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

Major Pickering looked nervously at Lieutenant Colonel O'Halloran.

"In the case of Captain James and myself, General," he said, carefully, "it means that we sort of supervise the flight activities of Trans-Global Airways."

"Sort of?"

"Sir," Colonel O'Halloran said, "Major Pickering is president of Trans-Global Airways and chief pilot. And you're what, Stu?"

"Standardization pilot," James replied.

President and chief pilot? Standardization pilot? That's not what it says in their records.

"Major, I'm a little curious. Why does it say `flight coor-dinator' on your records?"

"A year or so ago, sir, there was concern that, in the event of mobilization, some pilots would try to get out of it by saying that they were essential to an essential industry. The phrase `airline pilot' raised a red flag at Eighth and Eye. So we got around that by changing our job titles."

"You didn't consider that deceptive? Perhaps even knowingly causing a false statement or document to be is-sued?"

"Well, sir, since it was not my intention-or Captain James's-to try to get out of being mobilized, we didn't think it mattered."

"And your employer went along with this deception?"

"Sir, I figured I could call myself a stewardess if I wanted, and it got the chair-warmers at Eighth and Eye off my back."

Prior to his attendance at the War College, General Tay-lor had spent a three-year tour in administrative duties at Eighth and Eye.

It is beyond comprehension that an Annapolis man, even a Marine aviator, would have knowledge of something like this, and not only do nothing about it, but, by not doing anything about it, lend it respectability.

"Colonel O'Halloran," General Taylor said. "I will wish to discuss this with you at some length."

"Aye, aye, sir."

"Major Pickering, it is my belief that your squadron will shortly be called to active duty...."

"As of 23 July, sir. And I wanted to talk to you about that."

"The twenty-third?" Colonel O'Halloran asked. "You're sure about that, Pick?"

Pickering nodded.

"I'm sure, Red."

Majors do not call lieutenant colonels by their nick-names, certainly not in the presence of a flag officer they have never seen before. O'Halloran should have called him on that. But flag officers do not question, much less reprimand, lieutenant colonels in the presence of majors. I will deal with that later.

"You seem to be privy to information Headquarters, USMC, has not yet seen fit to share with me, Major," Gen-eral Taylor said.

"Yes, sir, I probably am. The warning order will be is-sued tomorrow, with the order itself coming the next day."

"How do you know that, Major?"

"I'm not at liberty to tell you that, sir. But I'm sure Gen-eral Dawkins will confirm the mobilization dates."

"General Dawkins told you, is that what you're saying?"

"No, sir. I happened to be with General Dawkins when we both learned about the dates."

"From whom?" General Taylor snapped.

He heard the tone of his voice and was thus aware that he was a hairbreadth from losing his temper.

"Sir, that's what I'm not at liberty to tell you."

"Can you tell me what you were doing with General Dawkins?"

"Yes, sir. I knew the mobilization was coming, and I wanted to ask General Dawkins about getting a week, ten days' delay for Captain James and myself before report-ing."

"And General Dawkins's reaction to this request?"

"He said it made sense to him, and you would be the man to see, sir."

"You have to fly off to Scotland again," General Taylor heard himself saying, "and reporting for active duty in two days would be inconvenient. Is that what you're saying, Ma-jor?"

Again there was a visible crack in Major Pickering's composure.

"Sir, what I told The Dawk was-"

" `The Dawk'? `The Dawk'?" General Taylor exploded. "Do I have to remind you, Major, that you're speaking of a general officer?"

"Sorry, sir. That slipped out," Pickering said. "General, I'm not trying to get out of mobilization...."

"You just told me you wanted a delay!"

General Taylor was aware he was almost shouting, which meant that he was losing/had lost his temper, and this made him even more angry.

"General," Colonel O'Halloran said. "I'm sure Major Pickering intended no disrespect to General Dawkins, sir. Sir, both Major Pickering and I flew for General Dawkins out of Fighter One on Guadalcanal..."

"Is that so?"

"... and everyone there referred to then Lieutenant Colonel Dawkins as `The Dawk' in much the same re-spectful way one refers to the commanding officer as `the old man' or `the skipper,' sir."

Taylor glowered at O'Halloran, but didn't reply directly.

"Tell me, Major Pickering," General Taylor said, "why you think it would be to the advantage of the Marine Corps to delay for a week or ten days your recall to active duty? And that of Captain James?"

"Sir, with your permission, Captain James and I will catch the 0800 Trans-Global flight to Tokyo tomorrow morning. There's a lot we can do if we get over there now, before the squadron...."

"What makes you think your squadron will be sent to Korea? More information to which I'm not privy?"

"No, sir, but VMF-243 is the best prepared squadron on the West Coast. We're ready to go, sir. I think Colonel O'Halloran will confirm that."

"Yes, sir, VMF-243 can be ready to fly onto a carrier twenty-four hours after mobilization," O'Halloran said.

"And if James and I can get over there now, there's all sorts of things we can do for the squadron. Or squadrons, if they decide to send more than one right away. And then we would just go on active duty to coincide with the arrival of the carrier in Kobe."

"Sir, with respect," O'Halloran said. "What Major Pick-ering suggests makes a good deal of sense. There are a large number of things-"

General Taylor silenced Colonel O'Halloran by raising his hand.

He did not trust himself to speak. No officer, much less a flag officer, should lose his temper in the presence of sub-ordinates.

After a moment, he decided he had his temper suffi-ciently under control.

"Major," he said, as calmly as he could manage, "would you and Captain James please step outside for a minute? I'd like a word with Colonel O'Halloran."

"Yes, sir," Major Pickering said, and nodded his head to Captain James to precede him out of the room.

General Taylor waited until the door had closed behind them, then looked at Colonel O'Halloran, who was smiling at him.

"Major Pickering is an interesting officer, isn't he, Gen-eral?"

" `Interesting' is an interesting choice of word, Colonel," General Taylor said. "Let me ask you-"

The telephone on what had been Lieutenant Colonel O'Halloran's desk rang. O'Halloran picked it up.

"Colonel O'Halloran," he said, and then: "Yes, sir. He's right here."

He handed the telephone to General Taylor.

"It's General Dawkins for you, sir," he said.

General Taylor took the telephone.

"Good morning, General," he said.

"You getting settled in all right over there?" Dawkins asked.

"I'm working on that, General."

"Did Pick Pickering-Major Pickering-show up there yet?"

"Yes, he did. As a matter of fact, General, he was fifty hours late in reporting."

"He said he was in Scotland," Dawkins said. "He was just in here, suggesting that his recall be delayed for a week or ten days so he could go to Japan and set things up before his squadron gets there."

"He so informed me."

"I told him that you were the person to see about that, but after he left, I gave it a second thought."

"I see," General Taylor said. "Colonel O'Halloran and I were just about to discuss that-"

"I decided I could probably handle it easier than you could," Dawkins interrupted. "I just got off the horn with Eighth and Eye. When the mobilization order comes down, it will state that Pickering and his exec, Captain James, will enter upon active duty effective on the arrival in the Far East of VMF-243, or on 21 August, whichever occurs first."