W E B Griffin - Corp 09 - Under Fire

by Under Fire(Lit)

  "And that's how you spent the war? On public relations duties?"

  "No, sir. When it became obvious that I wasn't going to be able anytime soon to pass the full duty physical, I vol-unteered for the OSS. I was sent on to Mindanao, which the Japs then held-"

  Goddamn it! I don't need a spy. I need somebody to deal with the Hollywood Marines and Richard Widmark.

  Well, at least he has some public relations experience.

  "Major," Dawkins interrupted, "the Marine Corps is co-operating with a Hollywood motion picture company. They're making a movie to be called Halls of Montezuma, which will star Richard Widmark."

  "Yes, sir?"

  "The coordinating officer was assigned to the 1st Marine Provisional Brigade, and I have to find someone to take his place, and do so right now-the Hollywood people have already begun to arrive here. Do you think you could han-dle something like that?"

  "Sir, if I have a choice between going to Korea or this, I really would prefer going to Korea."

  "Most of us would prefer to be going to Korea, Major," Dawkins said. "My question was do you think you could handle something like that?"

  "I'm sure I could, sir, if that's what the Corps wants me to do."

  "Okay. Just as soon as you can wind up whatever you're doing now, report to Colonel Severance in public rela-tions."

  "Aye, aye, sir."

  "That will be all, Major. Good luck."

  "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

  Before Major Macklin was out of the building, General Dawkins got Colonel Severance on the horn and told him that he was sending him an experienced public relations officer to take the place of Major Winslow.

  He also told Colonel Severance that he wanted "the Hol-lywood project" to go smoothly-that the Corps had promised "full cooperation," and full cooperation was what they were going to get.

  "Unless it actually interferes with our movements to Ko-rea, see that they get everything they want."

  Colonel Severance said, "Aye, aye, sir," and General Dawkins put the Hollywood Marines out of his mind.

  Major Macklin was delighted with his new assignment. He would have gone willingly to Korea, of course, and still would. But the facts were that his previous service had de-nied him the privilege of command. He had never been a company commander, and service as a company com-mander as a captain was at least an unofficial prerequisite to serving as a battalion executive officer as a major.

  Neither had his intelligence service prepared him for duty with a brigade as an intelligence officer. He had spent most of his OSS service on the Japanese-occupied island of Mindanao. That was certainly valuable service-and certainly dangerous service-but it wasn't the sort of thing that had given him the experience to assume duties as a regimental intelligence officer.

  So the situation was that even if he was ordered to Korea with the brigade-or later, with the 1st Marine Division- he more than likely would have been given duties in personnel or supply. That was certainly important work, but looking at the big picture, he could make a far larger con-tribution to the Marine Corps by doing an outstanding job supporting the filming of Halls of Montezuma.

  And his work would certainly be noticed by senior offi-cers, which was important, if he looked down the road to selection time for promotion to lieutenant colonel.

  When he reported to Colonel Severance, Severance re-peated to him what General Dawkins had said about the importance of the project, and told him to guide himself accordingly. He also told him that the "senior members" of the production company were putting up at the Coronado Beach Hotel, and that he should establish contact with the producers and the director there.

  He was given a copy of the "shooting script" and a long list of things, from Jeeps and trucks to telephone service, the production company would require. He was also asked to escort the "location manager" around the Camp Pendleton reservation to find suitable sites for various "scenes" and "shots" in the film.

  He got right on that, and returned the same evening to the Coronado Beach to report his progress to the director and producers. While he was at Camp Pendleton, he sug-gested to Colonel Severance that since he was going to have to be on twenty-four-hour call to take care of the re-quests of "the company," he thought it would be a good idea if he took a room at the hotel. That would mean that he would have to be put on temporary duty, so that he could draw per diem and quarters pay. Colonel Severance said he would take care of it.

  Two things happened the very first day. When he told the producer that he had arranged to stay in the hotel so that he would be available around the clock, the director said the least the company could do in return was pick up the hotel bill.

  That meant that he would be drawing quarters pay but would not have to spend it.

  The second thing that happened the very first day was that he got to meet the star, Mr. Richard Widmark. Widmark had, of course, a suite in the Coronado Beach, but he had come to San Diego on his yacht, which was a con-verted Navy PT-Boat.

  They met on the yacht. Mr. Widmark was more than charming, and told him that he would be sleeping on the yacht, rather than in the hotel, and that Macklin should feel free to come aboard whenever he pleased.

  "We party a little out here," Widmark said. "On the boat, nobody notices."

  That was certainly an interesting prospect, and over the next ten days, Major Macklin learned that many-perhaps most-of the beautiful women associated with a motion picture company were not actresses, but technicians and assistants of one kind or another. And many of these, he quickly learned, were drawn to a real-life Marine major, who had been wounded on a real battlefield, and then been a real OSS agent doing his fighting behind enemy lines.

  In order to carry out his duties, he requested first-and got-a staff car. After two days, he decided that what he really needed was a station wagon, and a driver, and Colonel Severance got that for him, too.

  On 28 July, the production company's extras casting di-rector came to Major Macklin, and said that as of six-thirty in the morning, 30 July, the company was going to shoot some "filler shots" of utilities-clad Marines crawling through the terrain, and he thought he could get by with forty or fifty people, although more would be better.

  "You just tell me how many Marines you need," Major Macklin said, in the spirit of full cooperation.

  "What I really would like to do is see if I can't come up with some interesting faces."

  "How can I help you with that?"

  "Do you suppose you could line up a bunch-say, a hun-dred or so-of your guys, and let me pick the ones I think would fit with the concept we're trying for?"

  "No problem at all. I'll get right on it, and get right back to you."

  Major Macklin then called the commanding officer of the provisional replacement battalion he knew had been formed to deal with the inflow of Marines to Camp Pendleton. He explained to him what he wanted.

  "There's hardly anybody here," he said. "The casuals we had, the regular Marines sent here to fill out the 1st Divi-sion, are just about gone, and there's only one reserve company here.... They weren't expected until August first, but they got in this morning."

  "How many men are we talking about?"

  "A little over two hundred, plus five officers."

  "Have them standing by at 0700 tomorrow. A casting di-rector will select from them the fifty or so men he needs for the Halls of Montezuma project."

  "What exactly does that mean?"

  "It means for two days-possibly three, whatever it takes-the men selected will be used as extras in the mo-tion picture."

  "Christ, Macklin, I don't know. For one thing, there's in-processing to be done, you know, for reclassification and assignment. And then their company commander has re-served the known distance range so they can zero their in-dividual weapons...."

  "That will have to be put on hold, I'm afraid, until after the filming is completed."

  "By whose authority?"

  "General Dawkins has said this project has the highest
priority. Are you willing to accept that, or should I call General Dawkins and tell him you're telling me we can't provide the full cooperation Headquarters Marine Corps has promised these Hollywood people?"

  The provisional reception battalion commander did not want to discuss anything with the assistant commanding general.

  "They'll be standing by at 0700, Macklin," he said.

  "Thank you," Major Macklin said, and then went to find the production company's extras casting director to tell him what had been arranged.

  When Captain George F. Hart was informed that the 29 July breakfast meal would be served to his company at 0430, as at 0700, he was to have his company formed in front of battalion headquarters, in field gear, and carrying their assigned weapons, he perhaps naturally assumed that battalion headquarters was where the trucks would pick up Baker Company to transport them to one of the known dis-tance firing ranges.

  Company B, 55th Marines, was formed at 0655. At that point, the commanding officer of the Replacement Battal-ion (Provisional) appeared at the door to his headquarters, and when he had caught Captain Hart's attention, signaled him to join him.

  Hart turned his company over to his exec and walked to the battalion headquarters. Since they were both out of doors and under arms, Hart saluted.

  "Good morning, sir," he said.

  "Good morning, Captain," the battalion commander said. "You and your officers aren't going to be needed for this little exercise. Turn the company over to the first ser-geant."

  "Excuse me, sir?"

  "Turn your company over to your first sergeant, Captain, and dismiss your officers from the formation."

  "Aye, aye, sir," Captain Hart said. He complied with his orders and then returned to the Replacement Battalion (Provisional) commanding officer.

  "Sir, may I ask what's going on?"

  "Fifty of your men are going to be in the movies, Cap-tain. A talent scout will shortly appear to determine which ones."

  "Sir, I don't understand...."

  "That must be them now," the battalion commander said, nodding with his head toward a Plymouth station wagon coming down the street.

  The station wagon was driven by a sergeant. In the rear seat were two men, a Marine officer and a plump, wavy-haired blond man the far side of forty. The sergeant opened the door and the two men got out.

  "Jesus Christ," Captain Hart said. "Macklin!"

  "Are you acquainted with Major Macklin, Captain?"

  "Yes, sir, I am."

  The last time I saw that cowardly sonofabitch was when we loaded the bastard on the sub Sunfish to go to Min-danao. Killer McCoy had authority to blow the bastard away if he interfered with anything, and I was actually dis-appointed when Killer came out and told me Macklin was still alive; that he'd decided the best way to deal with the sonofabitch was just leave him on Mindanao and hope the Japs caught him.

  "Major Macklin is the action officer for the Halls of Montezuma movie project," the Replacement Battalion (Provisional) commander said.

  "With respect, sir," Captain Hart said, "I don't really give much of a damn about Major Macklin or his movie project. Sir, my company was scheduled to go to the known distance range..."

  "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, in this way, Captain," the replacement battalion commander said, "but you no longer have a company."

  "Sir?"

  "As of 0001 this morning, Company B, 55th Marines was disbanded, and its officers and men transferred to the Replacement Battalion (Provisional) for reassignment. They-and you-will be reassigned within the Marine Corps-mostly likely as replacements to the 1st Marine Division-where they are needed."

  "I'm not sure I understand," Hart said.

  "Company B, 55th Marines, no longer exists. It was dis-banded as of 0001 this morning. Its personnel-including you-are now assigned to the Replacement Battalion. You will be reassigned where the Marine Corps thinks you will be of the greatest value to the Marine Corps."

  "That's absolutely fucking outrageous!" Hart exploded.

  "Watch your mouth, Captain," the major said.

  "Goddamn it!" Hart went on. "I trained those men. I'm responsible for them. I promised their families I would look out for them!"

  "Be that as it may-"

  "I'll be a sonofabitch if I'll put up with this!"

  "All right, Captain, that's quite enough. You will go to your room, and you will stay there until I send for you. That's an order."

  Hart glowered at him for fifteen seconds, which seemed much longer.

  "I request permission to see the Inspector General, sir," he said.

  "You will go to your room and stay there until I send for you. When I do, I will consider your request to see the In-spector General."

  "Sir, I believe it is my right to see the Inspector General with or without your permission."

  At this point, the commanding officer of the Replace-ment Battalion (Provisional) lost his temper.

  "All right, goddamn it, go to the IG. And when the IG throws you out on your ass, you will then report to me, and I'll deal with your insubordinate behavior. Just get the hell out of my sight!"

  Hart walked away from the major, took a final look at Major Robert B. Macklin, USMC, who was walking slowly down the lines of Baker Company following the civilian, and writing down the names of those members of his company of which the civilian apparently approved on a clipboard.

  Then he walked angrily away.

  He walked for three blocks without any real idea of where he was going.

  Then he stopped a passing corporal and asked him where the office of the Inspector General was.

  "On the main post, sir," the corporal said. "In the head-quarters building."

  "How do I get to the main post?"

  "It's down this road, sir," the corporal said. "Too far to walk."

  "Thank you," Hart said, and went to the side of the road, and when the first vehicle approached, held up his thumb to hitchhike a ride.

  The captain in the office of the Inspector General wasn't much more help than the commanding officer of the Re-placement Battalion (Provisional) had been.

  "Captain, that decision has been made. The men of your reserve unit will be assigned where they will be of most use to the Marine Corps."

  "I can swallow that, I suppose," Hart said, his voice ris-ing. "I don't like it, but I can swallow it. But they should be getting ready to go to war, not fucking around with some bullshit movie!"

  "Calm down, before you get yourself in trouble," the captain said.

  "Where's the commanding general's office? On this floor?"

  "You really don't want to go there, Captain."

  "The hell I don't! Where's his fucking office?"

  The captain did not reply.

  Hart glowered at him, then stormed out of his office.

  There was a sign in the lobby of the building. The offices of the commanding general and the deputy commanding general were on the second floor.

  Hart took the stairs to the second floor two at a time.

  There were three people in the outer office: Sergeant Major Neely, Corporal Delbert Wise, and Colonel Edward Banning.

  "Well, I'll be damned!" Colonel Banning exclaimed. "How are you, George?"

  "Pretty goddamned pissed off is how I am!"

  "About what?"

  "They took my company away from me, and that miser-able sonofabitch Macklin is using them as extras in some bullshit movie!"

  "George, calm down," Banning said.

  Banning looked at Sergeant Major Neely and Corporal Wise, and indicated with a nod of his head that they should make themselves absent. When they had left the office, he turned to Hart.

  "Okay. Now start at the beginning, George."

  Seven minutes later, Brigadier General Clyde W. Dawkins entered the outer office, a look of annoyance on his face that neither his sergeant major nor the clerk-typist had answered his two pushes of the intercom button, signaling that the deputy commanding general wished coffee.

&n
bsp; The look of annoyance on his face changed to one of cu-riosity when he saw Colonel Banning and Captain Hart.

  "What's going on, Colonel?"

  "May I see the general a moment, sir?" Banning asked.

  Dawkins considered that a moment, then signaled Ban-ning to follow him into his office. Banning did so, closing the door after him.

  "Okay, now what's going on, Ed?" Dawkins asked.

  "General, you have one highly pissed-off captain out there," Banning said.