There was nobody at the Galloway restaurant when I showed up, half an hour before it was supposed to open. There were certain advantages and disadvantages I presumed in owning or running a restaurant and living in attached quarters. Lorraine was indefatigable, and Tom wasn’t far behind her. I’d asked Gularte to show up but I had no idea what time he got up in the morning. The rescue out beyond Trestles had taken it out of me much more so than I would have ever thought. There was little question if I wanted to think about it, which I didn’t, that my daily workouts, as diminished as they might be, had helped save my life, but the price was still being paid. I’d slept, but fitfully, my wife waking me up constantly to see if I was still breathing, or at least so I accused her.
Gularte walked through the door. I looked behind him to make sure Mike Manning wasn’t with him. There were things I needed to talk to Gularte about that I didn’t want anyone else to hear or overhear.
“How shall you ever get out?”
I understand the primal fear the cat felt from your wife’s reaction to the visitors, and to come seek you out. I also understand why the cats presence caused you to react. I have to hand it to you that you had the self control not to drag the messenger out of the car and provide some “direction” on how to interact with your family. I don’t know that many could have held the restraint you did in the circumstances. The A Shau valley must have delivered lessons well beyond your years at the time. One cannot make effective decisions without information, restraint gave you a far more tenable position than push back would have. Another ride along that razors edge!, holding back from the knee jerk actions. BZ again, another punji stake evaded, an emotional responce would have placed you at the top of the suspect list.
“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?”
“Curiouser and curiouser !”
What a great and intelligent comment to make on this chapter. I am surprised and delighted to
read and reread your work and your message. Thanks ever so much for the many compliments worked into
your comment about my own stuff. Much appreciated.
Semper fi,
Jim
A great chapter sir. Thank you again.
I’ve never had reason to consider the differences in explosive compounds. Like most laymen, I just considered a BOOM sufficient. You have piqued my interest and I will endeavour to educate myself a bit.
Tim
Anfo is what the mixture of special high concentrate fertilizer with diesel fuel, in the proper mixture, only explodes at about ten to thirteen thousand feet per second. A very ‘slow’ explosion. As soon as a student of EOD comes to know that then the truck load of Anfo used in the Oklahoma explosion no longer makes sense. The building never could have been that damaged at that distance from the truck by Anfo. That was C-4 or Comp B, so where did those supposed hick clowns come by that kind of very well guarded and accounted for stuff? Hmmmm.
Thanks for the inquiring and interesting comment.
Semper fi,
Jim
When the powers that be decide to cancel your unexpected to you roadtrip , to make whatever is in the frunk of Little Mardians car go away forever it must be of some extreme importance . Explosives no matter what kind even under those conditions will attract unwanted attention , so how do your superiors think they can cover that up ? Egos of men who believe that they have the power to do anything they want and get away with it under any circumstances often lose sight of the fact that there are others who will not look the other way . Such has been the downfall of many “Great Men and Empires” has it not ?
THE CHUCK BOLAM JR.! Much uncertainty begins to raise its ugly head as the Nixon period of presidency ever so
slowly comes to a screeching halt.
Men and women get into positions of great power and then fall victim to their yes people and those who gain from their actions…
but almost never share much when the whole thing comes apart.
Thanks for the great comment, as usual!
Semper fi, my friend,
Jim
Wow Lt. you sure have a talent for getting out of a tight spot. Another great read.
Thanks ever so much Wes, much appreciate the compliment!
Semper fi,
Jim
Another barn burner LT, you just keep them coming! A few minor suggestions:
I frowned by (but) didn’t make any comment.
…his gaze directed out toward Mae Avenue, which not (no)traffic at the early hour…
Some shirts, sox and stuff she replied, making no effort (to) go into detail
What do you want me to do with it when I finally have it in my possession (I) asked, a second wave of…
Thanks again Jim
Thanks for the editing help Joe, and the compliment, of course!
Semper fi,
Jim
Hey Jim this is great, keeps me thinking about it all week, quite complicated to follow and gets more complicated with each installment but I luv it. Keep the stories coming Sir.
Thankyou Ron, it is always interesting and gratifying to get such informed feedback from dedicated reared like you.
Cannot thank you enough.
Semper fi,
Jim
Another amazing chapter in a LONG series of amazing chapters. Thanks you so much for sharing this James.
I much enjoy just hww much you much enjoy Chuck! You are a class act up there in the Green Bay area.
I am a part of the great shine project up there so I’ll be up one day this summer for a board meeting.
Thanks for your great support and friendship.
Semoer fi,
Jim
This was a great chapter because it is a “stage setter”. What happens now ? with Richard, how do you blow up the frunk, Cobb?? and what did the Whitehouse want you to do?
Enquiring minds want to know. Remember that?
I love it when an author teases us with so many unanswered questions. So get to work and write more chapters.
I am hard at work on the next chapter this very night, although taking a break to answer some much demanding comments.
Thanks for your continued interest and support…and the writing of you wandering mind and high intellect….
Semper fi,
Jim
I forgot to add the title of ‘friend’ when I signed off on your comment so here it is…
Semper fi, my friend,
Jim
Funny, I had never thought of the EOD aspects of an 08 specialty! Also I wonder if the Western Whitehouse wasn’t a focus of all this “ special ops” intrigue because it was so far out of DC (FBI, Media, Agency, etc.) view or understanding!
Colonel, at the time, you are exactly correct. The Western White House of the time was completely ignored by the media
and most everyone else not invited as well. Nobody tracked who went in or out to my knowledge. That can be the hotbed for the creation and execution of
rather subversive activity…aka what I and Mardian and more were up to!\
Semper fi, my great friend,
Jim
James, That Porsche is going to be a mess when they finally retrieve it!
Security through obscurity didn’t work this time.
Bozo earned a reward today. Maybe some fresh fish.
Good chance the Polaroid that took the pic of you getting iced was provided by the compound for an earlier mission. I’m assuming your wife took the picture.
Is the detail of you retrieving your suitcase from the limo worth mentioning?
I felt my stomach tightening during the Mardian conversation. Back to 30 Days.
So far, so good. Keep them coming.
Some minor editing suggestions follow:
There were things I needed to talk to Gularte about things I didn’t want anyone else to hear
Two instances of “things” Drop one after “about”
There were things I needed to talk to Gularte about I didn’t want anyone else to hear
Del Mar Avenue, which had not traffic at the early hour
“no” instead of “not”
Del Mar Avenue, which had no traffic at the early hour
The SCUBA idea had been a bit hair-brained
“hare-brained”
The SCUBA idea had been a bit hare-brained
“The last farewell,”
Since this is a song title – should it be capitalized?
“The Last Farewell,”
“Whittaker,” I think that guy called
Maybe add “is” after “guy”
“Whittaker,” I think that guy is called
dawn was in full evidence as the horizon dimmed light that would shine brightly
Maybe reword
dawn was in full evidence at the horizon with dimmed light that would shine brightly
We can likely include Dutch throwing in with us
“Butch” instead of “Dutch”
We can likely include Butch throwing in with us
he said, rising to his feet. What do we do now?”
Open quotes before “What”
he said, rising to his feet. “What do we do now?”
“How do you think that way?
Close quotes
“How do you think that way?”
“How’s it going, Jimmy,” Mike said
Maybe question mark
“How’s it going, Jimmy?” Mike said
I frowned by didn’t make any comment.
Maybe “but” instead of “by”
I frowned but didn’t make any comment.
Gularte’s was a good Marine, but back in the real world
“Gularte”
Gularte was a good Marine, but back in the real world
I’d somehow plunged my neck deep into
Maybe change word order
I’d somehow plunged into neck deep
but also in my A Shau driven in understanding just how flawed
Two instances of “in” Maybe drop second after “driven”
but also in my A Shau driven understanding just how flawed
The medal was great to get
/Context seems this is day after the rescue. At this point you would not even know you had been recommended for a medal. My guess it will take several weeks before the medal is awarded. Maybe reword./
The rescue was uplifting in so many ways, as it helped reinforce the fact
What’s that strangely ugly cat
Backspace to align text with quote marks
the cat was gone, his turn and rush down the sidewalk
Maybe reword to
the cat was gone, he turned and rushed down the sidewalk
I was going to try to try to explain that this ‘swamp pussy,’
Two instances of “to try” Drop one
I was going to try to explain that this ‘swamp pussy,’
she replied, making no effort to into detail
Maybe add “go” before “into”
she replied, making no effort to go into detail
been nobody present or witnessing the sinking
Maybe change “or” to “to”
change “witnessing” to “witness”
been nobody present to witness the sinking
finally have it in my possession?” asked
Add “I” before “asked”
finally have it in my possession?” I asked
No Secret Service agents did anything but stand around, their backs to the hallway walls.
Maybe “in place” rather than “around”
No Secret Service agents did anything but stand in place, their backs to the hallway walls.
As we their habit, they also avoided all eye contact
“was” instead of “we”
As was their habit, they also avoided all eye contact
Mardian walked at the doors
“to” instead of “at”
Mardian walked to the doors
Your artillery and you were an outstanding student
“You’re” instead of “your”
You’re artillery and you were an outstanding student
the White House gang, but I let that subject alone
Maybe “left” instead of “let”
the White House gang, but I left that subject alone
escapes the attention of those
Paying close attention
Lower case for “paying”
backspace to join sentence fragments
escapes the attention of those paying close attention
“Having me for lunch doesn’t sound all that appealing,
Close quotes
“Having me for lunch doesn’t sound all that appealing,”
need to acquire the necessary pyrotechnics
Maybe “demolition devices” instead of “pyrotechnics”
need to acquire the necessary demolition devices
Blessings & Be Well
Thanks so much for the comprehensive edit and also your comments prior to laying into the work.
Without you the site would be a bit of a mess when I came to telling the story in any way that’s understandable.
Semper fi, my friend,
Jim
Dang, Lt! Good chapter. Questions in my mind again, which I’m sure you will sooner than later answer. Why would Mardian hide something of vital interest to the powers behind the administration, in the trunk of his wild son’s car? Lots of risk there. On the demo dive I would probably be carrying a pry bar to see what was in the package. I’m just that curious about the larcenous minds of others and the pry marks would probably be hidden by the explosion. Gularte is the kind of NCO that any combat leader would want in his platoon. You were very lucky there. And, you have got a great wife to put up with the life you were leading.
My wife actually has never considered herself as a partner ‘putting up’ with much of anything. She’s always considered herself along for the ride and the adventure, given that hers isn’t an expressive personality like my own . She did go on to run the Georgia OKeeffe Museum in Santa Fe and then the Chicago Botanic as well. So, her own capabilities are pretty extensive, not to mention education and life experience. Sometimes, when really powerful people say something like ‘you don’t want to know,’ they are actually trying to help you. There are things that we can all put inside our minds that we can’t get out once they are embedded. I have enough of those….but the real story plays on and out and total rationality wasn’t a great part of that.
Semper fi,
Jim
Great story on the analysis of the explosives. I can hardly wait for next one. Mike’s observation of Gularte’s lack of sophistication is one of the reminders of my days in the Army and the social distinction between the officer and enlisted corps. One day with just me and a captain in the office, I addressed him with his last name. He made me stand at attention, and look at his bars, as he explained the difference to me, just the two of us. He was a RIF asshole anyway. Or the time I had to take a newly minted OCS gold bar with me as I did my work. Of course he was sitting in the back of the jeep when he said “Home James!” The real kicker many years later we were having to scrape up tile in the social hall at church on a Saturday morning. The associate pastor, a retired major, as were working away said “Where are the privates?” He was working as hard as me, but he had no idea how degrading that was to me, a draftee after all. I actually had several officers I was friends with. They were not much different from me.
Kemp
The average I.Q. is 100 and that means half the people you meet on any given day, not in graduate or medical school and such, have less than that to work with. When I was teaching college I was stunned by how many professor around me didn’t seem to be in that above one hundred crowd and, of course, I found the same to be true among officers in the military. Many get into college, which is a big part of becoming an officer, by their contacts and family, and not by merit…and many of them graduate for the same reasons. You are an extremely bright guy, which means that you have wandered through life in pretty lonely circumstance, like a lot of others…and titles seldom have much to do with it.
Semper fi, my friend,
Jim
Mr. Strauss, Sir.
Is it possible that your writing skills are improving with each and every installment (I kind of think maybe yes.)? Or maybe I’m simply getting sucked deeper and deeper into the story and find myself sweating as I read it. Thank you for sharing – I so look forward to each installment. At this time, I have to wonder why, though. Why would someone in position of authority over “the package” have allowed Young Mardian to be in possession of it in the first place? It sounds to me like he might have been known to be a bit of a loose cannon, so to speak, and not especially trustworthy with such a secret. Thanks again.
Unless Little Mardian didn’t know the package was there at all.How you will find the following chapters interesting in revealing more
about what really happened, which I don’t think I could make up to be nearly as interesting as what took place. Thanks for the deep analysis and your opinions. I think the other readers are as appreciative as I am for you efforts here.
Semper fi,
Jim
You get deeper and deeper, Jim, but are nowhere near the bottom of the Mariana’s Trench – yet! And having learned a little bit about you along the way, I won’t be surprised (well, maybe a little bit) to find you have somehow exceeded that depth.
Better think up a way now about how to explain to your wife just how you managed to perforate both eardrums!
As usual, write faster! Or I’m gonna have to learn to slow my reading down.
My friend Wilcox…thanks so much for your encouragement, although you may not have written your most excellent comment to be exactly that.
I do read these comments intently and they effect me quite deeply…two of the reasons that I answer them all personally. Thanks for the Mariana Trench
comparison…as I, indeed, felt I was pretty far underwater at the time. I write on into this day and have more motivation from people like you.
Semper fi,
Jim
Deeper and deeper James,m how are you still here? da
Survival in those days wasn’t something I really thought about simply because the terror I’d gone through down in the valley sort of deadened me to
some exposure to deep-seated fear…or made me care less…I’m not certain. Maybe there was also some ‘addiction’ to being close to being afraid but tap-dancing away just in time when real disaster was right at hand. I don’t know. Thanks for the great short but meaningful comment.
Semper fi,
Jim
This is beginning to sound like Mission Impossible!! Only difference is you where not told to burn the message, just blow up a car, under water, in a marina…..No one will notice that at all….. Keep em coming Lt, thank you sir!
Yes, there was that problem, and just a few others, in being given such an offhand but deeply troubling mission. I must
admit, however, I did love working once again with pyrotechnics, even if it wasn’t of the artillery kind.
Semper fi,
Jim
So a thank you party by the 2/13 unit would be a good reason to hit the base and then detour to get some blow-up goodies !! A plan is falling into place whereby all will be right in the world ….. or not !!
Great read James, keep ’em coming !!
Semper Fi
Coincidences are strange bits of the universe coming together that seemingly have little to do with one another, but then we humans don’t have the kind of understanding of what’s going on (or what it is) in the universe. Thanks for the comment and for you thinking about what’s going on at the time.
Semper fi,
Jim
I am desperate to cancel a recent order…wrong item through pay pal
The order was canceled and the money repaid through PayPal, as you instructed.
Thanks for the order and sorry you went for the wrong book.
Semper fi,
Jim
Bravo!
Apparently, you do not like surprises or the opportunity to take a “trip” about which you know nothing.
More twists and turns than a bowl full of spaghetti.
One typo?
“…We can likely include Dutch throwing in with us. My job alone is to make sure about Richard and Cobb.”
Dutch = Butch?
The trip would have been another adventure and I would have liked to make it, but there was no way I could simply drop everything else at that point and disappear…not without the possibility of losing everything. Thanks for the editing help, as well.
Semper fi,
Jim
Hare-brained as in the size of a rabbit brain.
Good read again.
Thanks, Sir
Chris
Yes, an accurate statement in your comment Christopher. I tend to think of the width of a human hair instead of the true root of the comment.
Thanks for that observation here.
Semper fi,
Jim
Wow great chapter
Thanks, Robert, for a short but great compliment.
Semper fi,
Jim