Chapter 10

At the bunker, I found Suenee already in a discussion with a group of the local women. I didn't know what work she kept referring to, but it apparently involved a lot of discussions with the other women. I tried to get my shaving gear as quietly as possible so as not to disturb them and went to shave before the hot water was used up.

After shaving and putting my things up, I went in search of something to do as Suenee was still talking to the group of the local women. Actually, preaching was more like it. I couldn't understand her words, but the tone of voice was unmistakable to any one that had spent much time in church. Sawyer was glad to see me when I got to Operations.

"Can you type as well as you send Morse code?" he asked.

"Yes, why?"

"Sergeant Morris is all fumble fingered. Help him type out his report. I'm already helping Barlow, and the CO will need the typewriter for his own report shortly."

I sat down at the makeshift desk and looked at Sgt. Morris's report. He definitely had a problem and I started it all over while he checked what he had written and then checked what I had typed as I finished each page.

"Damn, Baker. You sure make it look easy. Where did you learn to type like that?" Morris asked after a time.

"In high school. It came in handy in 05B school and also when I took classes for 05H and 05K certification," I told him.

"I have trouble remembering Morse code," Morris told me.

"I learned it in the Boy Scouts," I told him.

"Yes. I was never a Boy Scout. There wasn't time on the farm for that."

"I spent summers at my grandfather's farm. He was retired. That's where I learned to shoot."

"Yes, I saw the target," Morris answered.

We were finished by 1100 hrs. and the CO took over the typewriter while I collated everything for Sgt. Morris and put the carbons in the burn box out of habit.

Shortly after that I went to eat, so I could relieve Meadows to eat. After that we sat around commo and talked shop for a while, as nothing was going on. At 1400 hrs. Meadows went to get some sleep and I took over the commo watch. We were still expecting a flight to come in to pickup the reports. It was 1430 when the first call came in.

"Golden Badger, Golden Badger, this is Dark Horse 37, over."

"Dark Horse 37, this is Golden Badger 3 Zulu, over."

"Badger 3 Zulu, this is Horse 37. We are about zero five out from your location. Is your Lima Zulu marked, over?'

"Horse 37, this is Badger 3 Zulu. Negative. Our LZ is not marked. I repeat our LZ is not marked. It will take a few mikes to prepare it. Can you circle, over?"

"Roger, Badger 3 Zulu. No problem circling. Be advised that you should prepare for two visitors, over."

"Roger, Horse 37. Understand two visitors. Stand by." I hurried over to Operations to let them know. You could just hear the chopper now as it approached.

I had to run to the bunker and retrieve my ruck and rifle, and then return to commo to put the radio in the ruck and get a smoke grenade. By the time I got to the front gate, Lt. Sykes had the security platoon formed up and ready to go. The CO and Sawyer were there also.

"Give me the smoke," Sawyer told me as I came up. We quickly made our way to the LZ at the bottom of the saddle, as I came back up on the radio.

"Black Horse 37, this is Golden Badger 3 Zulu. We will be ready to pop smoke in zero three. Do you have a visual on the camp, over."

"Badger 3 Zulu, this is Horse 37. Roger, we have a visual on the camp, over."

"Roger, Horse 37. I'll be popping smoke in zero one, stand by." I signaled Sawyer to pop smoke. He did and threw it out on the LZ.

"Badger 3 Zulu, I identify red smoke, over."

"Horse 37, roger. Red smoke. I am down wind of the smoke and will guide you in with flags, over."

"Roger, Badger 3 Zulu. Horse 37 starting approach."

Again we were surprised that it was a CH-47 that landed. We were even more surprised when a Green Beret Lieutenant Colonel and a Major got off of the chopper. They quickly joined us at a distance from the aircraft.

"Badger 3 Zulu, am I clear for take off, over?" came from the ship then.

"Roger, Horse 37. You are clear for takeoff, over," I answered, somewhat surprised.

"This is Dark Horse 37 taking off, out." and he was gone in no time. After the ship departed, it was possible to talk again.

"Good afternoon, Captain Warren. I'm Colonel Hawkins, XO of 46th Group," the Light Colonel said, "and this is Major Carlson our S-3."

"Good afternoon, sir. Welcome to Camp B 457," the CO said. "Did you say 46th Group?"

"Yes, the orders raising us to Group came through a few days ago. Everyone is still getting used to the sound of it. We're here about your latest reports. Let's go somewhere a little more private before we begin."

"Yes, sir. Right this way, please," the CO answered and led the way up to the camp.

The CO and Sawyer took our visitors to Operations while I returned to commo to put up the radio. A short time later, I was called into Operations.

"Yes, sir," I said as I entered.

"Baker, the Colonel and Major Carlson want to talk to you about your radio," the CO told me.

"Yes, sir,"

"What we want to know, young man, is how do we get more like it?" the Colonel asked.

"I can't answer that question, sir. I don't know. I was issued it when I graduated from a 'Super Top Secret School'. The radio has no identification on it and neither do the manuals that came with it."

"Can we look at it?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. I don't see why not. Everyone here has seen it. It's sitting over in commo." We all adjourned to commo then, and the two officers inspected the radio.

"Is this all of it!" the Colonel asked in surprise.

"No, sir. There are other sub-assemblies in the shipping case, as well as manuals and spare parts. There is even an encryption unit for transmitting sensitive information. The school taught us how to maintain it up to and including depot level maintenance."

"That far?" the Major asked. "Have you had any trouble with it?"

"No, sir. It has worked just fine the entire time I have been here."

"You didn't use it before reaching here?" the Colonel asked.

"No, sir. When we graduated from that school, we were shipped out to SEA immediately."

"Who is we?"

"There were twelve people in my graduating class. We each received a radio before leaving."

"So there are eleven more - somewhere?"

"Yes, sir, as far as I know."

"All right, let's return to Operations," the Colonel said.

"Captain Warren, we need you to arrange to have your people pull guard around this bunker and keep everyone away from this area while we brief you. Following that we would like to talk to this young lady that you mentioned in your report last night," the Colonel said after we returned to the Operations bunker.

The CO left to arrange the guard while the rest of us waited. It was then that the Colonel noticed that I was still with them.

"Just what is the security classification of that of that radio, Sergeant?" he demanded.

"It's classified Top Secret, Compartmented and Password protected, sir," I replied. Both officers looked startled.

"That high?" he asked.

"Yes, sir."

"And you just let it sit in there?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. I'm the only one that can operate it. It won't function for anyone else, and no, I don't know how they did that. It wasn't explained to us."

"Can I assume that your security clearance is commensurate with that level of classification?"

"Yes, sir, you may."

"I understand that you are not an original member of this team. Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir. That is correct. I'm a replacement."

"Sir, I went to SUPTHAI to get a new radio operator when our previous one stepped on a punji stick. A change to Baker's orders had come in that morning from USARPAC assigning him to us," Sawyer told the Colonel.

"Direct from USARPAC?" the Colonel asked, startled.

"Yes, sir. Direct from USARPAC," Sawyer assured him.

"And your other radio operator, the Communications Chief?" the Major asked.

"SFC Meadows. He has a Secret clearance," Sawyer informed him.

"I take it that Sgt. Meadows doesn't use the classified radio then," the Colonel asked.

"No, sir. As I said before, I'm the only one the radio will function for and I'm the only one that uses it."

"All right, I guess you may as well stay then, as you'll be there for all of the reports and messages anyway."

Captain Warren had returned by now having set up the guard.

"What we are about to tell you must not go beyond this room, Gentlemen. You may consider it Top Secret, although we are still waiting for JUSMAG THAI to authorize us to classify it that high.