Lee beamed at the accolade and the way Bridges welcomed him. “Sir, what can we do for the Admiral?”
Bridges introduced his aide, Haslett, to the JAG team and moved on with a quick admonition. “Gentlemen, I am about to dump a mess in your laps that is a stain on the navy and which could be a public relations nightmare. Furthermore, there are serious national security issues that I can only divulge to you in a limited way without getting approval from Admiral King personally.” This, of course, was a hedge to ensure the investigation would tread lightly on anything related to Brand and his purported importance to the navy. “Is this understood?”
“Yes sir,” came the chorus from the investigators and Commander Lee.
“Good,” said the admiral. He asked them to be seated and continued, “Let me begin this story with the facts, and then I will give you the background.” The admiral had rehearsed what he would and would not tell the JAG officer and his team so he could make sure the focus of the investigation would not touch Brand and his identity.
Some fifteen minutes later, Bridges finished by showing them the file and list of witnesses Lieutenant Haslett had prepared, plus a timeline of the event. Haslett, as a good attorney, had packaged the evidence and witnesses in such a way as to lead to a quick conviction of the two assailants, Wright and Dugard, and provided enough background to get at the cover-up and the reasons behind it. He knew this would end the career of Blevins, and it would impact other officers on the base, but this kind of savagery could not be allowed to happen in the U.S. Navy.
“Gentlemen,” Bridges intoned, “do you have any questions for me or my aide?”
Lee, knowing how to handle a possible difficult question, asked, “Sir, the information contained in the file and the brief provides us with a large amount of the information we will need to conduct a thorough investigation. The list of witnesses who will provide testimony as to the facts of the case is also invaluable. One question, Admiral, how did you find out about this in the first place? Were you on some sort of inspection trip or is there something else we need to know?”
Bridges had anticipated the question because if Lee did not ask it, he would not be a good JAG officer. “Commander, I was requested by higher authorities to locate an individual on this base and to ensure his safe arrival in Washington. That is all I can tell you of my assignment, but while here I was made aware of this situation by an officer in this command. Subsequent investigation by members of my staff provided enough proof to make this a formal inquiry. I would be derelict in my duty to do otherwise. Do you have other questions on this matter, Commander?” Bridges looked straight at Commander Lee with the same look that Lee had gotten when he reported to Bridges many years before, which made him shudder then and it did the same now.
“No sir, I do not need to inquire further into your mission. I will proceed to our investigation without any further information from you or your staff.”
“Thank you, Commander, but if you run into anything that you need clarified or supported, please get in touch with Lieutenant Haslett.”
“With your permission, sir, we will take these files and begin our investigation. Oh, sir, there is one more thing. Where do we find this Recruit Brand?”
Admiral Bridges, knowing this would be coming said, “He is at the Naval District Hospital under the care of the same Dr. Feldman who brought this mess to your attention. I will arrange Mr. Haslett to set up an appointment with them both once Brand is stabilized.”
Lee nodded to Haslett, stood at attention along with the two plain-clothes investigators, and did an about face and left the office.
Haslett looked at the admiral and said, “What next, sir?”
“Mr. Haslett, we are about to give the good doctor and young Mr. Brand acting lessons.”
Haslett smiled in appreciation of the admiral’s legal mind and ability to control any situation.
6
24 January 1942
San Diego Naval Hospital
• Battle of Balikpapan--Japanese Borneo invasion convoy undergoes night torpedo attack off Balikpapan, Borneo, by destroyer division under the command of Comdr. P. H. Talbot composed of the USS Parrott, USS Pope, USS John D. Ford, and the USS Paul Jones; four enemy transports and a patrol craft are sunk.
Brand awoke two hours after his surgery and was groggy but felt no pain because of the anesthetic. He looked around the room to see a young doctor looking at him with a silly smile on his face.
“Well, well, well,” Feldman smiling said. “Glad to have you back with the living.”
Brand asked in a very groggy voice, “Where am I and who are you?”
“Mr. Brand, I am Dr. Hiram Feldman of the U.S. Naval Medical Corps and you are in the Navy Hospital in San Diego. You just had surgery to fix a few blood vessels that burst when you were beaten by a very nasty marine jailer. Should I go on?”
“Sure, can I have some water first?”
“Yes.” The doctor handed Brand a cup of water and held his head off the pillow so he could slowly sip.
“Can I call you James?” Dr. Feldman asked.
“Sure thing, sir. Thanks for the water and the help. I feel like I have been run over by a truck or something.”
“James, you were beaten by a sadistic bastard who now faces charges for what he did, as does Dugard who you so gloriously knocked on his ass on the parade ground.”
“Oh, yes, I forgot about that. Did you see it or something?” James had very blurry vision out of one eye and a patch on the other, so he was unsure of exactly what he was seeing.
Feldman nodded his head in the affirmative. “Yes, I did, and I was glad to be there to report what I saw. Certain people were going to steamroll you into a long jail term for what you did in self-defense, but luckily, I did see it myself. I had been following Dugard around for a month after I had so many sick call issues coming from his recruit class. I knew something was afoot, but needed to get proof.”
“Tell me, Doc, what else is wrong with me?”
“Well, from top to bottom here is the list.” The doctor picked up a chart and began reading. Feldman told Brand all the minor and major issues he faced with emphasis on his surgery that proved only minor bleeding occurred and there was no major internal damage. He also told him that he would be in pain for some time due to three broken ribs plus a broken arm which he began to feel for the first time.
“All in all, you are a mess, but you will heal up just fine. You should be ambulatory in a week or less, but you are going to feel those ribs for a month or more. The broken arm will be in a cast for four weeks, but should be just fine. All of the X-rays looked good, and you should recover full function within six weeks.” The doctor finished his report by looking at his chart then asked Brand if he was up for a visitor.
Brand asked, “Who knows I am here? I don’t know anybody.”
The doctor walked toward the door and smiled again, saying, “Seems a lot of people know you, Dr. Brand, and have been looking for you for some time.”
“Shit,” said Brand on hearing his academic title being used for the first time in nearly two months.
Feldman opened the door. Brand saw the doctor speaking to a tall marine sergeant on the other side of the door, then a navy commander entered the room.
“James, how are you feeling?” Commander Jameson inquired with a big smile. “You had a lot of people looking for you and some of them are pretty unhappy with you.”
“Sir, do I know you?” Brand asked still groggy, suffering from information overload and a few too many pain relievers.
“We met at Princeton during Professor Einstein’s symposium on theoretical physics. You were quite the star for asking so many questions of the great man.” Commander Jameson turned to Dr. Feldman who was stunned to hear the name, Einstein. “Yes, Doc, everyone started to call young Dr. Brand, the great inquisitor after his meeting with Einstein. By the way James, the Professor has asked me to tell you hello and looks forward to more questions from you.”
Feldman had been informed that Brand was no ordinary seamen recruit and was a prodigy with advanced degrees, but he did not know the levels at which Brand played. He was stunned but said nothing, watching the interaction between Jameson and the recruit.
Brand looked harder at the commander and then it dawned on him. “Dr. Jameson, sir, I had no idea you were in the navy. It’s great to see you again but why are people looking for me?” Jameson looked at Feldman who had started for the door to give the two some privacy, but Jameson told him to stay.
“James, you have a special set of talents and skills too valuable to the nation to have you spend your time as a seaman in the navy. I’m gratified that you wanted to serve your country and wanted to stay hidden, but you can serve your country in so many more important ways by using your God-given talents in science to help the war effort.”
James looked up and shook his head yes, but said, “I want to serve my country, but I don’t want to be locked up in some university lab working on a couple of projects for a few years while everyone else is out doing the dirty business of war. I just wanted to be like everyone else.”
Jameson expected this line of reasoning because he knew that under all the brilliance lurked a very young man still in his teenage years with dreams like every other warm-blooded American boy.
Jameson did not want him to stew on this any longer and said, “James, we have searched for you not to put you in a laboratory somewhere but to put you in the uniform of a navy officer and have you serve your country doing the big things that will win this war. I cannot go much further on this right now, but Admiral King wants to put together a staff of the best minds in America which will help build a new navy to win the war. You are already in the navy, but we want you to serve where you can best assist the nation. I cannot promise you more than this but I can foresee great things for you, and I assure you, you can help win this war sooner by using your knowledge, skills, and abilities than being a seaman on a ship somewhere.”
James looked up, smiled and said, “Sir, when can I get started?”
7
27 January 1942
San Diego Naval Hospital
• Submarine Seawolf delivers ammunition to Corregidor and evacuates navy and army pilots.
Commander Lee and his investigators had interviewed all the witnesses except for Brand. The previous day, Lee interviewed Lieutenant Flannigan and most importantly, Dr. Feldman. His interview with the doctor had taken three hours as he reviewed all the documentation Feldman had accumulated on Dugard and went over the logs of the sick bays for injuries that Dugard probably inflicted. All the information was sound and would enable a quick case with maximum penalty. He had not heard from Admiral Bridges since the first day nor had he contacted him to discuss his progress. He knew the admiral did not want any special treatment or perhaps did not want to add undue influence on this case which Lee agreed was an affront to the United States Navy. He was still concerned about the admiral’s comments on why he was in San Diego.
Lee had found out that Bridges had been recalled to duty before Pearl Harbor, and was doing special assignments for the secretary of the navy and for Admiral King. He was told the admiral had just returned from a few weeks in Pearl Harbor and was informed by his sources that he was talking to people from Nimitz down to commanders of individual warships and aircraft squadrons. Evidently, Lee figured, he was looking for additional reasons for the Japanese sneak attack and the navy’s lack of preparation and active defense. This was a topic Commander Lee wanted to avoid.
Lee was cleared to interview Seaman Recruit Brand and informed of the seaman’s room number. When he got to the Naval Hospital and entered Brand’s floor he found himself amid the treatment area for senior officers instead of that used by normal enlisted men. As he came down the hallway filled with the sanitized smell common to all hospitals, he spied a marine posted at a doorway. As he got closer the marine sergeant snapped to attention. “Sir, may I be of assistance to the commander?”
Lee replied, “Is this the room of Seaman Recruit James E. Brand, Sergeant?”
“Yes sir, may I ask if the commander has an appointment?”
Lee was struck by the comment and said, “Sergeant, my name is Commander Jerome Lee. I have an appointment to interview Seaman Recruit Brand at 1100 hours. Please admit me, now.”
“Sir, I need to verify your appointment with my commanding officer, if you would wait here for a moment, sir, I will be right back.”
Before Lee could comment, Sergeant Laird turned and walked into the room and secured the door behind him.
Inside the room were Admiral Bridges, Dr. Feldman, Commander Jameson, Lieutenant Haslett, and a new face, Rear Adm. Kelly Turner, director of U.S. Navy War Plans. Turner had been questioning Brand about mathematical models to speed the loading of ships bound for the war. This was especially important because of the heavy losses currently occurring on America’s eastern seaboard as German submarines were slaughtering unescorted merchant ships daily. Brand was briefed on current strategy and provided with several lengthy documents on anti-submarine practices.
Turner was on his way to meet with Admiral Nimitz on war plans being developed for the serious challenges in the Pacific and how best to use the limited offensive capabilities of the remaining fleet. Turner was about to ask Brand’s opinion when the marine sergeant walked in.
He turned and asked in his normal brusque manner, “Sergeant, I told you to secure the room and allow no one in except my aide. Do you have a problem with that?”
Sergeant Laird, knowing Turner as the hard-ass captain on one of his previous shipboard assignments, came to attention. “Sorry, sir, Admiral Bridges informed me a JAG officer was due to interview Mr. Brand. He is outside and not very happy about not being allowed in.”
Turner was about to speak, but Bridges cut him off. Turner’s senior by four years at the academy and date of rank, Bridges said, “Kelly, this is the problem I have to get fixed, but I can get you more time with Mr. Brand. Can you hold off for a few minutes? Then I promise you can continue with your inquiries as to Mr. Brand’s ability to be of assistance to War Plans?”
“Sorry, Admiral, it was just getting interesting. This young man’s ability to grasp key elements of a problem and provide specific solutions based on reality isn’t the normal crap I’m fed in Washington. Do you want me to leave while the JAG commander does his questioning?”
Bridges pondered for a moment and said, “Admiral, I think it would be a boost to your career to have you see how navy justice works.” He smiled widely as did Turner who quickly got the message.
“Sergeant, show Commander Lee in.”
“Aye, aye sir.” Laird pulled the door open and walked outside, announcing to the angry commander, “Sir, you may go in now.”
Commander Lee was about to tell off the sergeant as he crossed the threshold, but then he saw a sea of navy gold braid in the form of two rear admirals. Bridges he knew, but he had no idea who the other one was. Lee snapped to attention and looked right over the head of Admiral Turner who stood by the bed. “Sir, the commander begs the Admiral’s pardon for interrupting your meeting. I shall retire, sir, and reschedule my interview with Seaman Brand.”
For a moment, Lee was not only stunned but somewhat frightened at having two admirals in a room with several other officers around the bed of an injured seaman recruit. His mind raced and wondered, What the hell is going on here? Did I miss something or what?
Never shy about giving orders, Turner barked out, “At ease, Commander. I was just in the middle of a top-secret conversation with Mr. Brand when you walked in.” He scooped up two files with red tape, each marked TOP SECRET in large letters.
Bridges, stifling the need to laugh at the uncomfortable commander who must be about to pass out or worse, spoke up. “Admiral Turner was interviewing Mr. Brand on issues that are not part of your investigation, but I do recall you were going to be here at 1100 hours, so I apologize to you Admiral for thi
s interruption.” The gruff head of war plans, nodded his head in agreement. Bridges, turned to the JAG officer saying, “Commander, it would be best if you perhaps ask Mr. Brand a few of your questions so Admiral Turner could get on with his briefing. I would request you make your questions brief and to the point. Is that all right with you, Commander Lee?”
Lee was now in a box. He was not happy asking a witness questions in front of a bevy of officers, including two admirals. But, he knew he needed to move on this for he feared that whoever Brand was, he would not be available again.
“Sir, I have only a few questions to ask Seaman Recruit Brand about his treatment at the hands of the brig sergeant and the petty officer in charge of his training.”
Admiral Bridges looked at his watch and said, “By all means, proceed. And by the way, Mr. Brand is no longer a seaman recruit. As of yesterday, he is Ensign Brand of the Naval Reserve.”
“Thank you, sir.” Lee’s mind now began screaming two things, What’s going on here and who is this young man? Why would a rear admiral be reviewing top secret documents with a one-day old ensign and why does everybody want to get me out of here?
Lee began by telling Brand who he was and why he was there. He also informed Brand there were no charges against him, but that he was a material witness in an ongoing legal investigation and to answer the questions truthfully and fully. Brand shook the hand of the commander with his left hand because of the cast on his right arm and hand and agreed to the instructions. The doctor had provided a complete list of Brand’s injuries and Lee was surprised how he acted despite the evident pain. The kid looked like hell and he felt sorry for even putting him to all these questions, but with admirals looking on he did it by the book.
Lee took Brand through the timeline of the case and asked what he remembered, especially the beating in the brig. He asked about the attack from Petty Officer Dugard and his subsequent defense of himself. He wanted to know additional details about the other incidents he witnessed while in training. Lee wanted to start another line of questioning about his self-defense when Admiral Bridges interrupted.
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