W E B Griffin - BoW 04 - The Colonels

by The Colonels(Lit)

  And then Parker's bitterness came out almost as soon as he'd made them drinks.

  "How's Mac doing?"

  "Mac is now

  "Deputy Commandant for Special Projects,"" Lowell said.

  "How's that for a title?" "Maybe that's what I should do," Parker said. "Punch somebody off the balcony." "Phil!" Toni said, shocked.

  "Sorry, Roxy," Parker said.

  "Forget it," Roxy said. "And anyway, it's not all sweetness and light over there, is it, Craig?"

  "You're asking me?"

  "Since Mac won't tell me, yeah, I'm asking you." "OK," Lowell said, deciding it would be good for Phil to hear what was really going on at Bragg. "What's going on is that airborne thinks it should run Special Forces, as sort of super-paratroops, and Hanrahan doesn't want them to have it. Hanrahan believes Special Forces should be primarily concerned with guerrillas. Or training foreign troops to fight their own wars. Hanrahan's right, of course, but it's David versus Goliath, and guess who David is?"

  "How does that affect Mac?" Parker asked.

  "Mac was given a choice between being the grand old man of airborne, or standing by Hanrahan. Mac being Mac, he put on the green beret."

  "Meaning what?"

  "It's a symbol. The airborne, specifically Lieutenant General Howard, forbade the wearing of that silly hat. Hanrahan read the regulations about his authority as commandant of the school... it's a Class II activity of DC SOPS... and to remind Howard that he's not under him, ordered his troops into the berets."

  "What are they really doing over there?" Phil Parker asked.

  "Hanrahan's going to train people experienced noncoms and officers to run other people's forces. Very much like what we did in Greece. We provide the expertise, and native forces provide the manpower.

  Guerrillas, in one sense, but more than that."

  "What's the fight with airborne?" Phil Parker asked. "Airborne sees them as Rangers, super-paratroops, like the who climbed the cliffs on the beaches in Normandy." i don't get the distinction," Parker confessed. "Hanrahan explained the difference neatly. Rangers are trained to complete the mission and to disregard casualties. Special Forces are trained to stay alive; they're too valuable to ounds interesting," Parker said. "I wonder how they' reed for instructor pilots." - "It's not for you, Phil," Lowell said, quickly adding: These are nuts-and-bolts guys. The officers are either by or signal corps. I don't think they even have any armor Antoinette decided to change the subject.

  "SHow was the house, Roxy?" she asked. "Do you like it?" Not as well as the one here," Roxy said. "But there's nothing wrong with it. I just really hate to leave the house here."

  "What are you going to do with your house here?" lannier said.

  "Rent it," Roxy said. "Which means I have to find a light colonel who doesn't have to live in quarters on the post." "I don't understand," Jannier said.

  "I'll have to get three hundred fifty dollars a month for it," Roxy said. "That's a lot of money." "No," Jannier said. Roxy and the others looked at him in surprise.

  "Craig," Jannier asked. "What are we paying for the motel?"

  "Right around five," Lowell said. "A little over five."

  "You're paying five hundred a month?" Roxy asked, indignantly. "You're crazy! For a couple of rooms in a motel?"

  "Would you rent us your house, Roxy?" Jannier asked.

  "I don't know," Roxy said, uneasily.

  "I kn6w what you're thinking, Roxy," Antoinette said, laughing. She knew that Roxy was thinking about the problems that would come with renting her house to two bachelors. "But it isn't that way. I used to go to the house Phil and Craig had in - Lawton, outside of Fort Sill.

  Believe it or not, it looked like a page from Better Homes & Gardens.

  There was never anything in the refrigerator but beer and martini onions, of course, but the house was immaculate." "We had a maid," Phil said. "And of course, men are naturally neater than women."

  "I withdraw everything nice I said," Toni said.

  "What would you do for furniture?" Roxy asked.

  "We could get furniture," Lowell said. The idea appealed to him. He didn't like the motel suite. "It would be better than the motel."

  "And they don't have children," Toni said, "to write on the walls with crayons."

  "Fine with me," Roxy said, making up her mind.

  "When can you move out?" Lowell asked.

  "Go to hell, Craig;" Roxy said, and then answered the question. "Just as soon as I can get the movers to come. In a couple of days, really."

  "You will leave the light bulbs?" Lowell asked, innocently.

  Phil Parker collapsed in laughter.

  "What's so funny?"

  "When we moved into the house in Lawton, the lights didn't go on. So Lowell called the guy who sold him the house and really read him the riot act, and the guy rushed an electrician over. The guy took one look at the fixture and told Craig that you had to have light bulbs in the sockets; otherwise, no lights."

  There was laughter, some of it politely forced, for no one else found it as funny as Parker apparently did, and then a new voice came from the doorway.

  "I guess I missed the punch line, huh?" Melody Dutton Greer said.

  "I was wondering what happened to you," Antoinette said, going to her.

  "I was delayed at my mother's," Melody said. "Don't apologize," Phil Parker said. "If Jean-Philippe hadn't brought it up, you wouldn't have even been invited."

  "Phil, for God's sake," Toni said. "If you can't handle it, don't drink!"

  Lowell glanced at Roxy. She was looking at him. It was evident that both of them had just realized that Melody Dutton Greer would be Lowell's neighbor... more specifically Jeanphilippe.Jannier's neighbor, when he and Lowell moved into 227 Melody Lane."atuation Room White House on. D.C. 19 January 1959 meeting to -combine and coordinate differing intelligence information about Russian shipments to Cuba was chaired by the Deputy Director, Analysis, the C I A. Major Sanford T. Felter was present officially as an observer, in his role as the ident's personal liaison to the intelligence community. In he was-responsible for the meeting. isarlier that day, two Top Secret reports, both marked FOR M ATTENTION OF THE PRESIDENT, had been delivered by courier to the White House and then to Felter. Among his other duties, Nitet was responsible for preparing a one-paragraph synopsis of intelligence reports directed to the President. Both of the reports laid on his desk dealt with the same subject, Soviet military shipments to Cuba. One had been prepared by the CIA, the other by the Office of the Chief of Naval Intelligence. "They differed in the assessments of what had already been shipped and what they believed was about to be shipped. They also differed in their assessment of Soviet sea lift capabilities. He had just finished typing out the one-paragraph synopsis imdicating in these that there was a difference of opinion between the two), when a third report arrived, this one from die State Department. It, too, dealt with Soviet military shipments actual and projected to Castro's Cuba. - Felter had then telephoned the Deputy Director, Analysis, of the CIA and told him about the other two reports.

  "Goddamn it, Felter, they are supposed to route that stuff through me."

  "Sir, what would you like me to do about it?"

  "I want that material in the President's hands today," the Deputy Director said. "And I suppose that means another god damned meeting.

  Will you set one up, Felter? Situation Room at two?"

  "Yes, sir," Felter had said.

  He had telephoned the State Deparment (who dispatched an Under Secretary of State for Intelligence) and the Navy (who sent the Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence). Then he had called the Army, the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence (DICSINTEL). He told all of them a meeting was taking place at 1400 in the Situation Room concerning Soviet arms shipments to Cuba.

  He had passed the President in the corridor leading from his personal (as opposed to Oval) office. The President had asked if he had anything for him.

  "Sometime this afternoon, Mr. Preside
nt, there will be a report of Soviet arms shipments, actual and projected, to Cuba. The CIA's making a brief of everybody's report at 1400 in the Situation Room." "OK," the President had said.

  When the President walked into the Situation Room at 1405, he gestured with his hand for the Deputy Director, Analysis, of the CIA to keep his seat, and slipped into one of the chairs along the side of the table.

  The President, chain-smoking and sipping from a china coffee cup, heard out the differences of opinion between the CIA and the Navy and the State Department without comment. But then, interrupting a discussion involving the Soviet oil tanker capability, he asked DCSINTEL a question that had nothing to do with Soviet sea lift capability. He asked DCSINTEL what the Army could offer in the way of unconventional forces Special Forces in other words to tie down Cuba's army if an invasion should become necessary.

  The Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, very embarrassed, was forced to confess he simply didn't know.

  "If we have to do this," the President said, "the less brute force we have to use, the better."

  "I'll get the information for you, Mr. President" the DCSINTEL said.

  "No," the President said, "you have other things to do." He looked down to the end of the table. "Felter, look into that for me, will you, please?"

  "Yes, Mr. President."

  "And while you're at it, Felter, get me a report on the availability of those whirlybird tank killers, too."

  "Yes, Mr. President," Felter repeated.

  "It seems to me that if we don't have the sea lift capability to get our tanks to Cuba without requisitioning the Staten Island ferry, then the next best thing we can do is come up with tank-killing helicopters," the President said. "I saw a demonstration on the TV a couple of weeks ago that looked very impressive."

  "Yes, Mr. President," Felter said. "The way things have been going," the President went on, should be very surprised to find that we have these assets in place. When you're asking questions, Felter, see if something I suppose I mean funding would speed things up." "Yes, Mr. President," Felter said, again.

  The meeting then passed on to other things. When the meeting was over, Felter went to his office, and typing furiously, prepared two extracts of the reports that had just been discussed. One went two and a half pages, and the other was the single-paragraph synopsis the President demanded. Then he called the Pentagon, and asked General E.Z. Black's executive officer, a full colonel, for an appointment. He hoped, futilely, that Black would be free that afternoon. But the colonel told him he could "slip him in" for half an hour at 1430 tomorrow.

  "I'm sorry, sir," Felter said, "but it's necessary that I see the general right away. I'll leave for the Pentagon now. Please make the necessary arrangements."

  He was still on the phone to the White House motor pool when one of the other buttons on the telephone lit up. When he was finished with the motor pool dispatcher, he punched it. "Felter." "Black," the familiar voice said. "Good afternoon, sir."

  "I understand you insist on seeing me right away."

  "Yes, sir." "Stay where you are, Major," Black said, and hung up. Felter called the motor pool back and cancelled the car.

  Then he walked upstairs and down the corridor and gave the President's secretary a large manila envelope with the Soviet war material reports in it. Then he walked back to his office and waited.

  Twenty minutes later, the guard shack called. General E.Z. Black was at the gate. Was he expected?

  "Pass him in."

  He was furious with his stupidity. He had presumed that Black had a White House pass. Obviously he didn't. Would Black think that he had known all along, and had had him stopped at the gate to show his own importance?

  Black was shown into Felter's small office a few minutes later.

  Felter stood up.

  "Good afternoon, sir," he said.

  "Thank you for seeing me, Major," Black said. He handed Felter a large manila envelope. "I believe this is what you're after," he said.

  "May I offer the general some coffee?" Felter said.

  "That's very kind of you, Major. Thank you," General Black said.

  "General," Felter said, "I was instructed by the President to get some information for him. It was necessary that I insist..

  "I believe the information you seek is there," Black said, indicating the envelope.

  DCSINTEL, Felter realized, had lost no time in reporting what had happened at the meeting.

  Felter pushed a button on his intercom.

  "Coffee, please, for two," he said.

  "Very interesting," General Black said. "Rumor has it, Felter, that you have one of the ultimate status symbols around here."

  "What would that be, General?" Felter asked. "A telephone that puts you right through to the President." Felter didn't reply. He opened the envelope.

  It contained two memoranda from Black, both addressed to the Chief of Staff. One had HEUCOP'rers, ROCKET-ARMED, AMfltank in the

  "Subject"

  block, and the other, SPECIAL-FORCES, AUGMENTATION OF wispanish-SPEAKING PERSONNEL. Both were dated 3 January 1959, two days after Fidel Castro had rolled triumphantly into Havana in his jeep.

  "The memoranda are apparently being studied," General Black said. "I don't believe the Chief of Staff has had the opportunity to make his decision."

  Felter read the helicopter memorandum quickly but carefully. Black had recommended that a provisional company of twenty rocket-armed helicopters be immediately formed at Fort Knox, Kentucky. H- 19 aircraft were to be obtained by levy upon those posts and organizations that had them, and pilots and maintenance crews were to come from Fort Rucker, Alabama, and Fort Knox. It recommended the immediate allocation of $2 million for immediate expenses.

  The Special Forces memorandum recommended the immediate augmentation of the Special Warfare School with such

  "I TIff COLONELS equipment and funds as were considered necessary to train and equip four companies each of 214 officers and men of Spanish-speaking personnel for possible use in the Caribbean area. It would authorize the commandant of the Special Warfare School to recruit such personnel in the Zone of the Interior, and would direct the Adjutant General to order the transfer of such personnel without regard to any objections that might be raised by their present units. It was recommended that $10 million be made available immediately.

  "I think the-President will be glad to hear this," Felter said. And their-he added, "General, I would have been happy to come get this from you. You didn't. he stopped in mid-sentence. He now understood why General Black had come to the White House. And what General Black wanted from him.

  He looked at General Black for a moment, and then he picked up his telephone. There was a row of buttons on its base. The extreme right button was protected with a cover against inadvertent use. Felter pushed the cover out of the way and punched the button.

  "Yes?"

  "Felter, Mr. President. I have the information regarding the rocket helicopters and the Green Berets."

  "Good," the President said, obviously puzzled that Felter had telephoned him about it.

  "General Black is here, sir," Felter said. "In case you would like to ask him something specific."

  There was a pause.

  "Bring him up, Felter," the President said, finally. "You have five minutes."

  "Thank you, Mr. President," Felter said.

  The President's Chief of Staff was visibly annoyed when Felter appeared with General Black.

  "You're fouling up the schedule," he said. "You know that."

  "I'm sorry," Felter said.

  "Is General Black out there?" the Presideht's voice came over the intercom. "And Felter? Send them in."

  Black marched into the office and saluted. Felter saw that the President's Chief of Staff had followed them into the room.

  "How are you, E. Z.?" the President asked. "Good to see you."

  "Very well, Mr. President, thank you," General Black said.

  "You have the answers th
e DCSINTEL didn't have?"

  "Yes, sir," Black said, and handed him the memoranda. "What do they say, Felter?" the President asked. "General Black, on 3 January, recommended that a provisional company of rocket-armed helicopters be formed at Fort Knox, at initial funding of $2 muon, and that four companies of Spanish-speaking Special Forces troops be recruited for training at the Special Warfare School. The money there is $10 million." "That much money?" the President asked.

  "More will be needed, Mr. President," General Black said. "I have sent subsequent memoranda to the Chief of Staff as figures became available to me."