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

MacArthur's use of Pickering's first name was yet one more of the many reasons Colonel Sid Huff did not like General Fleming Pickering. It indicated Pickering's special position in the pecking order surrounding the Supreme Commander.

In the vast majority of instances, when MacArthur addressed one of his officers directly, it was by rank. A privileged few close to the throne were addressed by their last names. And on some rare occasions, a very, very few officers—for example, Generals Sutherland and Willoughby, and Lieutenant Colonel Sidney Huff, all of whom had escaped with MacArthur from the Philippines—would be honored to be addressed by the Supreme Commander by their Christian names.

General MacArthur rarely addressed General Pickering by anything but his first name.

«Thank you for receiving me on such short notice, sir,» Pickering said.

«Nonsense, Fleming,» MacArthur said with a wave of his hand. «You know my door is always open to you.» Then a smile crossed his face. «I mean, after all, Fleming, once the camel's nose is inside the tent, there's not much sense in closing the flap, is there?»

Pickering was surprised to see that MacArthur was responding to his appointment as Deputy Director of the Office of Strategic Services for Pacific Operations as something like a harmless joke. He had imagined that MacArthur would be as furious and frustrated as he himself was.

«General,» Pickering said, «before we get into that, I thought you might wish to talk to the officers who went onto Mindanao to meet with General Fertig. They're outside.»

«And then we can discuss this new development?» MacArthur asked, smiling.

«Yes, sir. Whenever you wish to, of course.»

«Perhaps you're right, Fleming. It probably would be best if we discussed the OSS privately, unofficially, between friends. Are you free for cocktails and dinner tomorrow? Unfortunately, Mrs. MacArthur and I are dining with the Prime Minister tonight. Can't get out of it.»

«Yes, sir.»

«Then that's the way we'll talk about it,» MacArthur said. He turned to Colonel Huff. «Sid, would you ask General Pickering's officers to come in, please? And then telephone Mrs. MacArthur and tell her General Pickering will be joining us for cocktails and dinner tomorrow?»

Captain Kenneth R. McCoy, USMCR, and Lieutenant Chambers D. Lewis III, USN, marched into the Supreme Commander's office and came to attention before his desk. They did not salute. They were officers of the Naval Service.

«Stand at ease, please, gentlemen,» MacArthur said.

«General, Captain McCoy and Lieutenant Lewis,» Pickering said.

MacArthur offered both officers his hand, then took a closer look at Lewis.

«Haven't I previously had the pleasure, Lieutenant?»

«I'm flattered the Supreme Commander remembers,» Lewis said.

«And where was that?» MacArthur asked.

«Corregidor, sir,» Lewis said. «I was aboard the

Remora

.»

MacArthur's suddenly increased interest in Lieutenant Lewis was visible on his face.

«Frankly, I had been searching my memory to recall the name of your admiral,» he said, gesturing toward Lewis's aide-de-camp's cord. «But now I remember! Of course. It really is good to see you again, Lieutenant.»

He turned to Pickering.

«The submarine service did not share the belief of the rest of the Navy, Fleming, that it was too hazardous to attempt breaking through the Japanese fleet to reach us.»

«Yes, sir, I know,» Pickering said.

«They came, again and again,» MacArthur continued emotionally. «Until the very end. They couldn't bring us much, but at least they tried!» He returned his attention to Lewis. «You made more than one voyage to Corregidor, didn't you, Mr. Lewis?»

«Three trips, sir.»

«And, more recently, if I correctly understand the situation, you left your sinecure as aide-de-camp to… ?»

«Admiral Wagam, General,» Pickering furnished.

»… Admiral Wagam,» MacArthur went on, «to undertake the infiltration of Mindanao, a mission posing great hazards! Your courage is inspirational!»

Lewis, visibly embarrassed, did not reply for a moment, but then blurted: «Sir, that was my first rubber-boat mission. It was Captain McCoy's third!»

MacArthur looked at McCoy. «Is that so?»

«McCoy was on the Makin Island raid,» Pickering replied, «with the President's son. And then he went onto Buka to replace our Coastwatcher team there.»

MacArthur looked at Pickering. «Presumably, Fleming, recommendations for decorations for these two fine young officers are making their way through the bureaucracy?»

«There really hasn't been time for that yet, sir,» Pickering replied.

«I was thinking that I would be honored to decorate them myself,» MacArthur said thoughtfully, and then announced, «And by God, I will!» He looked at Colonel Huff. «Sid, go down the hall to G-1»—the General Staff section that dealt with personnel—«and get a couple of Silver Star medals,» he ordered. «Silver Stars would be appropriate, don't you agree, Fleming?»

«Yes, sir. I think they would be. But General, there were two enlisted men on McCoy's team.»

«Silver Stars for the officers, Bronze Stars for the men,» MacArthur decreed. «General Pickering can prepare the citations later.»

«Yes, sir,» Huff said, and left the room.

Chapter Three

note 14

Quarters of the Supreme Commander

Supreme Headquarters

South West Pacific Ocean Area

Brisbane, Australia

1815 11 February 1943

Jeanne (Mrs. Douglas) MacArthur offered Brigadier General Fleming Pickering her cheek to kiss. «I'm delighted to see you back, Fleming,» she said.

«Thank you.»

«And I would offer my congratulations on your new appointment, but I'm not sure that's the thing to do.»

My God

, Pickering thought,

she knows all about it. That message from the President was classified Top Secret, and wife to El Supremo or not, she had no right to know what it said

.

I wonder what else she knows?

Dumb question. She knows whatever El Supremo feels like telling her, which probably means she knows more Top Secret material than most of the officers around here.

«Darling,» MacArthur said, «would you please ask Manuel to bring us two stiff drinks of Fleming's excellent Famous Grouse scotch?»

Master Sergeant Manuel Donat, late of the Philippine Scouts, was MacArthur's orderly. Pickering had provided the MacArthurs with several cases of Famous Grouse whisky from the stores of a P&FE freighter that had called at Brisbane. Fleming Pickering was Chairman of the Board of Pacific & Far East Shipping.

«Then congratulations

are

in order?» she asked.

«What we're celebrating is the safe return of two of Fleming's officers from their mission to see this Fertig fellow. I had the privilege of decorating both of them.»

So she knows about that, too. Why am I surprised?

«Curiosity overwhelms me,» she said. «I hope Charley was wrong.»

Charley was Brigadier General Charles A. Willoughby, MacArthur's intelligence officer. Though Pickering thought that Willoughby was actually bright, he had also concluded that his closeness to MacArthur was based more than anything else on his absolute loyalty to, and awe of, the Supreme Commander.

«Charley was wrong about what?» Pickering asked.

«He said the poor fellow was… that the stress had been too much for him.»

«Jeanne, according to my people, General Fertig is perfectly sane, and, if we can get supplies to him, is going to cause the Japanese a good deal of trouble.»

«Would you ask Manuel to bring us the drinks, Jeanne, please?» MacArthur said.