About 11:50 AM, the BC came bounding down the stairs and cheerfully inquired as to what was going on. I informed him that we had a TOT fire mission and would need to commence firing soon, but hadn’t heard back from the gun to give it deflection and elevation and other firing data. I was expecting him to turn about and check on why the gun hadn’t called in to report when it had set its spade on the azimuth given for this mission. That didn’t happen.
I realized that I needed to more formally report the status of my section during the conduct of this fire mission. I turned to Les and asked him to ascertain the status of the gun. They had more than enough time to set spade on the azimuth. The BC continued into the FDC to my station, where I was obviously working up firing data on the mission list. Les was incredulous when he reported to me that the gun section was taking its lunch break. I told him to remind them that we had a fire mission.
This was all the BC needed. I must now introduce you, the reader, to the inner workings of my mind, in which I clearly recall this incident. I’m not schizoid or anything, but I’ve always had some help in figuring things out while under pressure, or in stressful situations. Most husbands would probably recognize these compatriots, compadres, or aspects of thought as follows: when your wife tells you to do something, #1, tells you to listen carefully and do exactly as she says to make her happy. #2, tells you to listen carefully and do the exact opposite because that’s going to be more fun. #3, tells you to listen carefully and determine the result she wants, and do whatever that is as efficiently as possible so you can get back to whatever you want to do. It’s simultaneous personality analysis or thoughts addressing the problem at hand from different angles. Psychologists probably have a label for it. The following paragraphs will include these thoughts in parentheses. My father used to whack me on occasion for what I was thinking, I never did figure out how he was so accurate.
The BC started in on me by stating flatly that I was incompetent. (Steeerike one!) I in-formed him that I was still not finished with the firing data and it would be best if we could discuss this later. All other criticisms had been conducted in private, so I was surprised by this departure from convention. I knew other junior officers had also been chastised so never felt personally at risk from him. I just figured he was overly demanding in a difficult situation. He continued on with some other faults he saw in me.
After a minute or so, I asked Les to call the HQ group to see if there would be a problem with firing through the list a bit late, we were having problems with the gun. This refocused the BC’s ire, and out popped “incompetent” again. (Steeerike two!) Again I asked him if we could discuss this later, I was doing the work of three men and didn’t want an error to slip in. He appeared oblivious to what was going on around him.
