RANSVESTIA

The Sergeant Major checked my orders and said, “Come along, Top, the Colonel wanted to see you as soon as you arrived. He knocked on the Colonel's door and received a 'come in' from the other side. “Colonel Anderson, this is First Sergeant Larker," he said as he laid my orders on his desk.

"Good Morning, Sergeant," the Colonel said, "at ease. Pour us all a cup of coffee, will you please, Sergeant Major?" We sat and talked in- formally while we had coffee. I washed the cups and replaced them on the coffee stand. The Sergeant Major excused himself and left. The Colonel turned to me and smiled as he said, "Well, Sergeant, no doubt you are wondering why you are here.”

"Yes, Sir," I replied, "I am curious.” (All informality had ceased with the end of the coffee break.)

"We won't keep you in the dark much longer. Come along," he said as he headed towards the door. We walked down the hall and entered the "D-2" Section. My bewilderment increased when I realized I was smack-dab in the middle of the Intelligence Center for the whole Marine Corps. Maybe, I thought, we are just passing through this section to another one. But I was wrong. The Colonel slowed and then opened the door to one of the offices. "Wait here a moment, Sergeant,” he said and closed the door behind him. I hardly had time to look around me before the door opened and he asked me to come in.

There were three other officers besides the Colonel - one of them a very attractive dark-haired Woman Lieutenant. The Colonel made the introductions and asked me to be seated. Major Atkins behind the desk offered me a cup of coffee and said the smoking lamp was lit. I lighted a cigarette and waited — feeling something like a rapist suspect about to be interrogated with a piece of rubber hose as they just sat and looked at me.

Major Jones suddenly smiled and said, "Relax, Sergeant, we won't bite." Then he held up a large photograph of a woman and asked, “Have you ever seen this woman before? Or have you ever heard of her? Her name is Greta Prein."

I studied it closely for a moment and said, “She looks slightly familiar, Sir, but I don't remember having ever seen her and her name doesn't

ring a bell. I don't believe I can help you, Sir.”