W E B Griffin - Corp 07 - Behind the Lines
Page 59
The engine stalled.
McCoy jumped to his feet and ran down the road toward it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chambers Lewis start after him.
They reached the truck at about the same time. Both Japanese were beyond question dead. They rested their carbines against the fender and, with what seemed like an extraordinary amount of effort, pulled both bodies from the truck.
McCoy crawled behind the wheel, put the transmission in neutral, and cranked the engine. After a moment's hesitation, it caught. He and Chambers grinned at one another.
McCoy backed the truck onto the road. Apparently, it was undamaged. He got from behind the wheel and looked back up the road.
Captain Robert B. Macklin, USMC, was moving among the bodies on the road, shooting each one in the head with his carbine.
[NINE]
Site Sugar
Davao Oriental Province
Mindanao, Commonwealth of the Philippines
0001 Hours 6 February 1943
With some difficulty, Captain Robert B. Macklin, USMC, read the luminous hands on his wristwatch. The hour and minute hands pointed at midnight; the second hand clicked past thirty-five seconds.
"Columbus, Columbus, this is Coffin, Coffin," the radio hissed.
"Right on schedule," Captain Macklin whispered.
McCoy ignored him. "Read you five by five, Coffin, go ahead," he said to his microphone. He stood up and shined a flashlight out to sea, two long flashes and then two short ones.
"We have your light," the radio hissed. "What are surf conditions?"
"Your boats can land."
"Give us five, I say again, five, minutes and another light."
"Acknowledge," McCoy said, then let the microphone drop to the length of its cord and looked at his watch.
"Right on schedule," Macklin repeated.
"Right on schedule," McCoy parroted. "Tell the people with the civilians to get them ready to move. Bring them up here in groups of six."
"Aye, aye, Sir," Macklin said.
A moment later, it occurred to him that he did not have to say "Aye, aye, Sir," to McCoy. Despite the peculiar command conditions of this mission, he still outranked him.
But it was not really a cause for concern. This mission was just about over, and it had gone very well. In no time at all, he would be aboard the Sunfish, and that would be the official end of the mission.
He wondered what the OSS would do with him now. At the very least, he reasoned, he would be returned to Washington for a debriefing on Fertig and his guerrillas. Considering all he had gone through, a decoration seemed at least possible, and maybe even probable. The only problem was that no one was around to recommend him for one; McCoy certainly wouldn't do it.
But on the other hand, if they decorated Lieutenant Lewis, which seemed probable, and didn't give him one, questions would be asked.
Even that didn't really matter. A decoration would be nice, but what he knew he would be getting for sure would be a remark on his service record that he had been on Operation Windmill, a top-level, top-secret mission behind enemy lines. And that would effectively put behind him, once and for all, that unfortunate and unfair efficiency report of Banning's.
Even McCoy could not fault his performance of duty on this mission. He had, after all, personally killed eight of the enemy. That was a fact. McCoy couldn't change that fact. Lewis wouldn't stand for that.
The most logical thing to do with him, what he would do himself if he were the officer making the decision, would be to assign him to the Country Club, where he would be of inarguable use in training others for missions of this type. There is nothing like experience. And men are inspired by teachers who have personally done what they are being trained to do.
Eight minutes later, he was back on the beach, accompanied by six of the nine females who would be taken aboard the Sunfish. That was the law of the sea, women and children first. First the women, which would take three boats, and then the other civilians and the wounded. And then they would be paddled out to the Sunfish. And that would be the end of it.
"I've got six women with me, McCoy," Macklin said. "The rest will be coming in ten-minute increments."
McCoy pointed out to sea. It took Macklin a moment to find them, but he saw, just barely, what looked like half a dozen rubber boats making their way to the beach.
"Six at once? I'll go back and tell them to send the evacuees up more quickly."
"What I want you to do is stand here and flash the light, just flash it twice, once every thirty seconds," McCoy ordered. "I'll go back and have the evacu-ees brought up here."
Five minutes later, the first of the boats reached the surf. The others were a short distance behind. Now there was a light flashing, two short flashes, from the Sunfish, obviously to guide the rubber boats on their return.
A man wearing dyed-black utilities came wading through the surf. He walked up to Macklin.
"Welcome to Mindanao," Macklin said.
"Who are you?"
"Captain Robert Macklin, USMC, on detail to the OSS."
The man offered his hand.
"Major Al Fredericks, Macklin. I'm the OSS team chief."
"How do you do, Sir?"
"Where's Captain McCoy?"
"With the evacuees, Sir. I have six on the beach, ready for evacuation."
McCoy appeared.
"I'm McCoy," he said. "Who are you?"
"My name is Fredericks. I'm the OSS team chief."
"I'll see you before I leave," McCoy said, shaking his hand. "Right now the priority is to get the evacuees aboard."
"Sorry, it's not," Major Fredericks said.
"Excuse me?"
"I have my orders, Captain. From General Pickering. The first people to go aboard the Sunfish are you and Lieutenant Lewis, followed by the other people of your party. I didn't like it at first, but after a while, it makes sense. The purpose of this operation was to get your report on General Fertig. Every-thing has to fall in line behind that."
"For Christ's sake!" McCoy protested.
"As I understand it, we're both Marine officers," Major Fredericks said. "That being the case, Captain, the proper response to an order is 'Aye, aye, Sir.' "
"Aye, aye, Sir," McCoy said.
"If you think about it, McCoy, that makes sense," Macklin said reason-ably. "The priority is to get us out of here."
"Wade out and get in the boat, Captain," Major Fredericks said. "I'll see that the others follow."
"Would you like me to go with Captain McCoy, Sir?" Captain Macklin asked.
"Why? From what I hear, Captain McCoy is the Marine Corps rubber-boat expert. He can probably get into a rubber boat without assistance."
"Yes, Sir. Of course. When would the Major like me to go out to the Sunfish, Sir?"
"You're not going anywhere, Captain," Major Fredericks said.
"Sir?"
"I wish you were, frankly, Macklin," Major Fredericks said. "Your repu-tation precedes you. But my orders are to keep you here." He looked at Mack-lin and then at McCoy. "Are you waiting for something, Captain, or will one direct order to get in a boat be sufficient for you?"
"Take care of yourself, Macklin," McCoy said. He handed Major Fred-ericks his carbine. "Round chambered, Sir. Safety on."
And then he waded into the surf.
[TEN]
OPERATIONAL IMMEDIATE
FROM SUNFISH
1105 GREENWICH 6FEBRUARY1943
FOR CINCPAC
ALL STATIONS COPY AND RELAY
OPERATION GROCERY STORE ONE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED 2300 LOCAL TIME THIS DATE
OSS AUGMENTATION TEAM SAFELY ASHORE AND IN CONTACT WITH OSS AGENT ATTACHED TO HQ USFIP
SUNFISH HAS TAKEN ABOARD CAPT K.R.MCCOY, USMCR, LT CHAMBERS LEWIS, USN, GUNNERY SERGEANT ERNEST ZIMMERMAN USMC AND STAFF SERGEANT STEPHEN KOFFLER USMC. ALL HANDS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE.
SUNFISH ALSO HAS ABOARD NINE (9) U.S. FEMALE CIVILIANS; FOUR U.S. MALE CIVILIANS AND ELEVEN (11) WOUNDED AND/OR SER
IOUSLY ILL U.S. AND FILIPINO MEMBERS OF US FORCES IN PHILIPPINES. ALT, WILL URGENTLY REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION AT DESTINATION
5 PROCEEDING AS ORDERED.
END
[ELEVEN]
SUPREME HEADQUARTERS SWPOA 2315 6FEB43
VIA SPECIAL CHANNEL
TO NAVY DEPT WASH DC
FOR COLONEL F.L. RICKABEE USMC OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS
PLEASE RELAY IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING TO MISS ERNESTINE SAGE ADDRESSES KNOWN TO BOTH BANNING AND SESSIONS
DEEPLY REGRET MUST SUGGEST YOU TELEPHONE PICK AND ADVISE HIM YOU CANNOT MARRY HIM INASMUCH AS CAPT KENNETH R MCCOY IS ON HIS WAY HOME. MORE DETAILS WHEN AVAILABLE. LOVE UNCLE FLEMING
END
BY DIRECTION OF BRIG GEN PICKERING USMC
HART 2LT USMCR
[TWELVE]
T O P S E C R E T
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
0900 8 FEBRUARY 1943
VIA SPECIAL CHANNEL
GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR
SUPREME COMMANDER SWPOA
FOLLOWING PERSONAL FROM THE PRESIDENT TO GENERAL MACARTHUR
MY DEAR DOUGLAS:
I'M SURE THAT YOU WILL AGREE THE FOLLOWING IS SOMETHING AT LEAST ONE OF US SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF SOME TIME AGO. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR GETTING THIS INTO FLEMING PICKERING'S HANDS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
ELEANOR JOINS ME IN EXTENDING THE MOST CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOU AND JEAN.
AS EVER,
FRANKLIN
END PERSONAL FROM THE PRESIDENT TO GENERAL MACARTHUR
FOLLOWING PERSONAL FROM THE PRESIDENT TO BRIG GEN PICKERING
MY DEAR FLEMING:
FIRST LET ME EXPRESS MY GREAT ADMIRATION FOR THE MANNER IN WHICH YOUR PEOPLE CONDUCTED THE OPERATION TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH WENDELL FERTIG IN THE PHILIPPINES AND MY PERSONAL DELIGHT THAT JIMMY'S COMRADE-IN-ARMS CAPTAIN MCCOY AND HIS BRAVE TEAM HAVE BEEN SAFELY EVACUATED. PLEASE RELAY TO EVERYONE CONCERNED MY VERY BEST WISHES AND GRATITUDE FOR A JOB WELL DONE.
SECOND, LET ME EXPRESS MY CHAGRIN AT NOT SEEING THE OBVIOUS SOLUTION TO OUR PROBLEM VIS-A-VIS OSS OPERATIONS IN THE PACIFIC UNTIL, LITERALLY, LAST NIGHT. I WOULD NOT HAVE DREAMED OF COURSE OF OVERRIDING THE WHOLLY UNDERSTANDABLE CONCERNS OF GENERAL MACARTHUR AND ADMIRAL NIMITZ THAT THE OSS OPERATIONS IN THEIR AREAS OF COMMAND WOULD MEAN THE INTRUSION OF STRANGERS, AND THUS MIGHT INTERFERE WITH THEIR OWN OPERATIONS. IN THEIR SHOES, I WOULD HAVE BEEN SIMILARLY CONCERNED.
OUR NEED, OF COURSE, IS FOR SOMEONE WHO ENJOYS THE COMPLETE TRUST OF BOTH ADMIRAL NIMITZ, GENERAL MACARTHUR, AND DIRECTOR DONOVAN. I HAD FRANKLY DESPAIRED OF FINDING SUCH A PERSON UNTIL LAST NIGHT. WHILE HAVING DINNER WITH OUR GOOD FRIEND SENATOR RICHMOND FOWLER, I WAS STRUCK BY SOMETHING CLOSE TO A DIVINE REVELATION, FOR I REALIZED THAT HE YOU HAD BEEN STANDING IN FRONT OF ALL OF US ALL THE TIME.
I HAVE TODAY ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER APPOINTING YOU DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICES FOR PACIFIC OPERATIONS. I AM SURE THAT GENERAL MACARTHUR AND ADMIRAL NIMITZ WILL BE AS ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THIS APPOINTMENT AS WAS DIRECTOR DONOVAN. I HAVE FURTHER INSTRUCTED ADMIRAL LEAHY TO TRANSFER ALL PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT OF USMC SPECIAL DETACHMENT SIXTEEN TO YOU, AND TO ARRANGE FOR THE TRANSFER OF ANY OTHER PERSONNEL YOU MAY FEEL ARE NECESSARY.
WHILE YOU WILL BE REPORTING DIRECTLY TO DIRECTOR DONOVAN, LET ME ASSURE YOU THAT MY DOOR WILL ALWAYS BE OPEN TO YOU AT ALL TIMES. I LOOK FORWARD TO DISCUSSING FUTURE OPERATIONS WITH YOU JUST AS SOON AS YOU FEEL YOU CAN LEAVE BRISBANE.
WITH MY WARMEST REGARDS
FRANKLIN
END PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT TO BRIG GEN PICKERING
BY DIRECTION OF THE PRESIDENT
LEAHY, ADMIRAL USN
CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE PRESIDENT
T O P S E C R E T
AUTHOR'S ENDNOTE
When the U.S. Navy Cargo Submarine Narwhal, later in the war finally sur-faced off Mindanao to deliver a good many supplies and to evacuate seriously ill Americans, civilian and military, they were greeted by the band of USFIP, in uniform, playing "The Stars and Stripes Forever."
When General Douglas MacArthur was able to finally make good his pledge to return to the Philippines, his troops were greatly assisted in the liber-ation of Mindanao by the 30,000 trained, uniformed, and armed men, Filipino and American, of U.S. Forces in the Philippines, under the command of Wen-dell Fertig.
Fertig survived the war, and resumed his successful civilian career as an engineer. He was a familiar sight, and a revered figure, around the Special Warfare Center-home of the Green Berets-at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Although he had commanded more men in combat than does a major gen-eral commanding a division, the Army never saw fit to promote him, even in the reserve, beyond full colonel.
His comrade-in-arms (and fellow civil engineer turned demolition expert) in the early days of the war on Luzon, Lieutenant (later Major) Ralph Fralick, successfully escaped from Bataan just before the peninsula fell, taking with him forty of his men. After a harrowing 1,200-mile voyage in an open boat, they arrived at Hanoi, in what then was French Indochina.
Fralick lined up his starving, exhausted, but still-proud troops and marched them to report to the French authorities. Salutes were exchanged, and then the French turned the Americans over to their allies the Japanese. Fralick survived four horrible years of Japanese captivity, and after a brief period in the peacetime Army, also resumed his career as a civil engineer.
To the end of his life he hated all things French.
Major Ralph Fralick died in 1993, and is buried in the U.S. Cemetery at the Pensacola, Florida, Naval Air Station. The author was privileged to know him well, and ultimately to deliver his eulogy.
The End