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

«Yes, sir.»

«And add, Harry, 'in other words, Jake, not only no, but hell no.' «

Rutterman chuckled. «Aye, aye, sir.»

Pickering turned to the second Special Channel message.

T O P S E C R E T

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR

OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICES

WASHINGTON

VIA SPECIAL CHANNEL

DUPLICATION FORBIDDEN

0905 GREENWICH 10 APRIL 1943

USMILMISSI0N TO CHINA CHUNGKING

EYES ONLY BRIGGEN FLEMING PICKERING USMCR

BEGIN PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM DIROSS TO OSSDEPDIR PACIFIC OPERATIONS

DEAR FLEMING:

IT SHOULD GO WITHOUT SAYING THAT EVERYONE CONCERNED IS DELIGHTED THAT THE POTENTIAL SECURITY PROBLEM WAS NIPPED IN THE BUD BEFORE ANY REAL DAMAGE TRANSPIRED, AND THAT EVERYONE APPRECIATES YOUR CONTRIBUTION.

IT SHOULD ALSO GO WITHOUT SAYING THAT I HAVE NO INTENTION WHATEVER OF SECOND GUESSING YOU ON THE EXECUTION OF OPERATION GOBI AND THAT YOU ENJOY THE COMPLETE CONFIDENCE OF ADMIRAL LEAHY, GENERAL MARSHALL AND MYSELF TO CARRY IT OFF SUCCESSFULLY.

HOWEVER, GENERAL MARSHALL AND I SEE IN THE OPPLAN SUBMITTED BY LTCOL PLATT SOME VERY INTERESTING POSSIBILITIES FOR THE EXECUTION OF OPERATION GOBI IN CASE THE PICKERING OPPLAN PROVES TO BE ULTIMATELY UNFEASIBLE OR FAILS. GENERAL MARSHALL AND ADMIRAL LEAHY ARE BOTH CONCERNED WITH THE GREAT POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER THAT AN AIRCRAFT/SUBMARTNE RENDEZVOUS ON THE HIGH SEAS AT THIS TIME OF YEAR POSES.

THEREFORE TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE NECESSITY TO GET THE WEATHER STATION UP AND RUNNING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, GENERAL MARSHALL SUGGESTS AND I AGREE THAT YOU CONSIDER PROCEEDING WITH THE PLATT OPPLAN AS A BACKUP OPERATION TO THE ONE YOU PRESENTLY PLAN.

TO THAT END, THE FOLLOWING STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN:

(1) TWO COMPLETE SETS OF METEOROLOGICAL EQUIPMENT ARE BEING ACQUIRED AND WILL BE PRIORITY AIRLIFTED TO CHUNGKING AS SOON AS AVAILABLE. THEY SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO YOU IN CHUNGKING WITHIN THREE WEEKS.

(2) AN URGENT CALL FOR VOLUNTEER METEOROLOGISTS HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE NAVY AND ARMY AIR CORPS. ADDITIONALLY, JCS HAS DIRECTED THE ADJUTANT GENERAL AND BUPERS TO IMMEDIATELY PREPARE A LIST OF FULLY QUALIFIED METEOROLOGISTS, FROM WHICH, IN THE EVENT THERE ARE INSUFFICIENT VOLUNTEERS WITHIN THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS, TWO TEAMS OF FULLY QUALIFIED METEOROLOGISTS WILL BE SELECTED AND AIRLIFTED TO CHUNGKING IN TIME TO COINCIDE WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE METEOROLOGICAL EQUIPMENT.

(3) GENERAL STILLWELL IS BEING REQUESTED IN A PERSONAL FROM GENERAL MARSHALL TO PROVIDE WHATEVER TROOP AND LOGISTICAL SUPPORT YOU CONSIDER NECESSARY.

WITH BEST PERSONAL REGARDS,

BILL

END PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM DIROSS TO OSSDEPDIR PACIFIC OPERATIONS

T O P S E C R E T

«In a pig's ass,» Brigadier General Fleming Pickering said furiously.

«Sir?» Rutterman asked.

«You decrypt this, Harry?»

«Yes, sir.»

«Then you read what Donovan said about 'having no intention whatever of second-guessing' me?»

«If I may speak freely, General, in a pig's ass he doesn't,» Rutterman said.

«I'll tell you what he did do,» Pickering said. «He made up my mind for me.»

«Sir?»

«George, pick up the field phone—the one with number one painted on it. It's connected to the USMMCHI switchboard. Present my compliments to General Stillwell and ask him when he can find time to see me.»

«Aye, aye, sir,» Hart said and went to the telephones—which were still sitting on the floor—and cranked the one marked «# 1.»

«General Stillwell's office, please,» he said when the operator answered, and then a moment later surprise—maybe shock—became visible on his face. He went on: «General, I'm Lieutenant Hart, aide-de-camp to General Pickering. Sir, the General presents his compliments…« He stopped, said, «One moment, sir,» and extended the telephone to Pickering.

«General Stillwell, sir,» Hart said.

Pickering went quickly to the telephone.

«Good morning, sir.»

«I don't know about your aide, Pickering, but mine has more important things to do than make manners on the telephone.»

«So does George, sir,» Pickering blurted. «I was trying to play the game by the rules, General.»

Stillwell snorted.

«Every time you play the game by the rules, somebody changes the rules,» Stillwell said. «I'm surprised you haven't learned that. What's on your mind, Pickering?»

«Sir, could you spare me a few minutes? It's important.»

«As a matter of fact, I was about to try to find you. I just got a personal I don't like much about you. You want to come right now?»

«Yes, sir. I can be there in fifteen minutes.»

The line went dead in Pickering's ear.

He realized that, having had nothing else to say. General Stillwell had hung up.

note 80

Office of the Commanding General

U.S. Military Mission to China

1010 11 April 1943

General Pickering was inside Stillwell's office door just long enough to notice Colonel Easterbrook's presence when Stillwell began the conversation by saying, «Pickering, I feel compelled to tell you I am not at the moment in a very good mood.»

«Good morning, General,» Pickering said, shifted his eyes to Easterbrook and added, «Colonel,» and then met Stillwell's eyes again. «I'm sorry to hear that, sir.»

«Yesterday afternoon, Ernie and I drove Colonel Dempsey and Lieutenant Colonel Newley—now reduced to their permanent grades—to the airfield, where, in compliance with orders from the JCS, they will proceed by air to Calcutta and from Calcutta by sea to the United States for further assignment.»

Pickering said what came to his mind: «That was very gracious of you, sir.»

Stillwell gave him a strange look. «They are both fine officers, Pickering,» he said finally. «Who will now contribute to this war by commanding a WAC basic training battalion, or perhaps serving in public relations.»

This is not the time to tell him I think their relief came just in time to keep them from doing real damage.

«I think I understand how you feel, sir,» Pickering said.

This earned him another cold glance.

«And then, just before we spoke, your Lieutenant Moore delivered a Special Channel Personal to me from General Marshall.» This was delivered as a challenge. «May I infer from the look on your face, General, that you know of General Marshall's 'request'?»

«I learned about it thirty seconds before I called you, General. I got a Special Channel Personal from Colonel Donovan which told me such a message would be sent. I knew nothing about it before then.»

He reached into his pocket and handed General Stillwell Donovan's message.

«Presumably I have the appropriate security clearance to be made privy to a communication from the Director of the OSS marked 'Eyes Only General Pickering'?»

«General, so far as I am concerned, you have every right to read everything that moves over the Special Channel.»

Stillwell examined him carefully for a moment and then read the Donovan message. «May I show this to Colonel Easterbrook?»

«Please do, sir.»

Stillwell handed the message to Easterbrook, then turned to Pickering. «Okay. Is that what you wanted to see me about?»

«Yes, sir.»

«Having established that General Marshall's «request» was not your idea, you're now going to ask me for troops and other logistical support for this operation of yours, right?»

«No, sir.»

«Why not?»

«Sir, are you familiar with the Opplan proposed by Colonel Platt?»

«No.»

«I can have a copy of it here in ten minutes, sir.»

«Tell me about it,» Stillwell said with an impatient wave of his hand.

«The bottom line, sir, is that I don't agree with it.»

«The chief of staff of the United States Army, as well as your boss, apparently think it's a better plan than what you've come up with.»