Battlefield Pacific

Long Fork in the Road

The cool air intermixed with salt water felt good as it buffeted Master Sergeant Tim Long’s face. It felt good to finally get out of the hospital and back to duty. As Long turned onto Vandegrift Boulevard, he saw the familiar sign welcoming him to Camp Pendleton.

“I wish I were returning to my old unit,” he thought as he pulled out his CAC card for the gate guard.

After navigating his way around the new construction and other activities happening on or near the road, he eventually pulled up to the headquarters building he was now assigned to. While he’d been out of action for a couple of months to convalesce, his slot in his old unit had been filled, and he was assigned a new one back in the States.

As Long pulled his rental car into an empty parking spot, he turned the ignition off and grabbed his paperwork and cover. He was eager to see what kind of new unit he was going to be a part of. What he saw when he entered the headquarters was a line of other senior NCOs. He walked in a little further, and then a corporal was manning the front entrance got his attention.

“Please sign in here and then wait over there to be called,” the young woman said, holding a pen out for him to use. After writing down his name and having his CAC verified again, he proceeded to take a seat in a waiting room with half a dozen other senior NCOs.

“Anyone know what all of this is about?” asked one of the gunnery sergeants.

They all shook their heads, not sure why they all had been called there. Long thought he knew what was going on, but he couldn’t be certain. One by one, the senior NCOs were called back. Then it came time for Long.

He picked up his paperwork and proceeded down a long hallway until he came to a room with a door placard that read, “Colonel Micah Tilman, Commander.”

When Long walked into the room, he saw the colonel sitting in a chair behind his desk. Another captain and a major were in the room as well.

“Crap, what do these guys think I did?” he thought, feeling like he had just gotten called to the principal’s office. “I just got in from Japan, and I know I didn’t get into trouble at the hospital.”

He stood at the doorway and announced, “Master Sergeant Long reporting as ordered, Sir!” and then he took his seat.

Long sat there, ramrod straight, waiting to see what wrath might be about to befall him. The colonel, for his part, was reading through Long’s personnel file. He grunted a few times but was very hard to read.

“The Navy Cross, two Silver Stars, and two Purple Hearts in the span of six months. You’re either one unlucky son of a gun or one hell of a Marine. In either case, I’m glad to have you as a part of this new command,” Tilman said. He smiled and then stuck his hand out to shake Long’s.

“Let’s get you up to speed. As you’re aware, the Corps is increasing to one million strong. I’m sure you saw all the new construction on your way into post,” he commented, making a circling motion with his hand.

“Yes, Sir. It looks like they’re doubling the size of the base.”

The other two officers in the room nodded.

“Correct. With this massive increase in the size of the Corps, we have to create a host of new brigades and battalions as several new divisions have been reactivated from the World War II days. Those new units need leaders. They need senior NCOs and officers to lead them — the very two things I’m short on.” He paused as he looked at the other two officers, then turned his attention back to Tim.

“Look, I’ve read over your file. You’re an exceptional Marine, and your combat awards and record only bear that out. You’ve seen more action in the last six months than nearly any officer presently at Pendleton, to include me. I need men like you to form the nucleus of my leadership structure. I want to know if I can rely on you for your expertise in turning this new brigade into a fighting force that will defeat the Chinese,” Colonel Tilman explained. He leaned forward in his chair, looking Tim in the eyes, searching his facial expressions for any sense of doubt.

“Sir, I’ll gladly share what knowledge and experience I have gained,” Long answered. “I took part in the beach invasion of North Korea’s eastern shore, a big battle near the Chinese border, and the US-ROK counterattack in January. What specifically would you like my help with?” he asked, still not exactly sure what the colonel wanted from him.

Relieved that Tim was going to be a team player, Tilman let out a sigh, then presented him with his offer. “I need company-grade officers. My brigade is just now forming, and I’m short five company commanders. Will you accept a commission to captain?” he asked.

Sergeant Long was a bit surprised by the question. He’d thought he might take over as a first sergeant or something along those lines, but not as a company commander. “I’d love to accept the offer, but I’m not sure I meet the qualifications,” he replied a bit glumly. In World War II, his great-grandfather had been a mustang officer in the Marines when they expanded the Corps to fight the Japanese. He had been given a battlefield promotion prior to the battle for Iwo Jima. He’d entered the war as a sergeant and finished the war as a captain. Long wasn’t sure he was quite the man his grandfather had been.

Waving his hand dismissively, Tilman responded, “Actually you do. You’ve completed sixty college credits, which means I can promote you to second lieutenant. Because I’m a brigade commander, I can give you a step promotion to first lieutenant, and the division command saw your Navy Cross and has given you a battlefield promotion to captain, pending, of course, that you accept the rank and do not want to stay an NCO,” he explained.

Letting his breath out, Tim smiled broadly as he gave his answer. “I accept, Sir. What do you need me to do next?”

The other officers in the room smiled and welcomed him to their club, the officer club. “First we need you to sign some papers, which Major Lykes from S-1 here will provide to you. Then we’re going to have you go through a couple of weeks of officer basic training to get you up to speed on what’s required of a Marine officer. By the time you complete the training, your new company of recruits should be ready. You’ll join Kilo Company as they start training. Our brigade should finish training by the end of June, and then we’ll deploy to Asia,” Tilman said.

They had a lot of work to do between now and when they deployed, and Long was going to play a big role in making sure everyone understood what they would be dealing with when they got to Asia. As the newly minted Captain Long signed his required paperwork, Colonel Tilman smiled. He felt a little bit like he had just won the lottery.