Retreat, Hell! Part 49

0405 16 OCTOBER 1950TO BADOENG STRAITINFO SUPREME COMMANDER UNC TOKYO CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS WAs.h.i.+NGTON COMMANDANT USMC WAs.h.i.+NGTON COMMANDER USNAVY BASE SASEBO j.a.pAN1. REFERENCE IS MADE TOa. MESSAGE DIRECTION OF THE PRESIDENT SUBJ: PICKERING, MAJ MALCOLM USMCR 15OCT50b. YOUR SECRET URGENT SUBJECT AS ABOVE 0300 16 OCTOBER 19502. CINCPAC DIRECTSa. DETACHMENT OF DESTROYER OR DESTROYER ESCORT FROM COVERING FORCE FOR PURPOSE OF TRANSPORTING SUBJECT OFFICER TO NEAREST PORT OFFERING SUITABLE AIR TRANSPORT OF SUBJECT OFFICER TO USNAVY HOSPITAL USNAVY BASE SASEBO j.a.pAN.b. SUBJECT OFFICER BE ACCOMPANIED BY NAVY PHYSICIAN DURING MOVEMENT FROM BADOENG STRAIT TO SASEBO. TRANSFER TO TRANSPORTING VESSEL TO TAKE PLACE WHENEVER AND WHEREVER BADOENG STRAIT DEEMS ADVISABLE.c. BADOENG STRAIT WILL ADVISE CINCPAC AND ADDRESSEES HEREON BY URGENT MESSAGE OF SUCCESSFUL TRANSFER OF SUBJECT OFFICER TO TRANSPORTING VESSEL, PORT OF DESTINATION, AND ETA THEREAT.3. BADOENG STRAIT WILL Pa.s.s FOLLOWING PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM CINCPAC TO SUBJECT OFFICER AT EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY. QUOTE WELL DONE. YOUR RECENT ACTIONS IN HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF USMC AND NAVAL SERVICE. WELCOME BACK. END QUOTEFOR THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, PACIFICSTEVENS, VICE ADMIRAL, CHIEF OF STAFF Pickering read the message and handed it back to Huff. Huff held the other messages up.

"You can read these, of course, if you like," he said. "But they are simply administrative messages to implement what's going to happen. The thumbnail of the situation is that a Navy R4-D hospital plane will be waiting at Pusan-that's the nearest port-to fly your son to Sasebo. The Supreme Commander has arranged for you to be flown to either Pusan or Sasebo, whichever you prefer-"

"Sasebo," Pickering interrupted. "I don't see much point in going to Korea just to come back. And I would just be in the way."

And it smacks of special treatment-not for Pick, for me.

"Yes, sir. There are two remaining problems."

"Which are?"

"The President has directed that Major Pickering be flown to the naval hospital in the United States most convenient for Mrs. Pickering. They have apparently been unable to contact her."

"San Diego," Pickering said. "Send him to the Navy Hospital in San Diego."

"Yes, sir."

"And the second problem?"

"Miss Priestly. We haven't been able to locate her. We know she's in Korea, and probably in Pusan, but we haven't been able to find her so far."

"I understand she was headed for Wonsan."

"We've checked Wonsan. They don't know where she is, and her name does not appear on any flight manifest of flights from Pusan to Wonsan." He paused, then added: "We'll find her, General."

"I'm sure you will," Pickering said. "Thank you, Sid."

"I know the Supreme Commander is expecting you, sir," Huff said. "I'll tell him you're here."

[SIX].

When Colonel Huff opened the door to MacArthur's office and announced, "General Pickering, sir," MacArthur and Major General Charles Willoughby, his intelligence officer, were standing at a table to one side of the room, looking down at a map.

"Ah, come on in, Fleming!" MacArthur called heartily. "I've been waiting for you."

"Good morning, sir," Pickering said, and saluted.

Marines and sailors do not salute indoors-unless under arms or "covered" (wearing a hat or cap)-soldiers do. Pickering had decided nine years before, in Australia, that it was wiser to follow the Army custom. His relations.h.i.+ps with the officers around MacArthur were bad enough as it was without adding "the arrogant SOB doesn't even salute" to the listings of what was wrong with him.

"The Supreme Commander has just told me about your son, Pickering," General Willoughby said. "What good news!"

"Thank you, General," Pickering said.

"And Huff has you up to speed, right, on what's happened about that this morning?" MacArthur asked.

"Yes, sir, he has."

"Are you going out to the carrier, or to Korea?"

"No, sir. I think I'd just be in the way. I'll go to Sasebo and wait there."

"Probably the wisest thing to do. Huff will arrange whatever is necessary."

"Thank you."

"Willoughby has been bringing me up to speed on what's happening. Would you like to listen, or are you anxious to leave for Sasebo?"

"I'd prefer to hear General Willoughby's briefing, sir, if I may."

"Start from the beginning, Willoughby," MacArthur ordered.

"Yes, sir," Willoughby said. "On the west coast," he began, using his swagger stick as a pointer, "I Corps is poised to take Pyongyang. . . ."

The briefing took only ten minutes. It was upbeat and confident. The implication was that the Korea Peace Action was just about over.

MacArthur had asked only two questions of Willoughby.

"And the Wonsan mines, Willoughby?"

"Admiral Struble's Joint Task Force Seven, as of this morning, sir, has nineteen minesweeping vessels working on the problem."

"And?"

"X Corps will sail today from Inchon, General," Willoughby said. "I have every confidence that by the time the invasion fleet arrives off Wonsan, the mines will no longer pose any problem at all."

"And the Chinese?"

"There has been no reliable intelligence of any movement of Chinese troops toward the border, sir," Willoughby said. "I've personally taken a look at a good deal of the Air Force photography. There's simply nothing there."

Pickering had another unkind thought about Major General Charles Willoughby: He obviously believes what he's saying, but that is not the same thing as saying that what he believes is true.

What I should do, I suppose, is stand up and say, "General, please remember that Willoughby is the guy who told you guerrilla operations in the Philippines were absolutely impossible, and that there was no indication of hostile intentions on the part of North Korea, and his confident statements about no mines and no Chinese should be judged accordingly." "General, please remember that Willoughby is the guy who told you guerrilla operations in the Philippines were absolutely impossible, and that there was no indication of hostile intentions on the part of North Korea, and his confident statements about no mines and no Chinese should be judged accordingly."

Why don't I? Because I don't know know if the mines are gone from the approaches to Wonsan or not, and I don't if the mines are gone from the approaches to Wonsan or not, and I don't know know if the Chinese are going to come in the war, and absent proof of either, MacArthur's going to go with Willoughby. if the Chinese are going to come in the war, and absent proof of either, MacArthur's going to go with Willoughby.

And, furthermore, Bedell Smith made the point that the intelligence-gathering function of the CIA ends with pa.s.sing it on to those charged with making decisions. Making decisions is not our responsibility.

MacArthur interrupted his thoughts. "Have you any questions for Willoughby, Fleming?"

"No, sir."

"In that case, Willoughby, would you give General Pickering and me a moment?"

"Yes, sir, of course."

Willoughby went through the door into Huff's office.

"Willoughby tells me that you have sent the CIA Tokyo station chief home," MacArthur said, making it a question.

I can answer that tactfully, which means lie, and say Bedell Smith ordered it.

Or I can tell the blunt truth, and probably antagonize him.

It's probably time for the blunt truth.

"In my judgment, General, he needed to be replaced. For one thing, he failed to gain intelligence of North Korea's intentions when this war started, and for another-and no disrespect is intended-he was entirely too close to members of your staff, especially General Willoughby."

MacArthur considered that a full fifteen seconds.

"Have you decided on a replacement?"

"Colonel Ed Banning, sir. Do you remember him?"

"Of course. He was your deputy in the Second War."

"Yes, sir, he was."

"It's always nice, Fleming, to have old comrades-in-arms in one's inner command circle. You know they can be trusted," MacArthur said, then smiled. "Well, I suppose you're anxious to head for Sasebo, aren't you?"

He meant Willoughby in that philosophical observation, not Ed Banning.

Is he asking me to understand his relations.h.i.+p with Willoughby?

"Yes, sir, I am."

Pickering saluted again, then walked out of MacArthur's office into Huff's office, where Captain Hart and Master Sergeant Keller were waiting for him. Willoughby nodded at Pickering, then went back into MacArthur's office.

"This is the most interesting one, General," Keller said, handing him a sheet of paper. "And it was delivered by a j.a.p on a bicycle."

FROM TRANSGLOBAL HONOLULUTO TRANSGLOBAL TOKYOPLEASE Pa.s.s TO GENERAL PICKERING THAT COLONEL EDWARD BANNING, USMC, IS ABOARD TGF 1022 DUE TO ARRIVE IN TOKYO 1230 TOKYO TIME OCTOBER 16.WILLIAMSON TG HONOLULU.

"Well, I guess we'd better be at Haneda to meet him, hadn't we, Paul?" Pickering said.

XII.

[ONE].

THE IMPERIAL HOTEL TOKYO, j.a.pAN 1115 16 OCTOBER 1950.

Captain George Hart knocked lightly on the door to Brigadier General Pickering's bedroom, and then, as was his custom, without waiting for a reply, opened the door wide enough to look inside.

Pickering's bedroom was actually a suite within a suite. There was a bedroom, a private bath, and a small room holding a desk and chair and a leather-upholstered chair with a footstool.

Pickering was sitting in the chair, holding a cup of coffee. He was not on the telephone, which meant that his conversation with Mrs. Pickering was over.

Hart signaled with a wave of his hand for Master Sergeant Paul Keller to follow him into the small room.

Pickering didn't seem to notice their presence.

"It's about that time, boss," Hart said. "We better get out to Haneda. Trans-Global may surprise us all by arriving on time."

Hart got neither the laugh nor the dirty look he expected from Pickering. Instead, Pickering looked at them thoughtfully.

"Sir?" Hart asked.

"I want a straight answer from you two," Pickering said. "You listening, Paul?"

"Yes, sir?"

"A lot has gone on in Korea that I don't-we don't, and especially Colonel Banning doesn't-know much about. The helicopters, for one thing, and this Army lieutenant colonel who apparently has not only stolen a Beaver from the Eighth Army commander but seems to have taken over our villa in Seoul," Pickering said. "Right?"

"That's right, sir," Hart said. "Are you worried about Colonel Vandenberg?"

Pickering didn't respond.

"George," he went on, "you and I have never been inside the Seoul villa, and all we know about it is what Bill Dunston has told us about it."

"The Killer seems impressed with this Vandenburg guy," Hart said.

Again, Pickering didn't respond.

"Neither have we been to Socho-Ri," Pickering said.

"No, we haven't," Hart agreed.

"And obviously, Banning should meet Dunston and Vandenburg, and have them and McCoy and Zimmerman bring him up to speed on what's going on. All of these things would seem to indicate that we get Banning and ourselves to Seoul as quickly as possible, even if Ed Banning's a.s.s is dragging after having flown halfway around the world."

"Makes sense to me, boss," Hart said.

"Okay, here's the question, and kindness should not color your answer: Who made that decision, your steel-backed, cold-blooded commander thinking of nothing but the mission, or a father who desperately wants to see his son?"

There was silence.

"You first, Paul," Pickering said.

"Jesus, General," Keller said. "If it was me, and if my son, if I had one, was just coming back from wherever the h.e.l.l he's been, I'd be on the next plane to Korea, and I wouldn't even think of Dunston and Socho-Ri and the rest of it."

Pickering met his eyes for a moment, then looked around for Hart. Hart was across the room, on the telephone.

"Whoever that it is, George, it'll have to wait," Pickering said. "I want an answer."

Hart covered the telephone microphone with his hand.