Table of Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Author’s Note
Dramatis Personae
USAF Academy Abbreviations and Terms
The Coming American
The Cadet
Chronology
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
EPILOGUE
Bibliography
About the Author
FOUNDATION OF HONOR
The Cadet
by Doug Beason
Book Description
The Cadet, Book 1 of the Wild Blue U saga, chronicles the founding years of arduous training of America’s future leaders as they prepare to serve in such places from the jungles of Vietnam to the deserts of the Middle East. The Cadet is an accurate, historical saga of the Academy based on factual events—but populated with empathetic, larger-than-life characters that will appeal to prospective candidates, military members, and the reading public alike.
***
Smashwords Edition – 2015
WordFire Press
wordfirepress.com
ISBN: 978-1-61475-290-5
Copyright © 2015 Doug Beason
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of the copyright holder, except where permitted by law. This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination, or, if real, used fictitiously.
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Cover design by Janet McDonald
Art Director Kevin J. Anderson
Cover artwork images by Dollar Photo Club
Book Design by RuneWright, LLC
www.RuneWright.com
Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta, Publishers
Published by
WordFire Press, an imprint of
WordFire, Inc.
PO Box 1840
Monument, CO 80132
***
Dedication
To Cindy Beason—who met me when I was a cadet,
married me anyway, and supported me through everything.
***
Acknowledgements
The Wild Blue U saga was written over a period of 15 years and I received much help from reviewers, contributors of anecdotes, historians, former cadets and faculty members, editors, agents, friends, and a host of other helpers. As such, I cannot possibly thank everyone who has contributed to the saga as I’m sure I will leave someone out; but nevertheless, here goes: Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, Don Erbschloe, Vickie Erbschloe, John Silbersack, Matt Bialer, Lori Peterkin and her Book Club, Lisa Ice, Ken Zeringue, Vivian Trask, Don Shepherd, Elizabeth Muenger, Joe Gross, Craig Hendrickson, Mike Heil, Bill Sabol, Jeff Dotur, Harald Dogliani, Gary Ganong, Jim Parsons, Bob DeBerry, Hugh Gordon, Deane Burbank, Dick Halloran, Phil Gronseth, Curt McIntyre, Jim Mateos, Chris Jaremko, Yvonne Kinkaid, John Paul Fraser Fisher, Ken Henderson, Nelson O’Rear, Steve Whitehouse, Don Cole, Bob Duffner, and of course, Cindy Beason.
***
Author’s Note
The Cadet is a composite of over 60 years of Academy history, attempting to distill a wide spectrum of experiences that could not have possibly happened to just one cadet in a four-year period. And although this is a work of fiction, it is based on historical figures, events, and locations that are real; however, it is impossible to precisely reconstruct the thoughts and motivations of these historical figures and their actions. As such, the author has taken liberty to dramatically embellish historical events, and does not intend to denigrate—but only highlight and humanize—the significance of their actions. For example, George Delante did not exist; his actions did not occur. As another example, there was only one cadet squadron commander for Third Squadron in 1958; the fictional character portrayed is not related in any way to this person. In addition, only to dramatize the novel, some anecdotes may be out of chronological order or the venues changed (such as the CU mascot liberation; or the Class of 1959’s graduation ceremony being depicted on the parade field, instead of in Arnold Hall due to inclement weather; etc.). The sole purpose is not to make this novel a dry chronicle of historical fact, but rather to show the true excitement of establishing a major American landmark. Finally, there are a few terms and phrases used that may offend present day social mores, but these are only used to reflect the customs and social tones of a 1950s, post-Korean conflict, America.
***
Dramatis Personae
(Historical figures are denoted by ψ)
Jean-Claude (Rod) Simone
Marie Simone—Rod’s mother
Henri Simone—Rod’s father
Nanette Simone—Rod’s sister
Major General Hank McCluney—Downed pilot, Rod’s adoptive father
Mary McCluney—Hank’s wife, Rod’s adoptive mother
Sandy Allison—Rod’s high-school girlfriend in Southern California
Julie Phillips—Colorado Women’s College student, Rod’s girlfriend in Colorado
United States Air Force Academy—Class of 1959
Nino Baldacciψ—Cadet (Poughkeepsie, NY)
Fred Delante—Cadet (Colorado Springs, CO)
Jeff Goldstein—Cadet (New York, NY)
Sylvester “Sly” Winston Jakes—Cadet (Boston, MA)
Manuel Rojo—Cadet (Albuquerque, NM)
George Sanders—Cadet (Ft. Worth, Texas)
United States Air Force Academy
Master Sergeant William H. Coltrinψ—USAFA Non-commissioned OIC
Lieutenant General James E. Briggsψ—USAFA Superintendent
Raf Garcia—waiter
Lieutenant General Hubert Harmonψ—first USAFA Superintendent
Captain Samuel P. Justice, USAF—Air Officer Commanding (AOC)
Ben Martinψ—USAFA football coach
Mrs. Gail McComas ψ—Cadet hostess, 1955 to 1977
First Lieutenant Tom Ranch, USAF—Air Training Officer (ATO)
Brigadier General Robert M. “Moose” Stillmanψ—first Commandant of Cadets
Colonel Albert E. Stoltzψ—Director, Air Force Academy Construction Agency
Colorado Springs
George Delante—Land developer and construction magnate
Elizabeth Delante—his wife
Jim-Tom Henderson—Owner, Pine Valley Airport and George’s business partner
Margaret Henderson—his sister
Darius Moore—El Paso county assistant district attorney
Washington, D.C.
President Dwight D. Eisenhowerψ—U. S. President
The Honorable J. Edgar Chenowethψ—Colorado Congressman
Ambassador T. Edward Phillips—Julie Phillip’s father
Francine Phillips—Julie Phillip’s mother
Other Locations
Colonel “Speedy” Beaumont—Hank McCluney’s wingman in WWII
Carol Gutheinz—Colorado Women’s College student
Tony Rafelli—Denver Post reporter
Barbara Richardson—Stanford student
Wendy Shelby—Colorado Women’s College student
***
USAF Academy Abbreviations and Terms
Ac Call—Academic Call-to-Quarters, mandatory study time
AMI—Any Morning Inspection, usually less formal than a SAMI
ASAP—As Soon As Possible
AOC—Air Officer Commanding
ATO—Air Training Officer
AWOL—Absent Without Leave
Blow—To rest, or to “kiss off”
Bomb—To do extremely poorly
BOR—Base Of the Ramp
Buy the Farm—To crash
Cadet Wing—The student body of USAFA cadets
Canoe U—A small, inconsequential school (Annapolis), which forms a suburb of the capital of Maryland with a campus partly on land and partly in the Severn River
CCQ—Cadet in Charge of Quarters
Clank—To freeze up; to royally goof-up
CDB—Commandant’s Disciplinary Board
CIC—Cadet In Charge
Comm—Commandant of Cadets, a brigadier (1-star) general
Commshop—Commandant’s office
CQ—used in place of CCQ
Crash—A landing in which the vertical velocity is so great and the time spent in reducing it to zero is so brief that the acceleration and hence the forces acting become so great as to result in structural failure
Cretin—That person ill-disposed at doing acts of nominal coordination or acts requiring minimal thought
DF—Dean of Faculty, a brigadier (1-star) general
Doolie—That insignificant whose rank is measured in negative units; one whose potential for learning is unlimited; one who will graduate in some time approaching infinity
FIGMO—Forget It, Got My Orders
Firstie—a First classman, a senior (cadets in their final year at the Academy)
Fourth classman—Freshman (first year cadet, known as a doolie)
FORM 10—Cadet administrative form for documenting infraction of regulations
FUBAR—“Messed” Up Beyond All Recognition
GIB—Guy in the back seat
Ground pounder—A non-flying officer
Hyper—An ultra-military cadet that is focused on military bearing
Hudson High—a small, inconsequential school (West Point) on the Hudson River distinguished by over 200 years of tradition unhampered by progress
IHTFP—“I Have Truly Found Paradise”; equivalently, “I Hate This Friggin’ Place”
Intramurder—Athletic competition between squadrons; violent intramural sports
IRI—In Ranks Inspections
Magic—That name applied to the department of Electrical Engineering and all related hand waving activities
MATS—Military Air Transport Service
NCOIC—Non-Commissioned Officer-in-Charge
Nino Baldacci—That individual having entered with the class of ’59 and remaining until the present time never having been off academic probation and never having taken a privilege. He is a perpetual turn-back near and dear to all cadets.
ODP—Off Duty Privilege
OIC—Officer-in-Charge
OTF—Over The Fence, AWOL
PDA—Public Display of Affection
PE—Physical Education
PFT—Physical Fitness Test
Post—An order signifying to a subordinate that their presence is no longer needed
Rack—Bed
Rock—That superhuman who is free from female entanglements
SAC—Strategic Air Command
SAMI—Saturday Morning Inspection
SAR—Squadron Assembly Room
SDO—Squadron Duty Officer
Second classman—Junior (third year cadet)
SOD—Senior Officer of the Day
Staff Tower—The location in the cadet dining hall (Mitchell Hall) where Wing Staff eats
Supt—USAFA Superintendent, a lieutenant (3-star) general
TAC—Tactical Air Command
TDY—Temporary Duty
Third classman—Sophomore (second year cadet)
Trash Hauler—Transport pilot
Truck Driver—the pilot of a non-fighter aircraft with more than one engine (bomber or transport)
Two!—A command to return the cadet to what he or she had been doing
UCMJ—Uniformed Code of Military Justice
Wing Staff—Cadre of senior cadet officers that lead the Cadet Wing
Zoomie—That term by which a cadet is commonly known by jealous, and usually inferior, civilians
***
The Coming American
Bring me men to match my mountains,
Bring me men to match my plains.
Men to chart a starry empire,
Men to make celestial claims.…
—Samuel Walter Foss, at the base of the ramp leading to the USAFA cadet area from 1958–2003
The Cadet
***
Chronology
(Entries in italics are fictional)
1947: The National Security Act of 1947 established the United States Air Force (USAF) as a separate and equal branch to the Army and Navy.
1948: Officers and educators meet at USAF’s Air University to discuss the creation of an Air Force Academy, but they do not recommend a location.
1949: Air Force Secretary Symington creates an initial Site Selection Board, appoints war-hero Major General Hank McCluney as a member.
1949: Denver Post article by Tony Rafelli, “West Point of the Air” prompts Joe Reich, owner of the Swiss Chalet Restaurant in Colorado Springs, to convince the Chamber of Commerce to establish a committee to compete for USAF Academy.
1950: Real estate mogul George Delante procures several thousand acres in south Colorado Springs in an attempt to hold a monopoly on land proposed for a USAF Academy site.
1952: A Farnborough Airshow DH.110 crash kills 29 spectators; a heroic rescue effort led by recent West Point graduate Lieutenant Whitney motivates Jean-Claude Simone to attend the new Air Force Academy when it opens.
1953: The top three sites for the USAF Academy are identified as Colorado Springs, CO; Alton, IL; Geneva, WI. The Site Committee’s report is tabled after considering 580 proposed sites in 45 different states and traveling 18,852 miles.
1954: Air Force Secretary E. Harold Talbott appoints a new Site Selection Commission; members included Charles Lindberg and Major General Hank McCluney.
1954: In Alton, IL, and Geneva, WI, George Delante and other activists from Colorado Springs covertly participate in protests against the final Site Committee visits
1954: In Washington, D.C., George Delante attempts to blackmail Major Gener
al McCluney to influence the Site Selection Committee to pick Colorado Springs.
1954: The Site Commission dismisses the southern Colorado Springs site for the USAF Academy; George Delante is bankrupted by the decision.
1954: A last-ditch effort by the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce convinces the Commission to consider a far-north city site. Charles Lindberg pilots the Commission in a plane to inspect the northern Colorado Springs site.
1954: George Delante dumps his land in south Colorado Springs and deceitfully procures 1,000 acres of prairie east of the proposed USAF Academy northern site.
25 June 1954: Secretary Talbott announces the Academy will reside in Colorado
1954: USAF General Order No. 1 activates the USAF Academy and designates Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, CO as the temporary USAF Academy site
1954: Congress passes legislation to begin construction of the Air Force Academy in far northwest Colorado Springs
11 July 1955: The first class of cadets enters the United States Air Force Academy at Lowry AFB
***
Prologue
“Comin’ in on a Wing and a Prayer”
1943
Cahors, France
And how can man die better than facing fearful odds, for the ashes of his fathers and the temples of his gods?
—Horatius at the Bridge
The high-pitched wail of German air raid sirens startled Jean-Claude Simone from his restless sleep, as it had woken him every night for the past week.
The boy clutched a blanket and pulled it around his head. He waited for the distant rumbling of the exploding bombs to begin, a deep, growling reverberation that sounded as if a thunderstorm were rolling across the wooded French countryside.
Two nights ago the guttural booms had grown loud enough that he had felt the ground-shock from the individual bombs. He remembered his mother running upstairs to their bedroom.
Bending over to comfort his sister’s frightened cries, his mother had picked up his baby sister, Nanette, and clutched her tightly, whispering over the terrifying explosions that grew ever louder. It sounded as though a giant strode through their small valley, randomly dropping boulders as he crashed through their peaceful existence.