Wade knew that the small brain of whatever bird had built the nest could not have designed the complex woven matrix of grasses and small twigs. He knew the bird could not have done the math to compute the structural strength and bracing needed to safely hold its inhabitants. He knew the bird’s small brain was not capable of determining the best placement of the nest in the tree to protect it from the elements and crushing branches. For a moment, he lost himself in thought about the nest. All the information needed to create this nest had to be passed down genetically. The transmitted information was ingrained in the bird’s nervous system before it had emerged from its shell. The bird’s instincts simply carried out the imprinted instructions. Almost all of the nesting bird’s future was predetermined … already known and outside its control or determination.
Wade wondered. Could this same predetermined process apply to humans? As the young men completed their walk, the somber words to “St. James Infirmary” returned to Wade’s thoughts. The remaining block was traveled in silence as the men approached Ed’s car.
A few months later, on the other side of the city, Detective Jake Pisano of the New Orleans Police Department, Downtown Division, and head of undercover operations for an emerging auto theft syndicate sat waiting to order. He was seated in his favorite restaurant ready to enjoy a bowl of hot crawfish etouffee. With him were two officers from the Uptown Division of NOPD. A manila file folder lay between them.
As soon as they’d ordered, Pisano pointed to the folder. “So what’s the story here?”
The arresting officer answered. “We caught them in the act near Audubon Park, with parts in hand and a large 14 inch screw driver which we wrote up as a weapon. The taller one is a low level sales guy for Coletta. The kid driving seems clean but is involved in car racing. They’re dead meat to us. We thought you might have a better use for them in your operation. Otherwise, we’ll finish processing and turn them over to the DA’s office. They’ll definitely serve time on this one.”
Pisano briefly flipped through the folder asking a few minor questions before folding it shut. “Let me review the file more carefully and I’ll get back to you.”
The conversation quickly turned to city politics and the upcoming mayoral race, which was heating up. After the meal Pisano thanked his fellow officers.
He told them he would be in touch.
1
At the Pentagon, a Joint Chiefs committee meeting on the Cuban-Soviet threat is underway in preparation for a presidential briefing. The committee has just heard two briefings from the CIA section heads on Russian activity in the region. The briefings included information on recent meetings between Cuban President Fidel Castro and two high-ranking Soviet military officers.
Brigadier General Lyman Lemnitzer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower are on their way to a secure meeting with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In the absence of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army General Charles Mathews is running the meeting, which now centers on U.S. response options to the Soviet military buildup in Cuba.
General Mathews asks members of the committee, “When will we have the high altitude atmospheric wind study?”
“I expect the report any day now.” responds General Coleman.
“We don’t have days. The president needs to know where a radioactive cloud will travel if released over Cuba. That will affect our nuclear response options.”
Admiral Winters of the Navy comments, “That will only give us data on the fallout under one of our nuclear scenarios.”
“That’s’ correct but you know the president. He will want to see that response option down to the smallest detail.” replies Mathews before moving to another agenda item
“Do we have the Air Force option report on a conventional weapons response?”
General Taylor of the Air Force has a ready response. “Our report on the conventional weapons response will be ready in three days. I can tell the Committee that because of Cuba being only 90 miles away, our air strike options are virtually limitless. The report will cover 5 strike options explained in significant detail.”
“Can we have an update on the special forces initiative order by the president?” Mathews is demanding, not asking.
Admiral Winters replies for the Navy, “We’ve completed our command transition from former UDT units to separate SEAL designated units under their own command, with their own budgets, as the president directed. SEAL Team 2 has completed the new training and is ready to deploy for Cuban action at a moment’s notice.”
“Good,” replies Mathews. “The Chairman will be pleased to hear that.”
Cold War tensions with the Soviets in Cuba, smoldering hot spots in Korea, expanding involvement in Viet Nam and social and racial demonstrations at home are all aligning in President Eisenhower’s final year of his last term in office. He wants to give the incoming president the benefit of his military planning and strategy initiatives, knowing festering world military problems are more likely to come to a head on the next president’s watch.
Life in the city for Wade had developed into its own cadence with only infrequent excursions to the swamp he loved. One home ritual practiced by his family was to assemble after dinner in the study to watch the national and local news on television. Wade’s father thought all worldly events of any significance flowed from the truthful voice of Edward R. Murrow. A younger reporter coming on the scene was Walter Cronkite. The young upstart reporter Cronkite was establishing himself well in the eyes of Wade’s parents. His parents thought that watching either Murrow or Cronkite could be relied upon as acceptable sources of the news. The Times Picayune was the established city newspaper and it was delivered to the house daily. Whatever details were needed to explain or expand the abbreviated TV coverage could be gathered from the Picayune.
Attendance with predetermined seating arrangements in the study for children was mandatory at all evening broadcasts. Wade’s father would emphasize important upcoming news topics by the advanced announcement, “Now listen to this or take note of that.” Television was a relatively new invention and getting the news daily from this electronic box was considered revolutionary in his parent’s world.
As the mid 50’s merged into the 60’s, Murrow and Cronkite broadcasts reflected the American mood on current events and politics. There were only 3 or 4 channels to listen to and Murrow and Cronkite reported the news at the same time every night. The different news cover stories centered on emerging national topics. While individual topics changed most evenings the overriding news in the early 60’s centered on world tension and a domestic society in turbulence.
In 1960, John F. Kennedy announced his intention to run for President against the vice-presidential incumbent Richard Nixon. The U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, which started in 1950 with a pledge of $15 million to help France control local uprisings, was escalating, and by the mid 1960’s U.S. involvement was becoming more eminent. In 1955, South Vietnam declared itself the Republic of Vietnam and elected Ngo Dinn Diem as President. Eight years later, on November 2, 1963, Ngo Dinn Diem was executed by the revolutionary party in his own country. On August 2nd and 4th of 1963, the news reported North Vietnamese attacked two U.S. destroyers in international waters in the Gulf of Tonkin. The U.S. had a continuing military presence in that country from the early '60s, but the first U.S. combat troops officially arrived in Vietnam in March of 1968. The U.S. buildup for the Vietnam War clearly centered on the draft and increased military spending.