the Technical Sergeant on duty from leaping to his feet and bellowing “attention on deck.”
“As you were,” he said. “Sergeant, is Colonel Dunn somewhere around?”
“Sir, if you’re Colonel Banning, he’s expecting you.”
“Guilty,” Banning said. “Where do I find him?”
“Hold on, sir,” the sergeant said, and picked up his telephone. He dialed a number, then announced, “Sir, Colonel Banning is here.”
Lieutenant Colonel William C. Dunn, USMC, appeared a minute later, wearing a flight suit and holding a mug of coffee in his hand.
“Good morning, sir,” he said.
“Hello, Billy,” Banning said, as they shook hands.
He reached into his pocket and took out a sheet of teletype paper, the second, carbon copy of what had come out of the machine, and handed it to Dunn.
Dunn reached in the knee pocket of his flight suit and handed Banning a sheet of teletype paper.
“The Colonel,” he said, dryly, “might find this of interest. I think I know what yours says.”
Both men read the teletype messages:
PRIORITY
CONFIDENTIAL
FROM: HQ USMC 1610 30 JUNE 1950
TO: COMMANDING OFFICER USMC BARRACKS CHARLESTON, SC
INFO: COMMANDING OFFICER MCAS BEAUFORT, SC1. ISSUE APPROPRIATE ORDERS IMMEDIATELY DETACHING COLONEL EDWARD M. BANNING FOR INDEFINITE PERIOD OF TEMPORARY DUTY HQ USMC.
2. COL BANNING WILL REPORT TO OFFICE OF THE COMMANDANT, USMC.
3. TRAVEL BY USMC AIRCRAFT FROM MCAS BEAUFORT, SC IS DIRECTED. PRIORITY AAAAA. TRAVEL WILL COMMENCE WITHIN TWENTY-FOUR (24) HOURS.
4. NO INQUIRIES CONCERNING OR REQUESTS FOR DELAY IN EXECUTION OF THESE ORDERS IS DESIRED.
FOR THE COMMANDANT USMC:
WILLIAM S. SHALEY MAG GEN USMC
PRIORITY
CONFIDENTIAL
FROM: HQ USMC 1610 30 JUNE 1950
TO: COMMANDING GENERAL USMC RECRUIT TRAINING DEPOT PARRIS ISLAND SC
INFO: COMMANDING OFFICER MCAS BEAUFORT, SC1. ISSUE APPROPRIATE ORDERS IMMEDIATELY DETACHING MASTER GUNNER ERNEST W. ZIMMERMAN FOR INDEFINITE PERIOD OF TEMPORARY DUTY HQ USMC.
2. SUBJECT OFFICER WILL REPORT TO OFFICE OF THE COMMANDANT, USMC.
3. TRAVEL BY USMC AIRCRAFT FROM MCAS BEAUFORT, SC IS DIRECTED. PRIORITY AAAAA. TRAVEL WILL COMMENCE WITHIN TWENTY-FOUR (24) HOURS.
4. NO INQUIRIES CONCERNING OR REQUESTS FOR DELAY IN EXECUTION OF THESE ORDERS IS DESIRED.
FOR THE COMMANDANT USMC:
WILLIAM S. SHALEY MAG GEN USMC
“I think I know what this is, Colonel,” Dunn said, as they exchanged the teletype messages. “The Commandant is holding a convention of real estate tycoons.”
"You can go to hell, Colonel,” Banning said. “I have no idea what this is all about.”
“It might have something to do with what’s going on in Korea,” Dunn said. “It just came over the radio that MacArthur went over to have a look.”
Banning grunted but didn’t reply.
“Zimmerman here?”
“He and Mae-Su, in my office. I thought you’d want to go together. Luddy drive you up?”
Banning nodded, and nodded toward the parking lot. “And passed the time delivering lecture 401 on the evils of the communist empire. She’s convinced the Russians—excuse me, the Bolsheviks; Luddy is a Russian—are behind this Korean business.”
“And you aren’t?”
“Billy, I just don’t know,” Banning said.
“Well, your chariot awaits, Colonel. Unless you want a cup of coffee or something?”
“I hate long farewells,” Banning said. “Let’s get the show on the road.”
“I’ll go get the Zimmermans,” Dunn said.
“What kind of a chariot do we have?”
“Gooney-Bird,” Dunn said. “Driven by yours truly.”
“That’s very nice, Billy. But I know you’ve got things to do around here.”
“I could say, ‘my pleasure, sir, there’s nothing I would rather do,’ but being a Marine officer, the truth is that I’m headed for Eighth and Eye, too. I think somebody up there thinks we’re going to have a war; they want to talk about mobilization. Taking you in the Gooney-Bird means I can take some of my officers and senior noncoms with me.”
[FIVE]
ROOM 505 EAST BUILDING, THE CIA COMPLEX 2430 E STREET WASHINGTON, D.C. 1400 1 JULY 1950
Brigadier General Fleming Pickering, USMCR, was sprawled somewhat uncomfortably on a chrome framed, tweed-upholstered couch reading The Washington Star and Captain Kenneth R. McCoy, USMC, was sitting behind General Pickering’s desk, reading The Washington Post, when the telephone on the desk rang.
McCoy looked at Pickering for guidance, and Pickering mimed picking up the telephone.
“General Pickering’s office, Captain McCoy speaking, sir.” He listened, and then added, “Pass them up, please.” He put the telephone back in its cradle and looked at Pickering. “Banning and Zimmerman are downstairs,” he said.
“That was quick,” Pickering said. “Cates told me he would get them assigned here, but that was yesterday afternoon. ”
He sat up, put the newspaper on the couch, and stood up, looking thoughtful.
“Try to get Admiral Hillenkoetter again, will you, Ken?” he asked.
McCoy consulted a stapled-together telephone book and dialed a number.
“General Pickering calling for Admiral Hillenkoetter,” he said into the telephone,