"I guess we're about to find out, sir."
"On the subject of your organization, McCoy, I've got to warn you that the commanding general of 1st MarDiv is looking for your scalp."
"Do you know why, sir?"
"Something about that company of Marines I borrowed to guard Major Donald's hangar in Seoul. He has been informed they won't be returning; that they are now members of your organization."
"Yes, sir, they are."
"He asked me if I knew anything about the transfer. I told him no. Then he said... I don't think I'd better tell you what he said. But he did ask me to tell him if you ever showed up here."
"Their transfer was General Howe's idea, sir. His and General Pickering's."
"I have the feeling he suspects you were behind it," Almond said. "Or that I was and don't want to admit it."
"Why would he doubt your word, sir?"
"I have the feeling he's not in my legion of admirers," Almond said. "His primary purpose in coming to see me was to discuss... No. To be honest, it was to question, to request that I reconsider my orders to the 1st MarDiv. They've been ordered to proceed as quickly as possible past the Chosin Res-ervoir...."
"General Howe told me, sir. And he told me those were General Mac-Arthur's orders to you. That the quick dash to the border was not your idea."
Almond looked at McCoy for a minute.
"Let me explain something to you, Major," he said. "In case you ever find yourself far more senior and in a position like mine. The orders came from Gen-eral MacArthur. When I got them- They came by officer courier, did General Howe tell you that?"
"Yes, sir."
"-I had the choice of saying 'Yes, sir' and carrying them out, or asking permission to discuss my questions, my doubts about them, with General MacArthur. I decided that General MacArthur had his reasons for the order, and that, my personal reservations about them aside, I had no grounds to ask him to reconsider them. When I made that decision, they became my orders. You can't tell a subordinate, 'Here's your orders. I don't like them much, but here they are. Don't blame me. They came from above.' I'm surprised you haven't learned that."
"I understand, sir."
"And since I gave my orders to General Smith regarding what I want the 1st MarDiv to do, I have had a chance to reflect on General MacArthur's orders to me. They were obviously based on General MacArthur's assessment of the sit-uation. I remembered the doubts many people had about the Inchon Landing. The general was right then, and I must presume he made the correct decision in this instance."
"Yes, sir."
"His decision obviously was based on his consideration of the intelligence available to him. That intelligence concluded-General Willoughby con-cluded-there is only a very remote possibility that the Chinese will enter this conflict. When General MacArthur accepted General Willoughby's conclu-sions, it became his conclusion. A Corps Commander is not permitted to ques-tion conclusions drawn by the Supreme Commander. You following me, Major?" Yes, sir.
"Only a superior headquarters can question the Supreme Commander's judgments. And a subordinate organization commander cannot go over the head of the Supreme Commander to make his doubts known to higher head-quarters."
"Yes, sir."
Almond looked at him again for a long moment.
"I don't know what we're going to find when we get to the 3d ROK, Major McCoy. But I'm not going to comment on whatever we do. I want to be in a position-and I want you to be in a position-to be able to truthfully state that whatever you report to your superiors was in no way influenced by me."
"Yes, sir. I understand."
McCoy got one final long look.
"I really hope you do, McCoy," he said, finally. "Now, if you've finished your breakfast, why don't we see what's going on at the 3d ROK Division?"
[THREE]
Headquarters, 3d ROK Division
Eleven Miles Southeast of East Shore, Chosin Reservoir
O8O5 3O October 195O
McCoy had suggested-and General Almond had quickly agreed-that the Corps Commander should ride in the copilot's seat "because he could get a bet-ter look at the terrain from there."
McCoy rode in the passenger compartment with Captain Haig, an ROK major named Pak Sun, and two X Corps Military Policemen armed with Thomp-son submachine guns. With the exception of Haig, no one had ever ridden in a helicopter before, and it was obvious-at least at first-that they were more afraid of the helicopter than they were of the prospect of meeting the enemy.
Major Sun shouted in McCoy's ear, over the roar of the engine, announc-ing that he had attended the University of California, Los Angeles, on a swim-ming scholarship. McCoy just nodded and smiled.
The flight took about fifteen minutes, and as they made their approach, McCoy saw a Cessna L-19, with the X Corps' blue-and-white "X" shoulder patch painted on the engine nacelle. The small, high-wing observation aircraft was flying a circular pattern around the landing strip, which was a gravel "paved" road running parallel to the line of rocky hills on which the 3d ROK Division had set up its defensive positions.
He wondered if the airplane was there on orders, in case it was required to provide something, or whether the pilot was just curious about the black, un-marked H-19.
An ROK major general in a surprisingly natty fatigue uniform was waiting for them with a driver and two MPs in a highly polished jeep.
Major Sun began to translate the introductions, and presented Major Gen-eral Lee Do, ROK, to Major General Edward M. Almond, USA. General Al-mond looked at McCoy with a question on his face. McCoy shook his head no, and Almond said, "Leave Major McCoy out of this, Sun."
Sun nodded his head in acknowledgment and McCoy was not introduced.
General Almond said he wanted to go up the hill, to the emplacements, to see for himself what was going on.
"Do you want to go, McCoy?"
Instead of replying directly, McCoy turned to the ROK general.
"General," he asked in faultless Korean, "where are you keeping your prisoners?"
Major Sun was as surprised that McCoy spoke Korean as was the ROK general.
The ROK general pointed down the road. McCoy saw the prisoners, and the moment he saw them-both from the bones of their faces and their quilted cotton uniforms-he knew they were Chinese.
"They don't look Korean to me, sir," McCoy said to Almond. "With Gen-eral Do's permission, I think I'll go talk to them."
"I think it's best you do that alone, Major McCoy," Almond said.
"Yes, sir."
"Do you want Haig to go with you?" Almond asked.
"No, sir. Thank you. Major Donald and I have a little good cop-bad cop routine we've practiced, in anticipation of something like this. Put on your nasty face, Major Donald, and lead me to the prisoners."
"Yes, sir," Donald said.
"I'm sorry I'm going to miss that," General Almond said as he got in the front seat of the shiny jeep. Haig and the two MPs got in the back. Since that left no room for him, the driver was left behind when General Do got behind the wheel and drove off.
McCoy went into the fuselage and came out with a Thompson. He handed it to the ROK soldier, a young sergeant.
"You come with us, please, Sergeant," McCoy ordered. "What I want you to do is point the weapon at the prisoners, acting as if nothing would give you greater pleasure than if the major gave you permission to shoot them."
"Are we going to shoot them, sir?" the ROK sergeant asked.
"Unfortunately, Sergeant, they are more valuable alive than dead."
"Yes, sir," the sergeant said. He was visibly disappointed.
"Okay, Alex, lead on," McCoy said.
The prisoners-there were sixteen of them; McCoy counted as he and Donald walked down the line-were sitting lined up against the side of the road, their backs against a vertical section of rocky hill that had been excavated. Two ROK soldiers, one with a Garand and the other with a carbine, guarded them.
The prisoners' hands and feet were bound. Th
e ropes on their feet were further tied to the prisoner on either side, to discourage somebody from run-ning away.
There was a double purpose-triple if you counted simple curiosity-in the march past. McCoy wanted them all to see Alex Donald glowering at them. And he wanted to see if he could detect from boots or a wristwatch, or simply an attitude, whether one or more of them, despite the enlisted men's uniforms they were all wearing, was an officer.
Alex finished his march past and stood in the road, about halfway down inc-line of prisoners, and glowered at them. McCoy walked in front of him. The driver took the Thompson from his shoulder and chambered a round. The prisoners looked at him nervously.
Number Four is glaring, McCoy thought. His uniform is pretty clean, too. I think I have found an officer.
"Good morning," McCoy said in Cantonese. "The officer is from the head-quarters of Generalissimo MacArthur."
Well, they speak Cantonese. There are three looks of' noncomprehension. The rest are fascinated. Which almost certainly means the three "who don't understand"- including Number Four-are either officers or noncoms. Probably officers.
"He wishes to ask you all some questions," McCoy went on almost con-versationally, in Cantonese. "Your answers will determine which of you will be taken to a prisoner-of-war compound and which will not."
He switched to English. "Shall we shoot one or two to put them in the right frame of mind?"
"Let's wait a bit," Donald replied.
Either none of them speaks English, or they're better at concealing fear than I think they are.
He turned and spoke softly to Major Donald.
"Start with Number Four," he said. "Let's take a chance. You say to me, 'I think this one is an officer.' We'll wing it from there."
Donald nodded, then made a curt follow me gesture and walked toward the fourth prisoner in the line.
[FOUR]
TOP SECRET
URGENT HQ X CORPS 1015 30 OCTOBER 1950
EYES ONLY SUPREME COMMANDER UNC
PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM MAJGEN ALMOND TO GENARMY MACARTHUR BEGINS
SIR
REFERENCE: OPERATIONAL MAP 403
AT APPROXIMATELY 2100 29OCT50 THE 26TH INFANTRY 3D ROK DIV THEN ADVANCING TOWARD THE CHOSIN RESERVOIR ALONG THE LINE COORDINATES 323.121 DASH 324.303 CAME UNDER MASSIVE ATTACK BY A LARGE, TANK REINFORCED ENEMY FORCE OF DIVISIONAL STRENGTH.
THE LINES OF THE 26TH WERE BREACHED, AND THE REGIMENT IN SOME DISARRAY WAS FORCED TO WITHDRAW SOUTHEASTWARDLY AND HAS ESTABLISHED DEFENSIVE POSITIONS ALONG THE LINE COORDINATES 313.405 DASH 312.555.
AT FIRST LIGHT THIS MORNING I WENT TO HQ 3D ROK DIV TO CONFER WITH MAJGEN LEE DO. IT IS HIS OPINION THAT THE ATTACKING FORCE WAS NOT NORTH KOREAN BUT CHINESE. AFTER INTERROGATION OF SIXTEEN (16) ENEMY PRISONERS IN MY PRESENCE BY ROK MAJ SUN OF MY HEADQUARTERS WHO IS FLUENT IN CHINESE I AM FORCED TO CONCLUDE THAT THE PRISONERS TAKEN ARE IN FACT CHINESE, SPECIFICALLY MEMBERS OF THE 124TH RED CHINESE INFANTRY DIVISION.
4. ALL OF THE PRISONERS WERE CAPTURED WHILE ON A RECONNAISSANCE MISSION. TWO ARE OFFICERS, A MAJOR AND A SENIOR LIEUTENANT. BOTH, DURING THE INTERROGATION I WITNESSED, ADMITTED THEY WERE CHINESE, AND ASSIGNED TO THE 124TH RED CHINESE DIVISION. BOTH STATED THAT THE 124TH IS NOT REPEAT NOT ATTACHED TO OR SUBORDINATE TO ANY NORTH KOREAN COMMAND OR HEADQUARTERS BUT IS OPERATING ON ITS OWN, UNDER THE COMMAND OF THE RED CHINESE 42D FIELD ARMY. THE CAPTAIN STATED THE 42D FIELD ARMY IS ENTIRELY INSIDE NORTH KOREA, AND HAS THE MISSION OF EXPELLING UNITED NATIONS FORCES QUOTE FROM ALL AREAS NOW OCCUPIED BY UNITED NATIONS FORCES ENDQUOTE.
5. HE FURTHER STATED THERE WERE OTHER RED CHINESE FORCES NOW PRESENT IN NORTH KOREA, CONSISTING OF AT LEAST ONE MORE FIELD ARMY, CHARGED WITH THE SAME MISSION, BUT WAS UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO MAKE FURTHER IDENTIFICATION OF SUCH FORCES.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED
EDWARD M. ALMOND
MAJOR GENERAL
COMMANDING X US CORPS
END PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM MAJGEN ALMOND TO GENARMY MACARTHUR
TOP SECRET
[FIVE]
TOP SECRET
OPERATIONAL IMMEDIATE
FISHBASE 1125 30 OCTOBER 1950
EYES ONLY BRIG GEN FLEMING PICKERING TOKYO
VIA STATION CHIEFS SEOUL AND PUSAN
TO ENSURE DELIVERY BOTH INTERMEDIATE ADDRESSEES WILL FORWARD FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO GENERAL
PICKERING IMMEDIATELY ON RECEIPT
MESSAGE BEGINS
AT APPROXIMATELY 0900 THIS DATE UNDERSIGNED COMPLETED INTERROGATION OF TWO SIGNIFICANT PRISONERS HELD BY 3D ROK DIVISION IN VICINITY OF CHOSIN RESERVOIR. MAJOR SIN HOW LEE AND SENIOR LIEUTENANT WONG SU OF CHICOM 42D ARMY WERE CAPTURED BY ROKS WHILE ON A RECONNAISSANCE MISSION PRECEDING A SUCCESSFUL DIVISION SIZE ATTACK, WITH ARMOR, ON 26TH INFANTRY, 3D ROKDIV BY CHICOM 124TH INFANTRY DIVISION. THE ATTACK SUCCEEDED AND ENTIRE 3D ROK DIVISION WAS RENDERED SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT INEFFECTIVE.
BOTH OFFICERS WERE UNUSUALLY COOPERATIVE DURING INTERROGATION BECAUSE OF THEIR BELIEF THAT AN OVERWHELMING STRENGTH OF CHINESE FORCES WAS ABOUT TO ENTER WAR, AND THEY WILL SHORTLY BE RELEASED FROM CAPTIVITY.
THE INFORMATION THEY PROVIDED CONFIRMS IN EVERY IMPORTANT DETAIL WHAT THE UNDERSIGNED HAS LEARNED FROM OTHER SOURCES. MOREOVER, BOTH OFFICERS, WHO SAID THEY SERVED IN INTELLIGENCE LIAISON CAPACITIES BETWEEN CHICOM 4TH FIELD ARMY AND 42D ARMY, HAD AN USUALLY DETAILED KNOWLEDGE OF US X CORPS INTENTIONS.
THEY STATED CHICOM ATTACKS ON ROK UNITS WILL CONTINUE BUT ATTACKS ON US FORCES WILL PROBABLY WAIT UNTIL US FORCES ARE STRETCHED OUT BETWEEN EAST COAST PORTS AND THE CHINESE BORDER, WHEN QUOTE THEY WILL BE EASIER TO COMPLETELY ANNIHILATE ENDQUOTE.
BASED ON INFORMATION PROVIDED, STAY-BEHINDS WILL BE INSERTED TONIGHT AT VARIOUS PLACES WHERE THEY WILL BE IN A POSITION TO LOCATE AND CONFIRM IDENTITY OF CHICOM FORCES AS DESCRIBED BY PRISONERS. THEIR CONFIRMATION WILL FOLLOW IMMEDIATELY IF AND WHEN AVAILABLE.
IN VIEW OF THE COOPERATIVE SPIRIT OF THE PRISONERS ONCE THEY BELIEVED THEY WERE BEING INTERVIEWED BY SENIOR US INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS BOTH WITH REGARD TO IDENTIFYING AND LOCATING CHICOM FORCES AND SPEAKING OF CHICOM INTENTIONS THE POSSIBILITY MUST BE CONSIDERED THAT THEY WERE ORDERED TO PERMIT THEMSELVES TO BE CAPTURED SO THAT AMERICAN COMMANDERS WOULD RECONSIDER OR CANCEL MOVEMENT TO THE CHINESE BORDER. THIS POSSIBILITY WOULD SEEM MORE LIKELY IF STAY-BEHINDS INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY CHICOM UNIT IDENTITY, LOCATION, AND STRENGTH.
THIS INTEL HAS NOT REPEAT NOT BEEN FURNISHED TO X CORPS OR 1ST MARDIV. IN LATTER CASE, THIS IS BECAUSE UNDERSIGNED HAS LEARNED GEN SMITH IS VERY DISPLEASED WITH TRANSFER OF PERSONNEL TO CIA.
MCCOY, MAJ, USMCR
TOP SECRET
[SIX]
Room 39A, Neuro-Psychiatric Ward
U.S. Naval Hospital
San Diego, California
O945 31 October 195O
When Lieutenant Patrick McGrory, MC, USN, pushed open the door he found Major Malcolm S. Pickering in pajamas and robe sitting in his plastic-upholstered chrome armchair attempting, without much success, to spin play-ing cards into his wastebasket, which he had placed on his metal folding chair.
"A little bored, are we?" McGrory inquired.
"I'm looking forward with immense anticipation to the arrival, about now, of a Corpsman who will ask if I would like some canned grapefruit juice, if you find that of interest, Doctor."
"Well, cheer up, you're about to have a visitor."
"Well, then I guess I'd better clean up the mess"-he pointed to what looked like far more than one deck of playing cards on and beneath the folding chair. McGrory remembered the Ship's Store sold playing cards in packs of four decks-"before Mommy gets here, hadn't I?"
"It's not your mother," McGrory said. "It's somebody's wife. Can I leave here assured that you will behave as an officer and a gentleman?"
"Is her name Dawkins? Tiny little woman?"
"No. It's somebody else's wife. You are going to behave?"
"What does she want?"
"To bring a little cheer into your drab life, I suppose."
"I don't want to see anybody."
/> "Too late, I cleared her in. If there is misbehavior, there will not be marti-nis at the cocktail hour. Understood?"
Pick gave him the finger.
McGrory put his right hand on his hip, waved the left, and in a feminine lisp said, "Oh, you Marines are so crude!"
Pick had to laugh.
"I'll see you in a while," McGrory said, and the door swung closed.
Three minutes later, just after Pick had finished picking up the cards, dump-ing them in the wastebasket, and putting the wastebasket back where it be-longed, the door opened.
W E B Griffin - Corp 10 - Retreat, Hell! Page 55
