airplane guys as well, including Aunt Jemima and the other two pilots— do not at all like being regarded as a lesser specimen of soldier, for that matter of human being, by every—to quote Aunt Jemima—‘high-level cretin whose claim to fame is having jumped out of a perfectly functioning aircraft while in flight.”
Despite himself, Hanrahan had to smile.
“They sound like Craig Lowell,” he said.
“That’s part of this,” Father said. “They know about Lowell, or think they do, and about Jack Portet. What’s the real skinny on Lowell? Was his first jump really a HALO, as legend has it?”
“Yeah, it was,” Hanrahan said, and then went on: “Special Forces, Special Operations, really got its start in Greece, with the U.S. Military Advisory Group, Greece. A lot of the people there—Felter and me, for openers—were parachutists, Rangers. Lowell was neither. But he was one hell of a Special Operations soldier there. A while back, they grandfathered everybody who had combat service in Greece into Special Forces. Felter and Lowell and me included. Lowell declined the honor, saying he didn’t want anyone to think he was dumb enough to jump out of a perfectly functioning aircraft in flight.”
Father chuckled.
“That sounds like him,” he said.
“For a number of reasons, both Felter and I thought Lowell should be identified with Special Forces. It was ‘suggested’ to him that he apply for Special Forces, and he couldn’t find the time. So one day a couple of years ago, he was here, and we suited him up in high-altitude gear so he could watch a HALO from a C-141 at 30,000 feet. He was standing on the open ramp, watching, when two HALO experts grabbed his arms and walked him over the edge. When he landed, I told him he was now a parachutist whether he liked it or not, and handed him jump wings and a green beret.”
“He wears it now like he likes it,” Father said.
“Afterward, he went to Benning and did a half a dozen other jumps, so he was entitled to wear the wings. I think he has a total of seven jumps, maybe eight.”
“And these guys know about Portet,” Father said.
“Leading up to what, Father?”
“They want jump wings and shiny jump boots, General,” Lunsford said. “If it takes jumping out of a perfectly functioning aircraft while in flight, so be it.”
“You’re not serious?”
Lunsford nodded.
“Even Aunt Jemima and the other two pilots,” he said.
“That’s simply out of the question.”
“That’s what I told Aunt Jemima,” Lunsford said, “to which he replied, ‘Why? We’ve done everything here we have to. We’re sitting around with our thumbs up our ass waiting for God only knows what to go to Africa.’ Significant line: ‘If Portet did it, why not us’?”
“Jesus H. Christ!”
“I didn’t have an answer for him I could give with a straight face,” Lunsford said.
“There’s no way I could get spaces for them at Benning,” Hanrahan said. “And even if I could, there’s no time. Felter tells me by the time Portet and Oliver come off leave, there will be transportation. He’s got some sort of civilian charter set up.”
“I tried that,” Lunsford said. “They’ve seen people jumping from Beavers and Hueys at Mackall, and they reasonably ask, ‘Why not us?’ ”
“Because I don’t have the authority to authorize something like that, and you know it.”
“We’re back to Portet. If Portet did it, why can’t we?”
“This is an absurd conversation, you realize that? These guys are soldiers, and soldiers can’t go on strike.”
“I don’t think they would actually unvolunteer—they’re soldiers, good soldiers, all of them—but unless you can think of something I can’t to tell them, we’re going to be taking to Africa twenty-five people we have just told we don’t think are as good as us. That’s going to shoot the old team spirit in the ass.”
“Just for the sake of conversation—nothing more—if you were sitting in this chair, what would you do?”
“Exigencies of the service,” Lunsford said.
“I can’t get away with that here for twenty-odd people, and you know it.”
“Are you humoring me, or do you really want to know what I would do?”
“I want to know, but that’s not saying I’ll do anything but snort.”
“We have a little clandestine jump school here, let them make five jumps out of a Beaver and a Huey—”
“I don’t have the authority to issue orders putting them on jump status,” Hanrahan repeated. “And I don’t want to pin wings on these guys only to have to tell them to take them off.”