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

«I'm glad you understand,» Pickering said.

«I would have been disappointed if the Deputy Director for Pacific Operations of the OSS had been less prudent,» Sun said.

Either he's swallowed that whole, or he's decided to be gracious.

«Why don't we try that fine-looking wine?» Pickering asked. «And I'll try to explain Operation Gobi to you.»

By the time the second bottle of wine was empty—before dinner—Pickering was able to hope that he had once again skirted a disaster by the skin of his teeth.

Sun seemed to understand the necessity of getting McCoy and Zimmerman into the Gobi Desert as quietly as possible.

«It was rather clever of you, I think,» General Sun said, «not to mount this operation from within China. There is no way it could have been kept secret.»

«The truth of the matter is that wasn't a consideration. We just didn't think it could be done from inside China. Or actually, I didn't think it could. The OSS station chief in Chungking, on the other hand, doesn't think we can do it the way we plan to. He wants to send the station in by truck, guarded by two companies of soldiers.»

«That would attract a good deal of attention from the Japanese,» General Sun said. «It's probably not my position to say so. but if keeping the weather station secret is a major consideration, I think he's wrong.»

Pickering chuckled.

«Did I say something funny?»

«General, did you ever hear that the true test of another man's intelligence is how much he agrees with you?»

«No,» General Sun said, smiling. «But now that I have, I'll remember it.»

That left only the question of McCoy to deal with, and Pickering decided this was the time to do that. «There is one thing I've done.» he began, «or at least didn't stop—this was before I knew you were going to be involved—that you should know about. Captain McCoy felt the best way for him to move around was in the uniform of a Chinese officer.»

General Sun's smile faded. «The uniform of a Chinese officer?»

«A major. Both of my men have Chinese Army identification, and Nansen passports identifying them as White Russians.»

Sun frowned and shook his head, then spoke, in Chinese, to Major Kee, whose face showed both disbelief and disapproval.

«And we don't think Captain McCoy has made himself known to the Thirty-second Military District Headquarters,» Pickering continued. «Or if he's not yet there, will when he gets there,» he added.

«That may cause serious problems,» Sun said. «Let me think about that. If they are discovered and arrested…«

«Captain McCoy is very capable, General,» Banning said, «and knows China.»

«I respectfully disagree, Colonel,» General Sun said. «If he thinks he can successfully masquerade as a Chinese officer, he is

not

capable, and he does

not

know China-He forced a smile, and went on. «But as I said, let me think about it.»

note 82

Headquarters, Marine Air Group 21

Ewa Marine Air Station

Oahu, Territory of Hawaii

1400 13 April 1943

When his attention was distracted by a Navy-gray Plymouth station wagon pulling up before his headquarters building, Lieutenant Colonel Clyde W. Dawkins, USMCR, was sitting in his spartan office, in a flight suit, tilted back in his chair, his feet resting on an open drawer, working his way through the day's supply of directives from higher headquarters—ninety-five percent of them useless, in his judgment. A fleet of such vehicles was assigned to CINCPAC, allowing Navy chair-warmers in the grade of lieutenant commander and above to move about the island, spreading Naval bureaucratic nonsense in their wake.

Christ, that's the last thing I need!

But it was not a Navy officer but a Marine officer whom Dawkins knew personally, who stepped out of the passenger seat, walked to the rear of the station wagon, and withdrew two canvas suitcases. He started up the walk to the building.

The last time I saw him was on the 'Canal, when I pinned the DFC onto his sweat-soaked khaki shirt.

The officer was now wearing a splendidly tailored Marine Green uniform. His gold Naval Aviator's wings sat atop three lines of ribbons.

He's got his weight back. He looks good.

Dawkins looked at the document in his lap. It directed him (and every other commanding officer of Navy and Marine units on Oahu) to personally encourage his officers and men to participate in religious-worship services of their choice on a weekly basis. He tossed the document into his wastebasket, rose from behind his desk, and walked out of his office.

The officer whom he had last seen on Guadalcanal was standing before the desk of Dawkins's sergeant major, who was reading the officer's orders.

«Well, I'll be damned,» Colonel Dawkins said. «Look what came in with the tide. How are you, Pickering? What brings you here?»

«Good afternoon, sir,» Lieutenant Malcolm S. Pickering, USMCR, said.

Dawkins went to his sergeant major and took the orders from his hand. «A word of warning, Sergeant Major,» Dawkins said. «Don't play poker with this officer.»

«Yes, sir,» the sergeant major said, smiling. He'd liked the looks of this Marine officer from the moment he walked in the door. Not only did he look like a Marine officer was supposed to look, but he had the DFC and the Purple Heart to prove he wasn't a candy-ass. The way he was greeted by Colonel Dawkins confirmed that judgment.

As Dawkins read Lieutenant Pickering's orders, he shook his head in what could have been either disbelief or disgust.

S E C R E T

UNITED STATES NAVAL AIR STATION

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

30 MARCH 1943

SUBJECT: LETTER ORDERS

TO: 1ST LIEUTENANT MALCOLM S. PICKERING, USMCR

VMF-262

US NAVAL AIR STATION

MEMPHIS, TENN.

1. REFERENCE IS MADE TO TWX (SECRET) HQ, USMC, DATED 9 MAR 1943, SUBJECT: «SOLICITATION OF VOLUNTEERS FOR HAZARDOUS DUTY.»

2. HAVING VOLUNTEERED FOR SUCH ASSIGNMENT, YOU ARE THIS DATE DETACHED FROM VMF-262, THIS STATION, AND ATTACHED TO CINCPAC ON TEMPORARY DUTY FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD. ON COMPLETION OF THIS TEMPORARY DUTY, YOU WILL BE PERMANENTLY ASSIGNED BY CINCPAC WITHIN THE PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS.

3. YOU WILL PROCEED NO LATER THAN 5 APRIL 1943 TO US NAVAL BASE, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, FOR FURTHER SHIPMENT TO CINCPAC. A FOUR (4) DAY DELAY EN ROUTE LEAVE TO YOUR HOME OF RECORD (C/0 PACIFIC & FAR EAST SHIPPING CORPORATION, SAN FRANCISCO, CAL.) IS AUTHORIZED.

4. TRAVEL BY US GOVERNMENT AND/OR CIVILIAN RAIL AND AIR TRANSPORTATION IS AUTHORIZED BETWEEN USNAS MEMPHIS AND USNB SAN DIEGO, AND US GOVERNMENT AND/OR CIVILIAN AIR TRANSPORTATION PRIORITY AAAAA IS DIRECTED BETWEEN SAN DIEGO AND OAHU, T.H.

BY DIRECTION: JESSE R. BALL, REAR ADMIRAL, USN OFFICIAL:

Roger H. Walters

CAPTAIN, USN

S E C R E T

When he finished reading the orders, he exhaled audibly before handing them back to his sergeant major. He looked at Lieutenant Pickering and shook his head.

«When I got to Pearl Harbor, Colonel,» Pick said. «They sent me here to report to you.»

«Come in here, Pickering,» Dawkins said, pointing to his open office door. He added to his sergeant major, «Unless it's Admiral Nimitz, I'm unavailable at the moment and will get back to them.»

«Aye, aye, sir.»

«Or Major Dillon. I'll talk to him. As a matter of fact, see if you can find Major Dillon.»

«Aye, aye, sir.»

Dawkins followed Pickering into his office and closed the door after them. «You want to tell me what this is all about, Pickering?»

«Sir, I was given the opportunity to volunteer for this mission, and did so.»

«Why does your nobility strike me as bullshit, pure and simple? Unless, of course, you've lost your mind,» Dawkins said, not unkindly. And then, before Pickering could even begin to frame an answer, he thought of something else.