA orders, sir, and orders signed by General MacArthur are likely to call more attention to us than we want."

"Point taken," Almond said. "When we finish here, Al, get with Captain McCoy and give him what he needs."

"Yes, sir," Haig said.

Almond looked at McCoy.

"I presume you're going to Korea?"

"Yes, sir."

"When?"

"As soon as we have the orders from here, sir."

"You're going to need some field equipment," Almond said. "And weapons. Things are pretty primitive over there. Lieutenant Haig can help you there."

"We have what we'll need, sir," McCoy said. "But thank you."

"I wish I had an interpreter to send with you. I don't."

"McCoy speaks Korean, General," Pickering said. "Reads and writes it, too."

"If I had known that, Captain, when you were here, I would have done my best to steal you from the Naval ele-ment. I'm surprised General Willoughby didn't," Almond said. Then he paused and looked at Pickering. "General Willoughby would of course be interested in whatever in-telligence Captain McCoy turns up. It's an admission of failure on our part, obviously, but the truth is this Korean business caught us completely by surprise."

"I'm sure something can be worked out, General," Pick-ering said. "But I'm sure you'll understand that McCoy and Zimmerman have to do their job independently."

"Yes, of course," Almond said. He looked at his watch. "It might be a good idea if we walked down the corridor to the Supreme Commander's office. He doesn't mind if peo-ple are early. Late is an entirely different matter."

"Ken, don't leave until I see you," Pickering ordered, as he got to his feet.

"Aye, aye, sir."

[FIVE]

The Supreme Commander, Allied Powers, General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, rose from behind his desk and walked toward Brigadier General Fleming Pickering with his hand extended.

"My old friend is once again my comrade-in-arms, I see," he said, patting Fleming on the shoulder as he shook his hand.

"Good morning, General," Pickering said.

"Ned took good care of you on your arrival, I trust?" MacArthur said, nodding toward Major General Almond.

"General Almond has been very obliging, sir," Pickering said.

"Your quarters are all right? Everything you need?" MacArthur pursued.

"General Pickering took care of himself," Almond said. "He's at the Imperial."

"But you did meet the MATS flight?" MacArthur asked, a tone of annoyance in his voice. MATS was Military Air Transport Service.

"We came on Trans-Global," Pickering said. "It was faster, and I didn't want to take up space on an Air Force flight."

"And you knew that the Imperial would be a little nicer than the Menzies, right?" MacArthur said, chuckling.

"Yes, sir," Pickering said.

"Ned, in June of 1942, Supreme Headquarters, South-west Pacific Command-all of it, including quarters for the senior officers-was in the Menzies Hotel in Mel-bourne," MacArthur explained. "The Menzies is not about to appear on a list of great hotels of the world."