Griffin W.E.B. - The Corps 08 - In Dangers Path

It took them five minutes to get within shouting distance.

«We come in peace,» Father Boris announced, and then he realized that the five men were all white. Their faces were mostly hidden by scarves. But their skin was white, and they had Caucasian features.

«You are the Americans we have been hearing about,» Father Boris said.

«Who the fuck are you?» Sergeant Sweatley demanded.

«I am a servant of God, a priest, my son,» Father Boris said.

«You are Americans?» Mae Su asked.

«Who are you?» Sergeant Abraham asked courteously.

«I am the wife of Sergeant Ernest Zimmerman, Fourth Marines,» Mae Su said.

«You said 'Ernie Zimmerman'?» Sweatley asked, obviously surprised.

«Yes,» Mae Su said.

«We talking about the same guy? Used to run the motor convoys out of Shanghai?»

«Sergeant Ernie Zimmerman,» Mae Su repeated, nodding her head.

«Shit, I knew him,» Corporal Cassidy said.

«I'm Technical Sergeant Abraham, retired from the Fourth Marines,» Abraham announced formally. «And these are Marines from the guard detachment, at the U.S. legation in Peking.»

«What are you doing out here?» Corporal Cassidy asked.

«Probably, my son, doing the same thing you are,» Father Boris said. «Trying to leave China, perhaps go to India.»

«How many of you are there?»

«Two of the priest's men, Chinese,» Mae Su said. «Another woman. And our children. How many are there of you?»

«Twelve Marines, some soldiers, and some Yangtze River sailors,» Sweatley said. «And wives and children.»

«In numbers there is strength, my son,» Father Boris said.

«The other woman. She's white?»

«She is Russian,» Father Boris said.

«She is the wife of Captain Edward J. Banning, of the Fourth Marines,» Mae Su said.

«How is it she didn't get out of China with the other officer's dependents?» Abraham asked.

«Because she is a Russian,» Mae Su said.

«You mean a Nansen passport Russian,» Abraham said.

«Yes,» Mae Su said.

«If you're thinking what I think you're thinking. Sergeant. I'm with you. Fuck Cawber,» Corporal Cassidy said. «Ernie Zimmerman is one of us.»

«Yeah, me too,» another of the Marines said. Abraham looked at the second Marine. «Yeah, me too, Sergeant.»

Sergeant Abraham looked at Sweatley, then kicked his little pony and cantered toward the two small wagons below him.

A .45 Colt automatic pistol appeared in an opening of the canvas of the second wagon, aimed at his midsection.

«Mrs. Banning?» Sergeant Abraham asked.

After a pause, in a faint voice, the Countess Maria Catherine Ludmilla Zhivkov replied, «I am Mrs. Edward J. Banning.»

Sergeant Sweatley trotted up on his little pony. Sergeant Abraham turned to look at him, then turned back to Milla. He saluted. «Technical Sergeant Abraham, ma'am. United States Marine Corps.»

Sweatley saluted. «Sergeant Sweatley, ma'am. I know the Captain, ma'am.» The flap opened and Milla was visible. She had the pistol at her side now. She held her baby with her other arm. Tears ran down her cheeks.

I

am the daughter of an officer and the wife of an officer. I must not lose control.

«How do you do?» Milla said formally. «I am pleased to meet you. This is Captain Banning's and my son, Edward Edwardovich.»

«Is he all right, ma'am?» Sergeant Abraham asked.

«He's fine, thank you.»

«What we're going to do now, ma'am, is take you to the caravan. You'll be better off with us, I think, than out here by yourself.»

«Thank you.»

Sergeant Sweatley thought of something else. «There's another Russian lady, ma'am,» he said, and then reconsidered that. «Well, maybe not a lady, she's married to an old Yangtze River patrol sailor. But at least she's Russian.»

«I look forward to meeting her,» Mrs. Edward J. Banning said.

Chapter Eighteen

note 68

Base Operations

Memphis Naval Air Station

Memphis, Tennessee

0815 28 March 1943

Admiral Jesse Ball's aide-de-camp arrived at the Peabody Hotel at 0715 with instructions to present both the Admiral's compliments and his regrets to Major General D. G. Mclnerney, USMC, and Brigadier General Fleming Pickering, USMCR, that he would be unable to join them for breakfast. «The Admiral,'» the aide said, «will of course be at base operations for your departure, which we have scheduled for 0815.»

«You don't suppose ol» Jesse is a little hungover, do you, Flem?» General Mclnerney inquired of General Pickering.

«If he's not, he should be,» Pickering replied. «I feel terrible.»

The new stars on General Mclnerney's shoulders had been well and truly wet down by his old friends.

Admiral Ball's aide then informed the two generals that the Admiral had sent his staff car to transport them and their aides to the air station, and that he further suggested that Captain Dunn and Lieutenant Pickering travel to base operations in their privately owned vehicles. The night before, since Dunn had been in the apartment he shared with Lieutenant Pickering in the Peabody, he had been able to participate in the wetting down of General Mclnerney's new stars.

«The Admiral, Captain, expressed the desire that you be there to see the Generals off,» Admiral Ball's aide said.

«Of course,» Captain Billy Dunn said.

In point of fact, Admiral Ball was a little hungover, but that was not the reason he did not take breakfast with his old friends. He had a little ceremony to arrange, and he wanted it to go off without a hitch.

When the Admiral's staff car, followed by Captain Billy Dunn's Oldsmobile and Lieutenant Pickering's Cadillac, pulled up before base operations, a Navy captain in dress uniform, complete to sword, bellowed, «Atten-hut!»

Three squadrons of sailors and three of Marines came from Parade Rest to Attention. The sailors were separated from the Marines by a ten-man Marine flag guard. The national color was in the center, with the flags of the U.S. Navy and the USMC to either side. To the left of the Navy flag was Admiral Ball's two-starred blue flag, and to the right of the Marine Corps flag were the red starred flags to which Generals Mclnerney and Pickering were entitled.

«Sound off!» the Navy captain bellowed, as General Mclnerney stepped out of the Admiral's staff car.

The Memphis Naval Air Station band struck up the Navy hymn. Admiral Ball marched up to Generals Mclnerney and Pickering, and saluted them with his sword.

«Will the Generals honor me by trooping the line?» he inquired. «I would be honored,» General Mclnerney said, and added softly, so that no one but Admiral Ball could hear him, «Goddamn you, Jesse.»

With General Mclnerney in the place of honor, and Admiral Ball and General Pickering trailing after him, the flag officers marched off to troop the line.

After thinking about it a moment, Captain William Dunn trotted quickly to the formation and took up his position as commanding officer before the assembled Marines of VMF-262.

Smiling broadly. Lieutenant Pickering, who was attired in a leather flight jacket but now wearing a fore-and-aft cap, leaned against the fender of his Cadillac and watched the proceedings.

With the trooping of the line completed, Admiral Ball led Generals Mclnerney and Pickering into base operations.

The band segued into «Stars and Stripes Forever,» and the Navy captain and his staff marched to a position at the head of the Navy troops.

«Right face!» the Navy captain bellowed, and when the sailors and Marines had turned, bellowed «For-ward, h-arch!»

The parade moved around the base operations building to the parking ramp.

Lieutenant Pickering went into base operations.

It took just a minute or two for General Mclnerney to put on a flight suit and to have a quick—but thorough—look at the flight plan for his flight to Pensacola. The Memphis NAS pilot who would be the copilot for the R4-D's flight to Chicago also had a flight plan prepared for the approval of Lieutenant Sylvester, who would be the pilot-in-command.