Chapter 24

Mike was driving as they rolled through the main gate at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. They exchanged knowing glances. The sentry hadn’t looked up from his comic book — he just waved their car through. Mike and Kelly were both in civilian clothes and both had deep tans from their Hawaiian honeymoon.

They found the headquarters building and walked in. Kelly was wearing a leather jacket with a fur collar similar to a World War II bomber jacket over a sweater and skirt. Her golden hair was back in a pony tail. Mike was wearing a similar jacket over slacks and a sport shirt. When they entered the office they were appalled at what they were seeing. One girl was struggling with a typewriter while the rest — there appeared to be a total of ten — were reading magazines, fixing their nails or otherwise killing time.

Kelly stood at the counter and waited. One girl glanced up from doing her nails and saw a very beautiful young girl with a good looking guy standing there. She went back to her nails. Neither Kelly nor Mike said anything.

Finally the girl who was struggling with the typewriter looked up and saw them. She jumped to her feet and came to the counter. “May I help you?”

Kelly read the girl’s name tape, SMITH, and noticed she had the single chevron of a private first class. Kelly had quickly noticed that Smith was the most junior in grade and yet seemed to be the only one trying to do any work. Kelly smiled and replied, “My name is Jackson. I would like to see General Bowers, please.”

Smith’s eyes widened but she said, “Yes, ma’am. I’ll call right away. Do you have an appointment? And is the gentleman with you?”

Kelly smiled and replied, “I don’t have an appointment, and yes, the gentleman is with me. His name is Callahan. Please tell the general we’re here.”

The girl placed a call and spoke quickly. She looked frightened as she returned to the counter and said, “The third door on the left please, ma’am.”

Kelly and Mike went down the hall and knocked at the third door. A deep female voice told them to enter. Mike led the way into an office. Seated behind the desk was a female major who was very large and very heavy. She looked up with a very bored expression and said, “I’m Major Barrett. May I help you?”

Kelly smiled and said, “I asked to see General Bowers.”

The woman had not risen from her desk. She just said, “The general is unavailable. If you wish, you can state your business, and I’ll see if I can get you an appointment. However, I can tell you now it won’t be until the middle of January at the earliest.”

Kelly said, “Major, you’re a fool. I asked to see the general. Unless you have a very good reason for not allowing it, I intend to see him... now!”

Mike glanced at Kelly and managed to control a grin. Kelly’s blue eyes were flashing sparks, and he knew she was mad. It had proven to be very dangerous to make Kelly Jackson mad.

The major had obviously given some signal. Just then the door opened behind them, and Kelly felt her arm grabbed from behind. Glancing around she saw a burly sergeant wearing an MP brassard along with three privates standing behind him. Kelly allowed herself to be led out of the office and out the front door. The sergeant went to give Kelly a shove in the back. She felt it, reached behind her back and grabbed his arm as he pushed. Instead of Kelly moving, the sergeant went flying and landed in the dirt. The three MPs started to move.

Just as they did, Kevin Murphy, who was standing next to his car with Katrina, raised a Uzi machine pistol and said quietly, “Stand fast!”

The sergeant had picked himself up from the dirt and came charging at Kelly. She sidestepped and hit him in the side with a karate knife, breaking a rib. He charged again and the process repeated. After four attempts — and four broken ribs — when he landed in the dirt he started spitting blood. He tried to get up again but couldn’t. He fell on his face and lay still.

By this time a large crowd of soldiers had formed a ring around them. Clearly, the sergeant was not well-liked. The men seemed to enjoy seeing him cut up. Kelly hadn’t so much as mussed a hair. She brushed off her hands and nodded to Mike.

He went into the office and told Pfc Smith to call for an ambulance. It was apparent that the sergeant had a punctured lung. When he went outside again, Kevin was casually putting his weapon aside. The other MP privates were standing speechless. Kevin and Katrina went up on the porch of the administration building with the Uzi hanging at his side. Katrina was by his side with her arms folded, but there was a Uzi hanging at her side as well.

Kelly went back to Major Barrett’s office. She walked in, taking the woman by surprise. “I was saying that I wanted to see General Bowers, Major. Then I was rather rudely interrupted. The siren you heard was the ambulance taking the sergeant off to the hospital. I don’t believe we’re going to be interrupted again, so why don’t we see the general?”

Bowers face showed fear. Something was very wrong. Still she tried to bluff. “You can’t see the general. He’s not here.”

“I think he’s in the office at the end of the hall. Shall we see?”

Barrett came around the desk and followed as Kelly and Mike entered the corner office. They found the general passed out on his sofa with an overturned liquor bottle lying on the floor. The office stank like a distillery.

Kelly picked up the phone and said, “This is General Jackson. Send for an ambulance at once. General Bowers needs immediate medical attention.”

Barrett turned to leave but found her arm held by Mike in a grip like a vise. He suggested she take a seat which she did.

Kelly hung up the phone and looked at Barrett. “Major,” she began, “shall we start over? You never thought to ask. You just ordered us thrown out. However, I’m Lieutenant General Kelly Jackson with orders to take command of the 101^st; this is my new deputy commander, Major General Michael Callahan. We’ve now located General Bowers. Where is his deputy commander? Why isn’t he here?”

When Barrett heard Kelly identify herself as a general, she had turned white. She replied, “He’s confined to his quarters. General Bower’s orders.”

“When were those orders given, Major?” Kelly asked. Mike could hear the steel in her quiet voice and so could Barrett.

“Yesterday,” the woman replied. There was almost a question mark at the end of the word.

“Major, from the looks of him, General Bowers was in no shape to give any orders yesterday ... or for a long time before that. I’m assuming you gave the orders in the general’s name. Confine yourself to your quarters until you hear from me. Now get the deputy in here at once!”

Barrett picked up the phone, dialed a number and spoke into the phone. “The general will be over in a few minutes,” she said.

Kelly glanced at her watch and asked, “Who is in charge of base security?”

“I am,” Barrett replied.

“As well as acting as the commanding officer without authorization,” Kelly mused aloud. “Major, your last official act, before being relieved of all duties in advance of a Court of Inquiry to which you will be named a party, is to call a meeting of all officers of the 101^st, company grade or higher, for 1300 hours. I trust there is a hall or building large enough for our meeting?”

Barrett nodded and made arrangements. She withdrew from the office looking deflated and white with fear.

Kelly winked at Mike and said, “Honey, it looks like we’re going to have to work for a change.”

Mike went out front and brought Kevin and Katrina back with him. This time they had suitcases with them. They went into a vacant office — nearly all of them were — and changed. Minutes later they emerged wearing camouflage battle dress utilities — BDUs. Mike took them back to the office and said loudly, “AttenTION!”

All the girls jumped to their feet. Mike said, “I’m General Callahan, the new deputy division commander. I want you to meet two captains Murphy. The young lady, Captain Katrina Murphy, is my aide. Captain Kevin Murphy is my wife’s aide. She is Lieutenant General Kelly Jackson Callahan, although she doesn’t use her married name on duty. The Murphys are also husband and wife. Katrina will be temporarily running this office in place of Major Barrett. Kevin will be in charge of security. Any questions?”

All the girls looked frightened except Pfc Smith who seemed very pleased. While she directed Kevin towards the base security office and Katrina went back to get started on the administration, Mike went into an empty office to change. As he was putting on his uniform he heard an ambulance arrive to take Bowers off to the hospital.

Going back to Bower’s former office, a brigadier general entered the building, saw him, and saluted. Mike’s back was towards him so he couldn’t see his name tape. He said, “General, I’m Kraft, the deputy division commander. I’m pleased to meet you.”

Mike turned and put out his hand, “Kraft, I’m glad to meet you. I’m Callahan, the new deputy and your relief. Come on back and we’ll meet the new division commander.”

They entered the corner office and found Kelly behind the desk. She looked up, smiled, and got to her feet. Kraft looked around the office puzzled. “I’m Kelly Jackson, General. I’m very pleased to meet you. Although I would have liked it to be under more pleasant circumstances. Won’t you please sit down?”

Kraft took a seat, still looking puzzled. Mike said, “Please forgive my wife. I think she’s forgotten she’s out of uniform.” Kelly reddened and Mike told her in which of the offices he had left her uniform. Kelly excused herself and Mike said, “Kraft, my wife, whom you just met, is Lieutenant General Kelly Jackson. She’s the new commanding officer of the 101^st.”

“But that’s impossible! She’s a woman,” Kraft protested.

Mike smiled and said, “The fact that she’s a woman is very true. She also holds a regular army commission as a lieutenant general ... in spite of being only nineteen years old. She also holds the Gold Cross of Liberty, two Medals of Honor, the DSC, the DSM, the Silver Star and two Purple Hearts. Then there’s also the Victoria Cross, the Legion of Honor, the German Golden Order of the Knight’s Cross, and the Russian Golden Cross of the Republic. She also won it for us in Europe.

“Expressed a different way, General, Kelly has more senior medals for valor than you have in the whole damned division. Do you question her ability to command the 101^st?”

Kraft’s jaw had dropped. “You can’t be serious! That girl did all those things?”

Mike smiled and said, “She sure did, and a few more to boot. You saw a girl out front — a captain — who’s my aide. She’s Kevin Murphy’s wife, but she’s also the daughter of the president of the Russian Republics, Mikhail Solov, formerly field marshal in the Red Army. Ask Katrina about Kelly and get the view from the other side.”

Just then Kelly returned to the office wearing her BDUs. Kraft snapped to attention and saluted smartly. Kelly returned the salute and took her seat. “General, you’re being relieved and reassigned. Before you go, though, could you tell us what’s going on here at Fort Campbell.”

Kraft sat back in the chair and said, “I really wish I could. I haven’t seen General Bowers personally in nearly six months. I suspect Major Barrett has been running the command in his name. I saw the ambulance leaving as I arrived. Was that Bowers?”

“Yes, General, it was,” Kelly replied. “I guess the reason I’m here is to try to shape up the 101^st. It’s fair to say that the Screaming Eagle Division is facing extinction. I am sure you noticed the 101^st was the only front-line combat unit to remain in the States? It should have been in Germany with the 82^nd but wasn’t.” Kraft realized her eyes were boring into his. She asked, “General, what is the present state of readiness?”

“That’s why I was in hack, General,” he replied, looking chagrined, “I was raising hell because our readiness is disgraceful. I guess you saw some of it just driving in. Were you challenged at the gate?” Kelly shook her head. “What did you think of the office when you came in? I’ll bet Pfc Smith was the only one working. Am I right?”

“You sure are, General. Now, is there anything you can tell me about the regimental or battalion commanders ... or anyone else on the post for that matter.”

Kraft gave them a briefing while apologizing for its limitations. Apparently, he had been unable to do anything to shape up the division in the period he had been there. He did provide one name, Major John Jeffries, as a good candidate to take over security. When he finished his very brief report, Kraft left to pack his gear.

Kelly asked Mike to take over and speak to Jeffries. Jeffries arrived at headquarters and Mike gave him the Security detail along with orders to shape it up fast.

Then the foursome went over to the mess hall to eat with Kelly and the others wearing their utility uniforms with soft hats. Because the rank insignia on the hats was in black, it was easy to miss the stars against the camouflage pattern of the caps’ cloth. As Kelly led the way through the mess line, she found a few of the food service people to be pleasant but most were surly. When she got to the end of the line, she told the sergeant that she wanted to see the Duty Mess Sergeant and the Commissary Officer at once.