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.I told him I didn t think that with as little time as Charleyhad either total hours or in the Army they d take him.He said what he wasthinking of doing was sending Charley over here for Blue Flight transitioninto the King Air which he already knew how to fly and what could be donewhile he was here to train him in something else, something that would appealto the 160th? He said he knew two people who were going to have a quiet word in the ear ofwhoever selected people for the 160th saying that they d flown with him incombat, and thought he could make it in the 160th.Then he pointed to me andhim. And he said, If I hear you told him, or even if he finds out about this, Iwill shoot you in both knees with a.22 hollow-point. Kowalski laughed. McNab really likes Charley.They re two of a kind. So what are you doing for him here? Prentiss asked. If it s got wings or rotary blades, by the time I send him back to Bragg, hewill be checked out in it as pilot-in-command, Kowalski said. I ve evenchecked him out in stuff the Aviation Board has for testing that the Armyhasn t even bought yet. How do you get away with that? Prentiss asked. I m the vice president of the Instrument Examiner Board and the trainingscheduler for Blue Flight, Kowalski said. Very few people ask me why I mdoing something.And a lot of people owe me favors.Like I figure I oweCharley several big ones. Prentiss nodded Thanks, Pete, he said. This is the favor you wanted? Telling you about Charley? Yeah.And now I need one more.You going home from here? Yeah, Kowalski said. How about dropping Miss Wilson at Colonel Gremmier s quarters? I have thefeeling she d rather be with anyone but me right now. Kowalski looked at the girl, then back at Prentiss. You going to explain that? Kowalski said. You don t want to know, Pete. Yeah, sure.Gremmier s house is right on my way. [-VI-]Page 48 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html2002 Red Cloud RoadFort Rucker, Alabama1955 6 February 1992 These are really wonderful photos, Juan Fernando Castillo said.He glancedup from the thick photo album on the coffee table in the Wilsons living roomand met Brigadier General Harold F.Wilson s eyes. They mean a lot to me, Don Fernando, the general said.The last snapshot that Don Fernando was looking at was a five-by-seven colorphotograph of Second Lieutenant Harold F.Wilson and WOJG Jorge A.Castillostanding by the nose of an HU-1D helicopter of the 322nd Attack HelicopterCompany.Both were smiling broadly.Don Fernando no one had ever dared call him Don Juan, for the obviousreason was a tall, heavyset man with a full head of dark hair.He wore awell-tailored nearly black double-breasted pin-striped suit.He looked verymuch like one of his grandsons, Fernando Manuel Lopez, who sat on one side ofhim on the Wilsons couch, and not at all like his other grandson, CarlosGuillermo Castillo, who sat on the other side of him. Let me tell you what I ve decided to do with those photos, Don Fernando, Wilson said. And a good decision is a good decision, even if it is made muchlonger after it should have been. Excuse me? Don Fernando said. I have decided that many of them should be hanging, suitably framed, in theJorge Castillo Classroom Building.The first thing Monday morning, I will takethem to our state-of-the-art photo lab. I think that s a very good idea, General, Don Fernando said. You re not going to stop that, are you? Calling me General ? You have to understand, Harry, Don Fernando said, that I never got anyhigher than major, and never very close to general officers. When Jorge and I were in Nam, we thought majors were God, Wilson said. So did we majors in Korea, Don Fernando said.They laughed. I never thought majors were God, did you, Gringo? Fernando Lopez askedCharley in a mock innocent tone. Fernando! Doa Alicia Castillo said.The wife of Don Fernando and grandmother of Fernando Lopez and CharleyCastillo was a slight woman, her black hair heavily streaked with gray andpulled tight around her head.She wore a single strand of large pearls aroundher neck.Her only other jewelry consisted of two gold, miniature branchinsignias Armor and Aviation, honoring Fernando and Charley,respectively pinned to the bosom of her simple black dress and her wedding andengagement rings.She was an elegant, dignified, and formidable lady.Don Fernando smiled
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