Retreat, Hell! Part 36

The parade, as Truman referred to his Secret Service bodyguard escort, was waiting when Truman came down the steps of Blair House, turned right, and walked briskly down Pennsylvania Avenue toward the Foster Lafayette Hotel.

Truman looked across Pennsylvania Avenue at the White House. There were all sorts of signs of work on the "repairs" under way. It was more than repairs, Truman thought. The building, which had been literally at the point of collapse, had been gutted and was being rebuilt.

He waved and smiled at tourists, but completely ignored the questions called out to him by a dozen members of the press who had joined the parade the moment it was formed.

They were waiting for him at the Foster Lafayette. The doorman held the door open for him, and, inside, four Secret Service agents made sort of a path to an elevator waiting for him.

Brigadier General Fleming Pickering, USMCR, was standing in the corridor outside the door to his suite.

"Morning," the President said.

One of the Secret Service agents walked quickly through the door.

"Good morning, Mr. President," Pickering said as the President walked past him into the sitting room of the Marquis de Lafayette Suite.

Two waiters were making final adjustments to an array of food on a table covered with a white tablecloth.

"That's very nice, General," Truman said, "but all I asked for was a cup of coffee."

"Mr. President, if you'd given them another couple of minutes, there would be a steamboat round of beef and pheasant under gla.s.s on that table," Pickering said.

"It's a little early for something like that, but that pastry is tempting," Truman said. He walked to the table and spoke to the waiters. "That's very nice, thank you very much."

He picked up a white sugarcoated breakfast roll and looked at the Secret Service agents.

"Would you leave us, please?" he ordered.

He took a bite of the roll, then laid it down and poured a cup of coffee from a silver pitcher. He looked at Pickering, asking with raised eyebrows if Pickering wanted coffee.

"Yes, please, thank you, sir," Pickering said.

Truman poured the coffee and handed the cup and saucer to Pickering. Then he took his own cup and saucer and the breakfast roll and sat down on a couch.

"Please sit down, General," he said.

"Thank you, sir."

"I just got a message from Ralph Howe," the President said. "I thought you would like to see it."

He took the white envelope from his suit jacket pocket and handed it to Pickering.

"Thank you, sir," Pickering said, and opened the envelope and read it.

TOP SECRET/PRESIDENTIAL.

OPERATIONAL IMMEDIATE.

DUPLICATION FORBIDDEN0845 TOKYO TIME 10OCTOBER1950FROM: CHIEF PRESIDENTIAL MISSION TO FAR EASTVIA: USMC SPECIAL COMMUNICATIONS CENTER CAMP PENDLETON CALTO: WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS CENTER WAs.h.i.+NGTON DC EYES ONLY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATESBEGIN PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM MAJOR GENERAL HOWEDEAR HARRYIN RESPONSE TO YOUR REQUEST THAT I SEND WHATEVER I THINK YOU WOULD FIND USEFUL AT WAKE ISLANDIN RE THE RELANDING OF X CORPS ON EAST COAST OF KOREAN PENINSULAMACARTHUR GAVE ME A PERSONAL BRIEFING ON HIS PLANS AND INTENTIONS IN WHICH HE CONVINCINGLY SAID THE OPERATION WILL PERMIT HIM TO QUICKLY REACH THE YALU RIVER AND THUS KEEP THE FLEEING NORTH KOREAN ARMY FROM ESCAPING INTO CHINA AND THUS PERMIT ITS COMPLETE DESTRUCTIONHE CONVINCINGLY SAID THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO MILITARY REASON FOR HIM TO CROSS THE BORDERI RAISED THE CONCERNS OF MAJOR GENERAL OLIVER SMITH OF FIRST MARDIV AS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED TO YOU THAT THE TERRAIN OF NORTH KOREA AND THEEXTENDED SUPPLY LINES POSE PROBLEMSMACARTHUR SAID BOTH HE AND GENERAL ALMOND ARE VERY MUCH AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS AND WILL DEAL WITH THEM ACCORDINGLYI DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MACARTHUR KNOWS ABOUT FIGHTING IN THE MOUNTAINS BUT ALMOND FOUGHT HIS DIVISION IN THE MOUNTAINS OF ITALY IN THE WINTER AND CERTAINLY LEARNED FROM THAT EXPERIENCEI HAVE THE FEELING THAT MACARTHUR DIDN'T SEEK GUIDANCE AND APPROVAL FOR THE OPERATION FROM THE JOINT CHIEFS BECAUSE HE THINKS HE HAS A MANDATE TO OPERATE WITHOUT IT AND ALSO BECAUSE HE REGARDS AS DO ALMOND AND SMITH THIS OPERATION AS CONSIDERABLY SIMPLER THAN THE INCHON LANDINGTHE NAVY HAS NO PROBLEMS WITH THE OPERATION EXCEPT FOR THE ANTIc.i.p.aTED LACK OF PORT FACILITIES WHICH WILL PROBABLY DELAY THE OFF-LOADING OF HEAVY EQUIPMENT SUCH AS TANKS ETCETERAI HAD A LONG TALK WITH GENERAL WALKER WHO HAS MOVED HIS FORWARD HEADQUARTERS TO KOREA FROM j.a.pAN AND PLANS TO OPEN IT IN SEOUL AS SOON AS HE CAN TO CONTROL OPERATIONS IN NORTHWESTERN KOREAHE SEEMS TO HAVE NO SERIOUS OBJECTIONS TO THE X CORPS OPERATION EXCEPT THAT HE REMAINS INDIGNANT THAT X CORPS HAS NOT BEEN PLACED UNDER HIS COMMANDWALKER MAKES THE POINT THAT ALL KOREAN OPERATIONS SHOULD BE COORDINATED AND THIS REQUIRES THAT THE X CORPS COMMANDER TAKE HIS ORDERS FROM THE EIGHTH ARMY COMMANDERWALKER WAS ALSO HIGHLY INDIGNANT THAT AN L-20 BEAVER SIX PLACE LIAISON AIRCRAFT WHICH HE CONSIDERS NECESSARY TO MOVE HIMSELF AND MEMBERS OF HIS STAFF AROUND KOREA WAS STOLEN BY A SO FAR UNLOCATABLE ARMY OFFICER WHILE EN ROUTE TO HIMIN RE CHICOM INTERVENTIONMACARTHUR, WALKER FEEL THE POSSIBILITY IS VERY SLIGHTALMOND AND SMITH FEAR THAT ANY CROSSING OF THE BORDER FOR WHATEVER REASON MIGHT TRIGGER INTERVENTION BUT THAT THE CHINESE DO NOT POSSESS EITHER SUFFICIENT FORCES OR LOGISTICS TO CAUSE A MAJOR OR LASTING PROBLEM FOR EITHER EIGHTH ARMY OR X CORPSIN OTHER WORDS THE MOST THEY COULD DO WAS FORCE US BACK SEVERAL MILES FROM THE BORDERSEE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS BELOWIN RE RESCUE OF GENERAL DEAN AND MAJOR PICKERINGLT COL D J VANDENBURG SENT BY DCSOPS TO DEAL WITH DEAN ARRIVED HERE A WEEK AGO AND IMMEDIATELY MADE CONTACT WITH MAJOR MCCOY AND KOREA CIA STATION CHIEF DUNSTONVANDENBURG IS AN IMPRESSIVE OPERATOR AND BOTH HE AND MCCOY FEEL IT HIGHLY PROBABLE THAT GENERAL DEAN HAS BEEN TAKEN TO CHINA AND THAT THEREFORE HIS RESCUE IS HIGHLY DOUBTFULTHEY HAVE HOWEVER POOLED RESOURCES AND DIVIDED RESPONSIBILITY AND BEGUN TO ATTACK THE PROBLEM VIGOROUSLYVANDENBURG WILL OPERATE ON WEST OF PENINSULA AND MCCOY ON EASTMCCOY AND DUNSTON WHO HAVE THE EXPERIENCE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN THE INSERTION OF AGENTS INTO NORTH KOREA WHO WILL BOTH ATTEMPT TO LOCATE DEAN AND POSSIBLY PICKERING AND ATTEMPT TO DETERMINE STRENGTH OF BOTH REMAINING NORTH KOREAN FORCES AND CHINESE FORCES ACROSS THE BORDERBOTH UNDERSTAND THEY ARE NOT TO STAGE ANY SORT OF A CROSS BORDER OPERATION WITHOUT YOUR SPECIFIC APPROVALMCCOY IS OPERATING OUT OF A SMALL FIs.h.i.+NG VILLAGE ON EAST COAST PREVIOUSLY USED BY DUNSTON BEFORE THE WARVANDENBURG SOMEHOW ACQUIRED AN L-20 BEAVER SIX PLACE LIAISON AIRCRAFT AND HAS MADE IT AVAILABLE TO DUNSTON AND MCCOY FOR TRAVEL BETWEEN PUSAN SEOUL AND SOCHO RI FIs.h.i.+NG VILLAGEADDITIONALLY MACARTHUR ORDERED THAT TWO SIKORSKY HELICOPTERS SENT TO KOREA BE TRANSFERRED TO THE CIA AND THEY WILL BE USED FOR INSERTION AND EXTRACTION OF AGENTS AND ALSO TO RESCUE GENERAL DEAN AND OR MAJOR PICKERING IF THEY CAN BE LOCATEDTHERE HAVE BEEN NO SIGHTINGS OF THE SIGNALS PICKERING HAS BEEN LEAVING IN THE PAST SEVEN DAYS WHICH MCCOY SAYS MAY BE BECAUSE HE IS MOVING EASTWARD AND THERE ARE FEWER PLACES WHERE HE CAN MAKE THEMBOTH MCCOY AND DUNSTON HAVE TOLD ME WITH THE CAVEAT THEY HAVE NO PROOF TO SUPPORT THEIR POSITION THAT CHINESE INTERVENTION IS VERY POSSIBLE MAYBE EVEN PROBABLEAT THE RISK OF REPEATING MYSELF I GROW MORE AND MORE CONVINCED THAT THE PROBLEMS OF THE CIA ARE ITS BUREAUCRACYPEOPLE LIKE MCCOY AND DUNSTON AND I THINK VANDENBURG TOO DO THEIR JOBS ONLY TO HAVE THEIR LABOR GO FOR NAUGHT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T FIT THE PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS OF SOMEBODY SITTING BEHIND A DESK FAR FROM WHAT IS HAPPENINGI DON'T KNOW HOW EFFECTIVE FLEMING PICKERING WOULD BE IN SHAPING UP THE CIA BUT I CAN'T THINK OF ANYBODY WHO COULD DO BETTERTHANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING THAT I WOULD JUST BE EXCESS BAGGAGE AT WAKE ISLAND AND THAT I AM RELUCTANT TO LEAVE HERE WITH PICKERING GONERESPECTFULLY, AND WITH BEST REGARDS TO BESSRALPHEND PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM GENERAL HOWETOP SECRET/PRESIDENTIAL Pickering put the message back in the envelope and handed it back to Truman.

"Thank you, sir," he said.

"I'd hoped there would be better news about your boy," Truman said.

"Thank you, sir," Pickering said.

Truman smiled.

"Did you get the feeling that General Walker's missing airplane and the airplane Colonel Vandenburg 'somehow acquired' are in any way connected?"

Pickering chuckled. He said, "General Howe didn't seem to share General Walker's indignation, did he?"

"Well, maybe the airplane'll be useful in trying to locate your son," the President said.

"I hope so, sir," Pickering said. "I just hope that the airplane, and those helicopters-that was the first I'd heard about that-aren't needed somewhere else more than-"

"I would think that right now the insertion of agents is very important. We need to know what the Chinese may be up to, and we have to make every effort to get both General Dean and your son back."

"Yes, sir."

"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 leaders.h.i.+p 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 afternoon. The more you can tell him before we go to Wake Island, the better."

"He's going with you to Wake Island? That's a good idea, Mr. President. I think he'll mesh well with General MacArthur."

"He's not going to Wake Island, General, you are," the President said. "And after that meeting, you're going on to Tokyo, where you will implement the changes General Smith has ordered."

"Do you know what he has in mind, sir?"

"No. And neither will he until you and he get together and decide what they'll be." He paused long enough for that to sink in, then added: "But when those orders are issued, I'm sure General Smith will let it be known throughout the military establishment that they came from him, and not some 'amateur who finds himself in water over his head.' I'm also sure that he will make it known that he was quite pleased that you agreed to stay on."

"Because you told him that?"

"No. The ironic thing here is that he feels he is the amateur in deep water. He was really worried that you would want to leave."

The President stood up and, when Pickering got to his feet, put out his hand. Truman looked as if was going to say something but changed his mind.

He nodded at Pickering, shook his hand, and walked to the door.

[TWO].

THE ARMY-NAVY CLUB WAs.h.i.+NGTON, D.C. 1215 11 OCTOBER 1950.

General Walter Bedell Smith's entire suite on the fourth floor of the Army-Navy Club would have fit, with room to spare, into Brigadier General Fleming Pickering's sitting room in the Foster Lafayette.

Smith, who was wearing a dark gray suit, a crisp white s.h.i.+rt, and a red-striped necktie, opened the door to Pickering's knock himself and put out his hand.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, General," Smith said.

How the h.e.l.l do I reply to that? "You're welcome"? "My pleasure"? This chap is a four-star general who is about to become the Director of the CIA. People like that don't have to thank underlings for coming quickly when summoned. don't have to thank underlings for coming quickly when summoned.

Smith looked at his watch.

"Fifteen minutes," he said, smiling. "That's quick."

"General, this is Captain Hart," Pickering said. "If you have no objection, I'd like him to sit in on this. He has an uncanny ability to later recall who said what and to whom."

"None whatever," Smith said, and offered Hart his hand. "I suppose that 'uncanny ability' was useful to you as a policeman. Or is that an acquired skill?"

Jesus, he knows all about George.

"I think I got it from my father, sir," Hart said. "He was a cop, too."

"Have you had lunch?" Smith asked.

"No, sir," Pickering said.

"Well, we could go downstairs, but if we ordered a sandwich here-they do a very nice open-faced roast beef, and a chicken club-we could talk while we eat. Your call."

"An open-faced roast beef sandwich sounds fine to me, General," Pickering said.

"Captain?"

"Roast beef's fine with me, sir."

Smith went to the telephone and ordered the sandwiches and "a very large pot of coffee." Then he turned to Pickering. "To get to the starting line, the President will have a press conference at five o'clock, at which he will announce my appointment as Director of the CIA. I will have to be there, so we have until, say, half past four. That should be enough time, don't you think?"

"Yes, sir," Pickering said.

Smith took an envelope from his jacket pocket and extended it to Pickering.

"The President sent this over," Smith said. "I understand you've seen it."

Pickering opened the envelope. It held the message from General Howe that Truman had shown him earlier.

"Yes, sir, I have," Pickering said.