*************
The Marines had landed. Lucky for us they captured Cape Lookout without firing a shot.
They dropped out of the heavens aboard one of their new transforming Tilt rotors, the MV-22 Osprey. The Osprey looks like an airplane but can rotate its wings straight up and then take off and land like vertically like a helicopter.
With U.S. Marines and flying machines, it was Awesome Squared!
We stood like statues as a squad leader came jogging over to our position. In full battle gear, including fatigues, helmet and M-16, he motioned for us to drop our hands. Then he bent inward and yelled above the Osprey's engines.
“I’m Corporal Stringfellow,” he shouted. “We were in the neighborhood and heard you guys might need some help?”
Charlie quickly told the corporal about Pam and the stingray. The Corporal relayed the situation to the pilots and the landing troops using the radio mounted into his helmet.
The Osprey engines immediately began revving back up to full power and the Corporal recalled his squad using hand signals. Within sixty seconds, we were escorted through the ramp at the back and the aircraft was buttoned up for takeoff.
Because the Marines practice blacked out assault missions like the one we interrupted, all up and down the nearby coastline, the pilots already knew the position of the former Coast Guard station. They did not need any directions from us. So, seconds later the Osprey raised up to hover just above the ground. Rotating a hundred and eighty degrees, it turned a half circle and faced out into the Sound. And, before we knew it, the Osprey was lurching skyward into the Dark Blue Yonder.
The pilot did not bother fully rotating the wing into its airplane configuration on the short trip to the Eco Camp. He just stayed in the chopper mode and hovered right over. In no time we were landing besides the Camp's main building.
These Marines were in full dress rehearsal for their practice military assault. So, they included a Navy Corpsman in the exercise. (The Marine Corp does not have its own medical services. Medics are borrowed from the Navy.)
As soon as we sat down beside the Camp's basketball court, the Navy Corpsman followed us inside to give Pam emergency care.
A tremendous sense of relief swept over the room as we hurried inside. Shad, Donnie and the guys at the Center were relieved that help was finally here. Thor, Charlie and I were relieved that Pam was still alive.
Twenty one minutes had passed since we ran out the back door.
The Corpsman checked Pam's vital signs, and contacted the Camp Lejeune medical staff on his radio. After consulting with the Doctor on duty, he started an I.V. to stabilize Pam's blood pressure. He also shot the foot full of a painkiller called lidocane. While the fluids began flowing, two bulky Marines arrived with a canvas stretcher and placed our friend onboard. Within minutes, Pam Rockhart was ready to be airlifted from the Island.
“Who’s the next of kin?” asked the Corpsman. “Who’s coming with us to the hospital?”
“Donnie’s the next of kin,” Charlie fibbed. “But, she needs us all to go with her.”
There was no way we were going to pass up a chance to ride in the Osprey!
“She’s a big girl,” the Corpsman countered. “Why do all of you have to go with her?”
“Because,” said Freddie thinking fast. “We are all minor children. We can’t possibly be left here by ourselves!”
The medic was not stupid. He knew he was being played. But, he just smiled and relayed the information back to the pilot. Since the Osprey fuel tanks were less than half full, it would have no problem getting off the ground, even with the additional weight of nine unexpected passengers.
As the Osprey flies it's less than 20 miles from Cape Lookout to the Carteret County General Hospital in Morehead City. It was an awful quick trip, because the pilot rotated the wings and changed the Osprey into an airplane. Then he put his foot down all the way to the floor!
The power of the Osprey was awesome. There weren't many windows to look out, but the rumbling and the vibration gave me goose bumps. We were packed tightly into seats that folded down from the side of the aircraft. And, it's a good thing we were. Because even strapped down in that darkened cabin, you could just feel the mighty engines surging against the night.
WOW!!!! We went from zero to 200 mph, in what seemed like just a few pounding heartbeats.
Pam's stretcher was fastened to some fold down attachments on the opposite side of the cabin, and she made the entire flight laying down. Donnie and the Corpsman sat across from her but that was mostly for moral support. In less than ten minutes we were settling into a grassy lot next to the County Hospital's visitor parking area.
*************
Chapter 21 – ER’s and IV’s with a Waffle on the Side.
The Osprey hit the ground rolling and the pilot taxied up to the end of the grass. As soon as he popped the ramp down we scurried outside. Two stretcher bearers brought Pam out of the aircraft, with the Corpsman walking along side holding the I.V. bag.
Now, I have gone to a Hospital Emergency Room on more than one occasion. One time I had a bad appendix and once Jenny broke her ankle jumping out of an upstairs window. Somehow she got it in her mind that if she sprinkled herself with gold glitter and thought happy thoughts she could fly. (Little kids will believe anything you tell them.)
Anyway, on previous trips, we rushed to the hospital and then sat for hours before we ever saw a doctor. But, let me tell you what, when you land in the front yard in an Osprey and U.S. Marines carry you into the ER, they do move you to the head of the line.
Half the doctors in the joint came rushing out to meet Pam. And, I believe all the nurses in the place came rushing out to meet the Marines!
It was definitely VIP treatment.
But, before you know it, the Corpsman and the doctors rushed Pam through a door in the back of the ER. Donnie got to go back with her, but the rest of us guys had to find a seat in the family room.
The adventure was over and the waiting began.
A few minutes later, the Corpsman came out and began making his way out to the front door. When he spotted us, he veered over to give us a quick update.
“I’m Corpsman Jones,” he told us. “I was the one who gave your friend first aid.”
(Like we would ever forget that.)
“I just wanted to assure you that she's responding to treatment. She's stabilized, but I'm pretty sure they’ll want to keep her overnight. Although, it looks like she's out of the woods.”
We all exhaled in relief. Pam would be okay.
The Corporal continued, ”Regardless, it's a good thing you boys got help when you did. She was going South in a big fat hurry.”
“Well, I guess it's a good thing you fellows were in the neighborhood,” Charlie replied.
“I'm glad we could help,” Corpsman Jones responded. “But, I have to tell you guys that coming in to Cape Lookout, we had no idea what we were going to find. We weren't sure if it was a prank or a real emergency. Some in the squad were even hoping for some kind of Al Qaeda plot. They wanted to get in a little live target practice before they ship out to Afghanistan.”
“You know Marines,” he chuckled.
“Well, we appreciate the help and the ride,” said Shad. ”You guys are tops in our book. And, that Osprey makes a first rate air ambulance.”
“Speaking of which,” the Corpsman mentioned. “The Marine Corps loves to get its picture in the paper. And, using the Osprey on a mission of mercy will probably get us a lot of attention. So, our training officer and one of the base's Public Relations people are driving up from Camp Lejeune to interview you. They'll probably be here within an hour.”
“That's great,” said Charlie. “We appreciate your help, and I hope you end up on the front page.”
We all knew the Corpsman had flight to catch, so we thanked him and wished him luck. Then, he shook our hands and hurried out the front
door and back to his aircraft.
The big glass picture windows in the waiting room were rattling when the MV-22 rolled off the ground and into the air. The Marines had successfully rescued our friend. Now the Osprey arched up into the night sky, like a guardian Angel returning to Heaven.
*************
So, it looked like Pam was going to be okay. And now, after an hour of continuous heart thumping excitement, we finally had a chance to sit quietly and catch our breath. But, for the first time it hit us that although Pam was safe, we had missed our chance to save Levi!
At that very moment, he was passing the Ecology Camp, while we were sitting in a waiting room 20 miles away.
Everything we had worked and planned for was shot. And, it was more than just punctured pride or wasted effort that brought us down. We had a genuine affection for the big fellow. He was our whale. He was Levi. He had become like a 40-ton member of the family. And, now we could not do a thing to help him.
And, come to think of it, we were sitting in the hospital, and we could not do anything to help Pam either. We were like seven great big blobs of uselessness. And, it was awfully demoralizing.
“Does anybody have a buck?” Shad asked. “I’m so depressed, if I don’t get a chocolate bar I’m liable to go postal.”
“You realize that using food to self medicate could lead to issues later in life?” remarked Bogdon to Shad’s chagrin.
“Yeah?” said Shad lifting his fist. “Well, me not getting some comfort food as soon as possible could lead to a loss of life later tonight!”
Bogdon wisely let the issue drop.
“I sympathize, Shad,” I said. ”But I believe you're out of luck. You can't carry a wallet in a wetsuit. There are no pockets.”
I thought Shad was really going to lose it then. But, we were all in for a surprise.
“Pockets?” Freddie answered. “We don't need no stinkin' pockets!”
I looked over as Freddie sat down at the end of a row of plastic chairs. He whipped off one of his rubber soled pool shoes. Then, he reached his hand inside and pulled out his club debit card.
“Dunkleberger Express,” he smiled, holding up the plastic for an imaginary camera. “Don't leave home without it.”
Only Freddie Dunkleberger would take a Visa card in his shoe to rescue a whale.
Charlie talked to the nurse at the counter and found out there was a Waffle House two blocks down. He told her that we would be headquartered there for the time being, in case Pam needed blood or anything. And, she promised to tell the Marine Corp Officers when they arrived.
*************
As we walked into the Waffle House, I was surprised to find the clock behind the counter said it was only 10:15 pm. I assumed that it was much later. Maybe stingray venom causes localized time distortions? Or, maybe adrenaline and excitement just makes it seem that way.
Anyway, it was still early in the 24 hour world of the Waffle House. So, we had no problem finding two tables adjoining each other and close to the grill. And, since we were at the beach, no one looked twice at seven guys in wetsuits popping in for a late evening snack.
With Freddie's debit card backstopping us, we were soon plowing our way through mounds of comforting breakfast fare. We attacked the light golden waffles, crispy bacon, cheese eggs and smothered and scattered hash browns with a vengeance. And while the Waffle House experience did not completely get us over our whale depression, we did mellow out a little. Even if we did not have any quarters for the juke box.
We had not been there long, (Shad was only on his third waffle) when two Marine Corp Officers came in the door. Since we were facing the grill we did not notice them until we heard a voice call from behind.
“Charlie Sinclair and the Granite Falls Rangers! I should have known.”
“Well, Hello Lieutenant,” Charlie replied as he turned to greet his favorite verbal sparring partner.
We had not seen the Lieutenant, since she whipped our tails at the Mud Run. Tonight she was dressed in fatigues instead of her dress uniform or her running clothes. She was accompanied by a second young woman dressed in everyday Marine khakis.
“Gee, Lieutenant,” Charlie continued. “You have a habit of showing up again and again. Just like a girl I once knew who wouldn't kiss on the first date.”
“We do seem to keep meeting up,” replied the Lieutenant. “And like with an old jogging partner, I feel compelled to wave and smile – every time I lap you.”
This one was sharp as a tack! And, with the initial batch of sparing out of the way, she got down to business.
“Fellas, tonight I am here in my capacity as the training officer for the MV-22 Night Assault. And, this is Captain Rand from the Camp Lejeune Public Relations Office.”
Captain Rand was taller than our recruiter friend and must have been about 5'9”. She had reddish auburn hair and large brown eyes. And, she made me wonder if all female Marine Officers were pretty?
“You can call me, Tar,” the newcomer announced.
“Tar?” asked Shad.
“Short for Tarawa,” the Captain explained. “My father was in the Corps, too.”
The Captain got right down to business.
“We’re here to find out more about the rescue flight from Cape Lookout this evening.”
She pulled out a small electronic tape recorder and put it on the table.
“Would you guys tell us exactly what happened?”
Since Freddie likes to talk the most, he began the story by telling how Donnie came yelling out of the darkness. And, how he carried Pam all the way from the ocean while she was in terrible pain.
Charlie told how Shad stepped up and administered first aid in the first crucial minutes.
I spoke about when Pam began reacting to the poison and how Thor, Charlie, and I biked to the Lighthouse, broke down the door, climbed to the top and sent out an SOS.
Finally, Charlie told them of the Osprey landings at the Lighthouse, the Eco Camp and the trip to the hospital in Morehead City.
We tried not to embellish the story. But, it still ended up coming out like some kind of adventure tale. And, I think the ladies were suitably impressed. Lieutenant Rand even asked to see Thor's bruised shoulder from when he did his human battering ram thing.
“So, all's well that ends well? Eh guys?” asked the Lieutenant.
“Everyone's happy but Levi,” Freddie replied a little sarcastically.
Of course the women asked who Levi was. And, since keeping it secret did not matter anymore, Freddie went ahead and told them the real reason we were at the Camp.
The woman sat in quiet fascination listening to the story.
“So let me get this straight,” said the Lieutenant. ”You guys have spent all summer trying to rescue an entangled whale?”
“Well somebody has to do it,” Freddie replied. “Besides, it was not like we were successful or anything.”
“But, still,” she continued. ”You tracked down an entangled whale from a few stories on the Internet. You almost freed him in South Carolina. And, you followed him all the way to the Outer Banks for another shot?”
“That's about the size of it,” Shad agreed.
“Well why didn't you go public with this story?” asked Captain Rand. “A story like this is terrific. It has heart, heroism, unselfishness and a poor trapped creature. It would have run in every paper in the country.”
“Maybe so,” Charlie concurred. “But, interfering with a Marine Mammal is against the law – Big Time. If we got caught within a hundred yards of Levi, we'd be going to jail.”
“None of us is licensed to handle Federally Protected Species,” Bogdon explained.
“Maybe you aren't,” Captain Rand replied. ”But I know someone who is!”
Without another word, the Captain pulled out a cell phone and called her roommate at Camp Lejeune and told her to get her kaki covered behind to the Waffle House in Morehead
City - on the double.
*************
Chapter 22 – Whale Hunt
Grandpa Gus likes to say: “Whenever God shuts a door, somewhere He leaves a chimney to squeeze out of.”
And, we found our exit chimney that night in the Waffle House in Morehead City.
As luck would have it, a few years back the Marine Corps discovered something unusual on their training range at Camp Lejeune. In the center of a long leaf pine tree in the middle of the artillery range, they discovered a nesting pair of rare and endangered Red Cockaded Woodpeckers.
Today at various locations throughout the base you can see trees marked with painted white bands. These bands mark the protected habitat of the endangered woodpecker. And, those bands are just a small outward sign of the immense amount of time and effort the Corps has spent on woodpecker protection. Today, the Camp is home to over 40 red cockaded woodpecker groups and has one of the healthiest population of the creatures in the entire country.
It turned out that Captain Rand's roommate, Captain Allison Presby was the Marine Corps officer in charge of the Woodpecker Rescue Plan. And, not only did she have a Master's Degree in Ornithology, she was licensed by the Department of the Interior to provide rescue and rehabilitation services to injured animals that were found in and around the Camp. And, that included Federally Protected Species!
Over the phone, Captain Rand explained to her roommate about the entangled whale. And, Captain Presby immediately hotfooted it over to Morehead City.
Now, with our Ranger technology and Captain Presby's authority, we could legally make an attempt to save Levi from his deadly harness. But, of course we needed a way to catch up to him first.
Luckily, we were already sitting in the Waffle House with the training officer for the Marine Medium Tilt Rotor Squadron 263 of Jacksonville, North Carolina. She was one of the few people in the entire world with the authority to requisition an Osprey for the rescue mission we were proposing.
She made the call.
At a quarter till 12:00, we found ourselves hurrying back to the open field beside the Hospital. But, for this mission, our mercy flight would be starting rather than ending at the Visitor Parking Lot.