US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

WATCHTOWER 247
month away from even embarking in the United States, and the Marines were
only in modest strength in American Samoa, it was obvious that nothing
was going to happen soon to start the drive northward into the Solomons.
Rear Admiral Turner was in full agreement with a stand-fast policy for the
present, advising Admiral King on 26 March 1942 that if an attempt was
made at that time to establish bases in the Solomons, “the ventures would
be failures.” 45
But Efate was the camel’s nose under the edges of the Army tent in
getting to the Solomons and no one knew it better than Admiral King and his
Chief Alligator and Head Planner, Richmond Kelly Turner.”
At this same time, Rear Admiral Turner and his boss were keeping
pressure on the Navy’s Pacific forces. Thus, Admiral Nimitz was given a
vehicle to keep his subordinates “up on the step,” when this Turner drafted
despatch was sent off on 30 March.
You are requested to read the article, ‘There is only one Mistake; To do
Nothing,’ by Charles F. Kettering in the March 29th issue of Sutzrday Evening
PoJt and to see to it that it is brought to the attention of all your principal
subordinates and other key officers.A7
Individual task force commanders were also occasionally jigged. One
well-known incident in which Rear Admiral Turner played a part probably
did not endear him to this particular officer, a Task Force Commander and
his senior by six years, who reported to CINCPAC having been at sea for
so long that stocks of provisions in his command were so reduced that
meals would soon be on a ‘