Admiral Wagam paid no attention to the activity aft, where there was a port in the hull, until Captain J.H.L. McNish, USN, of his staff, appeared by his seat, knelt, and said, "Admiral, I'm being bumped."
"What do you mean, you're being bumped?" Admiral Wagam asked, both incredulous and annoyed.
This aircraft was not part of the Naval Air Transport command. It had been assigned to Admiral Wagam, more or less personally, to take his staff to Espiritu for a very important conference: Guadalcanal was in trouble. Extraordinary measures would be necessary to keep the Marines there from being pushed off their precarious toehold. Wagam personally didn't give them much hope; the necessary logistics simply weren't available. Indeed, in his professional opinion-and he'd said so-the whole operation had been attempted prematurely. But he was going to do the very best he could with what he had to work with. And that meant flying here from Pearl to see the situation with his own eyes; and bringing his staff, to give them the absolutely essential hands-on experience.
But getting them back to Pearl quickly was just as important as bringing them here. They had to get to work. One of the reasons he had gone all the way to the top-to CINCPAC himself-to have an airplane assigned to his team was to make sure the team stayed together.
CINCPAC had agreed with his reasoning, and authorized the special flight. Admiral Wagam certainly would have no objections to carrying other personnel, or mail or cargo, if there was room, but he had no intention of standing idly by while one of his staff was bumped.
If there was a priority, he had it. From CINCPAC himself.
"I'm being bumped, Sir," Captain McNish repeated.
"I'll deal with this, Mac," Admiral Wagam said, and unfastened his seat belt and made his way aft. Standing by the pilot were a commander he remembered meeting on the island and a Marine major in a rather badly mussed uniform.
"Commander," Admiral Wagam said, "just what's going on here?"
"Sir, I'm going to have to bump one of your people. Captain McNish is junior-"
"No one's going to bump any of my people," the Admiral declared.
"This is not a Transport Command aircraft. It is, so to speak, mine. I decide who comes aboard."
"I'm sorry about this, Admiral," the Marine Major said.
"Well, Major, I don't think it's your fault. The Commander here should have known the situation."
"Admiral, I have to get to Pearl. This is the aircraft going there first," the Major said.
"A lot of people have to get to Pearl," the Admiral snapped. "But I'm sorry, you're not going on this aircraft."
"I'm sorry, Sir," the Major said. "I am."
"Did you just hear what I said, Major?" the Admiral replied. "I said you're not getting on this aircraft!"
"With respect, Sir, may I show you my priority?"
"I don't give a good goddamn about your priority," the Admiral said, his patience exhausted. "Mine came from CINCPAC."
"Yes, Sir," the Major said. "The Commander told me. Sir, may I show you my orders?"
"I'm not interested in your goddamn orders," the Admiral said.
"Sir, I suggest you take a look at them," the Commander said.
The Admiral was aware that he had lost his temper. He didn't like to do that.
"Very well," he said, and held out his hand. He expected a sheath of mimeographed paper. He was handed, instead, a document cased in plastic. On casual first glance, he noted that it was a photographically reduced copy of a letter. He took a much closer look.
=SECRET=
THE WHITE HOUSE
Washington, D.C.
3 September 1942
By direction of the President of the United States, Brigadier General Fleming W. Pickering, USMCR, Headquarters, USMC, will proceed by military and/or civilian rail, road, sea and air transportation (Priority AAAAA-1) to such points as he deems necessary in carrying out the missions assigned to him.
United States Armed Forces commands are directed to provide him with such support as he may request. General Pickering is to be considered the personal representative of The President.
General Pickering has unrestricted TOP SECRET security clearance. Any questions regarding his mission will be directed to the undersigned.
W.D. Leahy, Admiral, USN
Chief of Staff To The President
=SECRET=
When he saw that the Admiral had read the document, Major Edward F. Banning, USMC, said, "Sir, may I ask the Admiral to turn that over and read the other side?"
Admiral Wagam did so.
=SECRET=
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE PRESIDENT
Washington, D.C. 24 September 1942
1st Endorsement
1. Major Edward F. Banning, USMC, is attached to the personal staff of Brigadier General Fleming Pickering, USMCR for the performance of such duties as may be assigned.
2. While engaged in carrying out any mission assigned, Major Banning will be accorded the same level of travel priorities, logistical support and access to classified materiel authorized for Brigadier General Pickering in the basic Presidential order.
3. Any questions regarding Major Banning's mission(s) will be referred to the undersigned.
W.D. Leahy, Admiral, USN
Chief of Staff To The President
Admiral Wagam looked at Major Banning.
"You are, I gather, Major Banning?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Well, I can only hope, Major, that whatever it is you have to do in Pearl Harbor is more valuable to the war effort than what Captain McNish would have contributed."
"I wouldn't have bumped the Captain, Admiral," Banning said, "if I didn't think it was."
The Admiral nodded, turned, and went back up the aisle to tell Mac that he was sorry, there was nothing he could do about it, he was going to have to go ashore in the whaleboat.
[SIX]
USN Photographic Facility Laboratory
Headquarters, CINCPAC
Pearl Harbor, T.H.
0735 Hours 15 October 1942
"Ah-ten-HUT!" a plump, balding chief photographer's mate called, and all but one man, a Marine major, popped to attention.
"As you were," Brigadier General Fleming Pickering, USMCR, said. As he spoke, he walked past one of the junior aides to CINCPAC. The aide's orders were to take very good care of General Pickering; that meant that at the moment he was holding the door open for him. "I'm looking for Major Banning," Pickering continued.
"Over here, Sir," Banning called.
Pickering was the last person in the world Banning expected to see here. But then, he thought, Pickering could almost be counted on to do the unexpected.
Pickering walked over to him, his hand extended.
"Good to see you, Ed. I heard an hour ago you were here. I had a hell of a time finding you. What are you doing here?"
"Good to see you, General," he said. He held up a roll of developed 35mm film. "Having a look at this. One of Jake Dillon's photographers shot it just before we left Guadalcanal."
Pickering took it from him and held it up to the light.
"What am I looking at?"
"That roll is what Henderson Field looked like just before we left," Banning said. "If it came out, I thought I'd try to figure some way to get it to you in Washington in time for your briefing."