Get a car and take Mr. Zimmerman out to Pendleton and help him get whatever he thinks he needs.”
“Aye, aye, sir,” Craig’s aide-de-camp said.
“And you better go with him,” General Dawkins said to Captain McGowan. “We’ll link up somewhere later.”
Zimmerman looked at McCoy.
“Thompson?” he asked.
McCoy thought that over.
“I think I’d rather have a Garand,” he said. “Maybe both? See if you can get a tanker’s shoulder holster for me.”
Zimmerman nodded.
McCoy turned to General Craig.
“Whenever you’re ready, sir,” he said.
[FOUR]
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF HEADQUARTERS, SUPREME COMMANDER, ALLIED POWERS THE DAI ICHI BUILDING TOKYO, JAPAN 0830 14 JULY 1950
Major General Edward M. Almond was in his outer office talking to a tall, intense young lieutenant wearing the insignia of an aide-de-camp when Brigadier General FlemingPickering, trailed by Captain Kenneth R. McCoy and Marine Gunner Ernest W. Zimmerman, walked in. Almond broke off his conversation in midsentence and offered Pickering his hand.
“We heard you were here,” he said, “But Al”—he nodded at the lieutenant—“couldn’t seem to find you.”
It was a question, and Pickering answered it.
“We’re in the Imperial,” he said. “My wife’s in the hotel business, and hotel people take care of each other. They call it ‘comping,’ and I take advantage of it whenever I can.”
“I don’t think Al thought of the Imperial,” Almond said.
“No, sir, that’s the one place I didn’t look,” the aide confirmed.
“Well, I guess I don’t ask if you’re comfortable,” Almond said. “But I can offer you a cup of coffee. General MacArthur expects you at 0900.”
“Thank you,” Pickering said. “General, this is Captain McCoy and Mr. Zimmerman.”
“You look familiar, Captain,” Almond said, as he shook McCoy’s hand.
“Captain McCoy was stationed in Japan,” Pickering answered for him. “With Naval intelligence.”
“I thought he looked familiar,” Almond said. He turned to Zimmerman and smiled. “Is it true, Mr. Zimmerman, that Marine gunners can really chew railroad spikes and spit nails?”
“Carpet tacks, sir,” Zimmerman replied.
“Would you rather we talked alone, General?” Almond asked. He nodded at his aide again. “Or . . .”
“I think it would be helpful if we all talked,” Pickering said.
“Gentlemen, this is Lieutenant Al Haig, my junior aide,” Almond said, “who will round up some coffee and then join us.”
“I suppose the best way to do this is to show you my orders, ” Pickering said, taking two envelopes from his pocket and handing them to Almond.
Almond opened the smaller envelope and read it.
THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON, D. C.
JULY 8, 1950
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
BRIGADIER GENERAL FLEMING PICKERING, USMCR, 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 PICKERING 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 PICKERING AND HIS STAFF WITH WHATEVER SUPPORT THEY MAY REQUIRE.
Harry S. Truman
HARRY S. TRUMAN
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
“Now, that’s a blanket order,” Almond said, and indicated Lieutenant Haig with a nod of his head. “May I?”
Pickering nodded, and Almond handed the order to his aide. Then he opened and read the orders in the second envelope.
SECRET
The Central Intelligence Agency Washington, D.C.
Office of the Director
July 6, 1950
Mission Orders:
To: Brigadier General Fleming Pickering, USMCR Assistant Director of the CIA for Asia
By Direction of the President, and in compliance with Mission Memorandum 23- 1950, Classified TOP SECRET/CIA/Director, with which you have been made familiar, you and the following members of your staff, all of whom have been granted TOP SECRET/CIA/Director security clearances, will travel to Tokyo, Japan, and such other places as you/they may feel necessary. Travel may be accomplished by U.S. Government air, sea, rail, or road transportation, for which Priority AAAAA is assigned, or by any other means you/they determine are necessary.
BANNING, Edward F., Colonel, USMC MCCOY, Kenneth R., Captain, USMC ZIMMERMANN, Ernest W., Master Gunner, USMC
Roscoe M. Hillenkoetter
ROSCOE M. HILLENKOETTER
Rear Admiral, USN
Director
SECRET
“Two questions,” Almond said, as—after getting an approving nod from Pickering—he handed the second orders to Haig. “Colonel Banning? And why two sets of orders? The Presidential order would seem to cover everything.”
“Colonel Banning, to answer that first, General, is at Camp Pendleton in California, setting up a communications link between there and the White House. I’m going to need such a link from here to Camp Pendleton, which is one of the reasons I asked to see you.”
“Al, see that the General gets whatever he needs,” Almond ordered.
“Yes, sir,” Haig said.
“And so far as the orders are concerned,” Pickering went