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A lone figure opens the door and enters the dark room. He approaches the bed at the opposite end of the room.
“Sir, wake up! The Russians initiated the blockade,” says the man as he turns on the lamp on the nightstand next to the bed.
“They did what?” sounding a little disoriented as the man in the bed was waking from his sleep. It did not take much to wake the middle-aged man with short graying hair on his temples. Lately, it had been too much light sleeping and plenty of long tired days. The light sleeping was a result of the impending inevitability of the recent threat that appears to have become a reality.
“The Russians shut it down,” said the Aide-de-Camp to the US Military Governor of Germany, “they cut the land and water connections between the west and Berlin, again.”
“We knew it was coming but why does it have to come in the middle of the night. Why can’t they do things during normal business hours like the rest of the world?” Remembering the last time he got a good night’s sleep was the night of the third of April, the day after the first blockade of Berlin. At least, the waiting was over and that night he slept so comfortably knowing whatever was going to happen was happening. Now things were heating up again.
“Well, they are a couple of hours ahead.”
“Oh, be quiet! Get me Washington on the phone,” the four star General said as he slipped his feet into his slippers.
“Sir, the line’s open and the president is waiting. He called us.”
“Damn it Jerry, when are you going to learn to tell me that the President is on the phone first? Trust me, I can handle the Russkies playing their silly games but the President. Well, that’s another story,” getting his robe on and making his way from his bedroom to his office in the adjoining building.
“My apologies sir. The overnight radio watch woke me up no more than 10 minutes ago.” Major Van Busch was referring to the Non-Commissioned Officer that was tasked to monitor the radios and telephones during the overnight hours while everyone else rested or slept. Depending on the nature of the call, the NCO would either take a message, pass the call to the Staff Duty Officer, or get the individual that the call was for. However, whenever a call came from Washington, D.C., there was no message taking.
“You mean to tell me that the President has been holding for more than 10 minutes?”
“No sir, the watch reported that the President’s aide was on the line.”
“OK. Sorry Jerry. I’m still half asleep.”
“Yes, sir. No problem.”
“Jerry, please get the commo guys to set up a permanent line link to my room. That way you can route calls to me here instead of me having to go to the office at oh-blessed-two in the morning.”
“Right now sir?”
“No. For Pete’s sake not now. Let everyone finish their last good night of sleep. It might be a very long time before the next good night’s sleep for them or any of us,” the General said as they left his quarters.
As they made the trek, the aide-de-camp was carrying the General’s briefcase and a garment bag with the General’s uniform. The General was shuffling along. Once outside he looked up to the quiet but cloudy evening sky. The city’s lights, what city lights there were, were reflecting off the bottom of the low hanging clouds. Minutes later, the US Military Governor of Germany is sitting in his office in his Berlin Headquarters with the black telephone receiver to his ear.
“Yes, Mr. President.”
Jerry Van Busch, Major, US Army and Aide-de-Camp to the General, was listening in on the conversation through the receiver on the other side of the room. Taking notes of what he most certainly felt was going to be one of the greatest conversations he would ever be a part of in his life.
“Yes, sir. We got the word,” said the General as he looked over at his Aide-de-Camp. He raised his right hand and showed him four fingers and a thumb, “about five minutes before your call.”
“Well, do you boys want me to tell the Russians to ease up just long enough to get you all out of there?” asked the President of the United States.
“Sir, I’m sorry but you know how I feel about Option Alpha,” the General was referring to the plan that would call for packing up all the Allied forces and convoying out of the city. That would mean abandoning the city all together and abandoning on the freedom of the citizens of Berlin that were lucky enough to be in the western sectors of the city.
“I know but I wanted that to go on record that the option was offered.”
“Thank you, Mr. President.”
“So, that leaves us with Vittles and I take it that we are going with that?” asked the President.
“Yes sir, with Vittles, we will have all that we need. It will be difficult getting everyone up to speed but once it is on it’s on,” reaching into his left side desk drawer the top US Official in Germany pulls out an over-sized envelope with the word VITTLES written in dark, wide, black print.
“Look, you just say the word and we will get you out even if we have to fire up every tank and truck in the Western Zone and bulldoze through the Russians to get you and your men out. Just say the word.”
“Thank you again, Mr. President, but that will not be necessary,” said the Leader of the US Forces in Germany.
“Sir, do you want me to open that for you?” asked Maj. Van Busch after noticing the General was having a difficult time opening the envelope and holding the telephone receiver to his ear at the same time.
The General handed the envelope to the Aide-de-Camp.
“Yes, sir. We will make it,” talking into the telephone mouthpiece. “By first light, tomorrow morning everyone should be on board. I spoke with Douglas and Koenig and they were waiting like the rest of us. As for the Soviets, well, one thing is certain they have the upper hand on this one.”
The General was referring to the British and French Military Governors charged with governing their respective sectors of Post War Germany and Berlin.
Listening intently to what the President of the United States is saying, “Most certainly, sir. We are reacting to their playbook. However, once things get underway their playbook goes right out the window and we will be in charge.”
He listens again and says, “Well you can rest assured, Mr. President, that Sokolovsky should have a transcript of this conversation a minute or two after we hang up.” He was referring to Vasily Danilovich Sokolovsky, Marshal of the Soviet Union, and Head of the Soviet Military Administration in Germany. The Kremlin’s top dog in Germany, he was the man that received the call to go ahead and initiate the latest Blockade of Berlin. He would also be the man that would receive the call to open the gates in and out of Berlin, if they were to ever open again.
Putting his hand over the mouthpiece the General says, “Jerry, make sure they know Vittles is on.”
“Yes, sir,” replied Van Busch as he turns to walk to his office which is in the adjoining room. There, by telephone, he would notify the two allied military governors of the activation of Operation Vittles.
“Jerry, Jerry!” whispering a little louder and covering the mouthpiece so as the President does not hear him.
“Sir?” turning around to see what the General wants.
“Coffee please, it’s going to be a long morning.”
“Most definitely, sir.”
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Starting on May 12, 2014 you can read the book "AIR BRIDGE BERLIN" by David G. Guerra.
You can pre-order a signed copy of AIR BRIDGE BERLIN: http://mkt.com/david-g-guerra/air-bridge-berlin-signed
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DOUGHBOY CITY is the first work of fiction for author, David G. Guerra. He has previously published "The Walking Leader" and is working on the next book in his Walking Leader trilogy of books, "Great To Follow" with "We, The Team" as the last book.
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