“Now that I’ve given you my official speech, I’m not going to turn you loose without a personal warning: I believe both of you are in danger of possible serious retribution from several members within the Coletta mob. I think both of you need to reexamine everything you were doing in connection with the auto parts activities and consider not doing it anymore. That includes going to the track, working at the garage, and selling or buying parts. If I were you, I’d think about doing something different, perhaps out of town for a while. Things with Coletta are going to get real intense around here.”
Pisano continued, “I know you guys are good friends, but I have to tell you I don’t think it’s good to hang around with each other for a while. You can reconnect later and tell your grandchildren about all this. Capish?”
Hanna and Langer both nodded, acknowledging that they understood.
The last thing I want to say is this: “If you guys need anything at all, please call me. I may not have shown it but care about you both and don’t want to see anything bad happen to either of you. Now get the hell out of here, you’re free, go change your lives.”
Ed Langer immediately started cutting way back on parts sales for the gang and made himself scarce. At Ed’s request, his father contacted a friend who owned several gas stations out of town in New Roads, LA to see if he needed any help. The possibility looked promising, and if it worked out, Ed would move to New Roads and help his dad’s friend run several gas stations.
Wade had a different idea. It was late April, and Wade was finishing school for the year. Earlier that same year, Wade had joined the Navy Submarine Reserve. Wade had two reasons for this decision. First, the mob was still looking for him and secondly, the Viet Nam draft had started. In the Navy Reserve, Wade would be stationed in New Orleans and could finish high school while doing his weekend service. New Orleans Naval Reserve had a submarine reserve unit, with a complete but older WWII submarine for training, stationed at the Industrial Canal.
Wade had passed the Navy advanced tests and was eligible for submarine school. He had completed basic training over his winter break. Shortly after the meeting at Abe’s Records, Wade brought the '33, his spare engine, and parts to an auto show and sold everything at a fair price to someone from Texas who wanted to rebuild the '33 into a more advanced racing car in a different classification. Wade said goodbye to the '33 and to racing for good.
20
After selling his '33 race car and all his spare parts, Wade stopped going by the garage. He would drop by once in a while to chat with the guys but didn’t get involved in any projects. Wade wanted to find a way out of the city for a lot of different reasons.
Because of his commitment to the Navy, Wade was required to spend a weekend every month at the Naval Reserve Station. They did class work and drills on the old training submarine, but overall those weekends were pretty boring. It was now late April and Wade contacted the second in command of his reserve unit, Lieutenant Commander Dobson to see if there were any open spots in the Submarine Training School in New London, Connecticut.
Dobson looked through the submarine training schedule book and told Wade he was in luck. He said there was a required basic submarine training class starting in May, and there were several quartermaster training classes following his basic course that he could also take. Dobson told Wade that when he got through those classes he would be ready for active submarine sea duty.
Wade looked at the schedule and selected his quartermaster classes following his basic Submarine training class.
Dobson looked at Wade’s selection and said, “Wow, that’s an ambitious set of courses. It will take you virtually all summer to complete them.”
Wade said, “That’s fine.” He filled out the forms, Dobson approved them and Wade sent them off. In ten days, he received confirmation that he had been accepted in all the classes he had chosen, along with the dates he was to report. He was pleased. He told his parents, and called Pisano who said, “Your timing is perfect.”
Wade was able to take his high school finals early that year and headed for New London. He would be arriving a few days early so he could get acclimated. The Coletta gang was looking for him. With a price on his head he just wanted to get out of New Orleans and get a feel for his new surroundings.
He arrived at the New London base in a Navy bus that picked him up from the airport.
The training routine at Navy Submarine School was rigorous. Morning classes started at 7:00 am and went until noon. Students learned all the basics about a submarine’s various parts and how they worked, and he got some basic training in navigation and electronics. He learned what to do in case of emergencies and how to evacuate from the sub. He got diving instructions and learned how fast you can ascend without getting the bends. The instructors were old school Navy and generally very good. They knew submarines inside and out and were determined that students would be able to identify every knob, handle, gage, and valve before getting out of their classes.
The afternoon sessions were practical tests and instruction in the pool, time in the diving pressure tank, and swimming tests for strength and endurance. There were several tests to determine if a trainee had problems in confined spaces under pressure.
In one of those tests, eight men were put in a spherical diving bell. All trainees were in their underwear. It was hot and crowded, without enough space to sit down. The rounded pressure tank had thick steel walls, and there were no flat surfaces or places to sit. When someone tried to lean against the wall, he slid to the bottom, joined by several other bodies.
The test started with the closing and locking of the thick hatch door from outside. Then pressure was added to the cramped quarters. Ears began to pop with pain. A valve opened, and steam pressure and heat rushed in, increasing the pressure and heat within the sphere. This was followed by a loud sucking noise as air was taken out of the sphere. At one point, all lights went out and the tangled bodies at the bottom of the sphere were pushing each other, trying to maintain their position in the small space. Communication between recruits was chaotic with no one in charge.
Dim red lights came back on, and an instructor’s voice announced, “We are now getting ready to descend deeper to 200 ft. The pressure you are experiencing now will more than double. Is there anyone who wants to come out of the tank? Now is the time to tell me.”
Two seamen answered in slightly panicked voices that they couldn’t take it any longer. Pressure in the sphere was temporarily relieved and the hatch opened to allow the two seamen out.
An instructor leaning through the hatch said, “Anyone else, now’s your chance.” One other man said, “I need to get out.”
After the third person got out, the heavy hatch door closed, and the remaining men were subjected to pressure they had never felt before in their lives. At one point, it was so intense that several ear drums burst and started bleeding. One seaman’s ears popped and the blood shot out from his ear all over the men around him. Some of the other men’s ears popped and blood ran down the sides of their faces. One of the men, seeing the blood, panicked, and the rest of the men held him down, knowing that he could ruin the test for all of them. They would have to start the test all over again. The ear and head pain was almost unbearable.
At one point, Wade’s right ear drum popped from the pressure, and blood streamed down his face. He saw others in the same condition, and seeing them gave him more determination that he was going to finish this test. Instructors had been watching the behavior of participants with hidden cameras throughout the test. They made notes on who they thought would stay calm and who would panic in a real situation. The team was finally brought to surface pressure, very relieved this test was over. Most of the men suffered temporary hearing loss after the test.
Wade didn’t get full hearing back for two days. He had to see the base physician about his right ear, and he was told that he would have a 25% hearing loss for the next four months, but that after that he should be fine. As basic classr
oom training neared the end of its testing phase, recruits spent more time in the afternoon session on actual submarines. Class members would be assigned to different submarines on that day depending on which subs were in port.
All the submarines were lined up along the long dock at the base, not far from the classrooms. It was great for Wade to see classroom material demonstrated on real submarines in these afternoon sessions. Some afternoon classes included going to sea for a few hours. Trainees got to see and feel the heartbeat of the submarine. The final practical test was a two-day training sea voyage in which the men had to perform their designated training duties over several watches and under simulated attack conditions.
Knowing the commands and their meanings from classroom instruction was one thing. It was different to hear them and feel their effect on the submarine. Boat assignments were made on a random basis.
In one afternoon training session, Wade was assigned to a nuclear submarine. He was extremely excited. He saw how the systems varied between conventional subs and nuclear boats and soon understood why a higher level of electronics and systems training was required to serve on a nuclear boat. Serving on a nuclear sub required going through nuclear power school and enlisting in the Navy for an additional three years.
Wade finally graduated from submarine school in the top ten percent of his class. He went on to quartermaster school, which included more navigation classes and classes on operation of the helm and ship control systems. He also learned lookout procedures and protocol when on the surface, as well as other systems related to undersea operations. Wade did well in these classes, and the end of summer was approaching, and his training at New London would end soon. He had run out of classes to take, but he’d really enjoyed his educational experience and the new friends he made.
Wade hadn’t thought much about New Orleans while he was away. Now it was time to return to reality and see what awaited him. He wondered if he would still be hunted by the mob after his three month departure. Upon returning to the city, he found things had not changed very much. He was disappointed to hear that Ed was still working with the mob, although in a lesser capacity. Ed’s out-of-town deal with his father’s friend hadn’t worked out, so he hadn’t left town.
Wade met Pisano for a cup of coffee at the Ole Grille. Pisano indicated that the noose around Coletta’s organization was tightening. He told Wade that various divisions were internally fighting, which meant he had them where he wanted them. Pisano said he had hoped Ed would be out of the organization by now, but that he was still hanging around, although doing very little with them. He said, “From time to time Ed calls me with information he gets, but he isn’t helping set up purchases for us any longer.” Pisano also mentioned, “Jamie has moved to another hair salon.”
Pisano updated Wade on the story. “A few weeks after the Linda incident, one of Coletta’s men came into the shop asking for Jamie by name at Linda’s regular appointment time. He came over to Jamie’s station and looked at a lady she had in her chair. Her head was covered with a towel, and he believed it might be Linda. He asked Jamie if she had seen Linda.
“Jamie was uncomfortable, but she reacted as though she was back on stage and told him, ‘Linda no longer comes to our salon. She hasn’t been coming here for a long time. I don’t know what’s happened to her, and that’s fine by me.’ The Coletta guy left and never returned.”
Pisano smiled and added, “Jamie would really make a good actress.” He answered Wade’s unasked question with, “I think she also has a new boyfriend now.”
Wade reminded Pisano he had sold his race car and equipment and was out of racing for good. He said he was back to finish school this year. Wade also told him about his Navy experience in New London. Pisano wished him well saying, “Be careful at all times.”
Wade’s mother’s decline in health had continued while he was away, and he was saddened to see how much her condition had worsened. Wade and his father had a few dinners at Monroe’s before Wade started back to school.
It was the 1962 - 1963 school year. Wade was, for some unknown reason, enjoying school more this year. He was glad to have his Navy training behind him and no undercover work on his plate.
However, things didn’t stay calm for long. In late September, 1962, Wade received a call from Lieutenant Commander Dobson from his naval reserve unit. Mr. Dobson told Wade they had received an urgent request from The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO). A serious illness had spread among the entire crew of one of the submarines operating in the Gulf, and they were coming to port to get those men to the hospital. They needed a replacement crew. Dobson continued, “We are the closest submarine unit near the ship. They need good, experienced men, and I have been going over our roster list with the Commander. The Commander definitely wants you to be part of the replacement crew. We’re preparing orders now. This will be an active duty call. I just wanted to give you a heads up. I know you’re in school now, and this may be difficult. Everyone has a reason and excuse why they can’t make it. This is an emergency, and it just has to be this way.”
Without hesitation, Wade replied, “Yes, sir.”
Wade soon got details regarding where he had to report and when.
Once again, someone else’s decision would change Wade Hanna’s life and point him directly into harms way. Wade knew nothing of his new assignment or the risks he was about to face. He’d just come off a dangerous undercover assignment that had almost killed him, followed by three months of rigorous Naval training in New London. Perhaps this assignment would be a short easy one, and he could soon resume his uncertain life in New Orleans. In fact, just maybe this would be a short, relaxing Caribbean cruise and a great way to end a long and dangerous journey.
Wade would soon find out that his next adventure would not be a short, relaxing or safe Caribbean cruise.
21
On the day he was to report for active duty, Wade packed his sea bag and met his cousin for dinner. After dinner his cousin dropped him off at the Naval Reserve Station at around 8:00 pm. The chain link gate, normally locked at this hour, was open, and there were lights on in the offices and parking area. A gray Navy bus was parked in front of the office building, with the driver standing alongside the bus. Wade took his sea bag over and greeted the driver. He asked him, “Do you know where we’re going?”
The driver replied, “I’m under orders not to discuss our destination. Sorry.”
Wade waited about twenty minutes before five of his fellow reserve crew members arrived in different cars, almost at the same time. Each carried his sea bag toward the bus. All of the crew members were dressed in Navy work blues as called for in their orders. Each asked the others if anyone knew where they were going. No one did.
One of the men commented, “My wife is ready to have a baby. I hope this isn’t going to be a long tour.”
Another asked, “Is this a training exercise?”
Everyone shrugged their shoulders in uncertainty. Nobody of the reserve crew knew anything, which they all thought strange and mysterious. One member commented anxiously, “The Navy usually tells us what the hell’s going on.”
The driver checked his passenger list, calling out each crew member’s name. He reminded them to be sure their gear was on the bus. The bus left the yard around 8:45 p.m. After about a half hour of driving, it was clear they were headed out of New Orleans going east, toward the Mississippi state line.
The new crew was all enlisted men with different rank and ratings. One was a diesel mechanic, Wade was quartermaster, two were electronics and sonar operators, and two were radio signalmen. The crew commented among themselves that they were an odd mix of skills. All of the men were currently reserve, but most, unlike Wade, had served on active duty for two or more years before going on reserve status.
One of the older crew members said, “This reminds me of a repair mission I got called on a few year’s ago. We were suddenly called to Norfolk to get a ship ready to join the Sixth Fleet. They didn’t have e
nough specialists to finish the job. We were there only three days and never left the dock. We worked out asses off, but the ship left on time.”
Everyone settled back in their seats trying to relax. They were tired of speculating about their mysterious mission. Two hours later, the bus turned off the main highway onto a parallel side road.
The bus made several more turns. One of the crew members sitting near the driver who knew the area asked, “We have to be in either Gulfport or Biloxi. Can you tell us now?”
“Sorry. I can’t say, but it won’t be long from here,” the driver answered.
They followed a road lined on each side by fields of crop stubble about two feet high. They made one more turn, and the bus was on a road from which they could see the Gulf of Mexico. There was fog holding close to shore, but the uninterrupted view of the Gulf before them was stunning. The moon was in three-quarter phase and flickers of moonlight reflected off the rolling waves.
They soon came to a large open gate with barbed wire strings lining the top. On the other side of the gate stood a long, wide, paved pier, lit on both sides by overhanging lights spaced twenty feet apart. The two sides of the pier were lined with the same chain link and barbed wire fencing. It was foggy that night, and the pier lights reflected a fog cloud in a ball around each overhanging light.
Someone asked, “Where are we?”
The driver, now free to answer, said, “Biloxi, Mississippi.” Another crew member commented, “What the hell is in Biloxi? There’s no naval base here.”
The driver didn’t reply. There were no signs or markings on the gates or fencing. No one could tell if this was a Navy dock or some other military or civilian pier. The bus turned onto the wide concrete pier and proceeded slowly down its long expanse. The end of the pier was not yet visible because of the fog and dim lighting. As the bus moved closer to the end of pier, a mysterious and eerie scene emerged out of the fog. The pier was a two-tier structure, with vehicles on the upper deck and a large concrete loading deck below. There were two flights of stairs, one on each end of the pier, providing access to upper and lower decks.
Silent Sanction: A Novel Page 14
