I realized just how different Bob Elwell was, as I sat out at the end of the pier considering the coming dive. The simplicity of his plan, versus the overwhelming complexity of my own, amazed me. Iād given my plan only about a fifty percent chance of succeeding since Mardian had never bothered to give me any idea of what the package in the trunk consisted of. Was it something that wouldnāt be destroyed by moderate application of high explosives? Rifle barrels potentially used in the Kennedy assassination had come to my mind several times, although I knew in my heart of hearts that such thinking was idiotic. But then, my life, since coming home and getting out of the several hospitals could easily be summed up using that one word.
Gularte walked in the door, followed seconds later by Bob. There was nobody else in the place except for Shawna, and being one of the Dwarfs, I had no doubt about her loyalties or her ability to remain silent. Even so, I didnāt want anyone, even her, to know what we were about to do. The stakes were simply too high. As long as the Porsche sat on the bottom of the harbor undiscovered, then the mystery of who might have had something to do with putting it there was on the bottom with it. A revelation of its location, not to mention anyone diving on the wreck and having to have had prior knowledge of its whereabouts would be potentially disastrous for all of us concerned.
Mr Strauss, Sir;
Wow. After reading, I needed to wait a bit to calm down before writing this. Wow. How so many know your secret plan and the night the deed is to occur is frightening. So the appearance of the vehicle afterward is disturbing – very disturbing – but not surprising. Thank you so much for all of this.
Thanks for joining in Keith. The next chapter is written and off to Chuck for email notification and presentation on the site,
which should take place some time tomorrow. I am knee deep in the next chapter as that one gets off.
Those were dangerous times, and some of this could still ‘claw back’ some of that danger. Not all those guys and gals are dead
and some still wield huge powers. Appreciate the compliment of your reading and commenting on here.
Semper fi,
Jim
I am late reading this chapter LT but dang, it is worth the wait! I am on pins and needles, waiting to find out who is in the late coming vehicle and what is in the bag,! You are an amazing man my friend, as well as top notch writer! Thank you!
Thanks a lot Joe.
I am deep into finishing the next chapter this night and your message makes me smile to continue…
thanks for that and for writing on here in the first place.
Semper fi,
Jim
Another spellbinding chapter. Pulls the reader in and your attention to detail not only enhances credibility but get get readers stuck into he cargo pocket full of lint that start moving in different directions and cause us to lose the real story- what happened? Trying to protect your friends from what is in the bag is a valiant yet futile attempt because if ever questioned they would tell what you had but they deny know the contents which might strain credulity?
So now what? and how about the mysterious vehicle? Could it be G. Gordon?
oh wrote faster
Waited for your comment Rich! And here it is. Never met G.Gordon, or any of the plumbers in person.
Somehow, Nixon had surrounded himself with some real nut jobs in D.C. and G. Gordon was definitely one of
them in my opinion. As for the detail, I see it like it’s only yesterday. Thanks for the depth of your words and
I will have more revelations about some of that as time goes on here.
Semper, my friend,
Jim
Many spelling errors that totally change the meaning of the sentence they are in.
Thanks Stephen, we are fixing them as quickly as they are pointed out.
Semper fi, and thanks for your comment.
Jim
Wouldn’t surprise me if Bozo himself was bugged
B=zo refused every effort to give him a collar. He went through life without
any surveillance of any kind that I was aware of. It would have been interesting to be
able to follow his outdoor exploits of the time, however.
Semper fi,
Jim
Another great chapter and another week of waiting. This is getting deeper by the chapter.
Details, details. Bob had the final details for the dive, something he had experience with. You had the details for the mission, something you had experience with. All great leaders eventually learn to feed off the experience of those that work with them. Much like with you and the Gunny.
Good advice is hard to find out here…and also hard to follow after interpreting that it is, indeed, good advice to follow!
Thanks for the care and support and loyalty as you read and comment.
Means aq ton to me.
Semper fi,
Jim
I had a feeling that when you had that heart to heart with Butch that you two had a lot more in common than you originally thought . I guess the hunch I had about him and you turned out spot on . So now the real fun begins with whoever is in the vehicle that just happens to show up as you retrieved the mysterious package . Thanks for another cliffhanger of a chapter !
Chuck Bolam, Jr., old friend \who has been around from the very start of all this. Whom would have guessed what it would grow into? I was 13th on Google search when I began and am now easily number one. Wow! Unexpected. I never really thought that so many combat vets would follow me and compliment. I thought I’d get a lot more negative criticism. Not all vets think alike, I have a guy who runs a distant but large Marine Corps League outfit that thinks my books are total bullshit. He wears an actual (yes they have those) Marine Corps League uniform, MC league decorations and served as the ‘Commandant/ of a chapter). Where in hell do some of these vets come from? Anyway, stand by for the next chapter as it is a revealing one of some import, and the one following too. Not combat of the A Shau sort but combat back here in one form or another. Thanks so much for whom and what you are my friend whom I’ve never met.
Semper fi,
Jim
Great reading. Bob is wearing boots not books.
Thanks for the help Buster, and I do love that name. Of course, if I changed my name, I’d be B.S. Anyway, thanks for the comment and the help in correcting my work.
Means a lot to me.
Semper fi,
Jim
Once again LT, a very exciting chapter. I still say the ancient Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times”, is describing your life at the time you are writing about! Semper Fi Marine!
I have lived in ‘interesting times,’ as presented in the Chinese curse of that phrase. I am still living in interesting times, just different fhan
those of the earlier times. Thanks for the quote and your interest in this ‘project’ that has become my life’s pursuit.
Semper fi,
Jim
Tote bag retrieved so mission complete ?? Hahahaha absolutely no way I’m sure !!!
Well at least no munitions needed to be involved after all, but it does seem as tho alot more parties have found their way to this dance !!??
A few typos noted but I’m sure others will correct them later.
Great read on this chapter James, have a cup of coffee on me and carry on š
Semper Fi
This seemingly small item I am revealing the contents of in the coming chapter is no small deal at all. Isn’t funny that now that I am revealing so much
about the Kennedy assissiantiuon that so many people are ‘coming out’ about it? Cobb was unknown before I revealed her. Well, that is more, as you will read
and I am happy that only the select readers of my my work, chapter by chapter, are getting such stuff. That little cup of coffee means a helluva lot to me
my friend.
Semper fi,
Jim
It seems as though everybody youāre associated with knows about this secret mission which explains the car pulling up at the end. If so they probably also know how the Porsche got to the bottom of the ramp. Common factor seems to be the restaurant where you have coffee. Either that or everybody and everything is bugged. Anyway damn good chapter.
Thanks LT.
JT, surveillance was way ahead of what most of us on the outside of it comprehended at the time. Even today, most of the poblic has no idea of just how\
intrusive it all is. This communication is recored and stored. All international email and mail is intercepted, coded and then stored in Utah.
The overhead camera and video work is so detailed (sonar, radar, electromagnetic and optical) that there is nothing physically exposed that is not seen and recorded. You can ‘t find my address on mapquest, as its protected. But that’s not for them. They were growing this system back then but none of us, even as a part of it, could find it that believable.
Semper fi, my friend,
Jim
Cliffhanger after cliffhanger James, I hope I don’t get a nosebleed from all these cliffhangers. Your story telling abilities are beyond measure! Thanks again for another scintillating chapter that leaves us wanting more right NOW!
Charles Gringus. The man himself. Yes, the chapters do appear to flow from one cliff hanger to another, but if you take then
apart then you come to realize that I must write and then quit at certain parts of the chapter of they get too short or long.
I could not reveal what was in the package in the last chapter without running on forever. It’s in the new chapter but then that ‘chapter will
end with a ‘cliffhanger’ as well, because it’s all so complex and hard to bring together…not for me but for the readers, like you.
Semper fi, I’m doing the best that I can…and thanking so many, or so few, whom are followers like you.
Jim
my feel should be my feet hit the bottom
That that single mistake should bring you to commenting on this site is reason enough to have made it!
Thanks for the help and for coming on here to state it all.
Semper fi,
JIM
Can’t wait to find out what’s in the package. I wonder if it’s important or meaningless !! I’ll be back !
There was nothing ‘meaningless’ in those time, my friend. As you have been reading and will read more, or so I hope.
Much appreciate you reading and then commenting here.
Semper fi,
Jim
Another enticing chapter, leading us on to more adventure! Thank you so very much for sharing your life events with us. From your first arrival in Vietnam through today’s brief swim, it’s been an adventure, to be sure.
Some minor edits, a few typos, which I’ll leave to others.
Thanks again, Friend James – Semper Fi.
My friend, Craig Wilcox. You come along after every chapter with some homily about what’s in that chapter, but your interest and
support in simply being here and commenting is not overlooked by me. Thanks, my great friend.
Semper fi,
Jim
You have an interesting way of focusing attention to the next episode but maybe part of it is the level of detail each chapter displays! So we have a cloth bag that could be a womenās tote or overnight bagā¦..maybe it belongs to that women that died in the Chicago Midway plane crash. Did I meet Bob Elwell at dinner in San Clemente?
Colonel: You did indeed meet and have lunch with Bob Elwell and his wife, not that he really knew who you were in my life, back than or now.
Bob and his wife Alice shared a meal with you out on the San Clement Pier restaurant, not the old one that was at the end. Thanks for the compliment
about the detail. I do work at it…
Semper fi, my friend,
Jim
Another alluring chapter, bringing us to the edge of our seats at the very end, again. When (If) this comes out in movie form, it should become successful because of the honest content, and the style that you have put into the delivery.
I don’t make corrections, as there are better people than I for that job. But one stuck out as a plausible intentional slip.
“The cab proved so large that the bench seat held all three of us with plenty of room to swear.” I think “spare” was your intended word, although deep inside all 3 of you might have been “swearing” anyway.
Also, your negotiation tactics have been successful for my situation, as I eluded to a couple months ago. (Wink, nudge)
Carry on, your audience awaits.
Todd
Thank you, Todd, for another great complimentary comment.
My wife reads and says that I’m not as smart as I portray myself back in those days, however,
she says I do a good portraying just how smart she is…and how little truth she really got from me!
A lot of perspective here. I do the best I can at being deprecating about my own contributions but
she’s probably more right than wrong about my presentation. Thanks for the help with editing, which is
always tough. DanC is a genius at rewriting the parts that need just that and then Chuck at making all
the corrections…as I’m sure he’ll catch what you caught, from you, and make that change.
Thanks so much,
Semper fi,
Jim
I think we have them all corrected. Thank you, Todd.
Again you leave us hanging JAMES! You are a very good story teller in that you always leave us wanting more
Thanks for the compliment Harold. The chapters just seem to flow a bit on their own and
I cut them off in places where I feel I just can’t add any more without becoming verbose and
boring. Appreciate this comment.
Semper fi,
Jim
Great chapter as usual! !!!
Ah, William, I cannot thank you enough for this laconic but meaningful compliment. Means a lot to me.
Semper fi,
Jim
We go with googles the lights and nothing elseā¦..should be goggles
The bench seat held all three of us with room to swear ā¦.should be room to spare
Letās get this doneā¦.goggles instead of googles
Governmentally top secret for all intents and purchases ā¦..should be purposes
Thanks Sam for the help here. I depend upon erudite and intelligent readers to help me fix things because I can’t afford the
expensive editors I should have.
Semper fi,
Jim
Two Words “Cliff Hanger”, waiting and turning blue till the next chapter!!! TY Lt Semper fi
Thanks a lot Don, for the great compliment. Keeps me going, as you’ve already surmised since you
comment pretty frequently…and I appreciate pretty frequently!
Semper fi,
Jim
Thank you James, keep them coming. I eagerly anticipate each chapter & you never fail to disappoint. Cobb’s presence in this narrative & your observations of her led me to do some research on Cobb whom Iād never heard of before. Looks like those observations were spot on. Where is this going?
Phil, before I wrote about Cobb on here, there was no online presence for her. Now, many people are writing about her secretive existence.
I guess I am more famous underground than I am in ‘real’ life. She and Helen Hunt were the money carrying couriers for the really high
politicians and leaders. They kept their mouths shut and were not considered real players of the time because they were women. How apropos
is that, and how effective for the time? There is more coming about all of it, as long s they don’t come to make me stop writing any of this.
Semper fi,
Jim
James, I’ll go out on a limb and guess the surprise vehicle is from the compound. We shall see.
It seems you may be the head of Bozo’s pride; but it’s his job to protect Julie and her doll – even from you. Children and pets have a special bond.
Returning the gear and C-4 to the armory will stretch the Warrant’s brain. I guess there’s a few items they are willing to write off that may prove useful in the future.
Some minor editing suggestions follow:
headquarters building to cross the tracks and got into my car and drove home
Change of tense in sentence. Reword to all past tense.
headquarters building crossed the tracks and got into my car and drove home
I waited for then with the garage door gaping open
“them” instead of “then”
I waited for them with the garage door gaping open
wetsuits, googles and fins
“goggles” rather than “googles”
wetsuits, goggles and fins
although those would make up less visible in the night
“us” instead of “up”
although those would make us less visible in the night
like you did yesterdays
“yesterday” instead of “yesterdays”
like you did yesterday
tiny, brilliant piece of the sun,
End with period instead of comma
tiny, brilliant piece of the sun.
my imagination conjuring gup undersea wrecks
“up” instead of “gup”
my imagination conjuring up undersea wrecks
Yellow submarine, the name you wanted well do
Maybe “will” instead of “well”
Yellow submarine, the name you wanted will do
/In chapter 49 you name the recovery mission as “The Last Farewell”/
/In chapter 47 you name the already completed Porsche submersion as “Yellow Submarine”/
I don’t understand the conversation.
We go with googles the light and nothing else
“goggles” instead of “googles”
We go with goggles the light and nothing else
āOkay, Gularte can hold our I.D.ās just in case.
Close quotes
āOkay, Gularte can hold our I.D.ās just in case.”
I went back upstairs to let me wife know
“my” instead of “me”
I went back upstairs to let my wife know
make sure whatever was in never saw the light of day
Add “it” after “in”
make sure whatever was in it never saw the light of day
Mardian… His caution to me about looking into Pandoraās Box had been that and that alone.
In chapter 50 Paul is the one who brings up Pandora’s box.
Drop sentence.
OR
You could splice in what Mardian did say in chapter 49
His caution to me āYou donāt want to know whatās there, and you can really trust me about thatā had been that and that alone.
the metal ring at the end of the ring dangling over
Change second “ring” to “chain”
the metal ring at the end of the chain dangling over
Bozo was a swamp pussy, and a few of our guests, cat people one and all, had paid a price for thinking that invading his personal space was punishable by anything less than a life-long scar to mark the occasion.
Could add “not” before “thinking”
Bozo was a swamp pussy, and a few of our guests, cat people one and all, had paid a price for not thinking that invading his personal space was punishable by anything less than a life-long scar to mark the occasion.
OR Reword
Bozo was a swamp pussy. Invading his personal space was punishable by nothing less than a life-long scar to mark the occasion. And a few of our guests, cat people one and all, had paid that price.
the bench seat held all three of us with plenty of room to swear
“spare” instead of “swear”
the bench seat held all three of us with plenty of room to spare
āYour attire? I said
Close quotes after “?”
āYour attire?” I said
and the books make sure that if I have to stand on anything
“boots” instead of “books”
and the boots make sure that if I have to stand on anything
being a bit of high school swimming star
Maybe add “a” before “high”
being a bit of a high school swimming star
Open the harbor road back up once were inside
“we’re” instead of “were”
Open the harbor road back up once we’re inside
Gularte parked the Truck not far
Lower case “T” in “truck”
Gularte parked the truck not far
reaching into the truck to withdraw the light and both pairs of googles
“goggles” rather than “googles”
reaching into the truck to withdraw the light and both pairs of goggles
top secret, for all intents and purchases
“purposes” instead of “purchases”
top secret, for all intents and purposes
big sail boats here launched and run its keel slightly into it
/I’ve been a bit wrong about how vessels are launched. Probably they are cradled in a wheeled dolly frame which is run down the ramp until the boat floats free./ The dolly would hit the Porsche.
placing the googles on my head and adjusting them
“goggles” rather than “googles”
placing the goggles on my head and adjusting them
I took several very deep breathes
“breaths” instead of “breathes”
I took several very deep breaths
After almost minute of this he gave me the SCUBA sign
Add “a” before “minute”
After almost a minute of this he gave me the SCUBA sign
I was in my bare feel
“feet” instead of “feel”
I was in my bare feet
Porsche and used the vehicleās body to push myself off of and surge upward
Could drop “of”
Porsche and used the vehicleās body to push myself off and surge upward
up the ramp until I could lay and recover myself
“lie down” rather than “lay”
up the ramp until I could lie down and recover myself
other than the part of rope I still held in my hand
Could add “the” before “rope”
other than the part of the rope I still held in my hand
instead just laying on the ramp
“lying” instead of “laying”
instead just lying on the ramp
guarding the entrance to harbor
Add “the” before “harbor”
guarding the entrance to the harbor
we were out of there, saying that we were going anywhere under out own control
Maybe “praying” instead of “saying”
we were out of there, praying that we were going anywhere under out own control
Blessings & Be Well
Chuck didn’t get to the fixes necessary that you have made here. Boy, have I heard bout that! Thanks DanC for the corrections you make, charging nothing (although if Hollywood ever buys any of this then you will benefit greatly!). Thanks for the help and the speculation which I can’t answer yet.
Semper fi, my friend,
Jim
DanC.
Thanks for your tireless efforts.
I believe we caught and corrected the errors.
Thanks again for your sharp eyes and knowledge
Jim,
You gave me yet another TCL literary “fix”.
THANKS!
Unexpected ‘helpers’ show up…
Then-right at the end–unexpected headlights.
Oh crap.
Busted?
WHO?
Another cop? Mardian Sr.? his son? compound people? just curious onlookers?
I will have to wait impatiently until you tell us in the next chapter.
Like the old song by the Supreme’s says: ‘You keep me hanging’ on’.
Noticed a few typos.
“We go with googles the light and nothing else,ā
…goggles, the light and nothing else.
“…except for the large industrial underwater lights, wetsuits, googles and fins.”
googles/goggles
āLetās get this done,ā Bob said, reaching into the truck to withdraw the light and both pairs of googles.” (goggles)
āOkay, Bob, letās get down there,ā I said, placing the googles (goggles) on my head..”
āWhat night diving have you done?ā I asked, my imagination conjuring gup undersea wrecks ”
gup/up
“The cab proved so large that the bench seat held all three of us with plenty of room to swear.”
swear/spare?
Thanks for the great compliment ‘The Walter Duke,’ and the help in editing. Chuck will be all
over those and changing what needs to be changed. Without my editing help on here I’d be dead as a doornail.
Semper fi, my friend,
Jim