Tom Turner was the next reserve officer to be ‘trained’ by me. We rode together peaceably until right after dark when Bobby Scruggs called to tell us about a report of a strange couple doing strange things on the northern edge of “T” Street Bridge beach. The call wasn’t uncommon, as people saw and reported weird stuff happening on the beach all the time. It was Tom’s handling of the radio traffic that set things off.
“Yellow,” Tom said into the handset he’d grabbed from the dash.
Is there a new chapter coming soon? I had to re-read book to to refresh my memory. Hope you are well.
Next chapter is up tonight and then XVI is half done for this weekend. I am back on a roll
and sorry that sometimes I fall right off the wagon, so to speak.
Semper fi,
Jim
Another fine mess you’ve gotten us into this time Ollie ! LOL Wow another great one . training partner who is very prescient or has some inside knowledge from somewhere way above your paygrade and now the antics of Erlichman and Haldeman . Even if you depart the scene gracefully without any further contact , ya you got a problem . Unless………. there isn’t an incident report filled out as if nothing ever happened .
What pay grade Chuck. I was such a lowly creature expected to do not only secret but rather vital stuff.
No reward at all, except for the wonderful benefit of being a ‘house mouse’ that the real characters laid traps and put
out ‘cheese’ for but I was always able to evade.
Thanks for the great comment, as usual.
Semper fi,
Jim
Nice to see a new chapter up!
You DO seem to have a knack of getting yourself into sticky situations.
And, of course, I will have to impatiently wait until the next chapter to find out how THIS ONE turned out.
Keep ’em coming.
Thanks Walter for the great comment, as usual.
Semper fi,
Jim
Neither Gularte nor I were the list bit concerned about any that there was any threat emanating from the situation.
“least” ??
So who’s really in the limo?? This should be good !!
Good read as usual James..
Semper Fi
Thanks for the sharp eye and your continued support, Bob. Corrected
Hahahaha! It’s kinda like why Baptists never make love standing up because they don’t want anyone to think that they’re dancing. 😎🇺🇸🚁
Dang, L.T., whoever would have guessed that San Clemente was such a shaking town back then? Small town on the verge of becoming Big overnight, and you right in the middle of it. That 429 Marauder was a Beast!
San Clemente was an interesting place to be in those days.
Thanks for the input, Rick
Haha KABOOOOM
Hahaha! That’s great! What a situation! What writing! Love it!
Thank you for your continued support, Ted
It looks like spell check got you a couple of times in the beginning of this chapter. Turner was changed to Turned otherwise this was another interesting chapter. Thank you
Thank you, Paul.
Corrected.
Semper fi,
Jim
Good to see a new chapter, James. Enjoyable as usual. I wish old Shellhammer was still around as I would have asked him about the surveillance. The part about the new trainee is in front of the Gularte dialogue. The chronology is juxtaposed. The comparison between Gularte and Turner<> either/or, neither/nor. Trust all is well with you.
Thank you for the input. I did not quite understand but if you are referring to this snippet.
I was “thinking” how I decided to act with trainees.
“I’d decided, while riding with Gularte, that the ‘training’ I might provide all had to do with enforcement rules and regulations, territorial boundaries and the city’s nebulous and sort of foggy relationship with the Western White House compound.
Careful Lt, the last time you were in this situation you ended up as the Junior man in charge of company on the edge AhShau….
Some things never seem to change ~~smile
Thanks for being here, Jim
A little fun time?
Always enjoy a new chapter, Jim. This one builds slowly, then leaves us thirsting for more.
Couple small edits, but I’ll leave those to a more expert person.
Semper Fi
Thanks Craig. Next chapter out in a few days.
Jim
As a continuation of the Thirty Days volumes, is everything in The Cowardly Lion true stories as well? Your careers in the military and law enforcement were certainly wide-ranging.
Yes, TCL is all true but presented as fiction for self protection, although probably not as vitally necessary as 30 Days.
Thanks for the intelligent observation.
JIm
James, What a chapter! Confrontation, tension, and humor. Beware of heavily armed mice. It’s your story but I think it prudent to not identify yourself to the folks in the limo. Also prudent to make sure firearms that were “not” discharged are clean.
Some minor editing suggestions follow:
“Ah, Tom,” I said, immediate sighing
Maybe “immediately”
“Ah, Tom,” I said, immediately sighing
The quality and basic training of the reserve officers, once coming through the rigorous selection and academy training being quite enough for doing the regular work of a police officer.
Understandable but a change in word order could make it easier to get.
The quality and basic training of the reserve officers was quite enough for doing the regular work of a police officer once having come through the rigorous selection and academy training.
we know to be called the Santa Ana winds.”
Redundant
Either: we know as the Santa Ana winds.”
Or:we call the Santa Ana winds.”
they taught us that we had to have give and get the full trust of our partners
Maybe drop “have”
they taught us that we had to give and get the full trust of our partners
Monday morning’s meeting of the following week was every on my mind.
Maybe change “every” to “ever”
Monday morning’s meeting of the following week was ever on my mind.
maximum of somewhere around hundred and thirty-five
Maybe add “a” before “hundred”
maximum of somewhere around a hundred and thirty-five
Automatically I hit pushed the radio transmit button.
“hit” and “pushed” are redundant. Choose one.
Automatically I pushed the radio transmit button.
“That signals on the Capistrano Beach property,”
Need to add “is” either as apostrophe after “signal” or as “is”
“That signal’s on the Capistrano Beach property,”
“That signal is on the Capistrano Beach property,”
I corrected. “Gularte, bring me Bertha,” I followed with, knowing Gularte
Reads a bit smoother with different word order.
I corrected. I followed with, “Gularte, bring me Bertha,” knowing Gularte
“While you can still hear, I want you listen,”
Add “to” before “listen”
“While you can still hear, I want you to listen,”
I’m not quite sure exactly how Califia beach looks. May I suggest:
since the parking lot hole that beach’s in can’t be seen from the road
Drop “parking lot”
since the hole that beach’s in can’t be seen from the road
Add “and stopped”
made it to the head of the two-lane road leading down to the parking lot and stopped just across the railroad tracks from the parking lot and restroom complex located there.
“This is Gates,” the captain without any introduction or preamble.
Maybe add “said” after “captain”
“This is Gates,” the captain said without any introduction or preamble.
The thought made him smile and the car burbled down the hill.
“him” or “me”? From context “me” seems better.
“as” seems better than “and”
The thought made me smile as the car burbled down the hill.
The car in front of them was obviously one of the black limos he’d ridden in and driven himself. Did they really want to know who was inside?
Seems as if you drove limos, not Gularte.
“they” meaning the police station? or maybe “we” meaning you and Gularte?
The car in front of them was obviously one of the black limos I’d ridden in and driven myself. Did we really want to know who was inside?
“What do you have, Commander,” Stockdale said.
Maybe add question mark. Change “said” to “asked”
“What do you have, Commander?,” Stockdale asked.
appears to be people inside it, but were we’re not certain
“were” is extra
appears to be people inside it, but we’re not certain
Neither Gularte nor I were the list bit concerned about any that there was any threat emanating from the situation.
“least” instead of “list”
“about any” is extra
Neither Gularte nor I were the least bit concerned that there was any threat emanating from the situation.
I
t took a full minute for a reply to come through.
Backspace to line up “It”
It took a full minute for a reply to come through.
Blessings & Be Well
As always, Dan, you are a fabulous asset to this ‘crew’.
Thank you VERY much.
Jim