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."I'm Captain Pickering.I need to send a radio, classified TOP SECRET.Areyou a crypto officer?""Yes, Sir, I am, but.Captain, what's your authority?"Pickering took his orders, wrapped in waterproof paper, from his pocket andshowed them to the young officer."If that won't do it for you, Lieutenant, call General Vandergrift.""This will do, Sir.Where's the message?""I haven't written it yet," Pickering said."Sergeant, you want to get up andlet me at that typewriter?"The sergeant, who had been monitoring his radio, waiting for traffic, lookedat the lieutenant for guidance.The lieutenant nodded.The sergeant got up,and Pickering sat down at the typewriter.There was a blank sheet of paper init.Pickering looked at the lieutenant."The priority immediately below 'Operational Immediate' is 'Urgent,' right?""Yes, Sir."Pickering tapped the balls of his fingers together impatiently as he mentallycomposed the message, and then he began to type.He typed with skill.He hadtaken up typing to pass time as a junior officer at sea.It wasn't too muchlater than that when he learned that doing the typing himself was much fasterthan dictating to a secretary.URGENTFROM: HQ FIRST MARINE DIVISIONTO: CINCPACPage 294ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html0045 13AUG42FOLLOWING CLASSIFIED TOP SECRET FROM CAPTAIN FLEMING PICKERING USNR FOR EYESONLY SECNAVYWASHINGTON DC1.LOSS IN COMBAT OF COLONEL FRANK GOETTGE 1ST MARDIV G2, CAPTAIN WILLIAMRINGER 5THMARINES S2 AND 1ST LT RALPH CORY 5TH MARINES LANGUAGE OFFICER REQUIRESIMMEDIATE ACTION TO AIRSHIP QUALIFIED REPLACEMENT PERSONNEL.2.DESPITE URGENT NECESSITY TO FURNISH 1ST MARDIV WITH QUALIFIED PERSONNELI URGE INSTRONGEST POSSIBLE TERMS THAT EXISTING POLICIES PROHIBITING ASSIGNMENT OFPERSONNEL WHO HAVE HAD ACCESS TO HIGHLY CLASSIFIED INFORMATION TO DUTIES WHERETHEY MAY FALL INTO ENEMY HANDS BE STRICTLY OBSERVED.3.PENDING ARRIVAL OF QUALIFIED REPLACEMENT, THE UNDERSIGNED HASTEMPORARILY ASSUMEDDUTIES OF 1STMARDIV G2.SIGNED FLEMING PICKERING CAPTAIN USNREND TOP SECRET EYES ONLY SECNAV FROM PICKERING CAPT USN G2 1ST MARDIVHe tore the paper from the typewriter and read it.If that second paragraph doesn't tell Haughton that some damned fool assignedCory, who almost certainly knew about MAGIC, to an infantry battalion, he'snot as smart as I think he is.He handed the sheet of paper to the lieutenant."Encrypt it and get it out as soon as you can," he said."Yes, Sir," the lieutenant said.He read the message."My God, they're all dead? What the hell happened?""It's a long, sad story, Lieutenant," Pickering said and walked out of thecommo bunker.(Three)SUPREME HEADQUARTERS SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREABRISBANE, AUSTRALIA 13 AUGUST 1942Page 295ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlOn the plane from Pearl Harbor, Lieutenant Colonel George F.Dailey, USMC,seriously considered doing something about the pristine newness of his silveroak leaves.The problem was that he didn't know what would do the job.Hedidn't think that rubbing them-on a carpet, say-would effectively dim theirgloss.And working on them with, say, a nail file, would probably produce asilver lieutenant colonel's leaf that looked like somebody had worked it overwith a nail file.Before he fell asleep, he thought that when he got to his new billet inAustralia, before he actually reported in, he would find some sand and rub itinto his insignia with his Blitz cloth.The idea was amusing.After eightyears in the Corps, he'd worn out probably twenty Blitz cloths in practicallydaily use putting a high shine on his insignia.He would now use one to dullit.Lieutenant Colonel Dailey's concern was based less on personal vanity than onhis belief that he could function better in new duties if it was notimmediately apparent that he had been promoted so recently.After all, hereasoned, he had been a lieutenant colonel only thirteen days.And he wantedto do well in his new billet.When he actually reached Brisbane, so many things happened so quickly that heforgot about taking the shine off his new silver oak leaves.For one thing, there was a general's aide-de-camp, a lieutenant, waiting forhim at the airport, with a 1940 Packard Clipper staff car, a driver, and anorderly."Colonel," the lieutenant said, "on behalf of Supreme Headquarters, SWPA, andGeneral Willoughby specifically, welcome to Australia.The General asked me toexpress his regret that he couldn't meet you here himself, but he's tied upwith the Supreme Commander at the moment."The Supreme Commander, of course, was General Douglas MacArthur.GeneralMacArthur was a full, four-star general.Dailey had never seen a four-stargeneral.There were no four-star generals in the Marine Corps.The Commandantof the Corps was only a three-star lieutenant general.And until recently, histitle had been Major General Commandant, and he had had but two stars."It's very good of you to meet me," Dailey said."I'll have the sergeant get your luggage, Sir," the aide said, "and thenwe'll try to get you settled.General Willoughby hopes we can do that bysixteen hundred, so there will be a chance for him to have a quick word withyou before you see the Supreme Commander-he'll take you to see him- which wehave penciled in for sixteen forty-five."My God, I'm going to meet MacArthur!"If I'm to see the General," Dailey said, "either general, I really am goingto have to have a uniform pressed.""No problem, Sir," the aide said."There's a valet service in Lennon's.I'llhave a word with the manager and explain the situation.""Lennon's?""Lennon's Hotel, Sir.Sometimes irreverently known as 'The Lemon.' It's thesenior staff officer's quarters, Sir."Page 296ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Splendid," Dailey said.He was human.He was not yet really accustomed tobeing addressed as "colonel," and liked the sound of it; and the phrase"senior staff officer" had a nice ring to it, too, especially since it hadbeen made clear that he was regarded as such by at least one general officerof General Douglas MacArthur's general staff.Lennon's Hotel turned out to be very nice.It was a rambling,turn-of-the-century structure with high ceilings and a good deal of polishedbrass and gleaming wood.As General Willoughby's aide led him across thelobby, Dailey saw a bar, and then smiled when he saw the brass sign above itsdoor: GENTLEMEN'S SALOON.It was well patronized in the middle of the afternoon, Dailey saw, by menwearing a wide variety of uniforms [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]