The Callahans: The Complete Series

by Gordon Ryan

  In the early hours of July 14th, after three days and four nights on the island, Lieutenant Frank Borello flashed a coded signal offshore, waiting for confirmation from the Argonaut. Then all five men climbed into their rubber boats and began paddling toward the submarine. The first priority of their mission had been accomplished. They had not been observed and had not made physical contact with the enemy.

  To the extent their limited time frame and non-available transport had hindered their ability to scour the complete island, they had marked the map with current installations and troop locations, the most prominent of which was the airfield under construction near the central northern point of the island. Additional information came from Hutch’s family and other tribal members who were quite familiar with Japanese placement. The maps were marked, the installations defined, and the strength of the enemy estimated. Most importantly, the airfield was not yet complete, so Japanese air support would have to come from off island, which gave the invading forces more flexibility. With no more time available to reconnoiter, it would have to do.

  New Zealand Army Headquarters

  Wellington, New Zealand

  July, 1942

  The Argonaut was met three hundred miles south of Guadalcanal by a PBY flown out of Auckland. Tommy and his men transferred to the aircraft and, within another ten hours, landed in Wellington Harbour. Less than twelve hours after returning to General Vandegrift’s headquarters, they were headed for a late night meeting with New Zealand Army commanders.

  Tommy caught a glimpse of Maddy across the entrance foyer as he, along with several other officers, followed Vandegrift into General Puttick’s headquarters. Just the sight of her confused him, made him recall his infidelity to his dead wife. During his days on Guadalcanal he’d had time to think about his choices, his relationship with Maddy and what they had. He knew it was unfair. She had lost one husband already. He had lost a wife. Reaching out for each other in their need for comfort, closeness, perhaps even love, did not change the fact that a war stood between them. He watched her as she stepped down the hall, walking away from him. He did not think she had seen him, but felt that might be better since she would likely want to either embrace or at least talk with him. He’d find her after the meeting. Where they would go from there was unknown.

  The information he brought from Guadalcanal had indeed been pivotal to the extent that it allowed Marine planners to confirm the final beach assault selection from the several choices available. Strength of the division was fixed. No further reinforcement would be forthcoming, at least in time for the original invasion date, set for early August. And the subterfuge within American military hierarchy was that it was still a minor amphibious operation. A raid, rather than a seize-and-hold assault.

  Just before midnight, the meeting broke up and General Vandegrift departed for his quarters, speaking with Tommy for thirty seconds before leaving.

  “Go home, Colonel Callahan. I know some of your family are close by, so take some time and visit with them. Seventy-two hours. Then I want you in my office for the duration. It’s all on now, we’re committed.”

  “General, about my assignment to a field command—”

  Vandegrift shook his head. “I’m not changing leadership at this point, Colonel. You’ll remain part of my staff. Let’s get ashore, see what the opposition looks like. This will be a long war. I suspect there’ll be ample room for movement along the way. What you’re doing, what you’ve been doing, is important. General Holcomb chose correctly. We’re all riflemen, but there are other uses for a good Marine as well.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Sometime after two A.M., Tommy entered the small apartment where Maddy Carpenter had resided since her appointment as General Puttick’s secretary. He knew it well. The moment he entered, Maddy’s scent permeated the room. She had only been home for an hour herself. Aware that important meetings were on-going at headquarters she had stayed quite late to support their needs, but she was unaware that Tommy had returned from his mission.

  As he moved through the small entrance room, he called out softly to alert her, not wanting to frighten her with his late-night arrival.

  Instantly she appeared in the doorway to the bathroom, the light shining behind her, her hair arrayed in pin curls, and her bathrobe tied securely around her waist. In two steps she was in his arms, no words exchanged. She held him tightly, her face buried in his uniform jacket. Finally, after long moments of quiet embrace, Tommy spoke.

  “Maddy, this war continues its relentless interruption of everyone’s lives, and I’ll soon be part of it in full force. But I’ve got three days free. You’ve just gotten ‘sick’ and can’t go to work tomorrow. And we have three things to do. Spend every moment with each other, take the train to Auckland so I can at least see it before I leave New Zealand, and, uh, one other thing.”

  Maddy raised her head from his chest, looking up into his eyes. “What other thing?”

  “I’ll tell you later, but we’re going to do it first thing tomorrow morning, so you should wear a nice dress.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Hill 123, Lunga Ridge

  Guadalcanal, Solomons

  September, 1942

  The United States Marine Corps invaded Guadalcanal and several smaller nearby islands on the morning of 7 August, 1942. Initially unopposed, at least on Guadalcanal, fierce fighting began within days and had been on-going for six weeks. Lieutenant Colonel Callahan had remained part of General Vandegrift’s command staff, although he had been in several skirmishes while touring defensive perimeter positions. For the prior two days, he had been entrenched with Lieutenant Colonel Merit Edson’s Raider battalion in a pocket defense established south of what the Marines had named Henderson Field, the newly completed airfield.

  Marine, Navy, and some Army pilots were already flying daily interception missions from this primitive location and had established themselves as an integral part of the defensive team, preventing Japanese naval assets from prowling the waters around Guadalcanal in daylight hours without fear of attack. A scruffy, unshaven Marine appeared behind Tommy’s position.

  “Colonel, radio call from HQ. The general wants to see you immediately.”

  “Thank you, Corporal,” Tommy replied, climbing out of the shallow embankment which the Marines had prepared around Colonel Edson’s command bunker.

  In the company of two other Marines heading back for ammunition resupply, Tommy reached the command post about thirty minutes later. General Vandegrift was sitting in a rickety rocking chair left by the departing Japanese. He motioned Tommy over as soon as he saw him.

  “Colonel, you’re leaving the ‘Canal day after tomorrow. You’ve been reassigned.”

  “Sir?”

  “Tom,” Vandegrift said, using Tommy’s name for the first time in their acquaintance, “you’ve been requested for Halsey’s staff. We haven’t secured this beachhead by any means, but the brass have decided that we’re going to repeat this process. They want a Marine experienced in planning and preparing for each operation. I suggested they take you.”

  “Sir, I—”

  “You want a field command. You want your own battalion. I know the drill, son. Listen to me carefully. How many men have we lost in this jungle so far?”

  “Several hundred, sir.”

  “How many could you save as a battalion commander?”

  “General . . .”

  “I’ll answer that for you, Colonel. A couple of dozen? Fifty? Maybe the whole damn battalion? Don’t you think you could do more good planning the operation to send twenty thousand young Marines ashore on some speck of dirt in the Pacific? There’s a hell of a long way to go before we get to Japan, Colonel Callahan. And that is more explanation than I’ve given any other officer in a hell of a long time. Pack your seabag. You’re leaving, day after tomorrow.”

  “Sir, may I return to Colonel Edson’s HQ? He’s a bit short-handed on the ridge and I’d like to speak with him before I leave.”
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  “Just be here tomorrow evening, ready to leave first thing the following morning. And congratulations, Bird Colonel Callahan. An eagle on your collar goes with this transfer.”

  “Thank you, General.”

  Tommy stepped away from the command area and started to hike back toward Lunga Ridge when Vandegrift called out after him. “Colonel, tell Edson that we’ve just had another bunch of pilots arrive. He should get a bit more air cover over the next several days.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  During the time that Tommy was speaking with General Vandegrift, a half dozen F4Fs landed with a new contingent of pilots assigned to the squadron. One of the pilots immediately began asking for directions to Colonel Thomas Callahan.

  First Lieutenant Michael Cardenas found two Marines who were headed toward the ridge and with their guidance, made his way toward where the adjutant said his uncle, Colonel Callahan, was presently located.

  Following carrier qualification at Pensacola Naval Air Station, the new pilots were assigned to various units around the Pacific theater and west coast of the United States. With a new promotion in hand and pilot’s wings on his uniform pocket, First Lieutenant Cardenas had traveled to San Diego, where he boarded USS Long Island, a transport aircraft carrier headed for the South Pacific, destination unknown. Somewhere between Hawaii and the equator, he completed carrier qualification and finally became a fully qualified Marine carrier pilot.

  By September, they were in the Solomon Sea and were informed that they were bound for Guadalcanal, where some pilots would be transferred to the air element of the 1st Marine Division.

  Tommy was neck-deep in a trench when Lieutenant Michael Cardenas, his clean uniform marking him as a new arrival, stood over the top of the embankment and looked into the bunker.

  “Colonel Callahan?” he called out.

  Tommy looked up, the placement of the sun preventing him from recognizing the Marine standing above.

  “That’s me, son. What can I do for you?”

  “Sir, it’s Lieutenant Cardenas. Michael Cardenas.”

  Tommy raised his hand to shield his eyes from the low-hanging twilight sun and then climbed out of the trench. “I’ll be damned,” he exclaimed. “Look what we have here. A Marine lieutenant with pilot’s wings.” He held out his hand and shook the young man’s, then grabbed Mike in a tight embrace. “Damn, it’s good to see you, Mike. Did you just arrive with the group of pilots?”

  “Yes, sir. We came off the Long Island. I’m assigned here now, flying F4Fs.”

  “That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Well it’s good to see you. How’s the family?”

  “The last time I saw them was in July, but everyone was fine. I called them from San Diego, but had no idea where we were going at that time.”

  “Do you need to get back down to the air field tonight?”

  “No, sir. Our squadron leader gave me permission to find you. I’ll stay here tonight, if that’s all right with you.”

  “Fine, just fine. Let’s get you a weapon, just in case. And some food. Corporal,” Tommy called out. “See if you can find Lieutenant Cardenas a rifle. He’s got a sidearm, but he better be fully armed.”

  “Yes, sir. And sir, Colonel Edson said to tell you we’re getting probed on the right flank. He thinks we can expect infiltrators tonight, maybe even a full-scale frontal assault. Our patrols have been picking up all the signs.”

  “All the more reason to have another rifleman in the hole. You’re gonna get your first Marine indoctrination, Mike. Actually, I’m leaving day after tomorrow, so this is about all the time we’re going to have together and we’re going to spend it in a mud hole. I’m really glad we didn’t miss each other. One more day and I’d have been gone. Climb down here—let’s chat a bit more about the family. After dark, it gets a bit hairy and there’s not much time for chatter. How’s my sister?”

  Mike Cardenas laughed, hopped down in the trench, and immediately picked up a couple of dirt stains on his clean trousers. “She’s still mad at you, sir, but she’ll be glad to hear we got to see each other at least once.”

  “So am I, Mike, so am I. If the Japs come tonight, I’ll be proud to share my little piece of the ‘Canal with one of my family.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Salt Lake City, Utah

  October, 1942

  Deseret News Byline

  Local Marine Colonel Killed in Action

  Colonel Thomas Matthew Callahan, United States Marine Corps, was killed in action on Guadalcanal, September 12, 1942. A Marine Corps veteran of twenty-five years, he died in a night engagement against attacking Japanese soldiers. In a desperate defense against superior forces in what has been called the Battle of Edson’s Ridge, Callahan positioned himself between the attackers and two wounded Marines under his command.

  A graduate of East High School and the United States Naval Academy, Colonel Callahan was awarded his second Navy Cross for gallantry. His first Navy Cross was awarded in 1918 for action in Belleau Woods, France, during the Great War.

  He is survived by his parents, Thomas and Katrina Callahan of Salt Lake City; his brother Peter, a resident of New Zealand; and his sister, Teresa Cardenas of Draper, Utah, plus nephews and nieces.

  Callahan’s wife, Dr. Elizabeth Callahan, and their infant son, Benjamin, were killed in a German air raid over London in 1940.

  A memorial service will be held at the Salt Lake Sugarhouse Ward, October 18th. Burial was at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.

  The telegram informing Thomas and Katrina Callahan of the death of their son had come several days earlier, bringing with it complete despair. Unaware of Michael’s presence on Guadalcanal, or even where the young man was currently located, grief overwhelmed both Thomas and Katrina. Seby and Tess came immediately, placing their children in the care of church friends who were becoming familiar with such incidents around the Salt Lake Valley. Too many LDS families were losing loved one as the war grew in intensity.

  “How can they just say, ‘Killed in action?’” Teresa said between sobs. “What happened? How did he die? It’s so impersonal.”

  Seby handled all the arrangements, from the placement of the obituary in the newspaper to the memorial service at their local chapel. That, too, was becoming an all-too-common occurrence, and the various bishoprics seemed constantly in one home or another as news arrived that someone from the community was either injured or killed. Increasingly, military personnel throughout the Pacific were facing battle conditions on land, at sea, and certainly in the air war.

  After the service, Thomas retreated to his study on the fifth level of their home, now a hermitage. Katrina brought food to him only to remove one uneaten meal to replace it with a fresh one. Finally, after the fifth day of solitude, she pleaded with him to join her on the first floor.

  “I can’t do this alone, Thomas. I need you. You need me. We need to go see the grandchildren, to visit Tess and Seby. To get out. He’s gone, Thomas. Tommy’s gone, but we have to go on.”

  “Why?” was all he said in response, but he did come downstairs, spending his days in yet another chair, remaining just as morose as he had been while upstairs.

  In late November, nearly two months after they received the telegram, Seby and Tess arrived at the house late one morning, surprising both Thomas and Katrina.

  “I’ve had a letter from Michael,” Tess said, her face a mix of tear stains and fatigue. “He’s in Hawaii, or on a ship headed for Hawaii. A hospital ship. He was wounded . . . on Guadalcanal,” she cried, the tears streaming once again.

  Seby took the letter from her hands, assisted her to a seat, and began to read to everyone.

  “It’s dated October and he was on board a Navy hospital ship.”

  USS Burton

  Enroute to Hawaii

  October 2, 1942

  Dear Mom and Dad:

  I’m aboard a Navy hospital ship headed for Hawaii. First, I am well. I was
wounded my first day ashore (can’t be specific about location) which resulted in my transfer to this ship prior to departure. We are full of Marines and sailors who have been injured.

  I know the Marine Corps will have notified you of Uncle Tommy. I was with him that last night. Earlier in the evening, we were attacked, and I and two other Marines in our area of the line had been wounded. One died almost immediately. Uncle Tommy was in the trench with us, and the Japs were coming up the hill in large numbers. By early morning, almost dawn, they launched a final assault and were about to overrun our line of defense. Uncle Tommy placed me to his left and reloaded my pistol because my left arm was broken and useless. A Japanese officer rushed our bunker with several of his soldiers. We shot most of them, but the officer came at me with his sword drawn, screaming. I tried to fire, but my pistol was empty. Uncle Tommy jumped in front of the officer and took his sword in the chest. I grabbed Uncle Tommy’s pistol and shot the Japanese major and then several other Marines jumped in our trench, killing the remaining Japs. The doctors say my left arm will be partially paralyzed and I’m likely to be discharged from the Marine Corps due to my inability to fly.

  Mom, Uncle Tommy literally saved my life. He lived for several hours before he died and we were able to talk for a few moments before the morphine put him to sleep. I’ll try to explain his final words when I see you, but just know that he loved you all and that he was thinking of you. I’ll contact you when we reach Hawaii. I hope this letter reaches you sooner.