“I’m sure you’re aware, General, that I’ve given a good deal of thought to replacing Admiral Hillencoetter at the CIA. And I’m sure you’re aware you were high on my list of potential directors.”
“I was afraid of that, sir. I really don’t think I’m qualified to take it over.”
“I do, and so does Ralph Howe, in whose judgment I place a lot of trust, but it’s not going to be you, and I suppose the real reason I came over here was to tell you that face-to-face.”
“Sir, you could have sent me a postcard, as long as that was the message.”
Truman chuckled. “You really didn’t want it, did you?”
“No, sir, I did not.”
“But you would have taken it, had I asked?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you know General Walter Bedell Smith?”
“I know who he is, sir, but I’ve never met him.”
“He didn’t want the job, either,” Truman said. “I had to work hard to convince him it was important to the country.”
“From what I know of him, sir, he’s far better qualified than I am for the job.”
“That’s what he said about you,” Truman said, smiling. “He said that he had virtually no experience with the nuts and bolts of the intelligence business, and you had an enormous amount of practical on-the-job experience.” He paused, then added: “He knew a great deal about you, General.”
“Maybe he said that because he really didn’t want the job, either,” Pickering said. “I’ve never regarded myself as anything but an amateur who found himself in water far over his head.”
“General Donovan used very much the same words to describe his own feelings,” Truman said.
“You’re talking about Wild Bill Donovan of the OSS, Mr. President?” Pickering asked, as if confused.
Truman nodded.
“I understand you were great friends,” the President said, his smile making it clear he knew exactly the opposite to be true.
Pickering smiled back at the President and chuckled.
“I made a mistake when I disestablished the OSS,” Truman said. “When I realized the country needed an organization like the OSS, I asked Donovan to come see me, to ask what he thought we needed, and how we should go about getting it.”
“Despite our differences, Mr. President, I don’t think anyone can fault General Donovan’s leadership of the OSS in the Second War.”
“What he said, in essence, was that he could have done a far better job if he had been perceived as a member of the military establishment, rather than as ‘an amateur with friends in high places in water over his head.’ ”
“The OSS was not very popular with the military establishment, Mr. President. I don’t think the CIA is, either.” He paused as understanding dawned, and then said, “Oh.”
“Uh-huh,” Truman said. “I can’t think of anyone who is as much a respected, liked, admired, proven member of the military establishment than General Eisenhower’s World War Two Chief of Staff, General Walter Bedell Smith.”
Pickering nodded, and said, “I completely agree, sir.”
“Admiral Hillencoetter was gracious enough to offer his resignation right after this war started. When I asked him who he thought should replace him, he said I might think about bringing General Donovan back, or, failing that, to offer the job to you. General Donovan had already made it plain he wasn’t interested, so your name was on my list from the beginning.”
“I’m really surprised to hear that, Mr. President. I only met Admiral Hillencoetter that one time.”
“At which meeting you handed him intelligence that the North Koreans were preparing for war, something which had not filtered up to him from his people in the field,” Truman said. “The admiral is a good man, General. He had egg on his face, but he was man enough to admit it, and it never entered his mind to shoot the messenger.”
Pickering considered that and nodded.
“So General Smith will be my new boss?”
Truman nodded.
“How does he feel about me? Mr. President, I would be happy to give up my position in the CIA. I would like to stay on active duty, if possible, until we see what’s going to happen with my son.”
“I didn’t come here to ask for your resignation,” the President said. “I came to tell you why I thought it best to name General Smith CIA Director. Which I will do as soon as I get back to my office. He’s at the Army-Navy Club hoping to hear I’ve changed my mind. I want you to get together with him as soon as possible . . . maybe even this