The Cadet

Smashwords Edition – 2015

WordFire Press
wordfirepress.com

ISBN: 978-1-61475-290-5

Copyright © 2015 Doug Beason

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of the copyright holder, except where permitted by law. This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination, or, if real, used fictitiously.

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Cover design by Janet McDonald

Art Director Kevin J. Anderson

Cover artwork images by Dollar Photo Club

Book Design by RuneWright, LLC
www.RuneWright.com

Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta, Publishers

Published by
WordFire Press, an imprint of
WordFire, Inc.
PO Box 1840
Monument, CO 80132

***

Dedication

To Cindy Beason—who met me when I was a cadet,
married me anyway, and supported me through everything.

***

Acknowledgements

The Wild Blue U saga was written over a period of 15 years and I received much help from reviewers, contributors of anecdotes, historians, former cadets and faculty members, editors, agents, friends, and a host of other helpers. As such, I cannot possibly thank everyone who has contributed to the saga as I’m sure I will leave someone out; but nevertheless, here goes: Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, Don Erbschloe, Vickie Erbschloe, John Silbersack, Matt Bialer, Lori Peterkin and her Book Club, Lisa Ice, Ken Zeringue, Vivian Trask, Don Shepherd, Elizabeth Muenger, Joe Gross, Craig Hendrickson, Mike Heil, Bill Sabol, Jeff Dotur, Harald Dogliani, Gary Ganong, Jim Parsons, Bob DeBerry, Hugh Gordon, Deane Burbank, Dick Halloran, Phil Gronseth, Curt McIntyre, Jim Mateos, Chris Jaremko, Yvonne Kinkaid, John Paul Fraser Fisher, Ken Henderson, Nelson O’Rear, Steve Whitehouse, Don Cole, Bob Duffner, and of course, Cindy Beason.

***

Author’s Note

The Cadet
is a composite of over 60 years of Academy history, attempting to distill a wide spectrum of experiences that could not have possibly happened to just one cadet in a four-year period. And although this is a work of fiction, it is based on historical figures, events, and locations that are real; however, it is impossible to precisely reconstruct the thoughts and motivations of these historical figures and their actions. As such, the author has taken liberty to dramatically embellish historical events, and does not intend to denigrate—but only highlight and humanize—the significance of their actions. For example, George Delante did not exist; his actions did not occur. As another example, there was only one cadet squadron commander for Third Squadron in 1958; the fictional character portrayed is not related in any way to this person. In addition, only to dramatize the novel, some anecdotes may be out of chronological order or the venues changed (such as the CU mascot liberation; or the Class of 1959’s graduation ceremony being depicted on the parade field, instead of in Arnold Hall due to inclement weather; etc.). The sole purpose is not to make this novel a dry chronicle of historical fact, but rather to show the true excitement of establishing a major American landmark. Finally, there are a few terms and phrases used that may offend present day social mores, but these are only used to reflect the customs and social tones of a 1950s, post-Korean conflict, America.

***

Dramatis Personae

(Historical figures are denoted by
^ψ
)

Jean-Claude (Rod) Simone

Marie Simone—Rod’s mother

Henri Simone—Rod’s father

Nanette Simone—Rod’s sister

Major General Hank McCluney—Downed pilot, Rod’s adoptive father

Mary McCluney—Hank’s wife, Rod’s adoptive mother

Sandy Allison—Rod’s high-school girlfriend in Southern California

Julie Phillips—Colorado Women’s College student, Rod’s girlfriend in Colorado

United States Air Force Academy—Class of 1959

Nino Baldacci
^ψ
—Cadet (Poughkeepsie, NY)

Fred Delante—Cadet (Colorado Springs, CO)

Jeff Goldstein—Cadet (New York, NY)

Sylvester “Sly” Winston Jakes—Cadet (Boston, MA)

Manuel Rojo—Cadet (Albuquerque, NM)

George Sanders—Cadet (Ft. Worth, Texas)

United States Air Force Academy

Master Sergeant William H. Coltrin
^ψ
—USAFA Non-commissioned OIC

Lieutenant General James E. Briggs
^ψ
—USAFA Superintendent

Raf Garcia—waiter

Lieutenant General Hubert Harmon
^ψ
—first USAFA Superintendent

Captain Samuel P. Justice, USAF—Air Officer Commanding (AOC)

Ben Martin
^ψ
—USAFA football coach

Mrs. Gail McComas
^ψ
—Cadet hostess, 1955 to 1977

First Lieutenant Tom Ranch, USAF—Air Training Officer (ATO)

Brigadier General Robert M. “Moose” Stillman
^ψ
—first Commandant of Cadets

Brigadier Henry R. Sullivan, Jr.
^ψ
—Commandant of Cadets

Colonel Albert E. Stoltz
^ψ
—Director, Air Force Academy Construction Agency

Colorado Springs

George Delante—Land developer and construction magnate

Elizabeth Delante—his wife

Jim-Tom Henderson—Owner, Pine Valley Airport and George’s business partner

Margaret Henderson—his sister

Darius Moore—El Paso county assistant district attorney

Washington, D.C.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower
^ψ
—U. S. President

The Honorable J. Edgar Chenoweth
^ψ
—Colorado Congressman

Ambassador T. Edward Phillips—Julie Phillip’s father

Francine Phillips—Julie Phillip’s mother

Other Locations

Colonel “Speedy” Beaumont—Hank McCluney’s wingman in WWII

Carol Gutheinz—Colorado Women’s College student

Tony Rafelli—
Denver Post
reporter

Barbara Richardson—Stanford student

Wendy Shelby—Colorado Women’s College student

***

USAF Academy Abbreviations and Terms

Ac Call—Academic Call-to-Quarters, mandatory study time

AMI—Any Morning Inspection, usually less formal than a SAMI

ASAP—As Soon As Possible

AOC—Air Officer Commanding

ATO—Air Training Officer

AWOL—Absent Without Leave

Blow—To rest, or to “kiss off”

Bomb—To do extremely poorly

BOR—Base Of the Ramp

Buy the Farm—To crash

Cadet Wing—The student body of USAFA cadets

Canoe U—A small, inconsequential school (Annapolis), which forms a suburb of the capital of Maryland with a campus partly on land and partly in the Severn River

CCQ—Cadet in Charge of Quarters

Clank—To freeze up; to royally goof-up

CDB—Commandant’s Disciplinary Board

CIC—Cadet In Charge

Comm—Commandant of Cadets, a brigadier (1-star) general

Commshop—Commandant’s office

CQ—used in place of CCQ

Crash—A landing in which the vertical velocity is so great and the time spent in reducing it to zero is so brief that the acceleration and hence the forces acting become so great as to result in structural failure

Cretin—That person ill-disposed at doing acts of nominal coordination or acts requiring minimal thought

DF—Dean of Faculty, a brigadier (1-star) general

Doolie—That insignificant whose rank is measured in negative units; one whose potential for learning is unlimited; one who will graduate in some time approaching infinity

FIGMO—Forget It, Got My Orders

Firstie—a First classman, a senior (cadets in their final year at the Academy)

Fourth classman—Freshman (first year cadet, known as a doolie)

FORM 10—Cadet administrative form for documenting infraction of regulations

FUBAR—“Messed” Up Beyond All Recognition

GIB—Guy in the back seat

Ground pounder—A non-flying officer

Hyper—An ultra-military cadet that is focused on military bearing

Hudson High—a small, inconsequential school (West Point) on the Hudson River distinguished by over 200 years of tradition unhampered by progress

IHTFP—“I Have Truly Found Paradise”; equivalently, “I Hate This Friggin’ Place”

Intramurder—Athletic competition between squadrons; violent intramural sports

IRI—In Ranks Inspections

Magic—That name applied to the department of Electrical Engineering and all related hand waving activities

MATS—Military Air Transport Service

NCOIC—Non-Commissioned Officer-in-Charge

Nino Baldacci—That individual having entered with the class of ’59 and remaining until the present time never having been off academic probation and never having taken a privilege. He is a perpetual turn-back near and dear to all cadets.

ODP—Off Duty Privilege

OIC—Officer-in-Charge

OTF—Over The Fence, AWOL

PDA—Public Display of Affection

PE—Physical Education

PFT—Physical Fitness Test

Post—An order signifying to a subordinate that their presence is no longer needed

Rack—Bed

Rock—That superhuman who is free from female entanglements

SAC—Strategic Air Command

SAMI—Saturday Morning Inspection

SAR—Squadron Assembly Room

SDO—Squadron Duty Officer

Second classman—Junior (third year cadet)

SOD—Senior Officer of the Day

Staff Tower—The location in the cadet dining hall (Mitchell Hall) where Wing Staff eats

Supt—USAFA Superintendent, a lieutenant (3-star) general

TAC—Tactical Air Command

TDY—Temporary Duty

Third classman—Sophomore (second year cadet)

Trash Hauler—Transport pilot

Truck Driver—the pilot of a non-fighter aircraft with more than one engine (bomber or transport)

Two!—A command to return the cadet to what he or she had been doing

UCMJ—Uniformed Code of Military Justice

Wing Staff—Cadre of senior cadet officers that lead the Cadet Wing

Zoomie—That term by which a cadet is commonly known by jealous, and usually inferior, civilians

***