W E B Griffin - Corp 07 - Behind the Lines
Page 16
AFTER FEEDING HIM A LOT OF LIQUOR, I GOT OUT OF HIM THIS VERSION: AN ARMY RESERVE CAPTAIN NAMED WENDELL FERTIG REFUSED TO SURRENDER AND WENT INTO THE HILLS OF MINDANAO WHERE HE GATHERED AROUND HTM A GROUP OF OTHERS, INCLUDING A NUMBER OF MARINES FROM THE 4TH MARINES WHO ESCAPED FROM LUZON AND CORREGIDOR, AND STARTED TO SET UP A GUERRILLA OPERATION.
HE HAS PROMOTED HIMSELF TO BRIGADIER GENERAL, AND APPOINTED HIMSELF "COMMANDING GENERAL, US FORCES IN THE PHILIPPINES." I UNDERSTAND (AND SO DOES PHIL DEPRESS) WHY HE DID THIS. THE FILIPINOS WOULD PAY ABSOLUTELY NO ATTENTION TO A LOWLY CAPTAIN. THIS HAS, OF COURSE, ENRAGED THE RANK-CONSCIOUS PALACE GUARD HERE AT THE PALACE. BUT FROM WHAT DEPRESS TELLS ME, FERTIG HAS A LOT OF POTENTIAL.
SEE WHAT YOU CAN FIND OUT, AND ADVISE ME. AND TELL ME IF I'M WRONG IN THINKING THAT IF THERE ARE MARINES WITH FERTIG, THEN IT BECOMES OUR BUSINESS.
FINALLY, WITH ME HERE, MOORE, WHO IS ON THE BOOKS AS MY AIDE-DE-CAMP, IS GOING TO RAISE QUESTIONS IF HE SPENDS MOST OF HIS TIME, AS HE HAS TO, IN THE DUNGEON, INSTEAD OF HOLDING DOORS FOR ME AND SERVING MY CANAPES. IS THERE SOME WAY WE CAN GET SERGEANT HART A COMMISSION? HE IS, IN FAITHFUL OBEDIENCE TO WHAT I'M SURE ARE YOUR ORDERS, NEVER MORE THAN FIFTY FEET AWAY FROM ME ANYWAY.
I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD CALL MY WIFE, AND TELL HER THAT I AM SAFE ON THE BRIDGE AND CANAPE CIRCUT IN WATER LILY COTTAGE IN BEAUTIFUL BRISBANE ON THE SEA.
REGARDS,
FLEMING PICKERING, BRIGADIER GENERAL, USMCR
T O P S E C R E T
When he finished reading the radio, Banning handed it back to Rickabee, who then handed it to Haughton, who replaced it in the TOP SECRET folder and then replaced the folder in his briefcase.
"The General, I surmise, is in good spirits," Banning said. "What's this business about guerrillas in the Philippines? I never heard anything about that before."
"That's one of the reasons I came over here, to discuss that with you," Haughton said. "On 12 October, the Navy station at Mare Island answered a station that was trying to get a response from Australia. They sent a message- here it is," he interrupted himself and handed Rickabee several sheets of paper stapled together-"encrypted on an obsolete crypto device. The Chief at Mare Island borrowed a crypto device from the Army, and came up with... what does it say? 'Here's the Hot Poop From The Hot Yanks, et cetera, Brigadier General Fertig."'
"Captain Fertig, according to Willoughby, in Pickering's radio," Banning said.
"How do we know this Fertig is genuine?" Rickabee asked, adding, "How did you come by this information, David?"
Haughton expected the question, but it still embarrassed him. "The Chief Radioman at Mare Island is a crony of my Chief," he said. "He figured my Chief could check out Brigadier General Fertig. I didn't-if I have to say so-know anything about this."
"He who getteth between two Chiefs will getteth himself run over," Ban-ning said solemnly.
The remark produced a rare smile on Rickabee's face, Haughton noticed. "My Chief went to the Army and came up with a reserve officer by that name-but not a general-missing and presumed captured in the Philippines. And the vital statistics of his wife. The Mare Island Chief used the vitals to establish they were talking to Fertig."
"Why couldn't they get in touch with MacArthur in Australia?" Rickabee asked thoughtfully.
"At about this time," Haughton said, "my Chief decided I could be told what had happened so far. And I ordered Mare Island to contact SWPOA and relay to them all traffic from Fertig. And I had a message sent to SWPOA confirming that, and that it was our judgment that Fertig was Fertig. SWPOA is now communicating directly with Fertig."
"Repeat:" Rickabee said. "Why couldn't they get in touch with MacArthur in Australia?"
"Because El Supremo, or his minions," Banning said, somewhat nastily, "didn't want to hear from a guerrilla leader in the Philippines after El Supremo had gone on record saying that guerrilla operations in the Philippines 'are im-possible at this time,' end quote."
"I think we have to proceed on that same cynical assumption," Haughton said.
"So how are we involved?"
"The Secretary is right now with the President," Haughton said. "He in-tends to tell him about Fertig. He thinks it's good news-and God knows he needs some-that there is a guerrilla operation. Admiral Leahy will be at the meeting. The Secretary feels that the President will ask Leahy what to do about Fertig, and that Leahy will suggest that you deal with it. At least assess the situation."
Rickabee nodded, and then pointed his finger at Banning.
"Aye, aye, Sir," Banning said, acknowledging that the responsibility had just been delegated.
He wondered how that was going to affect the week off he had been prom-ised. A clear image of Carolyn fastening her brassiere came into his mind.
"After you get back from your week off," Rickabee said.
Christ, is he reading my mind?
"Aye, aye, Sir."
Chapter Six
[ONE]
The White House
Washington, D.C.
1115 Hours 17 October 1942
"Douglas," the President of the United States said, "has stated that guerrilla operations in the Philippines are impossible at this time."
"And we all know that Douglas Mac Arthur is incapable of being wrong, don't we?" the Hon. Frank Knox said, taking his pince-nez off and starting to polish the lenses.
Roosevelt looked up from his wheelchair at the dignified, stocky, well-dressed Secretary of the Navy and smiled.
"Admiral?" the President asked.
"We really know nothing, Mr. President, except that this man Fertig has chosen not to surrender, and that he has a radio," Admiral William D. Leahy said. Leahy, a tall, lanky, sad-faced man, was the former Chief of Naval Opera-tions, and was now serving as Roosevelt's Chief of Staff.
He looked between Knox and the President, who waited for him to con-tinue.
"If we plan to suggest to General MacArthur that he is wrong, I would like to have more facts than we now have," Leahy went on. "I would therefore suggest, Mr. President, that we investigate further. Specifically, that Ricka-bee' s people see what they can find out about Fertig's activities, and what the potential is."
"I suggest the Admiral is correct, Mr. President," Knox said.
"Have you brought this matter to Admiral Nimitz's attention, Mr. Secre-tary?"
Knox shook his head, no.
"The relationship between Nimitz and MacArthur is at the moment ami-cable," Leahy said. "I would suggest, Mr. Secretary, if the President believes we should go ahead with this-"
"I think we have a moral obligation here," the President interrupted. "In the absence of an overriding consideration to the contrary, we should go ahead, at least to the point of finding out more about this chap Fertig."
"Yes, Sir," Admiral Leahy said.
"This sort of thing, guerrilla warfare, operating behind the enemy lines, is really in Bill Donovan's basket of eggs," the President said. "But that pre-sumes Douglas's willingness to talk to Donovan's man, doesn't it?" "Unfortunately," Knox said.
"After Pickering's thoughts on that subject, it occurs to me that if I or-dered him to take Donovan's people, the first place Douglas would drag his feet would be in this case."
Knox grunted.
"The result would be a disgruntled Douglas MacArthur, with this fellow Fertig dangling in the breeze? Is that your assessment?"
Leahy nodded agreement, and Knox repeated, "Unfortunately."
"Is there any way around this? To avoid confronting MacArthur?"
Leahy nodded. "I would suggest that it might be best if I sent Admiral Nimitz a Special Channel Personal advising him of what we know so far, and informing him that we are looking further into the matter, and that any support he may be asked to supply be provided with the utmost discretion."
"Don't anger Douglas by not telling Douglas, in other words?" the Presi-dent asked.
"Yes, Sir."
"General Pickering is with Douglas," the President said thoughtfully.
/> "I don't think General Pickering has to know that I have communicated with Admiral Nimitz," Leahy said. "If he doesn't know..."
"Then it wouldn't slip out in conversation, would it?" the President said approvingly. "Frank, see what information you can develop, as quickly as pos-sible, without annoying Douglas."
"Yes, Mr. President."
"Going off at somewhat of a tangent, Frank," the President said. "I sup-pose I thought of this because Pickering has a MAGIC clearance...."
"Yes, Mr. President?"
"I have been informed by Churchill that he plans to propose the establish-ment of a unified China-Burma-India command with Lord Louis Mountbatten named as its supreme commander."
"Yes, Sir?"
"I'm not going to give it to him easily, but in the end, I will have to go along. When that happens, despite the reservations that Admiral Leahy has ex-pressed both eloquently and in great detail-I won't need to hear them again from you, Frank-we are going to have to bring the British in on MAGIC. That means we will have to send to India a liaison officer with a MAGIC clearance, and the necessary communications people."
"General Pickering?" Knox wondered aloud.
"I think we should send Pickering for a visit, when the time comes, yes. But I was thinking of an officer to serve as the MAGIC man on Mountbatten's staff. Think about that, would you? Someone who would not be dazzled by proximity to royal blood?"
Banning, Knox thought immediately. But he said nothing beyond "Yes, Mr. President."
"Thank you for coming to see me, Frank. I know what a brutal schedule you have."
"My privilege, Mr. President," Knox said, aware that he had just been dismissed.
"Keep us up to date on this Fertig fellow, will you, Frank?" the President called as Knox reached the door.
"Yes, Mr. President."
[TWO]
=TOP SECRET=
THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
WASHINGTON
VIA SPECIAL CHANNEL
DUPLICATION FORBIDDEN
ORIGINAL TO BE DESTROYED AFTER ENCRYPTION AND TRANSMITTAL
SUPREME COMMANDER SWPOA
EYES ONLY BRIG GEN F.W. PICKERING, USMCR
1515 17 OCTOBER 1948
FOLLOWING PERSONAL FROM SECNAV FOR BRIG GEN PICKERING
DEAR FLEMING:
I JUST CAME FROM A MEETING WITH ADMIRAL LEAHY IN WHICH THE SUBJECT OF FERTIG AND GUERRILLA RESISTANCE IN THE PHILIPPINES CAME UP.
LEAHY BELIEVES THAT THE MATTER SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FURTHER AND SPECIFICALLY BY OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS, AND FURTHER THAT THE FEWER PEOPLE WHO KNOW ABOUT THIS THE BETTER.
HAUGHTON IS WORKING WITH RICKABEE ON THIS AND I WILL KEEP YOU ADVISED.
BOTH THE PRESIDENT AND LEAHY EXPRESSED THEIR CONCERN VIS-A-VIS MACARTHUR'S RELATIONSHIP OR
LACK OF RELATIONSHIP WITH DONOVAN'S PEOPLE. THE POINT WAS MADE AND I THINK FAIRLY THAT
THIS (GUERRILLA) SORT OF THING BELONGS IN DONOVAN'S BASKET.
BEST PERSONAL REGARDS
FRANK
END PERSONAL SECNAV TO BRIG GEN PICKERING
HAUGHTON CAPT USN ADMIN ASST TO SECNAV
T O P S E C R E T
[THREE]
Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff G-l
Headquarters, United States Marine Corps
Eighth and "I" Streets, NW
Washington, D.C.
0825 Hours 18 October 1942
Colonel David M. Wilson, USMC, Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff G-l for Officer Personnel, looked up from his desk to see Master Gunner James L. Hardee, USMC, standing there with paper in his hands and a smile on his face. (Master gunner, a rank between enlisted and commissioned status, is equiva-lent to a U.S. Army warrant officer.)
"I gather there is something in your hand that requires my immediate at-tention, Mister Hardee?"
"I thought the Colonel would probably be interested in this application for transfer, Sir," Hardee said.
Wilson put out his hand and Hardee handed him the typewritten letter.
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE
UNITED STATES POST OFFICE
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
16 October 1942
FROM: Macklin, Robert B., First Lieutenant USMC
TO: Headquarters USMC
Washington, D.C.
ATTN: MCPER-0P341-B
SUBJECT: Request For Consideration For Special Assignment
Reference is made to Memorandum, Headquarters, USMC dated 12 Sept 1942, Subject, "Solicitation of officer volunteers for Special Assignment To Intelligence Duties."
The undersigned wishes to volunteer for such duty. The following information is furnished:
The undersigned, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, is an officer of the regular establishment of the Marine Corps, presently on detached service with the USMC Public Relations Office, Los Angeles, Cal.
The undersigned is performing supervisory duties in connection with War Bond Tour n. Previously, the undersigned was a participant (e.g., one of the "Guadalcanal Veterans") in War Bond Tour I.
Prior to this assignment, the undersigned was assigned to the detachment of patients, U.S. Army General Hospital, Fourth Melbourne, Australia, while recovering from wounds suffered in action with the 2nd Parachute Battalion, USMC, on Gavutu during the invasion of
Guadalcanal.
Previous to the Gavutu invasion, the undersigned, a qualified parachutist with sixteen (16) parachute jumps, was on the staff of the USMC Parachute School, Lakehurst, N.J.
Prior to the war, the undersigned served with the 4th Marines in Shanghai (and elsewhere in China) in a variety of assignments, including a number that involved intelligence gathering and evaluation.
(f) The undersigned has almost entirely recovered from the wounds suffered during the Guadalcanal campaign, and believes that he could make a greater contribution to the Marine Corps in a Special Intelligence assignment than he can in his presently assigned duties.
ROBERT B. MACKLIN
First Lieutenant, USMC
Colonel Wilson looked up at Gunner Hardee, then shook his head and smiled in mixed amazement and disgust.
"What the hell are these 'special intelligence' duties he's volunteering for?" Wilson asked.
"We've been levied for two hundred 'suitable' officers for the OSS," Hardee said. "There was a memorandum sent out looking for volunteers."
"Reading this, you might get the idea this sonofabitch is just what the OSS is looking for," Wilson said. "A wounded hero of the Guadalcanal campaign, a parachutist, and even 'intelligence-gathering and evaluation duties in China.' "
Normally full colonels do not offer derogatory remarks about lieutenants in the hearing of master gunners; but Colonel Wilson and Gunner Hardee went back a long ways together in The Corps, and both were personally familiar with the career of First Lieutenant Robert B. Macklin.
Macklin first came to their attention several weeks before, when the Chief of Public Relations asked for his permanent assignment to public relations. The Chief was delighted with Macklin's performance on War Bond Tour One-he was a tall, handsome man, and a fine public speaker, just what Public Relations was looking for.
After reading his records, Colonel Wilson was happy to accede to the re-quest, agreeing at that time with Gunner Hardee that it was probably the one place the bastard couldn't do The Corps much harm.
Lieutenant Macklin, as he stated in his letter, did indeed serve with the 4th Marines in Shanghai before the war. His service earned him a really devastat-ing efficiency report.
Then Captain Edward J. Banning, USMC, wrote that Lieutenant Macklin was "prone to submit official reports that both omitted pertinent facts that might tend to reflect adversely upon himself and to present other material clearly designed to magnify his own contributions to the accomplishment of an assigned mission."
In other words, he was a liar.
Even worse, his 4th Marines efficiency report went on to say that Lieuten-ant Macklin "could
not be honestly recommended for the command of a com-pany or larger tactical unit."