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

Banning didn't reply.

«Instead of pretending that everything was hunky-dory,» Carolyn went on, «and that the two of you are not going God only knows where, and God only knows when, to do God only knows what, except that either or both or you are liable to be killed doing it.»

«To coin a phrase,» Banning said, «there's a war on, you may have heard.»

«I think I did hear something about that,» she said.

«I don't know what you want me to say, sweetheart,» he said.

«I don't expect you to say anything,» Carolyn said. «I just wanted you to know how I feel.»

«I wish things were different,» Banning said, and then added: «As soon as we finish what we have to do here—which will probably take a couple of weeks— I'm going to Chungking, China, where I will assume the duties of staff officer on the staff of the U.S. Mission to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek.»

«You're serious?» she asked, but it was more of a statement. Banning nodded. «Ken, too?»

«Ken, too.»

«Why do I suspect—feminine intuition?—that that's not the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? I like Ken, you know that, but I can't see him passing a tray of canapes around. Or you either, for that matter.»

«It's all I can tell you,» Banning said. «I probably—probably hell—

shouldn't

have told you that much. What I did tell you was the truth.»

Carolyn went off at a tangent: «What's going to happen to them, after the war?»

«I suppose they'll get married and live more or less happily ever after.»

«They're from different worlds,» Carolyn said.

«How about iove conquers all'?»

«You think that will apply to you and me, after the war?»

«I have a wife, Carolyn,» Banning said.

«Maybe the Mormons have the right idea. I'd be willing to share you, if that was the only alternative to not having you at all.» He shrugged helplessly but didn't reply. «You think she's still alive?»

He raised his hands in a gesture of helplessness. «I don't know,» he said. «And if she is still alive, will she be the same woman you married? I suppose what I'm asking is will you still be in love with her?»

» 'In sickness and in health,' « he quoted, « 'until death doth you part.' «

«You left out 'forsaking all others,' « Carolyn said, a little too brightly. He didn't like what he heard in her voice.

«Would you rather I left, Carolyn?» Banning asked. «Maybe that would be the best—«

«It's midnight,» she said practically, interrupting him. «Where would you go? You'd never find a hotel room this time of night. And besides, I meant what I said about maybe the Mormons have the right idea.»

«You're getting the short end of this stick,» he said.

«I know,» she said. «But I knew that when we started, didn't I?»

«If you want me to say I feel guilty as hell…«

«I know that,» Carolyn said. «If you didn't feel guilty, I don't think I'd love you. Or at least love you as much.» She turned and went back into the bathroom.

Banning stared at the bathroom door for a moment, then angrily picked up the newspaper and threw it across the room.

note 48

Office of the Commander in Chief, Pacific

U.S. Navy Base

Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii

1405 11 March 1943

Commander J. Howard Young, USN, Flag Secretary to Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, stood in CINCPAC's door and waited until the Admiral noticed him. «Admiral Wagam is here, Admiral,» he said. «With his aide.»

Nimitz's face grew pensive:

Lewis knows more about submarines

, he was thinking,

has more nuts-and-bolts knowledge, than Dan Wagam or I do

. In a moment he replied, «Ask them both to come in.»

Rear Admiral (Upper Half) Daniel J. Wagam, USN, and his aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Chambers D. Lewis III, USN, marched into the room, stopped, and stood at attention.

«At ease, gentlemen,» Nimitz replied. «Good afternoon.»

«Good afternoon, Admiral,» the two replied in unison.

«Sit down,» Nimitz said, gesturing to a pair of upholstered chairs facing his desk. «I'm about to have some coffee. Would you like some?»

Moments later, when they all had coffee, he said, «We have heard from General Pickering.»

He opened the center drawer of his desk, took out a large manila envelope stamped top secret and handed it to Wagam.

«Three possibilities, Dan,» Nimitz said with a smile. «The General either has a limited knowledge of correct military form, or none, or he

does

, and doesn't give a damn.»

«I see what you mean, sir,» Admiral Wagam said, chuckling.

Lewis had to wait to satisfy his own curiosity about that until Admiral Wagam had finished reading the communication. Then Nimitz said, «I think Lewis better have a look at that, too.»

Brigadier General Pickering's proposed Operations Plan was in the form of a personal letter to Admiral Nimitz:

T O P S E C R E T

OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICES WASHINGTON

0905 GREENWICH 11 MARCH 1943

VIA SPECIAL CHANNEL

DUPLICATION FORBIDDEN

CINCPAC HAWAII

EYES ONLY ADMIRAL CHESTER W. NIMITZ

FOLLOWING PERSONAL FROM DDPACIFIC TO ADMIRAL NIMITZ

DEAR ADMIRAL NIMITZ:

GETTING WHAT SOMEBODY DECIDED TO CALL 'OPERATION GOBI' UNDERWAY HAS TAKEN LONGER THAN I HOPED IT WOULD, BUT WE ARE FINALLY AT A POINT WHERE I CAN BRING YOU UP TO DATE, AND EXPLAIN THE PROBLEMS WE ARE HAVING.

WE TURNED UP AN EX-4TH MARINES GUNNERY SERGEANT WHO BEFORE THE WAR APPARENTLY AUGMENTED HIS INCOME SMUGGLING GOLD AND ART WORK INTO AND OUT OF INDIA AND THE SOVIET UNION USING CAMEL CARAVANS. WE ARE ABOUT TO SEND HIM TO CHINA WHERE HE THINKS, AND I BELIEVE, HE CAN USE HIS FORMER BUSINESS ASSOCIATES TO GET DECENT RADIOS INTO THE HANDS OF THE AMERICANS NOW IN THE GOBI DESERT.

LT COLONEL ED BANNING, ALSO EX 4TH MARINES, WHO I BROUGHT INTO THE OSS WITH ME, TELEPHONED ME AN HOUR OR SO AGO FROM FORT MONMOUTH TO TELL ME HE HAS HALF A DOZEN CAMEL TRANSPORTABLE RADIOS. BANNING, WHO HAS SPECIAL COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS, IF YOU TAKE MY MEANING, WILL SHORTLY DEPART FOR CHUNGKING TO TAKE UP DUTY AS A STAFF OFFICER ON THE STAFF OF THE US MILITARY MISSION TO CHIANG KAI-SHEK. AND WILL OVERSEE THE RADIO DELIVERY FROM THERE. ONCE HE IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN CHUNGKING, WE WILL HAVE SPECIAL CHANNEL CAPABILITY.

THESE RADIOS WILL NOT, REPEAT NOT, BE OF MUCH USE BEYOND GIVING US MORE OR LESS RELIABLE COMMUNICATION WITH THE PEOPLE IN THE DESERT, AND, OF COURSE, TO GIVE US A POSITIVE POSITION FOR THEM.

ONCE WE LOCATE THESE PEOPLE AND ESTABLISH COMMUNICATIONS WITH THEM, WE COME TO THE NEXT PROBLEM, WHICH IS HOW TO SEND THE NECESSARY METEOROLOGICAL EQUIPMENT, AND THE PEOPLE TO OPERATE IT IN THERE.

AFTER CONSULATTON WITH GENERAL MAC MCINERNEY I HAVE DECIDED THE BEST, AS A MATTER OF FACT ONLY, WAY TO DO THIS IS BY SPECIALLY EQUIPPED AIRCRAFT, SPECIFICALLY AMPHIBIOUS CATALINAS. THEY ARE THE ONLY AIRCRAFT WITH BOTH THE RANGE AND WEIGHT CARRYING CAPABILITY WE HAVE TO HAVE. FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, USE OF LARGER NAVY AND AIR CORPS AIRCRAFT HAS BEEN DECIDED AGAINST.

THE IDEA IS TO REFUEL THE CATALINAS BY HAVING THEM RENDEZVOUS AT SEA WITH A SUBMARINE IN THE YELLOW SEA, A HUNDRED MILES OR SO NORTHEAST OF TIENTSIN.

THERE ARE SOME OBVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS, INCLUDING THE HAZARDS OF TRANSPORTING AVIATION FUEL ABOARD A SUB, GETTING THE FUEL OFF THE SUBMARINE AND INTO THE AIRCRAFT ON THE HIGH SEAS, AND OF COURSE MAKING SURE THE SUBMARINE WILL BE WHERE IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE WHEN THE CATALINAS GET THERE.

ANOTHER OF THE PROBLEMS IS THAT NOT ONLY WILL THE AIRCRAFT ALMOST CERTAINLY BE UNABLE TO FLY OUT OF THE GOBI, BUT THEY ARE SOMEHOW GOING TO HAVE TO BE CONCEALED FROM AERIAL AND OTHER OBSERVATION ONCE THEY GET THERE.