The Chameleon Soldier: NOW AS AN ALIEN BLUE HE CANNOT DIE. (15 page)

Shortly after Whelan graduated from high school his father took him to Annapolis. He wanted his son to have the best education, and to serve his country in the military. At first Whelan resisted, but he soon found he liked the discipline and the formality of the military. His roommate was a boy from a long line of naval officers. He and George Hildegard hit it off from the first time they met. After graduation from the academy, Whelan and George both served four years aboard various naval vessels. However, Whelan didn’t see the Navy as his vocation, and when his tour of duty was over, he joined his dad and his uncle in the wine business. His friend George Hildegard continued serving in the Navy, and he distinguished himself during World War II.

Six months after going back to work in the wine business, Whelan married a girl he’d met while at Annapolis. She was from one of Philadelphia’s wealthy Irish families. A year and a half later, his son Douglas was born. Two years later, Whelan’s wife Kelly presented him with his daughter, little red-haired Maggie. The Dunnes’ wine business was growing at a fast pace, both in California and in New York. The roaring twenties were about to begin, and most of the large cities were enjoying sustained economic prosperity. After World War I politics had returned to normal in the wake of emotional patriotism. Social, artistic and cultural life blossomed. The economy boomed. The use of telephones, automobiles, motion pictures, and electricity saw tremendous growth, accelerated by consumer demand fed by heightened aspirations, and changes in culture and lifestyle.

The only fly in the ointment emerged in January 1919, when congress ratified the Eighteenth Amendment, which prohibited the manufacture, sale and transportation of intoxicating liquors. Then, at the end of 1919, congress passed the “Volstead Act” to enforce the law. The authorities in most large cities, however, weren’t interested in enforcing the law. Large quantities of alcoholic drink were still available, much of it being bootlegged in. The Jazz Age began; new restaurants, cocktail lounges and private nightclubs were springing up everywhere, opening a vast market for the hard liquor and wine distributors.

Donald Dunne still had a steady supply of wine coming from his partner Sal Macaluso in California. However, his imports from Europe were somewhat curtailed. He and Danny gave thought of bootlegging through Canada, but felt Prohibition wouldn’t last too long. Things were good and on the upswing. However, they were proven wrong; Prohibition didn’t end as soon as expected. Donald and Danny, now with Whelan working with them, decided to expand their importing business. They had overcome setbacks before, and they were about to do it again. With their connections in Canada and France, they decided to smuggle shipments of wine and liquor into Canada, and overland by truck to New York City.

The three men went to Montreal to arrange for shipments from France and Italy and to buy a dockside warehouse. While in Montreal they discovered the city was prospering. It was because of the prohibition of the sale of alcohol in the United States. Americans by the hundreds were crossing the border to imbibe, and have a good time. New bars, nightclubs and restaurants were opening in the Canadian city at a fast pace.

It was decided, Whelan would to stay in Montreal to run their business, which included receiving the shipments of wine and liquor from Europe, managing the warehouse, and handling sales to their new customers in the growing Canadian city. Danny was now in charge of trucking the imported cases of wine and liquor to New York City. Donald would continue to manage the business in New York, and work with Sal Macaluso in California.

For the first year everything went smoothly. Money was being made on all fronts. Danny had the trucking of the wine and liquor running like clockwork. Only rarely did he need to accompany the trucks on their weekly run from Montreal to New York City. Then, one night, when Danny decided to make a run with his two drivers, they encountered the police. Just south of Albany, New York, they saw police cars pulling in behind their trucks, and turning on their overheads. At first they panicked, and the two truck drivers hit the gas pedal to try and get away. As they sped down the road the police cars raced up close and began firing. One of the bullets hit the driver of the truck, in which Danny was riding shotgun. The driver fell sideways, and the truck started to swerve. Danny pushed the driver aside and grabbed the wheel. He was able to straighten the truck and pull it off the highway. The second truck stopped behind him. The police cars pulled in front of the two trucks, and the officers surrounded them. Danny checked on his driver, who had only sustained a shoulder wound, then climbed down out of the truck. A flashlight was put close to his face.

An older officer, with brass on his shoulders asked, “You in charge?”

“I am,” answered Danny.

“Are you Danny Dunne?”

Danny was surprised the police officer knew his name. “Yes,” he answered.

“Let’s you and me take a little walk,” suggested the officer.

Danny looked at the policeman, who wasn’t carrying a weapon.

“Come on, Danny. I need to talk to you alone,” said the officer, as he started to walk away from the trucks.

Danny followed him.

“I’m Captain Callaghan, and it’s been brought to our attention that you Dunne fellas have been trucking your wine and liquor through our fine state, and not paying your dues.”

“What dues?”

“Come on now, you boys know what you’re doing is illegal. However, we know times are bad, and the people need their refreshments,” said the slightly overweight captain, chuckling.

“So that’s what this is about, you want to be paid?” asked Danny.

The captain nodded. “That’s the program. Your competition has been contributing to the police fund for quite some time. We both think it’s time for you Dunnes to contribute.”

“We pay you and move on?” asked Danny.

The captain grinned. “You don’t need to pay tonight. You probably don’t have enough cash with you. One of our officers will come by your place in the city, and make the arrangements.”

Danny looked at him. “What about my driver? He was hit in the shoulder.”

The captain glanced at the truck and pointed. “My men are seeing to his wound now.”

Danny and Captain Callaghan walked back toward the trucks. The captain extended his hand. “It was nice to meet you, Danny. Please give my regards to your brother Donald and your nephew Whelan.”

Danny watched as the captain, and his men returned to their police cars and disappeared into the night. It was evident to Donald and Danny that the Mafia, who were primarily bootlegging hard liquor, had pointed out their activities to the police. A few days later, they made arrangements to pay their dues.

It was around
the beginning of September, 1929, when stock prices began to fall. Then, on October, 29, 1929, the stock market crashed. It had a devastating effect on everyone; personal income, profits and prices dropped. What became known as the Great Depression began to spread worldwide. Tax revenue hit an all-time low, and congress debated what they should do about it. Their decision to pass the United States’ Smoot–Hawley Tariff bill in June, 1930, intensified the depression further still by placing a record high tax on imported goods. Unemployment rose to twenty-five per cent. International trade plunged to below fifty per cent, due largely to the United States’ new tariff.

When congress passed the tariff it was originally intended to help protect domestic farmers against agricultural imports. The passage of the bill, however, only caused more suffering. It also provoked retaliatory measures by foreign trading partners, as other countries felt U.S. policies were designed to improve their own lot, at their expense. This tariff and other policies contributed to a drastic decline in international trade.

The import business of the Dunnes took a devastating hit. When the economy fell, their wine and liquor sales came almost to a halt. With the high tax on imported goods, even if Prohibition ended, they would still have to continue bootlegging. Canada was one of the countries, which were most miffed about the United States’ new tariff. They forged even closer economic ties with Great Britain and France, and in return imposed their own tariff on U.S. goods.

To increase their profits, Donald made a trip to Ireland. Shortly thereafter, the Dunnes began importing Irish and Scotch whiskies into Canada.

In December of 1933, based on the belief that repealing Prohibition would generate enormous sums of much-needed tax revenue, and weaken the base of organized crime, congress passed the Twenty-first Amendment. Under its terms, states were allowed to set their own laws for the control of alcohol. Once again, the Dunnes business went back into full swing. However, because of the tariff law, which was still in effect, their bootlegging from Canada, continued. Later on, during the 1930s, tariffs were lowered, and the Dunnes relied less and less upon their illegal imports into Canada.

Over the next few years, their business continued to flourish, except during World War II when they became more involved in the politics, and the needs facing the nation. After the war, they began investing their cash in land, mainly in southern California and in Florida, where they acquired an estate on Biscayne Bay, in Miami.

In July, 1950, tragedy struck the Dunnes. Whelan’s parents and his Uncle Danny were killed in an airplane crash. They were on their way to California to spend two weeks with their old friend and partner, Sal Macaluso. Whelan was devastated, but he had little time to mourn, as the fortune the family had accumulated, and the business empire they had built, was now his to manage. His son Douglas, who had recently graduated from the Harvard Law School, was brought into the company to assist him. His daughter Maggie was also in the Harvard Law School, but wouldn’t graduate for two years. During her summer vacations she had worked as a page in the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., and she had informed her father that she would not be working for him. After graduation she planned on being a legislative aide; her ultimate goal was to be a congresswoman. Her father agreed wholeheartedly with her decision.

By the fall of 1959, his son Douglas had taken over management of the Dunne Corporation. His daughter Maggie had graduated from Harvard Law School and, in the fall of 1958, had been elected to congress. Whelan was now one of America’s richest men.

In the middle of January, 1960, Whelan Dunne’s old Annapolis roommate called him. During their private meeting, Admiral Hildegard requested financial assistance for a secret program he, other military officers, and two members of congress were promoting. After hearing about their clandestine endeavor, Whelan Dunne was more than willing to help.

O
n Monday morning,
Kip called General David Dugan’s office, and made an appointment for he and Killian to meet with the general the following day.

Tuesday afternoon, when Killian and Congressman Kipling Smith entered General Dugan’s office, the general stood. He came around from behind his six-foot long cherry wood desk to greet them. Dugan had a puzzled look on his face as he looked at Killian.

“Congressman, is this the man you recommended for our clandestine operation, Zack’s horse trainer?”

“Yes sir. General Dugan, I’d like you to meet Killian Muldoon.”

The two men shook hands.

The general sized up Killian. “Well you’re certainly a big, strong-looking fella and–” he chuckled, “–obviously an Irish lad.”

Kip smiled. “I take it those are pluses in your book, General?”

“They are, and I have to admit I’m a bit surprised. But, if you can do the job we’re asking of you as well as you cooked those T-bone steaks Saturday night, I’m all in for you, Killian,” chortled the general.

The three men laughed as General Dugan went back to the brown leather chair behind his desk. “Have a seat and let’s get down to business,” he instructed.

They sat down.

“So Killian, Kip here has really built you up. He says you’re the best man for our operation. Do you feel the same? Can you handle it?”

“If I had any doubts, sir, I wouldn’t be sitting here. Kip knows I’ve been looking for a situation like this.”

“Well, I doubt you’ve been thinking about a situation quite like the one we’re proposing. I don’t believe that one part of the government has ever secretly investigated another, at least, not to the extent we plan on doing.”

“That may be, sir, but I am looking forward to the challenge.”

“Good!” exclaimed General Dugan, as he sat gazing at Killian. “At the ranch Kip told us about your qualifications. They’re pretty impressive. Why do you feel you’re up to this job?”

“First of all, everything Kip told you is true. Secondly, I have had experience in doing unusual and different tasks, plus I have the confidence I can handle this mission for you.”

General Dugan nodded. “I like your honesty and confidence.”

“General, even though Killian doesn’t have a paper trail of records like the regular men in the service, he has experience and comes from a long line of men who have served our country. His great-great grandfather, also named Killian Muldoon, was a highly decorated sergeant during the Civil War. He even marched in the parade here in Washington after General Lee surrendered.”