Four Days In February, Page 2

CHAPTER TWO

  General William (Willy) Yates, was a battle scarred, four star General, and Chief of Staff of the Army. He also was growing impatient and irritated. "What do you mean he's not here, I made the invitation myself?"

  "Yes Sir, we were there to pick him up exactly at 1200 hours, as you ordered," the young captain said. He was not there, so we phoned his room. There was no answer, Sir. We inquired at the desk, and asked that his room be checked. He was not there either."

  "It is not like Bull to not show up, let alone be late. He used to rip anyone who ever was late for a meeting, or worse ...stood him up. Punctuality is his hall mark. No! ...This is not right. He knew I wanted to see him, and pick his brain and get his advice. He would not stand me up. Something is going on, and that is a big concern to me. Have security make some quiet inquiries, and find out what happened to Pinchon, where he is."

  "Yes Sir."

  Yates turned and went into a private dining room. Seated at a long table were seven men, including four very senior military officers.

  Army General Terrance (Terror) Jonston, was a close friend of General Yates. However, in the past he had opposed some of the strategic ideas of General Pinchon, with whom he was not friendly. He blamed Pinchon for having blocked his rise to Army Chief. Still, Jonston had worked hard and eventually was made Commander, U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM). As such, he was the supreme commander of all military forces in the Pacific. Higher authority was only held by the President, himself, and the Secretary of Defense along with the Joint Chiefs. It was unusual for him to attend a meeting that he was not in charge of.

  Lieutenant General Gregory Gnies, was the Commander, U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC), and among his responsibilities were the Army forces in Hawaii, Alaska, and Japan. He had served under both Yates and Pinchon, and was highly respected for his attention to details. He did not lose sight of small things, while working on the big ones. Pinchon had mentored him, and Gnies too, like the General, did not care for politics. He got along with Jonston, but was not as political.

  Admiral Douglas Coop, was Commander U.S. Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT). He had been a carrier pilot, flying combat missions against enemy forces in the mid-east. He, like Jonston, believed the current administration in Washington, and its predecessor were hopelessly weak, and did not understand America's military needs or responsibilities.

  Air Force General Francis Mack, Commander Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), had once flown Stealth Bombers. He was great to have on your side in time of war, but was often too outspoken in times of peace.

  Joining them was Secretary of the Army, Craig Strate, and Senators: Philip Olds and Michael France. Strate was a man who had for the past two decades gone everywhere, whether in business or government, with Defense Secretary, Mitch Ishnik. He had served under him when Ishnik was Under Secretary of Defense, followed him later to the CIA, and then to private industry. He had faithfully returned with Ishnik to the DoD under the previous administration, when the latter was appointed Secretary of Defense. Ishnik had then been asked, and agreed to remain as Defense Secretary, under President Carr, and now Woods. Strate was good at bureaucratic in-fighting. He also demanded that others be as dedicated to Ishnik, as he was. He would cause trouble for any opponents of the Secretary. He respected Pinchon's ability, but considered him not loyal to Ishnik.

  Senators Olds and France were the hawks of the U.S. Senate. They had railed on what they thought was the present administration's weak foreign policy and compromise. They decried the economic and military rise of China and India who were challenging America's leadership of the world. The senators yearned for a return to U.S. economic and military supremacy. The nation, they believed, required a strong American President, if it was to return to its rightful power and importance.

  The Secretary of the Army and the two Senators had travelled on the same plane as Yates. The latter two had done so discreetly, without informing their Senate leadership or colleagues of their trip. Yates had thought it important to include General Pinchon in the meeting, to try and get his backing for their plans, or at least his neutrality. The Senators had gone along to show their support, and were due to return with Yates to Washington as soon as the meeting was over. Olds and France were anxious there be no delays; they wanted to be back in the Senate in the morning.

  Yates said: "Gentlemen, it appears our guest of honor is not going to show."

  General Jonston said: "Pinchon is not coming! Why not? Is he not with us?"

  Secretary Strate said, "If Pinchon is not with us that could be a problem, we wanted him to be a symbol to the troops of honor and patriotism.

  They love him, ...respect him."

  General Gnies muttered to himself: "What is the problem ...do we need a symbol of honor?"

  Senator Olds said: "Yates, what happened to him? I thought you said you could bring him aboard."

  "Pinchon and I are old soldiers, made of the same fabric; I still believe he will stand with us, for the good of the nation. I do not believe he will be a problem. He just is unavailable for the moment."

  "That doesn't sound like Pinchon to me, do you know, is he up to something? I have been bitten by him before," said Jonston.

  Strate said, "Yates, you need to find him."

  Senator France spoke up and said: "Well, Pinchon or no Pinchon, we have to keep going. We have crossed the Rubicon, too many things have happened, and too many things are now in motion. It will mean failure if we do not succeed. We have to be certain to keep our nerve."

  "Agreed," said Strate. "Woods is too weak, and too spineless to be President, in the face of unknown and malicious enemies."

  Senator Olds asked: "Why are the Marines not at the meeting today, are they with us?"

  Yates replied: "No, no Marines for the present. But we have the major commands behind us already, they agree there must be a change in Presidents, and that it must be now. Secretary Ishnik is keeping a low profile, but has his finger on everything. The Pentagon is ready for a smooth transition. The Marines will not be a problem. They just do not want to take the lead."

  General Mack asked: "How are you going to get the President to resign; why is he going to agree to our demand?"

  Strate said: "It's literally like in the movies, we are going to give him 'an offer he can't refuse.'"

  "But why can't he refuse?" said General Gnies.

  Strate frowned, "Because Woods is a weak accidental President. He was chosen VP to help Carr win the mid-west. But he was never strong on security, national Defense, or foreign affairs. He was just a popular Wisconsin Congressman and then a partial term governor."

  "Yes," said Yates, "and he is going to be presented with an ultimatum from the military to resign in favor of Secretary Ishnik.

  General Gnies said: "But the Defense Secretary has four people in front of him in the line of succession."

  Strate spoke up: "We know that the Speaker and the President pro tempore won't take the presidency, and 'strong representations' are being made to the Secretaries of State and Treasury. The two Secretaries are going to decline the presidency."

  "Are you sure?"

  "Oh yes, appropriate pressure will be brought to bear ...they do not want to stir the military at a time like this. They will be made to understand that it is better that they decline, than a new precedent be set by the military openly intervening to protect the Constitution."

  Yates said, "This way the military is keeping the nation safe, and yet the people can feel good that a President Isnik will maintain 'civilian control.'"

  Gnies said: "...But the military would have forced a change in Presidents."

  "To defend and protect the Constitution, which is our sworn duty," Yates said. "We aren't doing this for ourselves, for money, or personal power; we are doing this for the good of the nation. The people will applaud us for keeping America strong and free. Don't back away General Gnies, you are a good man, keep your head on straight. Look who you
are with, patriots all."

  Senator France said: "Yes, patriots all; all for America."

  Yates phone rang, and he answered it. "Captain, have you found out what happened to Pinchon? ...He was seen going out the hotel at 01050. ...Why would he do that if he wasn't going to be picked up for over an hour? ...Something is wrong here. ...We need to know if somebody else has reached out to him. Call over to intel, they have been keeping an eye on him. See if they have any sense of what is going on, and get back to me. Right!"

  Yates said, "I think we have done about all we can do without Pinchon. We were in agreement without him; this meeting was just to get him to join with us and perhaps become our public spokesman ...to keep the Army happy and the people calm. We will have to go on without him, at least until we can find him."

  Senator France said: "You commanders especially now need to show yourselves to be in command. Guide your junior officers, remind them of their allegiance to and duty to defend the Constitution of the United States of America. The Constitution, along with our nation's peace and security, is endangered by unknown forces, and we are acting for the General welfare. Tell them directly, order them, to rally around their commanders, and the nation's new leader.

  Senator Olds said: "Tell the junior officers to tell their soldiers, sailors, and airmen that they are standing with patriots defending their homeland, their homes, their husbands and wives and children. Tell them that they are on a glorious mission."

  Yates phone rang again. "Yates here, what have you learned? ...Was the General on it? ...They have already left. ...Where are they going? ...O.K., O.K. Make sure that our people meet it at National. ...Right. ...And have our plane ready to fly in one hour, for Andrews. ...Right."

  "What is it," said Strate?

  Yates replied, "There was a mystery plane with a number of people on it, that left Honolulu airport about an hour ago. Somebody had the influence to get the tower to move ahead its takeoff slot. Its flight plan however is to fly directly to D.C. and land at Reagan National."

  "Who was on it; who owned the plane?" said Strate.

  "There is no information about that, it seems to be missing. Even so, we do not know for sure whether Pinchon was on it."

  "Let's go" said Olds, "wherever the General is, Senator France and I had better be in the Capitol in the morning."

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