W E B Griffin - Corp 08 - In Dangers Path

by In Dangers Path(Lit)

  McCoy did not respond directly. "And torch just the one plane," he said.

  "I have a suggestion there, too," Williamson said. "Leave enough fuel in the tanks of the other Catalina for ten, fifteen minutes. Take it off. The pilot trims it up in a shallow climb and jumps. That would take it thirty, fifty miles-maybe more-before it ran out of gas and crashed. Empty, a Cat will glide a long way."

  "That way we wouldn't have to move right away," McCoy said.

  "Who would you send out?" Chief Brewer asked. "A lot of people will think they have the right to go."

  "Gunny Zimmerman is going out," McCoy said, looking at Brewer. "And he's not about to leave his wife and kids again, so they're going."

  "That's liable to cause some resentment," Chief Brewer said.

  "So is Mrs. Banning and her baby," McCoy said.

  "When my people find out that a plane is leaving," Chief Brewer said, "they'll want to decide who goes on it. Either vote on it or maybe pick names out of a hat."

  "This is not open for discussion, Chief," McCoy said coldly. "Gunny Zimmerman is going, and so are his wife and kids. And Mrs. Banning and her baby. If there's any more room, then the sick people. And if there's any room after that, you can send whoever you want."

  "You're going?" Brewer asked.

  "No, I'm not. Major Williamson will pick his copilot. Everybody else stays."

  Williamson raised one eyebrow but said nothing.

  "If we're going to do this," McCoy said, "we'll have to do it first thing in the morning. So we'd better start getting the fuel transferred."

  "Okay. That shouldn't be much of a problem. Chief McGuire, the guy who kissed the ground, built some special fuel-transfer pumps to get fuel to the main from the auxiliary tanks-which he also built."

  "And there's one thing more," McCoy said. "Major, I want you to find Lieutenant Colonel Ed Banning-he's probably in Chungking-and personally turn Zimmerman and the women over to him. I'm going to write Banning a letter saying how I think we can get the rest of these people out, and I don't want anybody but Banning to see it."

  "Sure," Williamson said after a just barely perceptible hesitation.

  I'll be damned. I almost said, "Aye, aye, sir."

  "McCoy," Williamson said. "If we can get the Army Air Corps in Ymen to loan us a C-46-or, for that matter, a C-47-we can get these people out of here in a matter of days."

  "No," McCoy said simply.

  "Just like that, 'no'?" Chief Brewer said. "Why not?"

  McCoy turned to look at him. "The priority here, Chief, is to keep this weather station going. The only way to do that is not draw the Japs' attention to it. Every time an airplane leaves Ymen, the Japs know about it. And when it lands wherever it's going, they know about that, too. If a C-46 took off from Ymen and didn't land someplace else, the Japs would start wondering why. And start looking for answers."

  "It would only take one flight," Brewer protested.

  "I almost told Major Williamson to torch both planes," McCoy said, "because when that Catalina lands at Ymen, the Japs will be wondering where it came from. And start looking for answers."

  And, Williamson thought, if he had told me to torch both planes, I would have.

  "I decided sending Gunny Zimmerman out," McCoy went on, "justified the risk-"

  "Your sergeant and his wife and kids, and the Colonel's wife and-" Chief Brewer interrupted.

  "Get this straight, Chief," McCoy cut him off, coldly angry. "I don't have to justify a goddamned thing to you."

  "McCoy," Williamson said, "I can sort of understand the chief's position-"

  "Or to you, either, Major," McCoy snapped, turning to meet Williamson's eyes. "With respect, sir, I'm in command here. My orders regarding you and the other airplane drivers is to get you out of here as soon as I can, without endangering the mission. In other words, you'll go, or not go, when and how I decide."

  "No offense."

  "If you're uncomfortable flying the one plane out here, fine. I'll have Weston fly it out. The only reason I decided to let you fly it is that you're the only pilot who's married."

  "I didn't mean to question your authority, Captain."

  "Thank you, sir," McCoy said.

  [SEVEN]

  Headquarters, 32nd Military District

  Ymen, China

  1430 3 May 1943

  Major Avery Williamson, USMC, estimated that he had had one-point-two-five hours of fuel remaining when he touched down at Ymen, escorted by two Chinese Curtiss P-40 fighters that had intercepted him a hundred miles away.

  He felt bad about that. He could have brought out more people, and it didn't help much to tell himself that he had done what he could to bring out as many people as he could, including flying without a copilot.

  As he should have expected, Weston refused to fly as copilot. He could not in good conscience do so, he said, if that would mean leaving women and children behind. Weston's selflessness had shamed Lieutenants Stevenson and Pickering into making the same statement. In fact, Pickering was so inspired-or maybe shamed-by Weston that he insisted on flying the other Catalina off into the desert and then parachuting from it.

  Williamson waited to hear that Pickering had landed safely-a little bruised, but not seriously hurt-before taking off with Gunny Zimmerman and fifteen women and children aboard, plus two seriously ill male gypsies, a Yangtze River sailor, and a 15th Infantry soldier.

  The two P-40s stayed on his wingtips until he actually touched down, then they added throttle and went around to land themselves. Until the very last moment, Williamson suspected, they probably feared he was a Japanese aircraft in American markings. They didn't see many Catalinas in inland China, and, with the bubbles removed and faired over, his Cat did not look like any of the Catalinas in the Aircraft Identification Charts.

  Williamson was not surprised when he turned off the runway to find two machine-gun-mounted jeeps waiting for him, in addition to a Follow Me jeep. The fighters had obviously radioed ahead that a very strange aircraft, very possibly a Japanese suicide bomber, was on the way. The machine-gun jeeps followed him to the parking area in front of base operations.

  A tall Marine officer came out of base operations. His overcoat collar was turned up against the icy wind.

  Well, that's luck. A fellow Marine should know how I can find this fellow Banning.

  Williamson shut the Cat's engines down. He wondered if the Air Corps had any people here who had ever even seem a Catalina before, and would be qualified to inspect it before he flew on to Chungking. If something needed to be replaced, whatever it was would have to be flown in, and Christ only knew how long that would take. Presuming that the airplane was OK, was he going to be expected to try to get it from here back to Pearl Harbor? Without a copilot?

  Maybe, he thought, as he climbed out of the seat, I could just leave it parked here and see about getting a ride back to the States. God, I know better than that. I'm stuck in this frozen wonderland until I can fly this airplane out of here.

  "Everybody stay put, please, until I sort things out with the authorities here," he called, and then walked toward the fairing that had replaced the bubble. As he passed Gunnery Sergeant Zimmerman, the tough Old Breed Marine was in the process of changing a diaper. As he passed Mrs. Banning, he saw that she was weeping uncontrollably.

  Tough lady, Williamson thought admiringly. She didn't break down until she knew she and her baby were really out.

  Williamson jumped to the ground. The machine guns in the jeeps swiveled in on him. Only half in jest, he raised both hands above his head.

  The Marine lieutenant colonel snapped something furiously in Chinese, waited until the muzzles had been diverted, and then walked toward Williamson.

  Williamson saluted. "Major Williamson, sir. Avery R. I've just come, believe it or not-"

  "I have a very good idea where you came from," the Lieutenant Colonel said. "Is Captain McCoy all right? And Zimmerman?"

  "Everybody is, sir. Zimmerman is a
board the aircraft."

  "Zimmerman is? What's that all about? Is he injured?"

  "He's carrying a message for a Lieutenant Colonel Banning, sir."

  "I'm Banning," Banning said. "What kind of message?"

  Before Williamson could begin to reply, Banning spotted Zimmerman getting out of the airplane. "There he is," Banning said, and, raising his voice: "Zimmerman, over here! What have you got for me?"

  "Colonel, I think the message can wait a couple of minutes," Williamson said.

  Banning turned to him with surprise and disbelief on his face. "I beg your pardon, Major?"

  "Mrs. Banning and your baby are on the Cat, sir."

  "Excuse me? What did you say?"

  "Sir," Williamson began, but he didn't have to repeat any more.

  Mrs. Edward J. Banning had appeared in the fairing opening and her husband was rushing to her. And the child she held in her arms.

  EPILOGUE

  The Oval Office

  The White House

  Washington, D.C.

  1430 5 May 1943

  The President's Naval aide opened the door and announced, "Congressman Westminister and Colonel Donovan are here, sir."

  "Show them in," President Roosevelt said.

  Donovan entered the office first, followed by Representative Westminister, a tall, portly man with long silver hair, wearing a loose-fitting linen suit.

  "Thank you for coming so quickly, Congressman," the President said.

  "Mr. President," Westminister replied in a thick South Carolina accent.

  "You're in distinguished company, Congressman," the President said. "Now that Colonel Donovan has found time to come over to see me, we have two Medal of Honor winners in the room. Do you happen to know Colonel Stecker?"

  "No, sir," Westminister said. "I am truly honored to make your acquaintance, Colonel."

  Stecker, looking a little uncomfortable, shook the Congressman's hand.

  "You know Senator Fowler, of course?" the President said. "And I suppose you met Colonel Donovan coming in?"

  "Yes, sir, I did. Always good to see you, Senator," Westminister said.

  "Congressman," Fowler said.

  "And my son Jim," the President said. "Major Roosevelt, of the Marine Corps, on which I am again smiling with great pride."

  "A great privilege, Major," Congressman Westminister said.

  "Before we go any further, Congressman," Roosevelt said. "I think you better read this." He handed him a very long sheet of teletypewriter paper, and then added, "I suspect from the look on his face that Colonel Donovan has already seen this."

  "Mr. President," Donovan said. "The moment that came across my desk, I called to see when you could find time for me."

  "Then I guess my telling Admiral Leahy that I wanted to see anything dealing with the Gobi Desert operation and/or Captain McCoy the moment it came in was a good idea. My copy came into my hands an hour ago."

  Donovan smiled. It was obviously an effort.

  Congressman Westminister read the long Special Channel message.

  T O P S E C R E T

  VIA SPECIAL CHANNEL

  FROM OSS DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR PACIFIC OPERATIONS

  OSS STATION CHUNGKING

  1845 LOCAL TIME 4 MAY 1943

  TO DIRECTOR OSS WASHINGTON

  EYES ONLY WILLIAM R. DONOVAN

  1. REFERENCE YOUR PERSONAL TO UNDERSIGNED DATED 26 APRIL 1943 IN RE DIRECTIVE FROM COMMANDER IN CHIEF TO IMMEDIATELY PROVIDE BY MOST EXPEDITIOUS MEANS POSSIBLE ALL DETAILS REGARDING ACTIVITIES OF CAPT K.R. MCCOY AND OPERATION GOBI.

  2. FORWARDED HEREWITH AS ATTACHMENT 1 IS VERBATIM AFTER ACTION REPORT FROM CAPT MCCOY RECEIVED 1640 LOCAL TIME THIS DATE. THE UNDERSIGNED BELIEVES THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF WILL PREFER TO RECEIVE THIS INFORMATION IMMEDIATELY, RATHER THAN HAVE IT DELAYED FOR HOWEVER LONG IT WOULD TAKE TO PREPARE IT IN A MORE FORMAL FORMAT.

  3. FOR YOUR INFORMATION, THE UNDERSIGNED HAS DECIDED TO IMPLEMENT ALL REPEAT ALL OF CAPT MCCOYS RECOMMENDATIONS. COLONEL JACK NMI STECKER, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE COMMANDANT USMC, SHOULD BE MADE AWARE IMMEDIATELY OF CAPT MCCOYS REQUIREMENTS VIS-A-VIS THE MARINE CORPS.

  4. ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT MENTIONED IN CAPT MCCOYS AFTER ACTION REPORT, LT COL EDWARD BANNING'S WIFE, LUDMILLA, AND THEIR INFANT SON EDWARD EDWARDOVITCH AND GUNNERY SERGEANT ERNEST ZIMMERMAN'S WTFE, MAE SU, AND THEIR THREE CHILDREN WERE FLOWN OUT OF THE DESERT AND ARE PRESENTLY IN CHUNGKING.

  5. AT THE TIME LT COL BANNING WAS FORCED TO LEAVE HIS WIFE IN SHANGHAI, CONGRESSMAN ZACHARY W. WESTMINISTER III (D.THIRD DISTRICT S.C.) HAD INTRODUCED A PRIVATE BILL AUTHORIZING THE ENTRANCE OF MRS. BANNING TO THE UNITED STATES. THE STATUS OF THIS LEGISLATION IS NOT KNOWN. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND ADVISE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AS COL BANNING IS UNDERSTANDABLY EXTREMELY ANXIOUS TO SEND HIS FAMILY TO THE UNITED STATES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

  6. PLEASE CONTACT SENATOR FOWLER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND SOLICIT ON MY BEHALF THE INTRODUCTION OF A SIMILAR PRIVATE BILL FOR THE ENTRANCE INTO THE UNITED STATES OF MRS. ZIMMERMAN AND THE CHILDREN.

  RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED

  FLEMING PICKERING BRIG GEN USMCR

  ATTACHMENT 1

  STATION NOWHERE

  2 MAY 1943

  DEAR COL. BANNING:

  IF YOU HAVE TO, SHOW THIS TO GENERAL PICKERING, BUT WHAT I'D REALLY LIKE YOU TO DO IS READ IT, PICK OUT THE PARTS YOU THINK MAKE SENSE, AND THEN GO TO THE GENERAL WITH THE GENERAL IDEA. I'M NOT VERY GOOD AT PUTTING THINGS DOWN ON PAPER.

  THE THING IS, ZIMMERMAN WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG. THE WAY TO DO THIS WEATHER STATION OPERATION IS BY USING CAMEL CARAVANS. THAT WOULD HAVE WORKED FROM THE BEGINNING IF THE GYPSIES HAD A RADIO THAT WORKED, AND WE COULD HAVE FOUND OUT WHERE THEY WERE.

  WELL, WE NOW KNOW WHERE THEY ARE, AND THE WEATHER STATION WILL BE MAKING ITS FIRST REPORT TOMORROW MORNING. THE PROBLEM IS NOW FIRST HOW TO KEEP IT WORKING, WHICH MEANS BOTH RESUPPLIED AND WITHOUT THE JAPS FINDING OUT ABOUT IT, AND SECOND GETTING OUT THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN, FIRST, AND THEN THE REST OF THE GYPSIES.

  THAT BRINGS US BACK TO ZIMMERMAN'S CAMEL CARAVANS. I FOUND OUT IN YUMEN AND ON THE WAY HERE THAT THE WAY TO DO THAT IS VERY SIMPLE. GIVE ZIMMERMAN WHAT MONEY HE NEEDS, AND IT MAY TAKE A LOT, AND LET HIM HIRE THE CARAVAN PEOPLE AND PAY OFF THE BANDITS.

  THIS IS WHAT I THINK SHOULD BE DONE.

  ZIMMERMAN WILL STAY IN YUMEN AND ONCE A WEEK OR TEN DAYS SEND A CARAVAN TO ULAANBAATAR. IT WILL BE A LEGITIMATE CARAVAN, EXCEPT THAT IT WILL ALSO BE CARRYING RATIONS AND SUPPLIES FOR THE WEATHER STATION AND GAS FOR THE TRUCKS. THEY WON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE WE ARE, JUST THAT WE'LL MEET THEM ON THEIR WAY, SO THEY CAN'T SELL US OUT TO THE JAPS.

  THE FIRST CARAVANS SHOULD CARRY WITH THEM SIX MARINES AND SOME BETTER WEAPONS THAN WE HAVE HERE. AIRCOOLED.30 BROWNINGS AND BARS AND MAYBE EVEN A MORTAR. WE WILL SEND OUT AS MANY GYPSIES AS YOU SEND IN MARINES. THIRTY WELL ARMED MARINES WILL GIVE US ALL THE PROTECTION WE NEED. AT LEAST TWO OF THEM SHOULD BE HIGH SPEED RADIO OPERATORS.

  I KNOW THAT THE MINUTE HE HEARS ABOUT THIS, THAT OSS LIGHT BIRD IN CHUNGKING IS GOING TO COME UP WITH ALL SORTS OF REASONS WHY WE SHOULD HAVE TWO COMPANIES OF CHINESE INFANTRY OUT HERE PROTECTING US, AND BE RESUPPLIED BY AIRPLANE. THAT WOULD BE THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN. THE JAPS WOULD BE ALL OVER US, AND IT WOULD BE OUR FAULT.

  DON'T PUT GENERAL PICKERING ON THE SPOT BY TELLING HIM THIS BEFORE HE MAKES UP HIS MIND WHAT TO DO, BUT I'M GOING TO SEND PICK AND LIEUTENANT STEVENSON OUT WITH THE FIRST CARAVAN, IF THERE IS A FIRST CARAVAN, BECAUSE THEY'RE OF NO USE TO ME HERE. WESTON HAS VOLUNTEERED TO STAY, AND ONE PART OF ME WANTS TO LET HIM, BECAUSE HE UNDERSTANDS WORKING BEHIND THE LINES, BUT THE OTHER PART OF ME SAYS THAT YEAR HE SPENT IN THE PHILIPPINES SHOULD GET HIM EXCUSED FROM A SHIT DETAIL LIKE THIS ONE. PARDON THE FRENCH. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO WITH HIM.

  SO FAR AS THE OTHERS ARE CONCERNED. ZIMMERMAN IS BRINGING OUT WITH HIM A ROSTER OF THE GYPSIES, PLUS THE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF THEIR NEXT OF KIN. I REALIZE THAT IT'S A DIRTY TRICK TO PLAY ON THEM, BUT I AM GOING TO SEND OUT THE MOST USEFUL PEOPLE LAST, MEANING THE MARINES FROM PEKING WILL BE THE
LAST TO COME OUT, AND THE RETIRED PEOPLE FIRST, RIGHT AFTER THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN. DO YOU THINK WE COULD GET THE MARINES PROMOTED? IT WOULD MAKE THEM FEEL BETTER, AND AS YOU KNOW, THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE WE KNOW PROMOTED LATELY WHO PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN.

  WHEN WE ARE DOWN TO THIRTY MARINES AND THE WEATHER PEOPLE, I'M GOING TO SEND CAPTAIN SAMPSON OUT. HE'S TURNED OUT TO BE NOT SO MUCH OF A CANDY ASS AS I FIRST THOUGHT, AND I WANT HTM TO TRAIN WHOEVER IS GOING TO COME IN HERE TO COMMAND THE DETAIL. I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT, IF POSSIBLE, I'D RATHER NOT SPEND THE REST OF THE WAR HERE.