Chapter 3 Summary

Gunnery Sergeant Ernest Zimmerman arrives to talk to Colonel Carlson. Zimmerman was a China marine with Lieutenant Ken "Killer" McCoy. He is curious about why Carlson wants to talk with him and suspects it has to do with Thomas McCoy, the brother of Ken, who is a big disciplinary problem. Zimmerman finds that he and Sergeant Thomas McCoy are assigned to Guadalcanal. Colonel Carlson, says he thinks Killer McCoy had something to do with the orders and Zimmerman says he thinks it is Big Steven Oblensky who requested the transfer. Zimmerman goes to the brig with McCoy's seabag and tells him to get dressed.

Second Lieutenant Malcolm Pickering and Richard Stecker are in an R4D, flying to the Naval Air Station at Lakehurst, New Jersey. They are coming from Pensacola and on their way to the Grumman plant at Bethpage, Long Island...