portly lieutenant colonel wearing pilot’s wings and the insignia of an aide-de-camp to a three-star general, and another lieutenant colonel, also a pilot, whose collar carried the insignia of the Transportation Corps.
“Colonel,” the portly lieutenant colonel said, “this is some sort of joke, right?”
“What’s a joke?”
“About you taking this airplane.”
“I wasn’t joking about that.”
“This airplane belongs to General Walker,” the portly lieutenant colonel said. “Do you understand that?”
“Colonel, this airplane belongs to the U.S. Army,” Vandenburg said. “And I have what I’m sure is the highest priority to put it to use.”
“I’d like to see that authority!”
“Certainly,” Vandenburg said, and handed him an envelope.
The eyes of both lieutenant colonels grew wide as they read it.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON, D. C.
JULY 8TH 1950
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
MAJOR GENERAL RALPH HOWE, USAR, IN CONNECTION WITH HIS MISSION FOR ME, WILL TRAVEL TO SUCH PLACES AT SUCH TIMES AS HE FEELS APPROPRIATE, ACCOMPANIED BY SUCH STAFF AS HE DESIRES.
GENERAL HOWE IS GRANTED HEREWITH A TOP-SECRET/WHITE HOUSE CLEARANCE, AND MAY, AT HIS OPTION, GRANT SUCH CLEARANCE TO HIS STAFF.
U.S. MILITARY AND GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES ARE DIRECTED TO PROVIDE GENERAL HOWE AND HIS STAFF WITH WHATEVER SUPPORT THEY MAY REQUIRE.
Harry S Truman
HARRY S TRUMAN
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
1st Indorsement
Headquarters, Presidential Mission In the Field (Korea) 7 October 1950
Lieutenant Colonel D. J. Vandenburg, USA, of my staff is designated Deputy Chief of Mission.
Major Kenneth R. McCoy, USMCR, of my staff is designated Vice Chief of Mission.
Ralph Howe
RALPH HOWE
MAJOR GENERAL
CHIEF OF MISSION
“Are there any questions, gentlemen?”
“General Walker’s not going to like this!” the lieutenant colonel with the aide-de-camp insignia said as he handed the orders back.
“Colonel,” Vandenburg said, man-to-man, “I understand how you feel. In your place, I’d feel the same way. Hell hath no fury like a general who doesn’t get what he wants, right? But what can I do? We all live under the Chain of Command. General Howe, who reports directly to the President, doesn’t need any more authority than what I’ve shown you he has. And he sent me here to get a Beaver and two L-19s. I don’t have any more choice in this matter than you do.”
Neither lieutenant colonel replied.
“Now, while the corporal is taking that paint off the door, can we look at what L-19s are available?” Vandenburg asked reasonably.
“There’s only one here at the moment,” the Transportation Corps lieutenant colonel said. “There should be some more coming in in the next three or four days.”
“I can only hope General Howe will understand,” Vandenburg said, his voice suggesting he didn’t believe that at all. “He sent me to get two.”
[FIVE]
HANGAR 13 KIMPO AIRFIELD (K-14) SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA 1245 8 OCTOBER 1950
Major Kenneth R. McCoy was driving the Russian jeep and Major William Dunston was sitting behind him. The Marines on perimeter guard around the hangar recognized them and passed them without question, but the moment they reached the hangar, Staff Sergeant Sam Klegger, who had been left in charge when the others went to Socho-Ri, came through the door.
He saluted, and McCoy and Dunston returned it.
“From the look on your face, Sergeant,” McCoy said, “you have a question on your mind.”
“Good afternoon, sir,” Staff Sergeant Klegger said. “Yes, sir. Actually, some of the men have been a little curious why we’re guarding a hangar with nothing in it.”
“There is about to be something in it,” McCoy said. “About an hour ago, we got a message from Taejon saying that two airplanes will arrive here right about now. A Beaver and an L-19. When they get close to the hangar, I want the doors opened, quickly, and as quickly closed once we get the airplanes inside.”
“Aye, aye, sir. Is that what they call those helos, ‘Beavers’?”
“No. A Beaver is a regular airplane,” McCoy said.
“Sir, can I ask what’s going on? What are we going to do with these airplanes?”
“We ‘borrowed’ them from the Army,” McCoy said. “We’re going to use them to look for a Marine aviator who’s down somewhere between Suwon and the east coast.”
“You ‘borrowed’ them from the Army?”
“You could put it that way, Sergeant, yes,” McCoy said.
Staff Sergeant Klegger smiled approvingly.
Dunston touched McCoy’s arm, and, when he had his attention, pointed skyward.
A Beaver was making its final approach.
“Right on time,” McCoy said.
“If that’s ours,” Dunston said.
“Odds are it is,” McCoy said. “There aren’t that many of them.”
They lost sight of the Beaver as it landed, but it quickly appeared on a taxi-way headed for them.
“Open the doors, Sergeant,” McCoy ordered.
Five Marines grunted as they slid open the hangar doors.