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One of them was an older man, and the other-logically, the lieutenant whom Edmonds was looking for-was much younger.
As they came closer, Colonel Edmonds had doubts that this was the officer he was looking for. He was a tall, fair-skinned, blue-eyed young man who didn't look as if his name was Carlos Guillermo Castillo. One would expect someone with a name like that to have a darker skin and more than likely dark
eyes.
Edmonds now saw the older man was Chief Warrant Officer-4 Pete Kowalski, who was not only a master Army Aviator but vice president of the Instrument Examiner Board. Edmonds was surprised that Kowalski was teaching a lowly lieutenant.
Both saluted Colonel Edmonds as they got close to where he stood by the Base Ops door.
"Lieutenant Castillo?" Colonel Edmonds asked.
Castillo stopped and said, "Yes, sir."
Maybe this isn't the right Castillo. It's not that unusual a name.
"Carlos Guillermo Castillo?" Edmonds challenged.
"Yes, sir."
"Lieutenant, I'm Colonel Edmonds, the information officer. Between now and 1300, we have to get you into a Class A uniform and out to the Castillo Classroom Building on the post."
"Sir?"
"Where you will be photographed with the commanding general standing by the building named after your father," Edmonds explained.
"Sir, with respect, what's this all about?"
"I'm reasonably confident that the photograph will shortly appear in several hundred newspapers across the country."
"Colonel, I'm Special Forces," Castillo said. "We try to keep our pictures out of the newspapers."
Edmonds thought, What does he mean, he's "Special Forces"?
He's a pilot; he's Aviation.
He may be assigned to support Special Forces, but he's Aviation.
"Be that as it may, Lieutenant," Edmonds said, "you will be photographed with the commanding general at the Castillo Building at 1300."
"Yes, sir."
"Do you have a car here?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, in that case, I will follow you to your BOQ. But in case we become separated, which BOQ is it?"
"Sir, I'm in the Daleville Inn."
The Daleville Inn was a motel in a village crammed with gasoline stations, fast-food emporiums, hock shops, trailer parks, and used-car lots. It lay between Cairns Army Airfield and Fort Rucker.
"You're not in a BOQ? Why not?"
"Sir, I thought I would have a quieter place to study if I were in the Daleville Inn than I would in a BOQ. When I went through chopper school here, the BOQs were a little noisy."
"But isn't that a little expensive?"
"Yes, sir, it is."
