"I wish I'd known who he was," Vandegrift said. "I could have saved him a trip to the Raiders."
"Sir?" Banning asked, obviously concerned.
"If his brother is who I think he is, he was flown out of here the day before yesterday," Vandegrift said. When he saw the looks on their faces, he hastily added: "In near-perfect health. I'm surprised you don't know, Dillon. Sergeant Thomas J. McCoy was ordered back to the States by the Director of Public Affairs. They seem to think he can boost enlistments and sell war bonds. The press is calling him 'Machine Gun McCoy.' "
"I'd heard about that, Sir. It just slipped my mind."
"I could understand Sergeant McCoy being called 'Killer,' " Vandegrift said, shaking his head in a mixture of surprise and amusement. "Not only did I recommend him for the Navy Cross, for what he did on Edson's Ridge with his machine gun, but he's built like a tank and looks like he can chew nails. But that young man..."
"In his case, Sir, the Killer's looks can be deceiving," Banning said.
"What's he doing here?"
"I don't know how familiar you are with the Buka Operation, General?"
"The Marines operating the Buka Coastwatcher station were at the end of their rope, and you went in and replaced them?"
"Yes, Sir," Banning said. "McCoy set up the Buka operation for General Pickering. And went in with it. He went ashore from the sub before the plane got there. That was his second rubber-boat landing. He was on the Raider raid on Makin."
"He gets around, apparently," Vandegrift said, and then asked, "What's he going to do here?"
"He's returning to the States, Sir, via Espiritu Santo."
Vandegrift nodded, then, ending the casual conversation, said, "You say General Pickering sent you to see me, Major?"
"Yes, Sir," Banning said, then turned to Major Dillon. "Jake, will you excuse us, please?"
Dillon nodded, then pushed the canvas aside and left them alone. General Vandegrift looked at Banning.
Banning took a sheet of flimsy paper from his shirt pocket and handed it to the General.
=TOP SECRET=
NOT LOGGED
ONE COPY ONLY
DUPLICATION FORBIDDEN
FOLLOWING IS DECRYPTION OF MSG 220107 RECEIVED 090942 2105 GREENWICH
FROM SECNAV WASHINGTON DC
TO SUPREME COMMANDER SWPOA
EYES ONLY MAJOR EDWARD BANNING USMC
SECNAV DESIRES THAT MAJOR BANNING
[1] PREPARE AN ANALYSIS OF JAPANESE INTENTIONS AND CAPABILITIES REGARDING GUADALCANAL
BASED ON ALL INTELLIGENCE AVAILABLE TO HIM AND HIS STAFF
[2] PERSONALLY OBTAIN FROM COMGEN 1ST MARINE DIVISION HIS EVALUATION OF HIS CAPABILITIES
TO COUNTER THREAT, YOU ARE DIRECTED TO MAKE YOUR ANALYSIS [[1] ABOVE] AVAILABLE TO COMGEN
1ST MAR-DIV.
[3] PROCEED TO PEARL HARBOR T.H. WHERE BOTH ANALYSES WILL BE TRANSMITTED VIA SPECIAL
TRANSMISSION FACILITIES TO SECNAV EYES ONLY BRIG GEN FLEMING PICKERING USMCR WHO WILL
BRIEF SECNAV
[4] BE PREPARED, IF SO ORDERED, TO PROCEED FROM PEARL HARBOR, T.H., TO WASHINGTON DC TO
PERSONALLY BRIEF SECNAV.
[5] SECNAV AND GEN FLEMING WISH TO STATE THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF SENSITIVITY OF THIS
ASSIGNMENT AND TO EXPRESS COMPLETE CONFIDENCE IN GENERAL VANDEGRIFTS AND MAJOR BANNINGS
DISCRETION
BY DIRECTION SECNAV
HOUGHTON, CAPT USN
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO SECNAV
=TOP SECRET=
General Vandegrift read the message, looked at Banning, then read the message again.
"Very interesting," he said. When Banning didn't reply, Vandegrift added, "Are you going to tell me what this is all about, Banning?"
Banning looked uncomfortable.
"Sir, I think it's right there. I don't like to speculate...."
"Speculate," Vandegrift ordered, softly but sharply.
"Sir, is the General aware of General Pickering's mission when he was here before?"
"You mean, here on Guadalcanal? Or in the Pacific?"
"In the Pacific, Sir."
"It was bandied about that Pickering was Frank Knox's personal spy."
"Sir, it is my understanding that General Pickering was dispatched to the Pacific to obtain for Secretary Knox information that Secretary Knox felt he was not getting through standard Navy channels."
"You're a regular, Banning," Vandegrift said. "I shouldn't have to tell you about going out of channels." He paused. "About my personal repugnance to going out of channels."
"Sir, may I speak frankly?"
"I expect you to, Major."
"Sir, with respect, you don't have any choice. I am here at the direction of the Secretary of the Navy. I respectfully suggest, Sir, that if the Secretary of the Navy elects to move outside the established chain of command, he has that prerogative."
"Would you say, then, Major, that the contents of this message are not known to the Commander-in-Chief, Pacific?"
"I would be very surprised if it was, Sir."
"And the reference..." Vandegrift said, then paused and looked at the message again, "... the reference to their confidence in my discretion, and yours, means that we are not expected to tell them about it?"
"I would put that interpretation on that, Sir," Banning said.
"When this comes out, Banning, as it inevitably will, my superiors will conclude that I went over their heads. I would draw the same conclusion."
"Sir, I can only respectfully repeat that we have received an order from the Secretary of the Navy."
"In which I see the hand of Fleming Pickering," Vandegrift said. "I think this was Pickering's idea, not Mr. Knox's."
Banning didn't reply for a moment. There was no doubt in his mind that the whole thing was Fleming Pickering's idea. For one thing, the Secretary of the Navy almost certainly had no idea who one obscure major named Edward Banning was.