Bess

When I was assigned to Operation ‘Blackside’ I’d never heard of it. My life at sea was a pleasant one filled with interesting hard work with cutting edge technology. Since leaving the Naval Academy, I had served time as a deck officer on a small ship before going to electronic intelligence school and back to sea duty where I applied what I’d learned in the school under the tutelage of more experienced officers.

While intelligence work sometimes infers clandestine spying and risky covert activities in enemy countries, such is usually not the case in electronic counter measures or e-lint, which was my field. My job involved computer screens, sophisticated computer programs and a wealth of information on an enemy or potential enemy’s electronic emissions. . . those radio waves that are peculiar to radar and missile systems, etc.

Once involved, the work becomes fascinating as the information gathered begins to paint a picture of an enemy or potential enemy’s military assets and their locations. It’s an art as well as a science and a challenge to the analyst!

Then, seven years out of the academy and a Lieutenant Commander with seven years of seas duty, I received orders to Operation ‘Blackslide’. Having never heard of it, I asked about among my fellow officers and none of them had heard of it either. To make matters worse, I was to report to the Command Duty Officer at F.E Warren AFB in Cheyenne, Wyoming, FFT. . . Hardly sea duty!

On arrival at the base, the Command Duty Officer told me to get lodging in the Transient Officer Quarters and await orders. . . Either this officer was very close mouthed or he simply didn’t know my destination!

Two days later, at 0430 hours, I received a telephone call advising me to be, with my car and personal gear, in front of base headquarters. There, I was met by an air Force Lieutenant who advised me he would be riding with me to my new duty assignment. It would be an hour and a half’s drive. For the next hour and a half we rode on military roads to a large warehouse complex where I parked my 280SL Mercedes and was directed to take my personal gear to a bus and board.

Fifteen minutes later, the bus had entered a large tunnel and drove into a fantasy world of human activity. There was a base exchange, a base pharmacy, a base hospital, and half a dozen smaller commercial activities. Further in was a large office complex with Base headquarters and Security Force headquarters. Here, we were all ordered to disembark from the bus and wait.

It was here that I bet Bess Wainroth, i.e., LCDR Bess Wainroth, a rather comely brunette with blue eyes, a clear, creamy complection, and a winning smile. “You must be Keith __/__. We’ve been expecting you! Welcome to Operation ‘Blackslide.’”

“Where are we?”

“Somewhere in Wyoming or Colorado! Look at this badge which is yours and you will see it has several colored dots at the bottom. Those dots correspond to lines on the floor of all passages. You may follow only the red, green and blue corridors, corresponding to the colors on your badge, and are barred from passage in all others. Don’t be caught out of your area!”

Having discussed the rules, Bess assisted me with my luggage as we boarded the ‘Elephant Train’, an electric rail car that served as transportation in the underground world, and rode to the Blue station. From here we walked a couple of hundred feet to a residence hall and I was directed to room A-207-R where I would live. It was a well-appointed room with a private bath and ample storage space.

As Bess continued our tour, she took me a few hundred feet further back in the tunnel to Room A-266-S and reported that this would be my work space starting in the morning at 0800. We continued to the dining room and the recreation area and back to the residence area where Bess left me and entered her room A-205-R

As I returned to my room, it struck me. . . six months here with no relief. . . no visitors and no leave! As I thought, it came to me that Bess was Naval Academy, a year behind me as I recalled! She was apparently working too close to allow us any sort of relationship that might ease the pain of this duty.

On return to my room, I took advantage of my idle time like a sailor accustomed to the hard life at sea and slept. At 1730 hours, I awoke and called Bess to ask her to accompany me to dinner. . . she reported that she had a date at the AAFES Complex and couldn’t make it.

Next morning, shortly after 0700, I reported to Room A-277-S and duty. Here was the friendly situation of an e-lint analyst and I fell easily into the work. As I worked, I began to meet the other workers in my area - slowly it dawned on me that I was the senior officer present and this was to be my responsibility.

Where the hell was Bess? Why hadn’t she told me what my duties were? I’d heard of ships at sea that were chaotic from lack of leadership but this was. . . .

As I worked, I counted the people in my work area, fourteen in all, and determined that this area was responsible to the joint force commander for our performance. “Well, now is as good a time as any to get organized,” I reasoned.

At 1500 hours, I called a meeting of all the workers in room A266-S, fifteen in all! Besides myself, there were three officers, LTJG’s Mike Shan and Lisabeth Hana and Ens. Jenna Whitlock; four Chief Petty Officers, Senior Chief Rolley and Chiefs Haines, Blanchett and White. The rest were various enlisted rates. I divided the group up into three watch teams, each under an officer and a Chief Petty officer. I, as officer in charge, would carry overall responsibility for the Organization and Senior Chief would be in charge of the Enlisted organization and discipline.

By 1700 hours, the group had been assigned various work functions. The three watch groups would rotate early morning watch duties with the duty team on duty at 0345 in the morning. They would monitor all the activities currently going of interest to our unit that had occurred overnight and process it for further transfer to Joint Force Commander. I would arrive at 0600 and review the work done in the section , affix my signature and pass it on or assign it to one of the watch teams for further processing.

When the days regular work shift ended at 1600 hours, the watch team would remain on duty until 1800 to answer questions that might arise from outside sources. Watch teams would rotate shifts at 1800 hours when our shop would be closed from 1800 hours until 0345 the following day.

Several days passed and our little e-lint shop became an efficient working force that we all took pride in. Our information was received, thoroughly processed and on the Joint Commanders desk hours and sometimes days before that from other sources. We were good at what we did!

During those first days I didn’t see Bess. I was busy with my new job and she apparently had other male interests. It was Tuesday of my second week on board that I was summoned before the Admiral for a meeting. This was a tense time as I answered the call. As I followed the blue line past Bess’s office, I thought I saw concern on her face.

As I entered the Admiral’s office he stood and addressed me, “I’ve been meaning to get you in here for a little talk. I hear you’re doing some good work. Tell me a little about it.”

I explained how my shop was organized and how I’d not yet had time to codify the plan for approval but would be working on that shortly. He seemed satisfied. I was dismissed. That afternoon, Bess came by room A-266-S and suggested that we have dinner together that night. She seemed quite friendly and even flirted a bit.

It was exactly 1800 hours when I knocked on LCDR Bess Wainroth’s door and she stepped out to accompany me to the dining room.

Th evening was a pleasant one as Bess and I talked. She filled me in on the latest gossip at the higher levels where I’d been the subject of much recent talk. Seems the Commanding General’s well aware of the chaos and lack of leadership in his organization and when he heard rumors about your groups work, he investigated. You’re being put in for a medal! Our Admiral’s pissed. . . none of his other units have demonstrated much potential!

Then, as we returned to our quarters for the night, Bess suggested I stop into her room and share a bottle of wine with her. . .

“What about your boy friend?” I asked.

“What Boy Friend?”

“The one you had a date with at the AAFES store the other night.”

“Oh! That was a date with my Chief Petty Officer, Lorene Knight to shop for lingerie and go to a movie.”

“How about you. . . made any connections with Lizabeth or Jenna yet?

“No. I don’t fraternize with the help.”

“How about me? Am I part of the help?”

“Definitely not.”

“Good because now I can ask if we’re going to get it on and have an affair while we’re cooped up in this cave.” she spoke half in jest.

“It’d sure please me.” I replied, half in jest.

“How about same time tomorrow night. . . bring condoms! She laughed.

That’s how it ended that fateful night. We had talked in jest but now it was apparent that I was going to have a full blown affair with Bess, a beautiful woman that I could have for my very own in this damn cave. I didn’t sleep much that night. Kept seeing Bess in the most enticing manner. . .

Next day came and went as Bess and I returned from dinner. Again, we stopped in her room to share a bottle of wine. We talked! We talked and Bess explained that she hadn’t been around guys much since her academy days - too busy at sea or at an outpost in the Aleutians! As we talked, I remembered Bess as having had quite an active social life with several serious party type boy friends. Her reputation, as he recalled, had been that of a party girl!

Then, I thought, That was then. . . this is now! Best if I watch to see what develops. An hour later, as we finished the wine, Bess came and sat beside me where she turned and our eyes met. . .we bonded! Seconds later, our lips met and I tasted the wine on her lips. It was a friendly kiss that promised more. The second kiss that followed seemed to promise much more and we settled back on the sofa closely touching to relax. “Let’s just take it slow and easy,” she said.