For a very long second he hesitated. Then, drawing in a deep breath, he began to issue his orders. “Eagle flight, this is Eagle One. Break right, break right. Bring your aircraft to a heading of one eight zero and form up on me. Cease all preparations for the drop. Repeat, cease all preparations for the drop.”

As soon as they heard Macky instruct his transports to turn south, the pathfinder team that had gone in with King’s jump relayed the news of the aborted jump. King immediately understood the significance of that message for he had watched the Air National Guard A-10s as they catapulted into the sky and raced off into the western sky. The company first sergeant and the leaders of the 1st and 2nd Platoon stood by in silence as they watched their commander look off to the north where the Idaho Guardsmen continued to mass vehicles, then to the hills south of where they were. Everyone knew what was going through their commander’s mind. Each prayed that their hard charging commander would make the only decision that made sense while there was still a chance to get away.

After taking a deep breath, King turned to face his assembled leaders. “There’s nothing more we can do here.” With that having been said, the young company commander brought his map up in order to study the graphic representation of the ground that lay before him. When he was ready he looked up at his waiting subordinates. “There’s a quarry of some type to our south,” he stated in a low, carefully controlled voice. “We’ll head for that and reform there. 1st Platoon will take the portion of the perimeter from twelve o’clock to six, 2nd Platoon, six to twelve.” No one took note of King’s efforts to fight back the despair that was welling up inside of him as he spoke. They simply listened to his orders. When he was finished, King looked about. “Any questions?”

No one said a word. Then, as a new spasm of small arms fire erupted to the east, the first sergeant asked the question that was on everyone’s mind, “What about 3rd Platoon?”

Slowly King turned to look over to where a third of his company was fighting for its life. He had no way of knowing whether the failure of his XO or 3rd Platoon to respond was intentional or due to their situation. What he did know was that to stay where he was with those portions of his company he did have control over, while waiting for a response that might never come was foolish. The only bright spot in the whole disastrous affair was that 1st Lieutenant Wahler was with the 3rd Platoon. Though the XO didn’t much like him, King knew he was a professional. Wahler would know what to do.