It was hard to believe what was coming from my wife when she unloaded about the coming mission or training that was going to take me away from home for many weeks to come. EOD Naval Training Center was in Indian Head, Maryland, located coincidentally on Strauss Street and there was no real short course to such training. Why I would need it was another question I could not answer. I called Herbert and told him the truth.
“I’m not going to the training at either Charm School or Explosive Ordinance Disposal, at least not in ten days,” I said, but did not continue with a threat. I waited almost a full minute for his reply.
Once again I’m late to the party but a good chapter LT.
Looking forward to the next, thanks..
Semper Fi
Thanks most sincerely SgtBob, as I work away right this minute.
Semper fi,
Jim
Looking forward to book five, they keep getting better!
Thanks so much this morning Gordon, and I put the finishing polish on the first chapter of that book.
Semper fi,
Jim
LT, your boss is always it seems sticking you in the fire but never telling you you’re going in the fire. And you bring you wife along just after being informed not to. WTH is going on here. Bad enough exposing yourself but her too? WOW oh well great reading as I follow along with a glee in my eye.
The reason the rule is hard and fast is self-evident. The definition of what is ‘mission-related’ can be a lot more subjective and therefore problematic. Ask to carry harmless inert stuff up Los Alamos seemed innocent enough. It only became mission-related after the fact. How do you conduct your life with family and all the ancillary stuff and integrate that into the kind of penetrating participation, without much of any revelation, of the CIA in your life? I was more careful after that but how can you be too careful with that? We all have to have lives out here. Last night, at dinner with my greta Vietnam war friend Jim Homan and his wife June, we discussed that part of the chapter in the kitchen having drinks. My wife is still angry with both the Agency and me for what happened that afternoon. I had and have nothing but apologies. I should have known. But if you are an FNG then you don’t know until many times it’s too late. Thanks for the usual great comment JT.
Semper fi,
Jim
FNG. Lots of experience but yet you are correct. You are still an FNG. I was also my whole time in Nam
Very accurate statement there JT. The learning curve was so steep it was perfectly vertical.
Thanks for the great accurate comment.
Semper fi,
Jim
1st the artifact & now a device utilizing lasers, uranium & possibly technology developed from the artifact which may end up providing enough energy to power the world. If I hadn’t been following you since the valley I would write this off as science fiction. Can’t wait to learn more as this saga continues.
Dr. Bethe’s aside in thanking me for what I brought to them was ancillary and distant but I got it. The government does not proved much in the way of thanks to those who do it and the people fabulous services. Look how Medal of Honor holders have been disparaged by a current presidential aspirant. The disparagement for their incredible service wasn’t even met by any kind of immediate and vastly punishing reply from a media and public that ought to know better. Real life. Hard to accommodate but somehow we all have to move on…probably with fewer heroes stepping into the fray than before. Thanks for the great comment.
Semper fi,
Jim
I’m shaking my head in wonder! Could this really be true? Are we in for a science fiction book of a continuing true saga. You have captured me my friend! The only problem is continuing to await the next chapter! SF. The Codger
Next week will see the first chapter of Volume V of the series Tom. I can’t tell you what to believe, but, as with those parts of my life as earlier
described in the series, these events took place as I describe them. It was a wild and topsy turvey time but, as well, my life lived them with me and
anyone can call her and ask her about Hans Bethe, the pills, the transport of ‘machine gun barrels, the FBI following us in New Mexico and much more.
I’m also a bit too old to really care about fact-checking. I’m not going to be famous. The CIA and military could not handle mh work being believed, although they’ve
been very quiet of late about all of what I’m revealing. Thanks for the great comment and your terrific friendship through the years.
Semper fi,
Jim
Never saw that coming! You were presented with something awesome snd now you are presented with the experiments to define it!
You can’t make that up.
I was recently there!
Tell us more.
The first chapter of the new volume comes out next week, as Chuck works to get the fourth volume into print.
Thanks for the confirmation and I hope you had an interesting trip up there. If you saw the hospital then
it is also right under that hospital, the only one up there, where the huge tunnel (called the Starlifter) extends
all the way to Sandia Labs at the airport in Albuquerque.
Semper fi,
Jim
First, now that you has all hanging, is there going to be more? Great read in the “bring your wife to work day”. And was the heavy box maybe the item you turn back to Uncle or something more weird out of this world stuff. You sure seem to be much more than a freshman agent already. Hope more is to come, thank you sir and Semper fi
The last chapter of volume IV is done as of what you read. The first chapter of the fifth volume will be
available next week. So, yes, there is plenty more. The ‘package’ of supposed fifty caliber machine gun bullest
turned out to actually be weapons grade uranium. I’d turned the artifact over to Los Alamos months before I ever got
to Albuquerque to live. Thanks for wanting more.
Semper fi,
Jim
Fascinating chapter, Jim, and really sets up that next volume.
I’ve been a longtime fan of the Land Rover, did not know Chevy supplied the engines.
What I really like about them is that they’ve been designed to be fairly well engineered so that much of the maintenance is possible to be repaired in the bush. Of course, with modern use of computers, this may no longer be possible.
Your errand of delivering the “goodies” seems an odd one for the CIA. I would have thought that personnel from Tech Area Fifty-five would have handled the chore themselves. But, government agencies often do things in an odd manner.
This laptop drives me crazy! Both the “N” and “X” keys stick, requiring much added pressure to work, and “N” is really a popular letter!
Really looking forward to the next volume. And “next” uses both of those doggone keys!
The earlier Range Rovers were indeed very fixable in the field. A manual was created that gave all the engine and suspension parts conversion numbers (for example, Range Rover air-conditioning compressor was 450.00 from Rover but was 210.10 GM unit, while the high pressure hoses were 187.00 each but only 43.00 from a Ford Dealer). All the body parts were held on by 13mm bolts and every part of the body could be removed, the part ordered in the factory color and it would come in less than a week. What a gift that was. A conversion kit was provided to convert the suspension compressor for external hose use. And so on. Loved it, but as time went on all of those great qualities went away. Today the Rover is just another high priced highway SUV that looks like most other Japanese cruisers. Los Alamos labs did none of its own deliveries although everything brought in was supposed to be triple inspected. I would also come to find, extraordinarily, the many governmental agencies deliberately don’t inform or really purposely screw up communications with other agencies. Real life has so much competition and jealousy.
Thanks of rite great comment and sorry about your keys. Thanks for the great comment and your continuance on the planet.
Semper fi,
Jim
There were Buick aluminum engines in Range Rovers, but no 350cu V8, I drove one in Tanzania when we helped with certain activities out of the embassy.
Engines
edit
Originally, the Range Rover was fitted with a detuned 135 hp (101 kW) version of the Buick-derived Rover V8 engine. The 3,528 cc (3.5 L; 215.3 cu in) engine was increased to a displacement of 3,947 cc (3.9 L; 240.9 cu in) for the 1989 model year,[16] and 4,197 cc (4.2 L; 256.1 cu in) in 1992.
The chapter was supposed to read 3.5 liter and not 350 cubic inch. Buick was GM product.
Thanks for the being an analytical expert here, and helping us all out.
Semper fi,
Jim
Amazing read Jim. So enjoyed this and anxious to continue. An interesting bit of trivia – my ex-father-in-law, Wesley Wilcox was at Johnson Island during the time your father was there. He was the Health Physicist so would have been responsible for giving out those tablets!
Mythology was powerful and remains so. My father and his crew had to be supervised in taking the pills and your dad-in-law may have had something to do with that. A rumor had gotten out to the fleet assembled the the pills were to reduce sexuality like in males. Funny now but serious stuff back then. Thanks for the confirming comment and the compliment.
Semper fi,
Jim
Once again the arrival of The Cowardly Lion causes an immediate halt to all else as I grab a full cup of coffee and wonder “Whats’ next ? “.
Chrly, no higher compliment than that for a writer like me. I have a real powerful following and group of readers who don’t just read but write about they read. Thanks for the huge compliment and hope not to disappoint you with the coming first chapter of Volume 5.
Semper fi,
Jim
I had a feeling the “artifact” wasn’t done with you yet!
Thanks for the accurate prediction and writing it here. No, the artifact became a recurring fixure of my life, right up to the present time. More about that later as my readers will come to have a deeper understanding of the production of fusion and the use of entanglement.
Semper fi,
Jim
Very powerful segment, wonder how it relates to your earlier delivery? Also something very funny caught my mind! My thought as we have weaved through procession, has always been why not me. I know we attack problems from a different way and arrive close to a result…yours works through every detail while I assume the idea! Maybe it is the Insurance! It looks like you came up with a perfect worldwide cover for the whole operation! When I was approached to sell Insurance, I told them NFW!
Volume close is perfect!
Interesting, my great friend. The insurance thing was an idea that came straight out of my need to make more money when I was with the Western White House detail and the selling of life, disability and medical insurance, as well as all the product information and the many versions sold trhoughout the country at the time were was inculcated deep into my memory banks. If the headmaster of the school in Seoul hadn’t gone on and on about his medical insurance troubles, and I hadn’t had that background the development of overseas international medical insurance and evacuation would never have happened. I never liked the analytical part of the insurance business…the applications, medical exams, filings, licensing and so on were boring things. I like the person to person sales intensely, however. Chuck Bartok, my district manager at the time, wisely took over all the analytical stuff so the office could be a success in San Clemente. First San Clemente and then the world!!!
Semper fi
Jim
Well written. I am enjoying your “escapades”. As always, thank you for your work
Alan
You are most welcome Alan and I much appreciate the writing of this compliment
as I work away not he first chapter of the next volume.
Semper fi,
Jim
You have been accepted into dark world of mankind’s future! That is a very small group of people. I know two people who also were participants in various technical developments that are still secret after 50 or more years. Let’s hope this new power source is released soon. I am pretty sure it is a much smaller package now than what you described seeing. I patiently await the next chapter! Thank you Sir for sharing all of this with us.
What was in the package remains conjectural to this day. Further results, as you will read in the opening chapter to the fifth volume and then research will conclude more, but maybe never to the body of readers who are getting real life rendition of this, and not fictional presentation that could be concluded with a made up result. The package had nothing to do with the artifact, which wasn’t radioactive in the least from my own measurements when I possessed it or the effects of handling it in my hands and close to my body for long periods of time.
Thanks for the great interesting comment.
Semper fi,
Jim
Curiouser and curiouser.
Looking forward to more.
Thank you for the ride Jim.
Regards, Tim
Dear Tim, my great pleasure to create work that draws your interest and such a compliment.
Semper fi,
Jim
Jim,
Right on time! Thanks!
Enjoyable reading that opens many new doors in the readers’ minds. For a while there, I thought maybe you were being reunited with the perplexing “orb” that you were in possession of some time back and hid in your garage. How did Hans know the woman with you was your wife? Was the FBI tailing you on this delivery jaunt? Why can you not follow the orders of Herbert to resist the urge to take family along on missions? Ah…so many questions…Sir.
Anxiously staying tuned for the NEXT episode!
Minor edits:
–“After Matt headed back to my home, as I wanted to make sure the new car made I [it?] there I drove the Rover off the dealer’s lot.”
–“It’s {it’ll?] fit and it’s heavy so take it easy.”
–“I knew Hans was losing his [her?] interest as he described how long the lasers would project.”
–“…were let through immediately after being told what [that?] the delivery was late.”
–“Both of us watched him depart {as he?] headed deeper into the cavern of a building.”
THE WALTER DUKE. Got the edits done and can’t thank you enough, my friend,
Glad you are waiting expectantly. I don’t think chapter one of the 5th volume coming will disappoint.
Semper fi,
Jim
Beginning to wonder how you made it through all this, you have had a very exciting and seems at times a dangerous life. Can’t wait to see what’s next on your CIA adventures.
Thanks Pete, as it’s been one helluva run.
Semper fi, my friend,
Jim
From the South Korean frying pan in one trillionth of a second to, what I am guessing is, some sort of Nuclear power without the reactor, which in my feeble little mind does not make any sense. There must be some sort of energy produced but the question is what kind of energy? Not solar. Confused to say the least!
Not the source but the fuel one must think about.
Thanks for the comment and your thinking deeply about it.
Semper fi,
Jim